’Is this really hopeless...’

The place was in ruins—craters marred the earth, and deep gashes split everything around them.

Ozul thought as he endured yet another crushing force behind the Sword Sage’s attack.

If not for the combined efforts of the trio, he wouldn’t have been able to continue for so long. Blaze fearlessly tried to tank whatever attack that he could, while Raven’s unexpected abilities gave them the advantage of unpredictability.

But the biggest advantage came from Zier’s abilities. His poison, though not lethal to someone at the Sage Realm, was still potent enough to dull his movements and senses.

That alone made it possible for someone at the pseudo-Sage Realm to be able to survive his attacks.

*Boom!*

Another sonic boom followed as once again, Ozul found himself biting the dust.

In his hubris, Zier tried to soften his landing, but the force behind the Sword Sage’s attack was too much for him to handle. He too was thrust into the ground.

Pain rang from all parts of Ozul’s body, but he was still able to recover quickly and pulled himself up from the ground.

Unlike him, however, Zier almost lost consciousness. It felt difficult to breathe for a while. Coughing blood, he took a while before joining the battle again.

In his absence, however, there was even more pressure on Raven and Blaze.

"You idiot! Focus on what you are good at!" Blaze berated him loudly. There were blood smudges frozen on his face and clothes. It was apparent that he had dealt with many attacks of Sword Sage even if indirectly.

Meanwhile, Raven appeared better than him in terms of blood loss. The use of her Soul Manifestation combined with the Scarlet Eyes allowed her to be able to evade most of the attacks thrown her way.

Still, her face was ashen white, and she was exhausted. Her Spiritual reserves were depleting at a threatening rate, and it was apparent that she wouldn’t be able to continue for long.

Ozul noticed the state of his team members. If even one of them were to fall, the delicate balance between the fight would be broken.

’I need to find an opportunity...’ His eyes roamed everywhere to think of something.

But the Sword Sage was being too cautious. He did not show even a single opening after he had killed his subordinate.

He had thought of siphoning untraceable amounts of the Purity to discreetly gather around the Sword Sage, but an amount of it small enough to go unnoticed by him would take a kind of focus that could not be maintained in such an intense moment.

"Forget about joining the Sect; now I just want to cut you up and see what you are made of!" The Sword Sage declared with greed shimmering in his eyes.

He had long forgotten about his dead subordinate and bringing these Dragon Hatchlings to the Immortal Sect.

He was more interested in studying Ozul after witnessing firsthand how he hadn’t bled once. The cuts and wounds on his body even closed up visibly!

Not once in his life had he come across someone as interesting as this boy who could tank Sage’s attacks despite not being one!

"Disgusting," Ozul muttered, his voice colder than it had been before.

The clash between them and the Sword Sage continued.

Ozul had devised a plan—the only one that seemed viable in this situation. If he couldn’t bring Purity closer to the enemy, he would have to lure the enemy closer instead.

’Will my body even listen?’ He wondered, but there was no harm in trying.

Consciously, he tried to suppress the healing factor of his body.

With each sword energy slashed at his body, multiple cuts would appear simultaneously. It was as if nature itself followed the Sage’s commands to cut.

Previously, these cuts would heal almost instantly.

However, it soon became apparent that it was taking more and more time for the cuts to close up again!

’It worked...’ He hadn’t ever tried to slow down his healing before.

And it just so happened that he felt something prick in his consciousness. He didn’t let emotions surface on his face and began to further suppress his healing.

A Sage would also notice the difference even in the chaos of the fighting. He was successfully given the impression that Ozul’s abilities were losing effect at this point.

Whatever the reason, the Sword Sage was confident that it wouldn’t take long before Ozul was unable to stand up again.

Since the trio was not aware that Ozul was suppressing his healing deliberately, so when they noticed him faltering, a sense of desperation started to seep in.

The three of them coordinated their attacks to further try and limit the Sword Sage’s movements, but it was all for naught.

Ozul gritted his teeth as he barely dodged another devastating strike, the force of the swing splitting the ground beneath him.

Blaze, seizing the opportunity, conjured jagged ice along his arms, bracing for the shockwaves of the battle.

The Sword Sage sidestepped, his blade carving through the air, and the deflected force sent Blaze skidding across the battlefield, slamming into a boulder.

Zier, blood dripping from his lips, manipulated his own poisoned blood into needle-like projectiles, launching them toward the Sword Sage. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Raven, with a flicker of her Scarlet Eyes, struck with an illusionary feint, forcing the Sword Sage to momentarily shift his stance.

Each clash sent shockwaves rippling outward, toppling what few structures remained standing near the city.

The air reeked of scorched earth, blood, and venom—a testament to the sheer brutality of their struggle

Finding a gap, the Sword Sage positioned himself and his saber slashed toward both Zier and Blaze.

Without confirming if his attack was successful, he moved toward the gap to intercept Raven.

Wide-eyed that he was able to predict her movements, she tried to back away, but the Sword Sage’s hands grappled her neck, raising her body with force.

She was caught.

But Ozul’s blades reached him right in that instance, hacking away at his arm!

The Sword Sage countered using his own saber but was still forced to free Raven’s neck.

Unfortunately, his hold on Raven was too strong. It left her coughing, and catching her breath for a while.

Blaze and Zier had recovered by then and tried to stop the Sage again, but were flung aside like flies. Unlike Ozul, the most they could do was cause some nuisance to him.

Having no one to distract him now, the Sword Sage found the perfect opportunity to put Ozul down at last!

And it finally happened that the Sword Sage began to close in the distance between them.

’He is taking the bait...’ Ozul thought while putting up an act of vulnerability.

Until now, he wasn’t able to even put a scratch on him. If the Purity could just get close enough and get one cut, it would change everything.

Ozul was confident that he would be able to force the Purity inside the Sword Sage’s body, thereby doing irreversible damage!

"You should have given up while you had the chance," smirked the Sword Sage, hacking away at the barrage of the Purity trying to stop his advance.

"As if you would have kept your words."

The coldness and disdain in Ozul’s tone seemed to fuel his anger further. It irked the disciples of the Immortal Sect to no end when they were called dishonorable.

"Shut up, brat!"

Unable to reach there in time, the trio watched with horror-stricken faces as the Sword Sage raised his blade, aiming to kill Ozul!

"Got you."

Ozul whispered to himself, uncaring of the blade reaching for his chest.

A single thread of the Purity reached for the Sword Sage’s ear from his blindspot!

However, that man’s facial expressions suddenly twisted. He smirked in confidence as his body twisted.

Using a short blade in his left hand, he swatted away that thread of the Purity!

"Did you think I would fall for such tricks!?" The Sword Sage shouted, bringing down his heavy blade once again.

The only plan devised by Ozul had failed. He couldn’t even leave a scratch on that man’s body.

Before the Sword Sage’s sword hit him, he felt a bad premonition in his heart. The boy in front of him, despite having failed his attempt, did not show a hint of panic.

There was something wrong.

He felt something, but it was too late to move.

"Got you."

A voice appeared right behind him.

"Gah!" The Sword Sage grunted in pain, and the trailing sound of winds followed soon after!

Deep claw marks appeared on his back as he was hurled to the side!

Dust rose a second later along with the winds.

The trio had barely caught a glance of someone speeding through when the painful voice of the Sword Sage reverberated throughout.

Raven quickly activated her Scarlet Eyes to see through the smokescreen and noticed the familiar figure.

Relief finally settled in her heart.

"Rai..."