The spell The Compassion of Heaven and Earth was cast, and a mass of yellow sand was manipulated by Dean Bruce, forming a sand wall that stood between him and Madrid Haru.
However, before the sharp spearhead could strike the sand wall, a fierce and invisible force pierced through it, allowing the spear to continue onward.
This scene surprised Dean Bruce; it was the first time he had encountered someone capable of directly breaking through his defensive magic!
Clearly, in terms of sheer power level, Madrid Haru was the strongest opponent he had ever faced!
In this situation, Dean Bruce would not hold back. He raised the Thunder God's Judgement Blade and swung it toward the incoming spearhead.
If it were a magical attack, Dean Bruce would not dare to act so boldly, but since Madrid Haru was not a mage, he needed to rely on his weapon or body to inflict damage!
Therefore, Dean Bruce only needed to leverage the powerful material properties of the Thunder God's Judgement Blade to withstand the spear's assault!
Unless Madrid Haru possessed extraordinary combat skills or had an area-of-effect attack that could bypass the Thunder God's Judgement Blade and strike him directly.
Clang—
Sure enough, when the invisible, sharp force collided with the Thunder God's Judgement Blade, a sound like metal clashing rang out. The spearhead came crashing down, piercing into the sword's body.
A terrifying force erupted, causing the Thunder God's Judgement Blade to tremble, leaving Dean Bruce's hands numb and his palms red, nearly forcing him to loosen his grip.
"Hm?!"
A voice of confusion escaped Madrid Haru's lips. His face was filled with astonishment as he stared blankly at the Thunder God's Judgement Blade, murmuring, "How is this possible? It's just a magical weapon. How could it withstand my attack?"
"Could it be... could it be a legendary artifact?"
At this statement, everyone was stunned, their eyes wide, fixated on the Thunder God's Judgement Blade.
"An artifact? Do such things really exist in this world?"
"According to legend, artifacts are treasures left behind by ancient deities when they descended, or they are rare creations crafted by the Dwarven race with immense effort!"
"Even if artifacts truly exist, they should be in the hands of top-tier powerhouses, right?"
"How could a mere honorary elder of the Magic Guild possess an artifact?"
"Could it be that the Magic Guild is incredibly wealthy?"
Amidst the murmurs, the way Madrid Haru looked at Dean Bruce shifted from indifference to greed.
Even if the Thunder God's Judgement Blade wasn't an artifact, it was undoubtedly top-tier magical equipment, which naturally ignited Madrid Haru's desire to seize it for himself.
Licking his lips, Madrid Haru said coldly, "Kid, if you hand over this treasure to me, I might show some mercy and leave you with a whole corpse!"
"Want it?" Dean Bruce smirked, brushing his hand over the Thunder God's Judgement Blade and said with a smile, "Then come and take it yourself!"
"Seeking death!"
Madrid Haru's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he turned and swung his spear horizontally.
Without that piercing power, Dean Bruce wasn't afraid of having his defenses breached. He cast The Compassion of Heaven and Earth, causing the yellow sand to rapidly coalesce into a suit of armor around him, and then he swung his sword, aiming a fierce strike at Madrid Haru's head.
However, this time, the fire dragon hadn't even gotten close when a beam of golden light struck it, shattering it into pieces.
Since the fire dragon was conjured by Madrid Haru, its destruction caused a backlash, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Dean Bruce paid no attention to this. As he stepped onto the staircase, he suddenly found his mind filled with new sensations.
He was astonished to discover that he could manipulate certain things and immediately closed his eyes to focus.
"..."
Madrid Haru, twitching at the corners of his mouth, realized that the golden light was a phenomenon within the Quicksand Secret Realm, which could not attack on its own. He quickly leaped upward toward the golden staircase.
As long as he could step onto the staircase, he was confident he could defeat Dean Bruce!
However, just as he approached, the golden light exploded again, sending him flying backward.
At the same time, Dean Bruce opened his eyes, grinning as he said, "Didn't you say you wanted to kill me? Why are you lying on the ground like a dog?"
Facing someone who wanted him dead, Dean Bruce showed no kindness.
"You—"
"Wow!"
Madrid Haru, who had held a high position for many years and traversed the world, had never been insulted like this. He couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood.
But his greatest confusion was still how Dean Bruce was able to manipulate the golden light.
However, Madrid Haru wasn't foolish; he knew this wasn't the time for such thoughts. Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he struggled to his feet and said coldly, "What if you can hide in there? I don't believe those little minions you brought with you can hide as well!"
"If you don't come out, I'll kill them!"
Hearing this murderous threat, Prolo Hawthorne and the others were taken aback.
Prolo Hawthorne had been arrogant in Saint Laurent City because he knew no one would dare confront him openly!
In the Secret Realm, with his strength, if he were targeted, he certainly wouldn't survive!
"Is that so?" Dean Bruce smirked, and with a mere thought, golden light flashed, instantly teleporting Prolo Hawthorne, Lucy Michelle, and the others onto the staircase.
"Now, what will you threaten me with?" Dean Bruce laughed. "Still barking like a dog outside?"
"You... bastard! If you have the guts, why don't you come out and face me one-on-one?" Madrid Haru cursed furiously, though a glimmer of coldness flashed in his eyes.
He wasn't stupid; his rage was an act.
As long as he could trick Dean Bruce into leaving the golden staircase, he would unleash a thunderous assault!
There was no way around it; the staircase led to the ninth level, and no one knew what might be waiting inside!
Dean Bruce had already shown impressive strength, and if he emerged from the ninth level, who knew what enhancements he might gain?
"Hahaha, you want to challenge me one-on-one?" Dean Bruce grinned. "Not so fast. Let me first take a trip to the ninth level. I hope by then, you'll still dare to speak to me like this!"