--
Skrrt! Skrrt!
The sound of steel grinding against each other was a little too loud for those who saw what's happening. The silence was deafening; none were expecting this sight at all.
The Thunder Prince's spear pierced through three stacked domains, hundreds of vines and trees, a couple of mountains, three Grand Solar level life evolvers, and multiple golden barriers that barely slowed it down, only to be stopped completely by one guy with a sword.
It was too shocking for those who witnessed it, and it makes them wonder why this person didn't do this since the beginning. He could've saved his teammates if he did.
Well, the truth is more complicated than that. It's not like Cedric didn't want to make a move right away. It's just that he did something else that occupied him, and he barely had the time to respond.
And even though he was able to stop the spear from piercing their island and eliminating them completely, it certainly wasn't easy for him. He could feel the might and weight of the spear; the things it went through weakened it just enough for him to receive the remaining force behind it so the efforts of his teammates weren't completely useless.
But just because he managed to stop the spear, it doesn't mean that the crisis was over. His perception picked up the attempts of the Thunder Prince to place more force into the spear even at this distance.
He was confident of interfering with it, but he absolutely cannot stay on this island because any more force from either of them could destroy it. Thus, he tilted his sword and parried the spear upwards, sending it's trajectory outside of the island and out of the domains of his teammates. Cedric flew after it, but not before telling his team:
'I'll engage him; you guys try to focus on their island instead. That's only way we defeat them.'
It's a pity that Hawkeye and Eunuch Wei were incapacitated. But at the very least, the rest of his team were still alive. He already noticed that the enemy only had three members, and most of their fighting force came from the Thunder Prince. So long as Cedric could keep him occupied, his team could deal with the others and possibly win this match.
Even though this was the first time Cedric met the Thunder Prince, he could already tell that he wouldn't back down from this invitation. Cedric could smell the pride and arrogance deep in his bones. A person like this wouldn't retreat from a challenge, especially coming from a weaker person than them.
And his speculations were proven correct. Because as soon as he left the island to engage the Thunder Prince, the draconian summoned his spear back to his hand and also left his island.
They flew far from their respective islands, sizing each other up as they went. Once they were far enough away to ensure that their clash wouldn't affect their respective islands, the fight instantly began.
Pshew! Boom!
What Cedric lacked in the raw strength and cultivation realm, he made up for with his concept law application. Even though the Heavenly Punishment Concept Law (concept of Thunder+Lightning) was technically stronger than his Sunlight and Sunfire, Cedric's mastery was already approaching the peak of the Grand Solar realm. Meaning that his understanding and control over this was even better than Grand Solar Sages like the Thunder Prince himself.
Moreover, Cedric studied the Grand Solar level of Concept Laws as a whole, so his perspective was much broader and encompassing compared to the brutish application of the Thunder Prince, enough to bridge the gap between them.
It was this that allowed him to disperse the majority of the overwhelming strength that the Thunder Prince injects into all of his attacks, allowing him to receive it without sustaining injuries.
Bang! Boom! Boom! Bang!
They clashed again and again. Matching each other blow per blow. The strength of their clash shattered nearby asteroids, planets, and moons due to its intensity. Their battlefield became a no-trespassing zone due to the sheer might they're displaying.
Those who were watching their clash, especially those who knew who the Thunder Prince was and expected him to win this fight instantly, were shocked upon seeing Cedric match him blow per blow.
They couldn't believe that somebody could actually match up to him despite the disparity in their cultivation realms. Actually, they didn't expect to meet someone like Cedric at all. They all thought that the Thunder Prince would dominate this competition since he participated, but it turns out that there is another prodigy who could stand up to him.
Cedric wasn't just talented in comprehending laws; he's also an excellent fighter and a sword master to boot!
The experts who were watching this fight, especially those who came from sword sects, instantly recognized that Cedric had completely understood the essence of sword arts and was already on the road to creating his own. That alone was enough for them to record this fight and inform their elders about him.
Amongst these people were Big Han, the one who recruited Cedric personally. He watched Cedric with rapt attention and surprise, not fully expecting the child to come this far this quick.
To him, it felt like only yesterday passed since he brought this child in, yet he had already grown so much. It makes him wonder just how much time and effort this guy put in to achieve all of this.
It was during his contempelation that he heard the Tower Master's voice in his head, saying:
'You brought in a really interesting child, Big Han.'
The Ancient Golem's eyes widened, but he kept his expression neutral.
He then replied, 'It's all luck, Your Excellency. This child surprised me too.'