Chapter 21: The Ultimate Meaning

“My magic won’t last long. It will be troublesome once the Rock Eater breaks free from the defense.”

Michelle felt somewhat powerless. With her current strength, she couldn’t deliver a fatal blow to the Rock Eater. Although she had a trump card, it came with a cost and was clearly not suitable for use here.

Looking at the two people beside him, Yuris hesitated slightly and said, “Let’s use the magical tools.”

If it were just Yuris alone, his pride would prevent him from using magical tools to pass the test, but now, this was not just his own matter.

“No need. Since this sword is broken, let it exert its last bit of heat.”

Leo held the broken sword and approached the imprisoned Rock Eater. His gaze sharpened, and a sword-like aura radiated from his entire being.

“Here it comes, this is the feeling.”

Yuris suddenly jolted, focusing intently on Leo. Leo in this state was exactly the same as when he was on the dueling platform.

Although others said Leo defeated him using tools, only he, who faced Leo directly, understood how terrifying the power hidden within Leo truly was.

“Is this your true strength?”

Yuris tightened his grip on the sword. Just Leo’s normal strength made him feel somewhat challenged, and now, this display of power left him in the dust.

Indeed, Leo was his lifelong rival.

“Finally willing to use your full strength.”

A hint of excitement appeared on Heles’s face. The sword strike that could be called art on the dueling platform finally had a chance to be recreated.

“Could it be that Leo has some trump card? What can a broken sword do?” Mona was somewhat puzzled.

“Even if it’s a broken sword, it depends on who wields it.”

Nathan could clearly feel that Leo was different from before, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

“Wow! I’ve never seen such a pure swordsman!”

Michelle’s silver pupils sparkled with bright light.

Leo exhaled a breath of turbid air. At this moment, he was completely focused, and everything around him seemed to freeze, with all his attention on the sword in his hand.

“Ultimate Heartflow.”

At this moment, Leo transformed into a cold deity who dominated the life and death of mortals. An indescribable power gathered on the broken sword in his hand, and the sharpness emanating from him soared, as if it were about to pierce the sky.

In the eyes of the Rock Eater, Leo seemed to transform into a giant supporting the heavens, and the broken sword in his hand was more eye-catching than the entire world, filled with fear in its pupils.

“Ultimate Meaning – Heart Slash!”

As the words fell, Leo swung the sword from top to bottom. The invisible sword energy tore through the heavens and the earth. In the face of this power, the massive Rock Eater was like an ant.

The ground where the Rock Eater stood was torn in half, and its body was also split in two, the cut smooth as a mirror, with blood gushing out. No matter how strong its defenses were, it was futile; it had completely lost its vitality and fell to the ground.

“Success! That’s great, Leo.”

Michelle was overjoyed.

The broken sword in Leo’s hand shattered into fragments, leaving only the hilt.

He didn’t use this kind of attack lightly because it consumed swords.

A sword is like gold!

If one attack wastes a sword, that would be too extravagant, so he usually used a wooden sword instead.

But this Rock Eater clearly couldn’t be killed with a wooden sword.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, and his body staggered, almost unable to stand.

“Are you okay?” Michelle quickly came to his side.

“I’m fine, just need to catch my breath.”

Failure was never something Leo considered. When he decided to use the Heart’s Ultimate Flow, there was nothing that couldn’t be cut. If there truly was, it meant his training was insufficient.

The life force of this Rock Eater was indeed strong; it was probably a mutated type, otherwise, it wouldn’t have caused him such great exhaustion.

The Heart’s Ultimate Flow swordsmanship is a mental sword technique, focusing on refining the heart. The stronger the sword heart, the stronger the power.

When drawing the sword, there must be no hesitation. With sufficient training, even the hardest objects can be cut.

He had heard the old man say that when the Heart’s Ultimate Flow is cultivated to its peak, there is nothing in the world that cannot be cut. It is rumored that even the heavens and earth can be split in half, and even slaying deities is not impossible.

However, he had yet to hear of any predecessors of the Heart’s Ultimate Flow reaching this level.

Conversely, if one lacks confidence in their sword and hesitates even slightly when drawing it, even the softest things might not be able to be cut, perhaps even wood.

What is related to the heart is a powerful will, or rather, spirit.

That’s right, Leo’s spirit is currently at S-class. Theoretically, he could slay S-class monsters, but that is only theoretical.

His physical strength is insufficient to withstand the full release of S-class spirit; reaching A-class is already incredibly extraordinary.

Just like now, slaying an Rock Eater with A-class defense, the sharp pain in his head is the side effect of pushing beyond his limits.

However, the true strength of the Rock Eater is only B-class, and he will recover quickly.

“Heal!”

Michelle chanted a healing spell, and Leo’s headache soon subsided.

He felt no abnormalities in his body and could even unleash the sword strike from before again. If Michelle were to heal him, he might even be able to slay an S-class monster.

Looking at the sword mark extending over a hundred meters, Yuris clenched the sword in his hand unwillingly. He felt his own powerlessness once again. Although he wasn’t the one facing Leo’s sword, it evoked memories in his body, as if he were under that sword.

“I’m still far from it.”

He didn’t feel discouraged. He had shown extraordinary swordsmanship talent since childhood, taken as a disciple by the Sword Saint, and spent every day dealing with swords.

As a genius, he had never interacted with outsiders and didn’t know how to get along with others. Others, due to differences in status, had never approached him proactively.

So he had no friends; his world was only swords.

He was revered in a small world, but his understanding was hindered, leading to a proud personality, though that was not his true nature.

Until that duel with Leo, he recognized reality and also recognized himself.

The praise of others, the expectations of family, the attention of the world—none of these mattered to him. He just wanted to step outside and see a new world.

So he decided to stay by Leo’s side. Only by being with Leo could he witness a world he had never seen before and surpass his current self.

“How did you do that?”

Mona showed surprise on her face. That sword strike directly tore the entire ground apart, comparable to A-class power, making it hard to imagine it was caused by a newcomer.

“Truly spectacular! This year has produced the biggest dark horse, Leo. I believe many people will know this name.”

Heles completely believed in Leo’s strength and felt that her efforts to find B-class difficulty missions for them were not in vain.

“Yuris, Michelle, and Leo, the three strongest newcomers have joined our team. Our team has a great chance of gaining recognition from the academy in the future.”

Nathan’s fighting spirit soared instantly. The infusion of fresh blood gave them the confidence to compete with teams recognized by the academy. With good luck, perhaps the Crimson Flame team could continue its legacy.

The Rock Eater had been dealt with, and the other Wind Wolves scattered and fled. Michelle and Yuris used area attacks to kill them one by one.

Inspired by Leo, Yuris worked even harder, ensuring not a single Wind Wolf escaped.

With the surrounding monsters eliminated and the mission completed, Jin appeared at the right moment.

“You all did amazing! Especially Leo’s sword strike. Although I couldn’t understand it, it must have been very powerful. Congratulations on passing the test; let’s head back.”

This test was merely a formality. Whether it was Yuris or Michelle, they were both renowned geniuses. And since Leo could defeat Yuris and was a student of Class A, his strength was naturally unquestionable; the outcome was evident.

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