Dario Forced into Battle

"Isn’t this Amethyst Summit Division’s master, Leon?"

The moment someone recognized him, the entire mountain region erupted into chaos.

More and more cultivators descended from the skies like falling stars, landing atop shattered cliffs and ancient trees surrounding the battlefield. The oppressive sword intent hanging in the air made everyone instinctively lower their voices, yet excitement still burned fiercely in their eyes.

After all...

This was Leon.

The newly risen sword genius of Celestis Academy.

The man who had severely injured the Inferno Swift Bird with a single strike the night before.

At first, many people had doubted those rumors.

But now—

After personally experiencing this terrifying sword intent...

No one dared doubt anymore.

"What powerful sword intent..."

An old cultivator standing atop a broken rock inhaled sharply. His beard trembled slightly as he stared at Leon in disbelief.

"This person’s swordsmanship is truly extraordinary. Yesterday, I thought those stories were exaggerated, but now..." He laughed bitterly. "I finally understand."

Another cultivator nearby swallowed nervously.

"Look carefully at this sword intent. It’s sharp yet chaotic, like countless invisible blades hidden inside a storm. If I’m careless for even a moment, my heart will probably be pierced apart before I can react."

Many people subconsciously retreated several steps while speaking.

Even standing far away, they could still feel tiny cuts forming on their skin from the overflowing sword aura.

The wind itself had become dangerous.

Meanwhile, when the crowd noticed who was standing opposite Leon, their expressions changed drastically again.

"Heavens... why is Leon fighting Dario?"

"That’s Dario from Sky Breaker Academy!"

"A terrifying old monster who hasn’t appeared in public for over a hundred years..."

"And the first thing he does after appearing is challenge Leon?"

The discussions instantly exploded.

Some were confused.

Some were excited.

Others simply looked thrilled to witness such a rare confrontation.

"I think this matter isn’t between Leon and Dario," someone suddenly whispered mysteriously.

The surrounding people turned toward him.

The man smirked knowingly before continuing,

"To be precise... this grudge belongs to Zeon."

The crowd instantly understood.

Then—

Laughter spread through the mountain.

"So that’s the reason!"

"No wonder Dario looks so unhappy."

"Back then, wasn’t he beaten badly by Zeon?"

"Hahaha..."

Many people immediately wore expressions of anticipation.

A battle between old grudges and new legends.

Who wouldn’t want to see that?

Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield—

Dario’s expression had gradually become ugly.

The pressure emanating from Leon’s sword intent was growing stronger and stronger.

The more he felt it...

The more shocked he became internally.

How is this possible?

His eyes narrowed sharply.

Back then, when he faced Zeon, the pressure he experienced was already terrifying enough.

But Leon’s sword intent...

It somehow felt even more dangerous.

And the strangest part was—

This absolutely did not feel like the traditional Amethyst Mist Swordsmanship.

No.

Something was wrong.

Although the Amethyst Mist Swordsmanship was considered famous throughout the Forsaken Domain, its grade was not particularly heaven-defying. At most, it was elegant and profound.

But Leon’s sword intent?

It carried destruction.

Chaos.

Domination.

It felt less like a refined immortal sword art...

And more like an ancient sword monarch suppressing the heavens.

Even Dario’s heart unconsciously tightened.

How could this brat possess such sword intent while only standing at the peak of the sage Realm?

His confidence began wavering slightly.

At that moment, Leon finally moved.

The black-robed figure stepped lightly through the wind, his midnight robes fluttering beneath the dark sky. Purple Mana swirled faintly around his fingers like flowing mist.

A faint smile rested on his handsome face.

Yet for some reason...

That calm smile made Dario feel even more pressure.

"Fellow cultivator," Leon said softly, his voice carrying clearly across the mountain, "draw your sword."

The air trembled slightly.

"Let me experience your so-called profound sword technique."

The moment those words fell—

Boom!

Leon’s sword intent surged once more.

The surrounding mountains shook violently.

Ancient trees bent low beneath the pressure.

The clouds overhead split apart as purple sword light flickered faintly across the heavens.

The spectators’ expressions changed drastically.

"What terrifying pressure..."

Fairy Fiona’s beautiful teal eyes widened slightly.

Even Hektor’s face became serious now.

This sword intent...

It was already approaching the threshold of true sword domain comprehension.

Meanwhile, Dario’s expression stiffened completely.

He regretted provoking Leon now.

Originally, he only intended to suppress Leon verbally while preserving his own strength for the upcoming mountain treasure battle.

But now...

Things had escalated beyond his control.

If they truly fought seriously here, even if he won, he would definitely consume enormous amounts of Mana.

And once the mountain treasure appeared later...

He might lose the greatest opportunity of his life.

Thinking of this, Dario forcefully suppressed the unease in his heart and suddenly laughed.

"Haha, Fellow cultivator Leon," he said warmly, "what I said earlier was merely a joke. Why take it so seriously?"

He spread his hands calmly.

"We both came here to suppress the unrest in this region. Why should we fight among ourselves and damage the harmony between our two academies?"

The surrounding crowd blinked in confusion.

Even Harry Taylor looked stunned.

This old man...

Wasn’t he acting arrogant a moment ago?

Why did his attitude suddenly soften?

Leon, however, showed no intention of retreating.

Instead, the mockery in his smile deepened slightly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"It’s fine," Leon replied calmly.

"Since you look down on my Amethyst Summit Division’s sword techniques..."

He slowly raised two fingers.

Purple Mana instantly condensed between them.

An invisible purple sword gradually formed in his hand.

Sharp sword intent exploded outward.

"Then you must possess an even more exquisite sword art."

Leon’s purple eyes locked onto Dario like blades.

"Why don’t we spar here and now?"

"So I can personally experience just how extraordinary Sky Breaker Academy’s inherited swordsmanship truly is."

The atmosphere froze completely.

Dario’s face darkened instantly.

There were now thousands of cultivators watching from every direction.

If he backed down here...

Wouldn’t that publicly announce that Sky Breaker Academy feared Celestis Academy?

His fingers tightened slowly.

Good.

Very good.

You little bastard...

You’re really forcing me into a corner.

Cold killing intent flickered deep within Dario’s eyes.

However, outwardly, he still maintained a calm expression.

"Since Fellow cultivator Leon possesses such interest..." he said slowly, "how could I possibly refuse?"

"Come on, then."

The instant his voice fell—

Clang!

A sharp sword cry echoed across heaven and earth.

A terrifying ancient sword suddenly appeared in Dario’s hand.

The blade was dark silver, covered in ancient runes. Violent sword energy surged wildly around it like tidal waves.

The moment the crowd saw it—

They erupted into chaos again.

"The Abyss Sword!"

"That’s Sky Breaker Academy’s inheritance treasure!"

"A supreme-grade spirit artifact!"

"It’s said only the First Elder can wield it!"

The pressure surrounding Dario instantly exploded upward.

Sword intent collided violently against Leon’s own.

Boom!

The mountain cracked beneath their feet.

The spectators hurriedly retreated farther away in panic.

Even Hektor narrowed his eyes seriously.

Meanwhile, Leon merely smiled faintly after seeing the sword.

"A supreme-grade spirit sword?"

For a brief moment, Leon considered drawing the First Mist Immortal Sword.

If he pulled that immortal weapon out now...

Everyone here would probably lose their minds from shock.

However—

After thinking about it carefully, Leon abandoned the idea.

Bullying an old man like this felt somewhat unnecessary.

The First Mist Immortal Sword was an immortal-grade weapon.

With Leon’s current cultivation, controlling it was still extremely difficult. It wasn’t impossible...

But the cost was enormous.

Once the First Mist Immortal Sword appeared—

The battle would instantly become a killing strike.

One sword.

One death.

Even if Dario survived somehow, Leon’s Mana would probably be drained dry afterward.

And with the mountain treasure battle approaching...

That would simply be stupid.

Leon wasn’t interested in wasting all his strength on an old monster here.

Compared to directly killing Dario...

Leon had suddenly thought of a far more interesting way to play.