Skylar glanced at Jonathan and said, âI can let you go, but I can tell you are a skilled warrior. How about this? Letâs have a fair fight right here today. If I win, you shall be my servant. But if you win, we will honor you as our distinguished guest!â
Skylarâs offer sounded fair, but Jonathan was smart enough to know what he was actually up to.
Jonathan rebutted, âEven if you promise to honor me as your guest once I win, you still have the advantage in numbers. Killing me is a piece of cake to you. Iâd rather not make this kind of bet.â
Skylarâs expression turned cold as he said, âI am the esteemed Red Cardinal! I am a man who keeps my word. If you donât believe me, I can swear in front of my subordinates and Mr. Moose. If I break my oath, I can never believe in Theos in my lifetime again.â
Jonathan felt puzzled upon hearing the oath. What kind of punishment is it for not being able to believe in Theos? Who is Theos anyway? Jonathan was about to ask when he noticed the slight change in expression on Mooseâs and the othersâ faces.
It was then he realized that the existence of Theos was probably similar to Leahra, the primogenitor of the vampires.
The oath might not mean anything to himself, but it was likely a significant one to Skylar.
Sighing lightly, Moose asked, âSkylar, you are too competitive. Is this really necessary?â
Confused, Jonathan said, âPardon me, for Iâm not from this realm. I donât know who Theos is.â
âTheos is the deity of our sect and the source of our divine energy. Every member of the Supreme Sect considers it the greatest honor to believe in Theos throughout their lives. If we can no longer believe in Theos, it would be the cruelest torture for us,â Moose explained.
Jonathanâs eyes flickered as he made his own judgment. Knowing that Skylar had a vengeful nature, Jonathan was sure the former wouldnât let things slide if they didnât compete against each other that day. Even if Jonathan managed to escape by the skin of his teeth, Skylar would still relentlessly pursue him. Itâs better to defeat him before leaving. He wonât have anything else to say after that. His oath seems to be genuine.
Jonathan was a good judge of character, so he could tell that Skylar was extremely proud and arrogant.
The reason the latter dared to make such a venomous oath was probably because he thought he would never lose.
However, there was no way that Jonathan would be afraid of Skylar. While Skylar may indeed possess prodigious talent, I have encountered numerous prodigies in the past, and many of them have met their demise by my hands.
After pondering for a moment, Jonathan said, âOkay, if I lose, I will become Skylarâs servant. But if I win, I donât want anything else. Just give me some food, and I will leave immediately. Regardless of the outcome, I hope no one else from your sect bothers us in the future.â
Skylar immediately agreed, âOkay!â
Jonathan didnât waste his breath saying anything further.
Then, the Golden Knights scattered to clear out space for Jonathan and Skylar. Although Yeverie was worried about Jonathan, she could only step back at the moment.
As Jonathan and Skylar faced each other, the latter drew out his golden trefoil sword.
As for Jonathan, he wore the Dragon Binding Gloves.
Jonathanâs personal combat skills had reached their peak with help from the gloves, strengthening his resolve to crush everything that got in his way.
At that very moment, Skylar swiftly approached Jonathan with a whoosh, resembling a tornado. In an instant, he was directly in front of him. Since Skylarâs cultivation was much higher than Ducsonâs, his speed, strength, and precision were terrifying to the extreme.
As he flicked his sword upward, the tip of his sword rapidly trembled. It was impossible to tell where the flickering tip was going to strike.
However, Jonathan remained calm and composed. As he calmly took a step back, he felt an itch on his chest.
The moment Jonathan saw the sword aiming at his chest, he already figured out what to do next.
Immediately, he used Nestling Fist to protect his chest.
Skylar had long heard of the power of Jonathanâs Dragon Binding Gloves, but he didnât care. Holding the sword with both hands, he concentrated his strength on the tip of the sword.
He was aiming to do enough damage through one point!
Jonathan was surprised when Skylar concentrated all his strength on the tip of the sword in an attempt to break through his Nestling Fist. Skylar and Ducson were indeed not on the same level.
At that critical moment, Jonathanâs Nestling Fist transformed into Dragon Claw. With a flick of his wrist, he made a move to grab the sword and break it with Dragon Claw Grab.
Skylarâs expression changed slightly when he noticed that. He would never give Jonathan such an opportunity to counterattack. In an instant, he switched the sword to his left hand and pulled it downward abruptly.
The moment Jonathan gripped the sword, a trail of sparks was drawn out on the gloves.
If it werenât for Jonathanâs formidable gloves, his hand would have been destroyed in this exchange.
However, that didnât prove Jonathan was inferior to Skylar. If Skylar wasnât using a weapon, things wouldnât have turned out the way it did.
Similarly, if Jonathan didnât know about Dragon Binding Glovesâ power, he wouldnât be using the same strategy either.
During the competition, Skylar experienced firsthand the peculiar power of Jonathanâs gloves.
After a brief battle, they paused momentarily.
Then, Skylar took action and swung his sword, tracing a zigzag pattern and creating ripples in the air with the tip of the weapon.
As if there was a raging fire burning the sword, the surrounding air soon became murky and created illusions for the human eye. Then, the tip of Skylarâs sword hovered all over Jonathanâs body like a flesh-eating elf. If Jonathan wasnât careful enough, he would be devoured.
Such a horrifying move brought about tremendous pressure capable of forcing his opponent into retreat.
However, it would be disastrous if Jonathan retreated.
At that moment, Jonathan remained motionless as his mind reached a state of utmost tranquility.
Moose and the others were impressed by Jonathanâs demeanor and calmness alone.
Meanwhile, Yeverieâs heart thumped furiously as she watched Skylar launch several consecutive attacks, all of which were steadily resolved by Jonathan.
Jonathanâs defense strategy left Skylar with no opportunity to strike at all. No matter how profound his swordsmanship was, he couldnât compare to Jonathanâs hands when it came to agility.
Skylar let out a frustrated yell and aimed at Jonathanâs heart with his sword, which the latter immediately countered with Heart Seal.
By then, the battle had reached its peak.
With a loud bang, Jonathan suddenly transformed his fist into Dragon Claw and swiftly entangled the sword.
When both of them exerted force almost simultaneously, the golden trefoil sword snapped into two pieces just as Skylar had expected.
Although Skylarâs sword was broken, his determination remained unyielding. As he struck his left palm on the hilt of the sword, he was able to propel the broken sword through his hand and hurtle it toward Jonathanâs heart.
This unexpected turn of events took everyone by surprise!
Jonathan was shocked as well because he didnât expect Skylar to make such a decisive move. Quickly taking a step back, Jonathan struck forward with the broken sword in his hand, which perfectly deflected the incoming blade.
Just as his vision darkened, Jonathan caught a glimpse of Skylar lunging at him like a fierce tiger lunging at its prey. Using his fingers as blades, Skylar jabbed at Jonathanâs heart.
An opening was exposed on Jonathanâs chest when he parried the shattered sword earlier, leaving him susceptible to Skylarâs subsequent attack. Unfortunately, he failed to defend himself in time.
Like a phantom, Skylarâs fingers penetrated Jonathanâs heart.
Horrified, Jonathan inhaled deeply, causing his heart to contract inward quickly.
Then, crossing his arms, he clenched his fists to protect his heart and pushed forward with all his might. In order to fully exert his strength, he had no choice but to let go of the broken sword.
Skylar anticipated his attack to be successful, but he was taken aback by the precision of Jonathanâs counterattack. Quickly squatting down, Skylar aimed his fingers at Jonathanâs chin instead.
His movements resembled a swooping eagle and a coiling snake before he suddenly rose up like an ascending dragon. Skylarâs move was only blocked by Jonathanâs Heart Protection Fist, which meant that Jonathan was still practically defenseless.
Skylar truly lived up to his reputation as a young genius and the Red Cardinal of Supreme Sect.
Despite the lack of a sword, he was still able to attack with precision.
As Jonathan realized how formidable Skylar was at that moment, his heart sank.
In that critical moment, Jonathan roared to the sky, leaned backward, and squatted down. Then, he performed a move called âReversing Willowâ.
As he leaned backward, he perfectly dodged Skylarâs fingers and trapped him in his Heart Protection Fist instead.
Then, Jonathan exerted a sudden burst of strength.
Skylarâs face turned pale with shock because he didnât expect Jonathan to react so quickly. The latterâs countermove was truly extraordinary and worthy of admiration.
While the situation made Moose and the group of Golden Knights extremely nervous, Yeverie felt the same way.
In her opinion, if she had to face Skylar herself, she would probably be defeated in an instant. Deep down, she admired Jonathan and gradually began to understand why Leahra and Solorel had chosen Jonathan to be the king.
In that split second, Skylar suddenly stopped resisting. Instead, he utilized Jonathanâs force as leverage to leap into the air.
At the same time, he reached out with both hands to grab Jonathanâs head.
Jonathan would never let him grab one of the most vulnerable parts of his body. As Jonathan continued to lean backward in the life-or-death fight, he forcefully threw Skylar into the air.
No matter how formidable Skylar was, he couldnât fend off Jonathanâs force at that instance.
Since he was in mid-air, he couldnât land immediately no matter how hard he tried.
Jonathan leaped up, ready to strike, but then he suddenly remained still and stood rooted to the spot.
The next second, Skylar landed unsteadily on the ground, ashen-faced.
He realized that Jonathan had gone easy on him.
Everyone present, including Moose and the Golden Knights, could tell as well.
When Skylar was hovering in the air, he had inadvertently revealed a significant vulnerability, exposing his weakness.
In a fight between masters, it was always crucial to avoid fighting mid-air. Once in the air, it was impossible for a combatant to utilize their Force no matter how many fighting techniques they had up their sleeve.
Besides, the feeling of being grounded gave people a sense of security.
If Jonathan had executed a powerful attack on Skylar when he was about to land, the latter would either be severely injured or dead by now.
However, Jonathan had no intention of doing so, not because he was kind, but because he would have to go all out if he decided to strike. And if he did go all out, the situation would become complicated for him regardless of whether Skylar was severely injured or killed.