Chapter 231: Chapter 34: Reforging the Flying Sword with a New Spiritual Material

Just as the shadow of the Giant Scorching Beast was about to engulf the ruins, plunging the survivors’ hearts into an icy abyss of despair.

BOOM!

An even deeper boom erupted from the center of the pile of collapsed stone ruins!

It was the roar of energy, condensed to its absolute limit, being released in an instant!

Immediately after, a pillar of white light so brilliant one could not look at it directly shot toward the sky like a waterfall in reverse, carrying with it countless fragments of rock and dust!

Within the pillar of light, a figure in dark blue stood proudly.

It was Murphy.

His clothes were torn in many places, stained with dirt and scorch marks. A small cut on his temple was seeping blood, which trickled down the side of his face.

But the hand holding his sword was as steady as a rock, and his back was ramrod straight. Reflected in the white light, his eyes, deep as pools, were as cold as arctic ice.

Even more astonishingly, the incandescent white glow of Life Energy on the blade of the Ancient Longsword in his hand had not dimmed. On the contrary, it had become even more condensed and pure, as if all its power was compressed into the very tip of the blade. It emanated an aura of sharpness and destruction so potent it could make one’s very soul tremble.

The Giant Scorching Beast seemed to be intimidated by this sudden turn of events and the dangerous aura emanating from the blade. Its forward charge came to an abrupt halt, its lava-like eyes locked warily onto Murphy as it let out a threatening growl.

But Murphy gave it no further chance to react.

He didn’t even look at the massive beast. Instead, his gaze swept rapidly across the ravaged battlefield, pausing for a fraction of a second on several locations where he had previously sensed unusual Energy Fluctuations that were now quietly fading. A bone-chilling understanding flashed in the depths of his eyes.

’So that’s how it is,’ he thought to himself.

Then, he moved.

This time, his movements lacked their previous grace and agility. Instead, they were filled with an unstoppable resolve, a determination to sunder all things—and... speed!

So fast it surpassed the limits of visual perception!

Everyone present, including the wary Giant Scorching Beast, only saw Murphy’s figure blur for an instant where he stood, as if it were a mere trick of the light.

The next instant.

SHING!

A fine line of white light, condensed to its absolute limit, seemed to appear from thin air. It was as if it had been there all along as it silently streaked across the Giant Scorching Beast’s massive neck.

In that moment, time itself seemed to be severed and frozen by that line of white light.

The molten flames burning in the beast’s eyes froze, and its threatening growl died in its throat.

Its mountain-like body remained leaning forward, frozen in place.

A second passed, perhaps even less.

The trace of white light slowly dissipated into the air.

Then, the Giant Scorching Beast’s head—covered in a ferocious carapace, its eyes burning like lava—slid slowly, silently... off its neck along a cut as smooth as glass.

At the point of incision, the dark, almost black, viscous fluid had not even had a chance to spray out before it was instantly carbonized by the residual energy, with only a few wisps of acrid smoke rising from the wound.

CRASH!

The massive, headless torso lost all support and came crashing down like a toppled mountain, kicking up a cloud of dust and shaking the very ground.

On the fallen head, the molten flames in its eyes rapidly dimmed and extinguished, finally turning into two lifeless, charred black rocks.

Silence.

A dead silence fell over the entire Ximu Town square.

Only the crackling of burning flames and the screeches of a few dying monsters in the distance served as a reminder of the brutal battle that had just taken place.

The surviving townspeople, militiamen, Knight’s Attendants, and the blood-streaked Official Knight... everyone stared, dumbfounded, at the collapsed carcass of the beast. They then turned to look at Murphy, who stood with his sword amidst the dust of the ruins as the white light around him slowly receded, their minds completely blank.

That strike... what was it?

Why did it feel so completely different from the blazing, powerful sword light from before—so much more condensed, so much more lethal?

They couldn’t understand it, but that didn’t stop a flood of awe and ecstasy from washing away their earlier despair.

After a brief, dead silence, the square erupted in a deafening cheer, a mixture of sobs and shouts!

"We won! We won!"

"The monster is dead! Lord Great Knight won!"

"Praise be to Oriane! No, it was the Lord... the Lord saved us!"

People were speaking incoherently. Some fell to their knees and prostrated themselves in Murphy’s direction.

Others hugged one another, weeping with joy.

Still others struggled to their feet and charged toward the remaining smaller monsters, now in disarray after the death of their leader, venting the fury and courage of those who had survived a catastrophe.

The blood-streaked Official Knight, fighting through the pain in his leg, limped quickly to within a few paces of Murphy. He struck his right fist heavily against his chest, his voice hoarse and trembling with emotion. "My Lord! Thank you! Ximu Town... the lives of the dozens who are left in Ximu Town, you saved them! We... we..."

Overcome with emotion, he was at a loss for words and simply bowed deeply.

Murphy slowly sheathed his longsword.

As the blade slid into the scabbard, the last trace of its white, sharp aura vanished completely.

His expression remained neutral, with only the blood on his temple and his tattered clothes bearing witness to the peril of the battle he had just fought.

He glanced at the still-burning streets and the shaken crowd, and spoke.

"Clear out the remaining monsters, tend to the wounded, take stock of the losses, and reinforce whatever defenses are still usable."

"Send a reliable messenger to report the situation here to Blackstone Fortress immediately. Have them dispatch a proper cleanup and reconstruction team, and increase the patrol density in the surrounding area."