Chapter 605: Chapter 605: The Price of Meat

"So, you actually have some crude strength, you nameless rat!" said the grandson of the Sword Saint. His face twisted with raw indignation as he recovered his stance, his jade-hilted rapier trembling with concentrated spiritual energy. "It does not matter. I will show you the true gap between a peasant and nobility. Seven Strikes of the Sword Saint—First Style: Stance of Death, Cut of Life!"

A blinding, emerald-green light suddenly erupted around his blade. The noble youth lunged forward like a striking viper, his rapier moving so fast that it appeared to split into three distinct, lethal paths, all rushing simultaneously toward Roy’s vital points.

Roy did not hesitate for a single fraction of a second. Instead of wasting energy trying to block all three illusory trajectories, he gritted his teeth and drove his katana straight through the center line, aiming to smash the middle blade while willingly exposing his flanks to the remaining cuts.

The combat style Ethan had brutally beaten into his bones all week was savage, primal, and incredibly simple: there is only one victor in a sword fight, and it is the one who is still breathing at the end. You want my arm? I will give it to you as a gift, but in exchange, I am taking your entire head.

Roy’s katana gleamed with a dense, blood-red light as he thrusted directly toward the young noble’s exposed throat.

"What a lunatic!" said the grandson of the Sword Saint. His eyes widened in sheer terror at Roy’s suicidal counter-attack. Desperate to keep his own head on his shoulders, the noble forcefully twisted his body mid-air, dodging the lethal thrust by a mere hair’s breadth. Because his momentum was broken, the two emerald side-cuts paled significantly, merely grazing across the fabric of Roy’s black and gold armor, leaving two shallow white marks on the Star Iron plates.

"Come back here!" said Roy. Without stopping to check his armor, he unleashed his dense, suffocating Sword Intent once more, lunging forward like a feral beast hungry for meat.

The noble youth was incredibly arrogant, but he was no fool. Having barely escaped with his life, he realized he could no longer afford to underestimate this backwater monster.

"Get away from me, you freak!" said the youth. "Second Style: Cuts of the Torrential Swallow!"

The noble violently leapt backward into the air, rapidly flicking his jade-hilted rapier dozens of times in a single breath. A massive, glittering wave of crescent-shaped wind blades flew from his weapon, raining down toward Roy like a torrential storm of razor-sharp steel.

Roy planted his feet, his eyes tracking the lethal trajectory of the flying energy. Remembering the agonizing lessons from the courtyard, he only used his katana to deflect the heavy cuts aimed precisely at his heart and throat. He completely ignored the rest, letting the flying wind blades tear into his shoulders, arms, and thighs.

Puchi! Puchi!

"Ah!" said a noble mistress in the crowd, covering her mouth as blood instantly splattered onto the icy stone steps. Within a single second, Roy’s magnificent black and gold tunic was heavily shredded, the deep crimson fluid soaking through the fabric and staining his armor as he stood firmly in the middle of the onslaught, his eyes still locked onto his prey.

The moment the torrential rain of wind blades ceased, Roy did not waste a single heartbeat to catch his breath.

"Is that all you have?!" said Roy. He roared through the blood pooling in his mouth, charging forward again through the freezing mist like a demon unleashed from hell.

"Stay back, you backwater rat!" said the grandson of the Sword Saint. He quickly shifted his weight, his high-tier core-region footwork proving to be far superior. With a graceful, circular stride, he easily evaded Roy’s heavy, direct lunges, his movements looking like a refined dance compared to Roy’s brutal simplicity.

The distance between them closed in an instant. They entered close quarters, their blades clashing with a deafening metallic screech that sent bright sparks flying over the icy steps.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They bounced off each other, only to lock blades again. Roy swung his katana in a savage horizontal arc, aiming to cleave the noble in two, but the youth bent backward effortlessly, dodging the edge. Before Roy could pull his weapon back, the noble thrust his jade-hilted rapier straight into Roy’s exposed midsection.

Puchi!

"Ugh!" said Roy. A sharp gasp tore from his throat as the cold steel pierced deep into his abdomen, the blade sinking through his flesh.

"I have you now, trash!" said the young noble, a victorious, arrogant smirk breaking across his face as he prepared to twist the blade.

"You think so?!" said Roy. Instead of retreating from the weapon inside his gut, Roy gritted his teeth and stepped forward, driving the rapier even deeper into his own abdomen to trap the noble in place. His eyes flamed with absolute madness as he raised his katana with his left hand and brought it down like a guillotine.

"What are you doing—no!" said the youth. His smirk instantly shattered into raw terror as he tried to yank his weapon back, but it was completely stuck in Roy’s muscle and bone.

Slash!

"Ahhhhhhh!" said the grandson of the Sword Saint. A blood-curdling shriek of pure agony echoed across the plaza as Roy’s heavy blade hacked down, slicing through the noble’s right forearm. Bone snapped and flesh tore as the katana severed half of the young master’s arm, sending a fresh torrent of noble blood spraying directly onto Roy’s face. It was a completely suicidal, violently chaotic exchange that horrified every single elite cultivator watching from the sidelines.

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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??