Chapter 1369: Fists Against Immortality

The army ahead let out a roar and surged past Valric toward the village.

Emerald Castle’s forces charged at the same moment.

The two armies collided in the middle of the desert. Weapons clashed, armor slammed together, and battle cries merged into a deafening din as countless feet churned the yellow sand into the air.

In a battle between armies, choosing the right ground was crucial.

Amid the chaos, Ethan and the enemy commander never took their eyes off each other. Neither allowed ordinary soldiers to interfere. Instead, they left the main battlefield at the same time and headed for an open stretch of sand nearby.

"You know the rules. I like that!"

Ethan found himself looking forward to fighting this immaculate commander.

Once they actually exchanged blows, he would probably want to slap himself for thinking that.

This had nothing to do with rules.

The soldiers around them avoided the open ground without needing to be told. Not one came close.

Everyone understood that this was the most important fight of the battle.

If the commander fell, the Immortal Kingdom’s army would lose its leader.

If Ethan fell, Emerald Castle’s forces would be at a severe disadvantage.

The loser could lose everything.

The victor would take it all.

The commander stopped and drew his sword. He removed the scabbard from his waist and tossed it aside.

Holding the sword in both hands, he fixed his gaze on Ethan.

"State your name."

Sand blew between them.

"I am Valric, Lord Commander of the Immortal Kingdom."

Valric raised the point of his sword.

"I do not kill nameless men!"

Ethan nodded approvingly.

Exchanging names before a duel did give the fight a certain sense of ceremony.

He rolled his shoulders, flexed each wrist, and faced Valric head-on.

"I’m just an ordinary man."

Ethan smiled.

"Ethan Parker!"

An ordinary man?

Who would believe that?

Valric shook his head. He was certain Ethan was every bit as calculating as he was. The man simply did not want to expose his true identity or strength, so he was hiding behind the claim that he was "ordinary."

Ethan stared at Valric’s knowing expression, utterly speechless.

The energy sphere forming in his palm slowly faded away.

The best way to crush an opponent was to defeat him at what he did best.

Valric repeated the name.

"Ethan Parker!"

By the time the words left his mouth, his sword was already in position.

Valric drew his rear foot back, his strength pressing a hollow into the sand. The next instant, he broke the sound barrier. A circular blast erupted behind him, throwing sand in every direction.

"Ethan!"

Valric shot forward in a straight line.

"Face me!"

Ethan did not underestimate him.

He lowered his center of gravity and clenched both fists, tracking Valric’s movement through the blowing sand.

But he was still a few seconds too slow.

In that brief span, Valric had already crossed the distance between them and appeared directly in front of him.

The sword swept horizontally from Valric’s hip, its edge slicing through the air toward Ethan’s abdomen.

And in Valric’s free hand, he had concealed a fistful of sand.

His blade came in low, nearly skimming the ground.

Ethan had no time to evade it completely. He concentrated energy around his right fist and met the blade head-on.

Fist struck sword with a clear metallic ring that carried across the battlefield. Sand exploded backward beneath Ethan’s feet as the force behind the blow drove him sliding several steps away.

He had blocked the strike, but the blade had cut open his knuckles.

Blood ran down his fingers, dripping into the sand.

Valric did not press his advantage.

He remained where he was, watching Ethan coldly. Then he removed a clean piece of cloth from the edge of his armor and carefully wiped the blood from his sword.

The blade soon gleamed once more.

"Afraid?"

Valric put the cloth away, his tone even.

"Or do you simply lack the courage to fight me?"

Ethan glanced down at the cut on his right hand.

Valric had possessed the perfect opportunity to continue attacking, yet he had chosen to stop and wait. That composure earned Ethan’s respect.

One of them would inevitably fall, but that did not stop him from acknowledging Valric as a worthy opponent.

"I was worried I might hurt you."

Ethan raised both hands.

An energy sphere appeared between his palms, then dissolved into pure energy and flowed over his fists. White arcs of electricity traveled across his skin, covering every finger and knuckle.

The blood around his wound evaporated.

Valric finished cleaning his sword.

He leaped backward, putting some distance between them, then gripped the hilt with both hands again. The blade pointed diagonally toward the ground. He did not rush to attack, waiting in silence for the perfect moment.

A dead leaf tumbled through the battlefield on the wind.

It spun toward the sand.

The instant its tip touched the ground, Ethan and Valric vanished.

Boom!

Sand erupted from where each of them had stood.

A fist wrapped in white energy collided with a gleaming blade at the center of the clearing. The sword scraped across Ethan’s energy barrier, throwing off a shower of sparks. The impact spread through the ground, carving a circular mark into the sand.

Valric immediately changed his approach.

Instead of slashing again, he drew the sword back to his waist and thrust toward Ethan’s throat along the shortest possible path.

The point rapidly filled Ethan’s vision.

Ethan raised his right hand and spread his fingers, catching the incoming blade. The concentrated energy coating his palm held the edge at bay, stopping the point before it could advance any farther.

At the same time, his left fist opened into a palm. It circled around the blade and shot toward Valric’s chest.

Valric’s expression did not change.

He retreated with the movement, bleeding off the force of Ethan’s grip, then twisted the hilt. The sword rotated around the point where Ethan held it, its edge sweeping sideways toward his outstretched left arm.

The arm was already fully within the blade’s reach.

Ethan had concentrated the energy around his hands, leaving the rest of his arms unprotected.

If the sword connected, it would either sever his arm or cripple it.

Ethan made his decision immediately.

His left hand abandoned its attack on Valric’s chest. His right released the blade, then struck at it from the opposite side, trying to knock the weapon off course.

But Valric did not follow through with the expected downward cut.

The blade abruptly changed direction and swept upward toward Ethan’s face.

A hint of delight entered Ethan’s eyes.

Trading injuries?

Now that was more like it.

He ignored the rising blade and attacked Valric with both fists, only leaning his upper body back far enough to keep the sword from cutting into his head.

Valric smiled when he saw the two fists coming for him.

He put more power into the upward slash. The blade scraped across Ethan’s chest, cutting through his clothing and skin. At the same time, Valric clenched his free hand and punched straight into Ethan’s attack.

Bam!

Three separate forces erupted at close range.

Ethan’s fist struck Valric’s shoulder, while Valric’s fist slammed into Ethan’s ribs. Blood splattered across the sand, but none of their injuries were enough to end the fight.

Neither paid any attention to his wounds.

Ethan possessed an extraordinary healing ability.

Valric had an immortal body.

The brief exchange did not drive them apart. Instead, it dragged them into a close-quarters brawl.

Ethan stepped forward, slipped his right fist past the sword, and drove it straight toward Valric’s face.