Chapter 1371: The Honor of Staying Alive

Ethan saw exactly what he was doing.

Trying to lure him closer to the sword?

Did Valric really think he was that easy to fool?

Ethan abandoned close combat.

White energy poured from his palm and gradually condensed into a sphere. Arcs of electricity danced across its surface as the power inside compressed further.

In the distance, Valric saw what he was doing and shook his head helplessly.

He stopped beckoning and walked over to the sword lying in the sand. Bending down, he wrapped a hand around the hilt.

Before he could straighten, an energy sphere was already flying toward him.

Its path lined up perfectly with his upper body.

If Valric continued to rise, he would run straight into it.

Ethan did not let his guard down. He had thrown the first sphere with his right hand, and his left was already gathering energy for a second, ready in case Valric tried to counterattack.

Valric did not straighten.

Still bent low to the ground, he thrust his arm forward and released the sword he had just picked up.

The blade skimmed over the sand toward Ethan, throwing up twin trails of yellow dust.

Valric remained crouched and charged after his flying sword. When Ethan saw him rapidly closing the gap, he immediately launched the second energy sphere.

The white orb grazed past the blade and flew straight at Valric.

Valric shifted half a step sideways. The sphere passed his shoulder and struck the sand behind him, blasting a huge wave into the air without touching him.

Another energy sphere followed close behind.

Valric lowered himself further and dodged again. The orb passed over his head before exploding in the distance and leaving a deep crater.

Valric was almost within striking distance now. Ethan stopped gathering energy, drew his charged hand behind him, and punched straight ahead with the other.

But the sword did not continue along its original path.

Its point dipped into the sand, and the entire blade slid forward along the ground. Valric rose from his low stance and kicked the hilt from underneath with the top of his foot.

The sword accelerated again.

Its edge plowed through the sand, throwing up a dense curtain of dust. Valric had closed his eyes the moment he kicked, keeping his own sand screen from blinding him.

The sand struck Ethan’s face and got into his eyes yet again.

Valric followed directly behind the sword. Using the momentum of a spin, he swept one leg toward Ethan’s waist.

Ethan had only one thought left.

Sand again?

The moment his vision disappeared, white energy spread outward from his body. A shield closed around him, protecting him from head to toe.

Clang!

The sword struck the shield and stopped against the white barrier.

Valric’s leg hit the same spot a moment later. The shield caved inward under the blow but did not break.

Ethan did not bother rubbing his eyes.

He kept them tightly shut and focused entirely on the air around him, Valric’s footsteps, and the movement of energy. White light gathered between his palms, slowly forming another sphere.

Valric opened his eyes and froze.

His sword was still pressed against the shield, and he had not yet pulled back his extended leg. Worse, the energy between Ethan’s hands was growing rapidly.

The sphere expanded from the size of a fist until it was nearly half as large as Ethan.

Pulsing white light pushed the surrounding sand away, and the pressure forced the ground beneath him to sink. Although Ethan could not see a thing, he made no move to release the attack.

Valric did not dare move either.

The pressure from that energy sphere was even greater than what he felt from his king. The slightest hint of an attack might cause Ethan to slam every bit of that stored energy directly into him.

The two fell into a bizarre stalemate.

Ethan was worried Valric would attack while he was blind.

Valric was worried Ethan would ignore where he was aiming and detonate the sphere right in his face.

Everyone watching was baffled.

Were they still fighting or not?

Yet no one dared approach. The energy in Ethan’s hands was still growing, while Valric remained poised to attack at any moment. Whoever stepped between them first risked becoming the most obvious target on the battlefield.

By comparison, the main battle was much more straightforward.

Emerald Castle’s army had already driven the Immortal Kingdom’s forces back to the outskirts of the village. Emerald Castle’s troops were well rested and at the height of their morale, while their enemies were already exhausted from a long war.

Whether in formation or direct assault, Emerald Castle held a clear advantage.

But that did not mean victory was assured.

The soldiers of the Immortal Kingdom truly could resurrect.

Whenever a spear pierced one of them and his body fell, white light would pour from the wound. Once the light faded, the soldier returned to the exact state he had been in before his death.

His wounds vanished.

His weapon returned to his hand.

Even his expended energy and mental strength were completely restored.

They could return to that previous state without limit.

Every time Emerald Castle’s soldiers brought down an enemy, he reentered the battle in perfect condition. Their initial advantage was being worn away over and over, and no one knew how long the battle might last.

As Lord Commander of the Immortal Kingdom, Valric could resurrect as well.

But he had no desire to use that ability.

A legend had long circulated throughout the Immortal Kingdom.

Anyone who defeated Lord Commander Valric in a direct fight could take his place.

Countless challengers had tried.

Those endless trials and battles had forged a Lord Commander who had never experienced death even once.

Valric had come this far on a single life.

He did not intend to throw that record away lightly.

The other soldiers saw things differently. If they could resurrect forever after dying, what did they have to fear?

Charge.

Die.

Resurrect.

Then charge again.

But to Valric, that single unbroken life carried a special honor. It was his pride as a soldier, and the shared pride of everyone who believed in him.

Now, however, that pride felt unusually heavy.

Valric stared at the still-growing energy sphere, his heart sinking further by the second.

How was he supposed to fight this?

He could not afford to wait any longer.

Valric pulled his leg away from the shield and leaped upward. He caught the nearby sword in one hand and brought it across his body.

Power rapidly gathered along the blade.

Suppressing every last hesitation, Valric gripped the hilt with both hands and brought the sword down toward Ethan inside the shield.

Ethan sensed the change overhead.

He could not see Valric’s position, but he caught the pressure in the air as the blade descended.

He thrust the energy sphere he had been charging forward.

The white orb left his hands and appeared directly beneath Valric’s falling blade.

The sword came down.

Boom!

White light swallowed the entire clearing.

The shock wave raced across the sand, throwing every nearby soldier off his feet. Ethan’s shield shook violently, and several cracks spread across its surface, but it held and protected him from the full force of the explosion.

After a while, Ethan finally opened his eyes.

His tears had washed out the sand, and his vision gradually returned.

He looked around in confusion.

Valric was gone.

So was every soldier of the Immortal Kingdom on the main battlefield.