Chương 230

Rudra's glowing red eyes scanned the old man as the world around him quickly became colourful and he was able to see the flow of the energies around him. He stared closely, trying to understand the fighting method of the Sage and see if he could find any weakness. [You have attempted to understand the combat techniques of the Deep Sage.] [Your Wisdom stat is insufficient to comprehend the techniques.] [Your Understanding has Failed.] Rudra blinked.

He was understandably confused since this was the first time his [Legendary Sage's Eyes] failed to understand a skill. It worked even against monster race skills and even Mumud's legendary magics. The Phantom didn't give him time to think. It closed the distance instantly. [Super Sensitivity is detecting that the target is aiming for your lower ribs. Defend immediately.] Rudra shifted his weight and cast [Will's Construct Armor]. Ethereal red gauntlets and a breastplate snapped over his black coat. BANG.

The old man's fist punched right against the red armor. The will armor held, absorbing some of the damage, but the heavy impact sent Rudra skidding backward across the crystal floor.

"Heals," Rudra muttered. He quickly cast [Saint's Breath], recovering 80% of his health. His health bar ticked back up, but he was burning through his resources fast and his healing techniques was quickly being locked. [Your skill 'Saint's Breath' has been analyzed and dismantled.] [You cannot use 'Saint's Breath' while the target's domain is active.] He tried to fight back. He spun his heavy metal staff, activating [Typhoon]. A strong vacuum started to form around him, pulling the air into a tight circle.

The Phantom simply walked into the wind. The invisible [Sage's Domain] washed over Rudra's staff. [Your skill 'Typhoon' has been analyzed and dismantled.] [You cannot use 'Typhoon' while the target's domain is active.] The wind died instantly. Rudra stumbled forward from the sudden stop. The old man smoothly swept his leg, dropping Rudra to his knees, and struck him hard in the shoulder. [You have suffered 112, 000 physical damage!] Rudra rolled away and drank a health potion. He was getting wrecked.

He couldn't chain his [Avalanche] combo. He couldn't build his [Saint's Momentum]. The old man's domain canceled his magic, and his physical combat skills were just too solid. Every time Rudra swung, the old man easily redirected the staff and hit him back. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Rudra gritted his teeth. He decided to try a hidden trick.

He quickly cast a [Elemental Convergence] and used [Spell Store] to push the magic safely into the metal of his staff. He dashed forward with [Freely Move], bringing the staff around in a wide, heavy arc. The Phantom didn't even try to block the heavy metal. The old man just reached out and tapped the side of the staff with two fingers. [Your skill 'Elemental Convergence' has been analyzed and dismantled.] [You cannot use 'Elemental Convergence' while the target's domain is active.] The spell fizzles out before the staff even connected. The old man then grabbed Rudra's wrist, stepped deep into his guard, and threw him entirely over his shoulder. Rudra crashed hard into the crystal floor. [You have suffered 85, 000 physical damage!]"Okay. You're better at this," Rudra groaned, wiping a drop of blood from his chin.

"I can't beat you in a combo fight." He looked at the ten million health points floating above the Phantom's head. The bar hadn't moved a single inch throughout the fight. But he didn't need to. He just needed to survive for 10 minutes and if he wanted to exceed the limit, the least he can do was at least hit the sage once. He just needed one clean hit. Rudra gripped his staff and slowly stood up. He activated [Mumud's Weapon Enchant].

He triggered [Targeted Manifestation], flooding heavy mana directly into his arms and hands to boost his grip strength. He didn't charge forward this time. He just stood there. He adjusted his stance and left his left side wide open. It was a sloppy, obvious mistake. The Phantom took the bait. It dashed forward, raising a hand for a heavy finishing blow. [Target is delivering a fatal strike to your left side in 0. 2 seconds!] Rudra didn't dodge or cast Mana Shield.

He waited until the old man's fist was an inch away from his ribs. [Complete Counter]. The old man's fist hit the dark metal staff. But this time, Rudra didn't get pushed back. The new skill absorbed the entire impact and bounced it right back. The Phantom's own strength rebounded up its arm, making the old man freeze for a split second. Because it was a successful counter, Rudra's stance didn't break. His combo window was still open. He stepped forward. [Shatter Point].

He thrust the dark metal staff forward with everything he had. The old man quickly raised a hand to block, but the heavy metal slammed into his open palm. The internal shockwave triggered, bypassing the block completely. The staff pushed right past the old man's guard and tapped squarely against the center of the Phantom's chest and in the split second the Phantom had also punched him in the face. [A legend doesn't die easily.] [You will resist all attacks for 5 seconds with the minimum amount of health.] Silence filled the crystal grotto. Rudra stood there, breathing heavily as he brushed the blood flowing through his face. The Phantom looked down at the staff touching its chest. Then, the old man looked up at Rudra. The blank, peaceful expression finally changed. The old man smiled warmly. He gave a slow, deep nod. He didn't take any damage, but his body began to glow. The Phantom dissolved into golden light, drifting up toward the ceiling of the grotto like fireflies.

Five small, glowing orbs dropped onto the crystal floor. [You have been acknowledged by the [Phantom of the First Deep Sage]!] [You have cleared the Fifteenth Trial.]