*BANG!*
Reverend Jor Har could only raise his Diamond Staff once more to defend against the second strike. By now, his arms had gone numb and he no longer had any feeling as he was forced to retreat once more with a pale expression.
When the nearby other reverend saw that, he was infuriated and charged toward Aiden, leaving his partner to fight alone with Shaori An of Cloud Rain Sect.
*SWOOSH!*
The arriving reverend wielded a simple looking, but most like a rather profound steel rod which he slammed down with a ferocious force as he leaped upwards. The wind howled with a buzzing sound as though the mountains were about to be crushed into dust!
"Argh!"
Right then, a shriek sounded from the other side of the battlefield.
Under the attacks of the two successors of Snowdrift Valley and Clear Heart Nunnery, Holy Maiden Sylvie Deva finally failed to hold out. A small gash appeared on her arm and vibrant green-colored blood gushed out – it was clear that she was already injured.
The wound seemed like it was small and did not injure her bones.
However, the floating daggers of the Snowdrift Valley's chosen maiden possessed pure, unrestrained frost mana that could freeze one's blood and even his or her own spiritual energy. At that moment, the raging mana was infiltrating the Holy Maiden's body repeatedly through her wound, cruising through her limbs.
Holy Maiden Sylvie Deva's movements became more sluggish and there was even a layer of frost covering her eyes and lips!
Looking at her, Aiden narrowed his gaze, his expression turning colder than before.
At that moment, everyone from the fiend sects, even Shadow Raven of the Overlord Sect, could not take care of themselves.
Nobody was available to rescue the poor Holy Maiden.
Reverend Jor Har wielded his Diamond Staff once more and the other warrior priest his large steel rod. The two fearsome warriors of the High Priest's forces were lunging toward the burly man, Aiden at the same time!
Aiden's eyes lit up and he let out a long deep holler.
He did not dodge nor retreat against the combined attacks of two paragons from the church. Suddenly, a series of crackling sounds came from within his body like beans being fried as his tendons and bones rang together.
*SLASH!*
Aiden slashed down in the next instant.
The echo of raging tides sounded in the distance.
Aiden's sword was accompanied by a mighty force that could tear through towering waves, going against the current in a domineering manner as if it could cut through everything and sever all living beings!
That massive force that threatened to tear through the voids attracted countless gazes.
"This is…"
"Impossible! This is… Sword Force!"
Some paragons exclaimed in shock and a mixture of terror.
The sound of the force in the distance was all too clear and its force was way too terrifying such that all the paragons present could recognize it. That slash was already at the second level of sword techniques, the pure essence of mastery, the Sword Force itself.
However, not all the paragons could identify the origin of that slash.
Only Hart You of Sword Sect and Bair Yohren of Zenith Sect narrowed their gazes before remarking slowly, "That's… The Sword Emperor's long lost technique!"
The moment those words were said, a huge wave of shock swept through the battlefield.
While not everyone was able to recognize the origin of that sword technique from the burly man, all of them have heard of the Sword Emperor's legendary techniques… the Void Splitting Manual's five stances!
It was the ultimate technique used by the first Sword Emperor to sweep across the world in the ancient times!
Right now, in the martial world, there was only a single successor of a place that knew of that sword technique. It was a holy land, one of the only remaining surface islands in the vast barren, and scorched landscape.
"Holy Fire Island!"
"That man… He is from the Holy Fire Island! No wonder he doesn't bother to reveal his sect badge!"
The major power players of the remaining martial world were actually coming from the few, around a dozen or so top factions, demonic and righteous sects, clans, and hidden tribes… the High Priest and the Ancient One's doctrines as well as from the surviving large aristocratic families as well as two surface lands with survivors.
Among them, the two surface lands were established somewhere in the vast sea and rarely bothered to dwell on worldly matters. Without much news, they were the most mysterious.
Holy Fire Island was one of the two holy lands, the surviving surface lands. It was considered almost a holy site by the underworld dwellers.
Due to the relationship between the two respective emperors in the ancient era, the feud between the two super sects, Holy Fire Island and Sword Sect, had also existed for a long time.
Each time a successor of Holy Fire Island stepped foot onto the world, it would naturally cause a huge commotion in the underworld, and bloodshed ensued as well.
"He's the successor of Holy Fire Island?"
"The last time a successor of Holy Fire Island appeared was more than a thousand years ago."
In the distance, the Guardian Elders muttered and frowned slightly.
Everyone had heard the news of the Metal Tree Grove disappearing and someone obtaining the inheritance of the Sword Emperor. However, it was impossible for someone to reach the level of 'Sword Force' within such a short period of time.
The only possibility was if it was the successor of Holy Fire Island who had cultivated the Sword Emperor's true legacy since he was young and immersed himself in the Void Splitting Manual for many, many years.
On the battlefield, almost all the paragons believed that this burly man in linen clothes came from the Holy Fire Island.
However, Bair Yohren of Zenith Sect had a grim expression and a dark gaze that lingered for a long time on Aiden.
He did not know whether the successor of Holy Fire Island entered the ancient battlefield.
However, he witnessed another martial artist, a young Sword Master obtaining the Sword Emperor's inheritance and releasing such power in the same way personally!
Be it in terms of appearance, attire, figure, or even weapon used, the burly man before him was way too different from that gray-robed sword master.
However, the two of them had quite a few similarities as well!
They were both strong, almost impossibly so in physique, and trained in the mythical long-lost technique. Furthermore, based on the gray-robed martial artist's power realm back then, it would make sense for him to be at around the late stages of the Martial Knight realm right now.
Most importantly, the burly man and green-robed martial artist were both related to the Holy Maiden of the Pure Maidens Sect!
Before Bair Yohren could finish his line of thought, a sudden change happened on the battlefield.
Reverend Jor Har and other warrior priests endured the greatest pressure faced with Aiden's attack and they were extremely shocked!
By now, it was too late for the both of them to stop.
*CLANG!* *CLANG!*
There were two loud bangs that happened at the same time!
Before the other warrior priests could fall down from midair, he was knocked flying by a massive force and thrown far away.
His large steel rod was sent flying as well and he spat out a mouthful of blood as he fell heavily onto the ground. Eyes tightly shut with a pale expression, he had already fainted.
He was severely injured after a single attack!
Yet another paragon had lost the right to fight.
Reverend Jor Har gripped his Diamond Staff firmly with both hands and used all his strength, channeling the internal energy in his body to its limits. Opening his eyes widely, his full power surged and his body was covered with a tough layer as he roared.
"Dark Impervious Scales!"
*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*
Even so, he could not stop the massive force and retreated continuously.
With each step, a deep footprint would appear imprinted on the ground.
After retreating several steps, Reverend Jor Har was still unable to steady himself as he fell on his butt with green thick liquid, his own blood oozing from the side of his lips in a pathetic manner.
Compared to the other reverend just before, he was only mildly injured and could still fight.
Aiden did not stop after forcing back two paragons with a single slash. In a flash, he appeared on another side of the battlefield in the blink of an eye.
Right now, Holy Maiden Sylvie Deva was in a perilous situation.
She had just defended against Snowdrift Valley's successor's floating daggers and the warrior priestess was just arriving to seal the deal.
The angle of that attack was extremely tricky.
It stabbed from the bottom of her waist and curved upwards!
Sylvie Deva's eyes and lips had a layer of frost on them and her movements were sluggish. Just as the sword was about to strike her, a sword beam flashed through the battlefield.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a thick, broad back emerged before her, blocking all threats.