Chapter 288 - 286: Fighting the Chief Judge

Chapter 288: Chapter 286: Fighting the Chief Judge

A great gust of wind swept by, blowing away all the dust that had risen before the Medical Sanctuary.

The battle between the two powerhouses had completely changed the landscape before the city wall. The once-flat ground was now a scene of devastation.

The massive shockwave from moments ago had even destroyed the drawbridge’s mechanism, rendering it a precarious structure.

The two sides, however, were in entirely different states of mind.

The eyes of Raymond, Simone, and the others were filled with excitement. To witness such a spectacular battle up close and behold their Lord’s prowess made their blood boil.

Lune and the others were once again in awe of Duane’s strength. This proved that their decision to follow him steadfastly was the right one.

On the other side, everyone from the Holy Radiance Court was gripped by panicked disbelief.

Not even Thomsen had expected Orisien to fail, especially after using his Bloodline Power and his ultimate move, Holy Punishment.

Losing was one thing, but for Duane to emerge completely unscathed, aside from some torn clothes, was astounding.

He knew that even he couldn’t guarantee he could pull off such a feat.

This young man before them was absurdly powerful.

"COUGH, COUGH!"

From the crater in the wall, Orisien emerged. His clothes were tattered, his face, hands, and body were covered in blood mixed with dust. He was the picture of misery, a far cry from his usual calm and elegant demeanor.

"Thomsen, don’t let him get away!"

Orisien shouted in a low voice, "He’s from an Exotic Race!"

Huh?

Thomsen jolted. "’An Exotic Race?’"

It was true that some of the largest Secret Realms were home to races with their own civilizations.

Even some skills, such as certain Magic and Enchantment formulas, had been acquired from these Exotic Races.

Some of these Exotic Races were benevolent, while others were malevolent.

But this had nothing to do with Duane. He was just one man.

So when Thomsen heard this, he suspected the Holy Son had been beaten so badly he’d lost his mind and was spouting nonsense.

"That’s right!"

But Orisien insisted adamantly, "I just saw him covered head to toe in scales! That’s clearly the mark of the Snake-man Race!"

Duane let out a contemptuous sneer and activated his Scale Armor Defense. Instantly, his entire body was covered in translucent, platinum-colored scales.

"You mean like this?"

This strange transformation immediately drew everyone’s attention; even many of Duane’s closest followers had never seen him in this state.

Gaius, however, shouted, "That is our Lord’s Bloodline Power! I saw him activate his bloodline with my own eyes!"

He remembered the scene vividly and felt deeply honored to have witnessed the moment of a bloodline awakening firsthand.

Duane asked, "If having a Bloodline Power makes one a member of an Exotic Race, then are you, who just activated your own, also one of them?"

Orisien was struck speechless. The accusation had been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment jab.

Had Duane been without a powerful background, such an accusation could have easily united multiple factions to destroy him.

But Duane was not the sort of person to be swayed by slander; such false accusations were useless against him.

Orisien jumped down from the crater, stumbling so badly he almost fell.

A wave of lingering fear washed over him. ’If it weren’t for the protective item I have, I’d be completely incapacitated right now.’

For that very reason, his hatred for Duane intensified.

’Why should someone from the Shadow Mist Continent be this strong?’

He demanded in a low voice, "Establishing branch Church Courts in the territories of the Nobility is a policy promoted by the King. Duane, do you intend to openly stand in opposition to the King?"

Duane touched the tip of his Long Spear to the ground. "So, you’re saying His Majesty the King ordered you to harm my subordinates, torture my subjects, and undermine my authority?"

Orisien’s heart lurched. They hadn’t informed the King of this operation.

They were merely traveling by sea to the Needleleaf Forest and had made a detour to Black Forest Island, using the inspection of the branch court as a pretext to cause trouble for Duane.

Coincidentally, Duane’s actions regarding Sarah and the others had given them the perfect excuse.

Just as Orisien was trying to think of a rebuttal, Duane spoke again.

"Oh, that’s right. Where are the patients Priest Jesse was looking after? Why haven’t I seen any sign of them?"

The question was met with silence from Orisien, Thomsen, and the others.

Just then, Jesse’s weak voice came from behind them. "They... were all killed..."

"Hmph!" Thomsen snorted, and a sharp beam of Sword Aura shot out, aimed straight at Jesse’s neck.

Raymond drew his Sword to parry, but Duane moved faster. With a flick of his Long Spear, he intercepted the Sword Aura.

Duane stood before them. "As expected of the Chief Judge, always so quick to pass a death sentence."

Thomsen sneered. "People as mentally unstable as them have no value in living. Death is their only true release. Baron, I was simply saving you food and manpower."

In a way, what he said was true.

Duane’s efforts were a completely thankless task.

But from the perspective of a responsible Lord, if the "useless" were simply to die, what kind of values would that instill in his subjects?

As the old saying goes, "What the superiors cherish, the subordinates will emulate to an extreme." If Duane were to actually kill those people, his own subordinates would undoubtedly become more ruthless and cold-hearted when faced with similar situations.

Besides, how much food could a dozen or so people possibly eat? How much manpower could they waste?

In fact, caring for them might even create a job or two.

So when Duane heard Thomsen’s words, he saw the man’s true colors.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them again, his killing intent laid bare. "Who killed my people? Step forward!"

"What, is the Baron going to avenge them?"

Thomsen drew his Longsword. "I gave the order. The Black Armor Knight Squad carried it out. What, you think you can kill us?"

Raymond and the others gritted their teeth in anger at his sheer arrogance, but they were all too aware of the man’s status and strength.

In this situation, they dared not urge their Lord to avenge the dead. They could only wait quietly for his decision.

Whatever it was, they would support him.

Duane snorted, planted his Long Spear in the ground, and gripped the Longsword he had snatched from Orisien.

’When fighting a Silver Moon Level Warrior,’ he thought, ’a Long Spear forged from Refined Iron is too weak. It could easily break during a clash and put me at a disadvantage.’

’This Sword I just took, however, is clearly of superior quality. I’d guess it’s made from Meteorite-grade materials.’

"Everyone, get back."

Duane maintained his Scale Armor state, simultaneously activating the Celestial Python’s Eye and the Starlight Eye.

His icy gaze fell upon Thomsen, and his voice became just as cold. "Let’s see just what gives you the right to be so arrogant!"

Thomsen felt as if he were being watched by a venomous snake. "To think you would dare make an enemy of His Majesty and the Holy Radiance Court for a few madwomen. Excellent. I, too, would like to see your true strength!"

With no more words to be said, the two erupted with their full power and charged at each other.

Fighting Qi erupted from beneath their feet, blasting shallow craters in the ground as their figures moved at unbelievable speed.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures slammed into each other amidst the ruins!

Serpents of furious thunder erupted from Duane’s Sword, while Thomsen’s Longsword blazed with raging flames.

The moment their blades clashed, a deafening roar erupted.

In an instant, Thunder and Fire intertwined into a brilliant vortex of energy, pulverizing the ground within a ten-meter radius into rubble!

The fierce wind kicked up by the shockwave forced the onlookers to shield their faces from the flying sand and stone.

The power of this single blow rivaled that of the final clash between Duane and Orisien.

Simone retreated to a safe distance, doing his best to record the entire scene.

’He really is strong!’

Duane was on high alert. His opponent’s strength and reaction speed were no less than his own.

A fighting spirit ignited within him. It was rare to find such an evenly matched opponent.

Thomsen, on the other hand, was utterly astonished.

However, he was a battle-hardened veteran. He quickly recovered from his astonishment and adjusted his mindset.

He no longer underestimated his opponent. Based on the power of that single blow, one moment of carelessness could mean the difference between life and death.

Driven back several steps by the immense force of the impact, they quickly closed the distance and clashed again.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A series of sharp clashes rang out. Their swords moved with such extreme speed that even an Earth Tier Warrior like Lune could barely follow their trajectories.

Of everyone present, perhaps only Orisien could see the exchange clearly—and for that very reason, a sense of fear began to bloom in his heart.

All he could do now was pray that Thomsen would win.

After all, this Chief Judge was the strongest expert the Holy Radiance Court had dispatched to the Pruck Kingdom.

If even Thomsen were to lose, the repercussions would be enormous.

At that moment, Orisien actually felt a hint of regret, wondering why he had ever provoked such an unnatural monster.