Chapter 339 - Interception

Chapter 339: Chapter 94: InterceptionSince the four Dukes were certain that Lu Hong was Baron Yitian, they definitely wouldn’t make his time in the Eagle Alliance campaign a pleasant one. With the tacit agreement of all four Dukes, Lu Hong’s subsequent duel list was clearly arranged. Now in the top hundred battles, Lu Hong was up against Bo Ge, whom Anna had mentioned: a Second-Transformation Peak expert capable of killing a Third Transition warrior under plane suppression.

After a good recuperation yesterday, Lu Hong still felt somewhat lacking in energy. The arena for the top hundred battles was qualified to take place in Tianyuan, each match witnessed by countless people. The four Dukes also made a joint appearance, keen to find out what was so unique about the empire’s hero.

Bo Ge stepped onto the stage and smiled at Lu Hong, "Hello, it’s an honor to be your opponent."

"Uh?" Lu Hong looked somewhat surprised.

"What?" Bo Ge asked back.

"No, it’s just unusual to suddenly hear someone speak so politely," Lu Hong said with a dry cough.

Bo Ge glanced at the four Dukes and said to Lu Hong, "I’ve never seen you before, nor have I heard of your name, but I’m very curious as to why the four Dukes would come to observe."

"I don’t know either," Lu Hong shrugged. "Maybe they’re here to watch your performance."

Bo Ge shook his head, "I have some skills, but not enough to attract all four Dukes at once." It seemed Bo Ge was very aware of his own limits.

"However, I won’t hold back. I’m going to make a name for the Holy Academy."

"Please!" Lu Hong said tersely, pulling out his bronze greatsword and assuming a battle stance.

Following the referee’s signal, Bo Ge initiated the attack by reaching towards Lu Hong from a distance; a huge fireball descended from the sky.

The opponent was a Fire Mage. Getting close to a mage was key; once you close the gap, their spell skills become less effective.

Ignoring the fireball falling from the sky, Lu Hong charged towards his opponent, intending to take down Bo Ge in one go.

Certainly, Bo Ge was aware of Lu Hong’s plan and chanted a skill unhurriedly. In a flash, a sea of fire with him at the center rapidly spread outward.

The scorching wave was unbearable, and Lu Hong had no choice but to activate his Pure Steel Battle Energy, cleaving the wave with his sword.

But under Bo Ge’s control, wave after wave of flames surged one after another, each one higher than the last.

Watching from below, Anna clenched her fists. This was Bo Ge’s signature skill, Flame Seven Layer Wave, where every seven waves marked a level, and each subsequent seven waves doubled in power until the seventh cycle. Once complete, killing a Third Transition warrior was easy.

Was Lu Hong still mindful of her warning? Anna’s heart was in turmoil as she watched the fourteenth wave crash, each skill’s power doubling once more.

Just as Anna was about to shout a warning to Lu Hong, she was suddenly held back by a man who had appeared behind her.

Turning around, her face changed, and she whispered in a low voice, "Principal!"

"Anna," the principal of Holy Academy said expressionlessly, "come with me."

"Yes," Anna unwillingly looked back at Lu Hong on the arena and followed the principal away.

The principal took Anna into a secret room, then started questioning her, "You should be aware of the true identity of the man on the stage."

"I... I’m not very sure," Anna said nervously.

"Hmph!" the principal’s tone turned cold. "The night before last, Piao Miao surrounded our Holy Academy. Don’t tell me you know nothing about it!"

Anna, knowing she couldn’t hide it anymore, responded, "Principal, I know I was wrong."

"Hmph!" the principal scolded, "You are foolish! Do you understand how much disgrace you’ve brought upon our Holy Academy within the alliance because of your actions?"

"But nobody has confirmed his identity yet."

"Is there still a need for confirmation?" continued the principal. "Once the four Dukes decide on something, they can turn black into white unless, at this very moment, Baron Yitian shows up at the boundary of the alliance."

Ditu looked at Anna’s helpless expression, the principal felt a bit of pity, "Enough, you go back to the academy, head to Si Ming Sea for seclusion, and stay out of that boy’s troubles, otherwise even I won’t be able to protect you."

"No!" Anna rejected loudly, surprising Ditu. "No matter what, he is my man. I will stay by his side even if it means death!"

The principal frowned slightly. He knew Anna very well; once she set her mind on something, nothing could change it. "Do you really want to ruin the reputation of my academy?"

Hearing the invocation of the academy’s honor, Anna was left speechless. Having grown up in the academy, she saw it as her second home. "I... I don’t know."

"I will give you one more day," said the principal before leaving with a flick of his sleeve.

On the arena, Lu Hong had withstood the twenty-seventh wave of fire. He remembered Anna’s advice, but he could not break through the sea of flames!

His opponent was a Second-Transformation Peak expert who also had a special encounter. At the onset of the inferno, Lu Hong had tried to counter it with Pure Steel Battle Energy, hoping to suppress the fire. However, Bo Ge’s magic power was terrifyingly high, already surpassing a typical Third Transition. Lu Hong’s quality of Pure Steel Battle Energy was simply no match, meaning he was completely overpowered.

Unable to stop the formation of the sea of fire, Lu Hong had no choice but to take a passive stance.

At the heart of the inferno, Bo Ge’s eyes radiated red lights, half-suspended in the air, resembling a newly born Fire God.

"Surrender," Bo Ge stated. "Once I release the twenty-ninth wave of fire, its power will be enough to kill any Second-Transformation Peak master. You won’t even have a chance to admit defeat."

"Wishful thinking," Lu Hong responded gravely. "I will not stop here!" As he parried the twenty-eighth wave with his great sword, the collision forced him to stagger backward, unsteady.

Duchess Xin Lei looked at Bo Ge’s performance with satisfaction and spoke to Piao Miao beside her, "Are you sure that kid named Lu Hong is Baron Yitian? He seems weak!"

"Yes!" Piao Miao gritted her teeth. "My lady, this is all his disguise. Right now, he’s using the skills of a Great War Master, an act he’s put on since joining the Eagle Alliance. Just a surge of his energy blood, and he could counterattack Bo Ge easily."

"Oh?" Duchess Xin Lei chuckled. "Then I am somewhat looking forward to it."

Not just Duchess Xin Lei, the other three dukes present watched the match, curious about Lu Hong’s rumored skills, although his performance so far showed nothing exceptional.

"So Baron Yitian is nothing special in front of our alliance’s prodigies. The Empire does exaggerate," Lei Shan yawned lazily, lounging with a drowsy look.

Piao Miao glanced at Lei Shan and cursed him under her breath as an idiot! She harbored resentment towards him; her Lion Blood Clan was ruined by Lu Hong, and Lei Shan was involved. Moreover, why would Lei Shan cover for Baron Yitian? Piao Miao had reported this to Duchess Xin Lei long ago, and the Duchess had been cautious ever since, though she didn’t express much in front of Lei Shan, a duke himself. However, should they find definitive evidence of collusion with the baron, they would ensure his downfall.

After the twenty-eighth wave of fire, Bo Ge did not plan to hold back, as the principal had instructed him before ascending the platform to ensure the defeat of his opponent.

Under his control, the twenty-ninth wave doubled in strength from the previous ones, its surging flames faintly showing a fierce, roaring face as it fiercely targeted Lu Hong.

Unable to just sit and defend passively, Lu Hong saw the similarities between this move and the Seven Extremes Slash used by the Snow Clan in the past; it had to be countered with brute force. But with the vast difference in the quality of magic power and the equivalent total magic power, how could he possibly break it with brute force?

"Holy King! Come out!" Lu Hong called out internally. At this point, if he didn’t activate his energy blood, he certainly wouldn’t stand a chance against Bo Ge. But activating it would confirm his identity as Baron Yitian right there. The last veil of secrecy remained intact, and Lu Hong couldn’t afford to reveal himself willingly.

With no other choice, he had to seek the Holy King for help.

"Ah, my dear little master, I’ve been injured and won’t recover for three to five years. Think of another way!" The Holy King, sensing Lu Hong’s intention, quickly refused.

"You have no choice." Faced with the approaching wave of fire, Lu Hong, without a second word, threw his bronze great sword.

"You... you... you!" The Holy King yelled furiously. Without Lu Hong’s energy blood boosting it, the flames pierced through the protective layer of the bronze sword, directly scorching the Holy King’s spirit. This was precisely the peculiar aspect of Bo Ge’s magic power.

Left with no option, the Holy King, defeated by Lu Hong’s audacity, was forced to activate his remaining power; from afar, a beam of white Holy Light rose from the bronze great sword, slicing the wave of fire in two.

Lu Hong advanced swiftly, grasping the sword that radiated blinding Holy Light, and viciously slashed towards Bo Ge at the heart of the sea of fire.

Bo Ge’s expression shifted slightly. A magical artifact! Though the use of artifacts wasn’t forbidden in duels, it was rare for anyone to use them as the martial culture of Star Sea widely valued martial morality.

"Typical," Lei Shan scoffed coldly. "Just a weakling relying on a magical artifact."

Nuoshan glanced at him, "Stop talking nonsense. Keep watching. If you’re bored, feel free to leave the arena early." Listening to Lei Shan’s constant muttered complaints was utterly annoying!