Chapter One Hundred and Forty-Eight: Instant Defeat

Turning around, the figure of the Gray-clothed Swordsman came into view.

He looked a bit disheveled, but that was about it.

His once well-groomed gray hair was now speckled with traces of white snow, and there was a scratch on his right palm, probably from clumsily using the flying wings to land, instinctively bracing himself with his hand to maintain stability.

Other than that, there wasn’t much else to note.

After all, as long as there was a method to follow, this level of challenge wouldn’t be an issue for a legend-level powerhouse. Even if the legendary level hasn’t exceeded the limits of species, the level, or rather, the physical attributes brought by training are certainly not false.

The only difficulty actually lay in whether the Soul could master the skill of using the [Artificial Flying Wings] proficiently within fifteen minutes, which was what Miss Vilyric truly intended to test.

You see, Tilysha took a full hour to barely master the basics back then!

“Xī… Miss Xī, I-I-I don’t think I’ve exceeded your time limit, right?”

The Gray-clothed Swordsman folded his silver-white wings behind him, his teeth chattering slightly. The warm breath he exhaled almost immediately turned into white mist that rose and then froze into tiny ice particles, while his originally healthy complexion appeared somewhat pale—clearly, he had underestimated the frigid temperatures atop this seven-thousand-meter snowy peak.

“Hmm, barely qualified.”

Reaching into the Void, Miss White Fox casually tossed a thick coat to him, then glanced at the metal wings behind the Soul, seemingly frozen to an icy hardness.

“How do you feel about this thing?”

After expressing his gratitude, the Gray-clothed Swordsman undid some of the flying wings, put on the warm coat, and then slightly paused, realizing what Miss Vilyric was referring to. He turned back and gently touched the cold, hard metal wings, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.

“To be honest, it’s amazing! No… it’s more accurate to say it’s unbelievable. Even without intricate magical patterns or magical seals, it still allows a person to soar into the sky simply by relying on the power provided by magic crystals, and to perform many agile movements like a bird. This exceeds my previous understanding! Truly worthy of being something in Miss Vilyric’s hands…”

The White Fox Girl nodded subtly, then continued, “I’ll pass on your praise to the person in question. Now, what you need to do next is to continuously learn and refine your skills in using these external wings, becoming adept at fighting enemies in mid-air while equipped with them. If the final result satisfies me, this pair of artificial flying wings can be yours.”

Donning the coat, the Soul gradually adapted to the extreme cold around him. Hearing this, he nodded, then with a hint of confusion asked, “This precious opportunity and experience, of course, I’m honored, but how could there be enemies to fight at the peak of this towering sky barrier…? Is Miss Xī planning to fight me herself…?”

“Ku ku ku~”

For some reason, a subtle, slightly wicked chuckle escaped from beneath the White Fox Girl’s mask, as if she found it amusing, but before the Soul could discern anything further, she collected herself and returned to her calm, aloof demeanor.

“Ahem… You needn’t worry about that. Since I brought you here, I’m definitely well-prepared.”

“Well then, are you ready?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Then put on the flying wings, close your eyes for three seconds, and the assessment—will officially begin.”

Sensing something ominous in the White Fox Girl’s words, the Soul felt a bit nervous, yet also expectant. He swallowed hard and quickly tightened the loose metal wings, confirming everything was in order before nodding seriously, closing his eyes, and beginning to count silently.

“Whoosh~~ whoosh~~ whoosh~~~~”

Atop the peak, the biting cold wind whipped past like a blade, and the voice and presence of the White Fox Girl seemed to vanish abruptly from the Gray-clothed Swordsman’s perception.

On the snowy summit of this sky barrier, he found himself alone, with only the cold wind and falling snow for company, as if even the cold had begun to fade away.

3…

2…

The three seconds felt particularly long in this moment of anticipation. The Soul had no idea what kind of test this mysterious and noble powerhouse would give him, but there was no doubt it would be extremely difficult.

1…

In the blink of an eye, the brief three seconds seemed to vanish.

And with that, the bone-chilling cold came rushing back.

That was the silence known as [Death].

The sound of wind breaking through the air sent chills down his spine!

“First Sword! Piercing Rainbow!!!”

Instinct honed through years of battle had the Soul unsheathing his sword without hesitation, even before he had opened his eyes. The sword surged upward, radiating with a keen edge, slashing in response to the incoming chill!

This strike, born from understanding amidst the icy world, had reached the pinnacle of his life thus far.

Even against the legendary realm of [Transcendence], the Gray-clothed Swordsman felt he could challenge it in this moment.

However…

“Clang!!!”

It was not the heavy sound of weapons clashing that rang out.

The Soul felt as if his sword had crashed into an indestructible bell, an unmatched force nearly crushing his right hand, causing blood to bloom from his palm. The sword, which had never left his side, slipped from his grasp, flying into the ground over ten meters behind him.

That massive object, as heavy as a door, came crashing down on the Gray-clothed Swordsman without flair, knocking him away with a “bang!” In an instant, he was launched from the peak platform like a cannonball, plunging downward!

“Guh…”

As he plummeted at high speed, the true fear of imminent death prompted the Soul to subconsciously try to do something to relieve the impact, but pain coursed through his broken bones, combined with the icy wind rushing down his throat, rendering him nearly unable to breathe. His mind teetered on the brink of shutdown due to the sudden, overwhelming change.

This famed legendary swordsman, an idol in the eyes of countless citizens in the northern United Kingdom, couldn’t even comprehend what had just defeated him.

Was…… he going to die?

Having finally reached this point, having finally found the path, gaining the chance granted by the strong, yet unable to even pass the first trial… it was truly… embarrassing.

“Such an embarrassment.”

Amidst the howling cold wind that surged into his ears, he heard the voice of the girl emanating from nowhere.

It remained as calm and pleasant as ever, indifferent and serene.

Then, the swordsman felt something grab hold of him.

His downward momentum came to a sudden stop and instantly shifted upwards with even greater speed, as if the previous scene were being played in reverse.

In a whirl of dizzying motion, he found himself back atop the mountain peak, staring up at the White Fox Girl, who had single-handedly grasped the collar of his coat and let it drop onto the soft, white snow.

“Got any recovery potions? As an adventurer, this much shouldn’t require me to help, right?”

“Whew!!! Cough cough cough…”

Only now did the Soul finally snap back to reality from the series of sudden changes, expelling the stagnant blood that had accumulated in his chest as he coughed repeatedly, struggling to sit up in the snow.

“There… there is! It’s just a cough… little injury, thank you for the life-saving grace, Miss Xī…”

   

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