If he didn't have to fight now, Xia De would have tried to call Iluna to the scene, then borrowed the power of angels and demons from Priest Augustus and Professor Drake before the battle, and then borrowed a few angel-level relics specifically designed to counter angels from Miss Daniste, the librarian of the Academy Library—such relics do exist—and finally asked Sister Devlin to lend him her angel-level relic longsword, the ashes.
With the power of both angels and demons, Iluna's Balance suppressing angels, relics providing power, and two angel-level relic longswords in hand, Xia De would have had seventy to eighty percent confidence in defeating his opponent without using his divinity.
"The arena is this Lake Heart Island, and you are not allowed to leave its boundaries."
The White-robed Lady said, then waved her hand at Professor Drake, and the professor disappeared into the lake.
"Vassal of the Recorder, I once managed the power of the 'Water' element among the four elements for my Lord. A long time ago, the ocean area of the material world was far more vast than it is now. After my Lord departed, ominous beings, whispering strangely, gradually occupied the deep sea. I once led the ocean races of the second epoch, attempting to reclaim the abyssal homeland of those beautiful races."
Since it involved matters of the second epoch, she was indeed an Angel of an Old God.
The shimmering light on the water permeated Xia De's body, and "She" whispered softly in his ear:
"Outsider, you have touched a Miracle."
"The Angel of wisdom grants you her story."
"Outsider, you have gained the spell 'Control Water Flow'."
"Due to the authority granted by the Angel, you can precisely control the water beneath your feet."
"A spell to control water flow, and the authority to manipulate this lake? But it seems like my opponent suppresses me in both aspects."
The staff-wielding White-robed Lady gently tapped the ground with her long staff, and her white robe stirred without wind. The surging Miracle elements directly showed Xia De the two pure white, transparent wings on her back.
He heard familiar train whistles and bell chimes. As those transparent wings flickered, boundless, high-temperature steam mist surged from unknown sources. While Xia De's eyes widened, a massive, golden Destiny Ring appeared rotating behind the White-robed Lady. The Destiny Ring's interface was quadrilateral, representing the identity of a Four-Ring Warlock.
The adjective "massive" meant that the Angel's Destiny Ring was larger than that of ordinary Ring術士. And it was the first time Xia De had seen a golden Destiny Ring; in the sixth epoch, the Destiny Rings of all creatures, regardless of type, were made of brass.
"As expected, she's using the sixth epoch's mysticism system to suppress power at the same level as mine. Her core Ling Runes are Miracle 【Angel】, Miracle 【Water】, and inspiration 【Water of Wisdom】."
He thought to himself, feeling the Miracle elements radiating from the White-robed Lady's Destiny Ring like the sun.
With the Destiny Ring rotating behind her, the winged lady softly said:
"Then, the third trial officially be—"
"Please wait!"
Xia De immediately said, then took out a charred feather from his person:
"Please look at this!"
Priest Augustus's feather flew towards the lady who was about to act. She extended her left hand, letting the feather fall into her palm, and for the first time, a look of surprise appeared on her seemingly eternally gentle expression:
"Death Angel?"
"Yes."
"You have gained his recognition?"
The White-robed Lady asked Xia De.
"Uh, yes."
Xia De wasn't sure if he was lying.
The charred feather was crushed by the staff-wielding White-robed Lady, and specks of black light permeated the white light surrounding her. She didn't speak immediately but looked at Xia De for a full half-minute before saying:
"According to the ancient covenant, Death Angel is the First Angel, the King of Angels. Since you have obtained its recognition, I am willing to adjust the difficulty of the third trial."
"We don't have to fight anymore? Perhaps we can have a scholarly contest, you know, a trial of knowledge and wisdom. Maybe we can compete with math problems. Do you know prime numbers? I have a good question."
Xia De asked hopefully. It wasn't that he was unwilling to face difficulties, but that this difficulty was simply too exaggerated.
"No."
Her Destiny Ring still hadn't disappeared. The White-robed Lady said seriously:
"Vassal of the Recorder, the trial format has not changed. But if after five minutes, you can still stand on this water and fight me, then I will automatically concede."
Xia De didn't know what to say at this point. Priest Augustus had a lot of influence, but not enough. Moreover, the Lake Goddess actually acknowledged that Xia De was recognized by the Death Angel, which meant that Priest Augustus was definitely not simply integrated with a part of the First Angel.
The Lake Goddess seemed to directly regard Priest Augustus as that First Angel.
Temporarily putting Priest Augustus's matter aside, since things had come to this, Xia De had no other choice. He touched the casting materials on his body, then checked what relics he had brought when he left today, looked down at the sword in his hand, and then reached for the mahogany box tucked behind his pants.
His left hand moved slightly, and the water beneath his feet surged upwards. The spell "Control Water Flow" was not a very strong power, but the water beneath his feet was not ordinary "water" either. The help Professor Drake gave Xia De by giving up his wish would play a significant role in the upcoming battle.
"Alright, then let's begin."
Xia De said softly.
The lady, radiating a soft white light, took a step back, and real, pure white wings spread out behind her. But she did not fly into the sky; instead, she bent down and touched the water with her hand.
As the core Ling Rune Miracle 【Water】 and the Miracle Ling Rune 【Sword】 flickered with spiritual light, when she straightened up, her right hand was already holding a longsword made of flowing water "drawn" from the lake.
The water in the longsword was still flowing, and the turbulent traces caused countless strange symbols to surge on the blade. Reflecting the sunlight, these symbols presented a golden luster, like flowing rune chains, supporting the structure of that pure water sword.
This was probably some ancient secret art. While Xia De was still distinguishing the runes on the pure water sword, the sword had already made a silent, invisible strike forward. This strike seemed very ordinary, merely letting the fluid blade cut through the water surface and strike towards Xia De, but Xia De felt his hair stand on end. He absolutely could not meet this strike by simply enduring it:
"Moonlight!"
Xia De also gripped his sword and swung it forward, using the silver moon arc cleaved by the Night Watchman to collide with the water blade on the water surface. Instantly, silver light fragments and splashing water droplets flew everywhere, but it was clear that the White-robed Lady was superior. After the collision, the silver moon blade completely disappeared, and the water blade still cut towards Xia De, only to be completely eliminated by his second swing of the sword.
"She did suppress her power. She's stronger than me, but not by much!"
Xia De immediately made a judgment, swinging his sword forward with a clang, colliding with the lady's sword that came through the water mist.
One sword thrust, another blocked, a sweeping blade was intercepted by a blade cleaving down from an unexpected angle. Neither of them retreated, engaging each other solely with excellent swordsmanship and strength. In just a dozen seconds, the silver sword light and water light on the lake surface almost connected into sugar-frost-like threads, but the reality was that Xia De was at a disadvantage.
The White-robed Lady held her sword with only one hand, her left hand still steadily holding her long staff. The power of each of her strikes precisely surpassed Xia De's, who was using Red Dragon Power and wearing impure dragon blood. Her exquisite swordsmanship was completely on par with the Outsider who had gained combat experience from the Night Watchman.
Xia De felt as if he was fighting against formless water; the White-robed Lady's swordsmanship was continuous like waves.
The Night Watchman continuously corrected Xia De's sword angles based on the White-robed Lady's swordsmanship. The two entangled on the lake surface, and huge forces collided with muffled thuds, causing the water beneath their feet to explode into mists. The mist gradually obscured the Lake Heart Island, and the water sword gradually broke through the Night Watchman's dense defense, leaving tears in Xia De's clothes.
With a soft bang, Xia De, knowing he couldn't simply compete in swordsmanship, transformed into a glowing Red Butterfly swarm and flew backward. A huge wave summoned by the 【Water】 Ling Rune immediately surged towards the Red Butterfly swarm. As the Lightning Spear blasted a large hole in the water wall, the Red Butterflies flew out, allowing Xia De to pull back some distance.
When he regained his footing on the lake surface, the White-robed Lady stood beneath the giant rock in the center of the lake, gazing at him.
Train whistles and bell chimes resonated together, and the brass wheel ring appeared as a dark silhouette deep within the water mist. The surging steam mist added a few degrees of warmth to this winter afternoon. Four-colored spiritual lights flickered, and the spiritual lights of Miracle, blasphemy, inspiration, and whisper illuminated all directions.
Xia De held his sword in his right hand, and pressed two fingers of his left hand on the hilt of the silver sword. As his fingers gradually brushed over the clear yellow runes of "My Heart is Clear, My Sword Slashes Demons," silver Moonlight flowed with his fingertips.
That Moonlight poured down, enveloping the Night Watchman. The flickering Moonlight finally constructed Xia De's most familiar weapon. The silver Moonlight Greatsword, wielded by the Night Watchman. The Moonlight Greatsword was the Night Watchman at this moment, and the Night Watchman was the Moonlight Greatsword at this moment.
"Raglai's Leap!"
He took a step and appeared directly in front of the White-robed Lady. The sword light was imbued with sacred Moonlight, and the attack from outside of time summoned by the "Blade of Disordered Time and Space," combined with Xia De's swordsmanship, seemed to weave a grid of sword light in front of him.
With his Destiny Ring fully manifested, using his strongest weapon in optimal condition, his rapid, held-breath attacks finally caused the White-robed Lady, who was still holding her sword with one hand, to show a slight decline. She fought and retreated on the water, her sleeves stirring the wind as she wielded her longsword.
As Xia De's fierce sword thrust towards her throat, the wings on her back finally flapped forward. The white feathered wings easily blocked Xia De's greatsword, and as the long staff gently tapped the water, three Ling Runes on her Destiny Ring behind her flashed consecutively:
whisper 【Illusion】, Miracle 【Truth】, inspiration 【Seal】.
