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Chapter 131: Misunderstanding or Not

Solomon plunged the tip of Eden’s Penance directly into the rocky floor. He stepped away from the sword and grabbed the unmarked iron longsword dropped by the impaled thug. The lightweight metal felt perfectly balanced in his grip.

He turned to face the rushing crowd of dark-robed martial artists.

He anchored his boots against the dusty floorboards and twisted his hips. A martial artist lunged forward with a curved saber aiming for Solomon’s neck.

Solomon initiated the first deflection arc of the Azure Crane Blade. He let the enemy’s momentum slip entirely past his guard. He stepped into the newly created blind spot and drove the iron longsword through the man’s ribs.

Chaining the movements together, he transitioned into the second and third forms of the technique. He redirected a spear thrust and carried the kinetic force into a sweeping leg trip. The attacker crashed into the rubble.

Solomon bounded off the ball of his foot to execute a mid-air horizontal slash, instantly tearing through three more advancing fighters.

[1Fizzy: he actually switched weapons to use the crane style.]

[Xander_Man: look at him styling on these guys.]

[Fatal_Beauty: the Azure Dragon instructors are going to be so proud. Let me clip this.]

He moved across the ruined temple with absolute agility. The thirteenth step demanded a complex piercing strike combined with a backward leap.

Solomon drove the iron blade through a martial artist’s chest and kicked off the stone tiles. He landed gracefully near the remains of the wooden throne. Dozens of bleeding thugs groaned on the ground around him.

Solomon lowered the blood-stained longsword and scanned the surviving congregation. He kicked a piece of rubble aside to clear his view. He completely failed to spot the silver-masked leader among the broken obsidian pews.

"Where did your interior decorator go?" Solomon asked the remaining thugs.

The injured martial artists simply scrambled backward on their hands and knees. Solomon tapped his floating blue interface to consult his audience.

[Grey: the boss literally ran away five minutes ago.]

[Dark_Skies: HE BAILED WHILE YOU WERE BULLYING THE MINIONS!]

[Chi_Master: bro hit the emergency exit as soon as you dropped your big sword.]

Solomon clicked his tongue and tossed the unmarked iron longsword onto a pile of broken stones.

"Next time, remind me to target the boss first."

He walked back to the center of the room and grabbed the hilt of Eden’s Penance. Strapping the massive relic securely to his back, he marched straight toward the dark tunnel connecting to the surface.

’I dragged this out too much. The guard had clearly said that their target was the students and they were ordered to kill them. I have to kill the boss and return to the sect as soon as possible before any student loses their lives. While I may not know them that well, I do have a few whom I consider my friends.’

"I hope the pavilion instructors are doing their job and protecting the students," he sighed.

He navigated the crumbling steps and kicked the rusted iron grate open. The corridor ahead flickered with the light of the green torches.

Pavilion Leader Jin stood at the end of the passage. He wiped a streak of blood from his curved saber. The masked sect leader lay completely motionless at Jin’s feet. A fatal slash had severed the man’s throat, pooling crimson across the damp cobblestones.

Jin sheathed his weapon and looked at the silver-haired boy emerging from the underground temple.

Suddenly, Jin’s physical form abruptly blurred into the surrounding shadows.

Solomon anchored his boots against the cobblestones and twisted his hips. A curved saber sparked violently against the pristine steel of Eden’s Penance. Jin materialized directly behind him to unleash a rapid sequence of horizontal sweeps and diagonal thrusts.

Solomon utilized his Basic Footwork to pivot seamlessly out of the attack radius. He brought his enormous greatsword up, catching every single incoming strike on the flat of his blade. The subterranean corridor echoed with the sharp clack of colliding steel.

Jin finally broke his stance and leaped backward to create distance.

[2Lazy2Care: THE TEACHER IS ATTACKING HIM!]

[Last_Fables: boss fight part three?!]

[BloodKnight: An ambush from an instructor. Keep your guard up, Solomon.]

[User12: just got back. what is even happening right now?]

"Who exactly are you?" Jin asked, pointing the tip of his saber at the boy’s chest. "Who sent you to infiltrate my pavilion?"

"There is a misunderstanding happening right now." Solomon casually rested his greatsword against his collarbone. "I was kidnapped from the courtyard and dragged down here completely against my will."

"You are the only novice in this entire sect who manages to get kidnapped twice in a single day." Jin tightened his grip on his hilt. "Disasters constantly erupt wherever you walk. Every single problem occurring tonight involves you directly."

"I apparently possess a rare talent for being present in the wrong place at the wrong time." Solomon wiped a smear of ash from his chin.

Jin inspected the boy’s flawless defensive footing. "Are you utilizing an ancient rejuvenating art? Are you wearing some kind of flesh mask to disguise your true age?"

"This is entirely my natural beauty." Solomon offered a bright, unapologetic grin. "Good genetics go a long way in this world. I am from a farming background, you see."

Which dark guild provided your combat training?" Jin demanded, ignoring the sarcasm completely. "How did you manage to clear an entire syndicate base without shedding a single drop of your own blood?"

"I just drink plenty of water and get my daily exercise." Solomon shrugged his shoulders and tapped his boots against the dirt. "A balanced diet keeps the body in perfect shape."

Jin gritted his teeth and lowered his curved saber. "It makes absolutely zero sense for an eighteen-year-old boy to possess this level of martial strength. A true foundation requires decades of agonizing physical practice. You cannot even be classified as a genius or a prodigy anymore."

Solomon and Jin stared at each other with their hands holding their weapons, ready to strike at any moment.