Imperial Crown

Thank you very much for the 2 rewards from the reader [Fish Questioned by Water]!

Thank you very much for the 2 rewards from the reader [Meteor Falls]!

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The colossus began to melt, turning into a silver steam-like mist that continued to rise, and blood flowed under Eric.

The whole place was silent.

The spectators had seen many battles, not that they had never seen death, but such a straightforward, tragic, and lasting death still brought a huge impact.

In particular, Eric was the representative of the Griffith family, the organizer of this conference!

"Winner..." Ingra's voice was a little distorted. He forced himself to cheer up and raised his voice: "Winner——"

But at this moment, a low cry of surprise came from the audience.

The maids who shuttled around the sidelines and delivered drinks began to shake the iron trays in their hands and shifted to the center of the field, and the drinks and food on them fell all over the ground!

"What are you doing? Is Eric your lover? He..."

Someone was complaining, but stopped immediately because Eric's body was undergoing amazing changes in the arena!

The original steel giant-like image gradually melted away, revealing the original azure appearance of the misty iron armor, but the steel fighting spirit that was steaming like clouds did not dissipate, but began to condense behind Eric. There was no human outline, but a clear shadow of the armor was outlined!

On the ground, iron filings mixed in the soil floated into the air.

"Wu, Wuhun——!?"

Someone shouted in surprise, and the arena suddenly boiled, and the nobles whispered to each other.

Viscount John, who was about to leave, stopped, turned around, and looked at Eric with a look of emotion.

As a person who had experienced it, he knew how difficult it was to awaken the martial soul. It must be the most perfect and extreme state of body, fighting spirit, and spirit before there is a possibility of awakening.

In the history of the Empire's wars, there are many precedents of awakening the martial soul on the battlefield.

But once you are over 40, your body functions begin to weaken, and this possibility will drop off a cliff.

So much so that there is a proverb that has been passed down from ancient times: If you don't reach the fourth level at the age of 40, you will have no hope for life!

This is why Judra's father Angel tried to reach the fourth level several times and failed several times, because he was too old and could not complete the awakening of the martial soul.

And Eric is already 43 years old.

Did he want to take this opportunity to awaken his martial soul?

No, he wouldn't.

If Eric's determination had a little flaw or luck, what awaited him would be real death.

"Okay..." Viscount John showed a relieved smile on his face.

In the current situation where the atmosphere is becoming increasingly corrupt, it is always enough to make people happy that a noble with chivalry survives and completes a breakthrough.

"Ah--"

A scream sounded, and a maid's tray suddenly flew out of her hand uncontrollably, running all the way to Eric. When she was three meters away from him, it suddenly turned into iron powder.

Not only her, but all the iron plates in the entire arena were flying around.

The necklaces and earrings of the noble ladies began to entangle their owners, and the weapons on the waists of the knights present almost vibrated together!

If the knights hadn't pressed hard, they would have flown out of their sheaths long ago!

The sound of metal resonated and began to echo in the arena.

Gul'dan's face was solemn, because even his hand holding the rapier began to struggle, and the blade trembled and hummed as if it wanted to fly away!

Eric's body floated into the air, slowly raised his head, and slowly stretched his legs straight.

Around him, there were broken steel fragments like clouds and mist!

The helmet on the ground flew into the air and covered his head, and the blue magic light flashed suddenly.

The shadow behind him suddenly rushed and landed on him. The silver light suddenly flashed, and the azure armor slowly turned into a gray metal color. The texture became heavier and simpler, but the overall shape did not change at all.

At this moment, the vibration in the field suddenly intensified. Some knights and nobles who had not yet become extraordinary could no longer hold the swords at their waists, and shuttled to Eric's side in waves of breaking air.

Dozens of swords surrounded Eric's head, shining coldly in the mist of fighting spirit, as if guarding and surrendering.

At this moment, Eric seemed to be the king of all steel!

Eric slowly opened his eyes, gently clenched his fists, and the surging power flowed in his body, turning into a roar and rushing out of his throat!

"Fight!"

The metal vibration in the field finally quieted down at this moment.

"Martial Soul... How could this guy be possible!?" Gul'dan's eyebrows jumped wildly, but he also knew that it was no longer the time to underestimate the enemy. He swung the rapier in his hand horizontally, turning it into a series of fire marks, weaving a green net and rushing straight towards Eric!

The battle started again!

Eric turned his wrist and waved forward like a conductor. The long swords of various colors surrounding his head were connected together like a swimming dragon, and rushed towards the fire net with a humming sound of steel!

The sharp swords soaked in steel fighting spirit were like swimming fish. Some of them stabbed fiercely at the intersection of the fire net, exploding into a mass of thick iron slurry, and some passed through the gaps in the fire net. Even though they were roasted red hot, they still did not forget to kill Gul'dan!

Gul'dan frowned, waved the rapier to smash the flying long sword, and began to weave the second big net!

There were clearly only two people fighting, but it looked like there were thousands of troops. The collision of fire and iron produced gunpowder smoke, and the hot temperature spread, reflecting in everyone's pupils.

This is no longer a simple arena, but a battlefield where two armies are fighting!

This scene caused cheers to rise again in the arena.

"It's so exciting! This ticket is really worth it!"

"Martial Soul Awakening, I didn't expect that I would be able to see the awakening of martial souls in this life!"

"My sword! Oh, that was bought with 7 gold coins!!!"

The audience was watching the excitement, but only the two people in the arena knew the hardships.

After awakening the martial soul, Eric's application of steel fighting spirit has reached a higher level, and the quality of fighting spirit has also changed by leaps and bounds. Every time Gul'dan intercepted the flying long sword, he would feel a tremor in his hand, and he had to use 50% more strength than usual to hold it steadily!

Eric was always able to hit the key and weak points of Gul'dan's fire net, and the two could be said to be evenly matched.

In terms of consumption, Gul'dan even had more.

But the difference between the two lies in fighting spirit!

Gul'dan is level 3, 8 stars. Eric has just entered the level 3. Even if his martial soul awakening has replenished some fighting spirit, it is just a drop in the bucket. His fighting spirit should have reached the bottom now!

This is indeed the case.

Eric realized that he had little fighting spirit left in his body, so he threw out the last sharp sword, and the whole person followed it, rushing forward like a slide!

The sharp sword cut a hole in the fire net that was coming in front of him. Eric rushed out under the scorching flames, and what was coming was a fire line stabbing sword that Gul'dan had planned long ago!

Eric swung the long sword in his hand and chopped it off. This time the long sword was still the original size, but it was like a knife chopping a bamboo pole, splitting the fire line in half!

Eric raised his head, and the four eyes met, almost colliding with fire.

Although the situation was deadlocked, Gul'dan still had the confidence to win. As long as Eric couldn't get close, he could play with him to death with his deep fighting spirit!

Eric suddenly raised his left hand and aimed at Gul'dan.

Gul'dan felt a huge force coming from his chest, as if the armor was carrying him forward!

This is the power of the awakened steel fighting spirit, which can master and utilize all metals!

In just two seconds, Gul'dan was dragged in front of Eric!

Gul'dan was shocked, and he didn't hold back anymore. He poured fighting spirit into the rapier in his hand to eliminate Eric's influence and pierced his throat!

The armor at Eric's throat suddenly became denser and brighter, and the mirror shield was activated again. The steel fighting spirit dissipated the blue flame on the sword and rolled back. The twisting force twisted the rapier into a twist, and then suddenly broke into several pieces!

Eric raised the sword in his right hand and rushed to Gul'dan's shoulder, and Gul'dan shouted, the flames on his body soared, and he grabbed the long sword with both hands, and the flames in his palms spurted out, and then he twisted his hands, and the long sword was torn from it like a soft cheese!

Resolutely abandoning the sword, Eric hit Gul'dan's shoulder with a right swing fist. Gul'dan screamed in pain, and his fist was wrapped in flames, which slammed into Eric's chest!

Two third-level knights who had awakened their martial spirits, used the most primitive weapon of the human race - fists, to fight each other!

Clang, clang, clang! !

Flames and steel intertwined, and balls of iron slurry splashed, which was hotter and more heroic than blood!

"Beat him, beat him!!!"

"Gul'dan, come on!!! I bet 20 gold coins on you!!!"

"Beat him in the balls, beat him in the balls!!!"

In the box, Montreal and Raven had stopped talking, just staring at the field, breathing with a bit of tension and haste.

They all knew that the battle had reached this point, and it was no longer about who had more fighting spirit, but a pure competition of will.

Whoever could grit his teeth and fight to the last moment would win!

"Come on, come on!" Thor shouted loudly in the stands, even though his voice was hoarse and he knew his father couldn't hear him.

The noisy sound on the sidelines made Gul'dan dizzy and he wanted to shout and order those damn guys to stop shouting!

But he couldn't, and he didn't have the leisure time!

Eric's fist was so heavy that he was not human. His strength was so great that every time he hit his body, even with the protection of armor, the shock force still made his blood surge. What was even more terrible was that his armor gradually began to deform!

And Eric's armor was still as bright as new, even if it was wrapped in flames and roasted red, it didn't deform at all.

Gul'dan also had a second-level armor, and there was not much difference in essence. The only difference was the fighting spirit of the two!

Iron fighting spirit was born for fighting.

But Gul'dan's fire fighting spirit was not bad either!

Fight hard, then fight! Iron fighting spirit cannot protect against heat. Now we have to see whether Eric will be roasted first or he will be opened first!

Bang——

Eric punched Gul'dan in the chest. The friction between steel and steel caused a burst of sparks. Under the effect of the raised ridges on his hand armor, Gul'dan's chest armor burst into a burst of magical light, and then suddenly sank!

The plate armor squeezed his ribs, and Gul'dan, who was already excited, suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood, and even his breathing stopped.

Pain! Too painful!

Eric was not surprised at all. This was not only because he awakened his martial soul, but also because every time he broke through, the baron would strengthen him with magic cores!

Now his physical strength has far exceeded that of an ordinary third-level knight. Even when facing a monster of the same level, his physical strength is not inferior at all!

His fighting spirit is not as good as Gul'dan, and his combat skills are not as good as Gul'dan. Only this body strengthened by the Baron is his best weapon!

Raising his hand to block Gul'dan's attacking fist, Eric exhaled and shouted, his right hand was put under his ribs, and it rushed out like a crossbow--

Dang!

The fist landed on Gul'dan's abdomen, and the armor shattered instantly. The fist pressed against the armor fragments and hit Gul'dan's abdomen, and slammed into his stomach!

The originally hard abdominal muscles suddenly softened, and the gurgling sound of the deformed internal organs sounded. Under the mask, Gul'dan's face began to distort, and he spit out breakfast mixed with blood. The whole person was hit back by the force of this blow.

However, before he fell to the ground, Eric raised his left hand, and a strong suction came, and Gul'dan flew towards Eric again like a bird blown by the wind.

In mid-air, Gul'dan raised his right hand: "I-I give up!!!!"

This punch almost broke his spine through his stomach. If he was hit twice more, he might really die here! !

Eric held Gul'dan, his martial spirit disappeared behind him, and his steps were a little staggering.

"The winner of this competition is-Eric Dyson representing the Griffith family!!!"

"We won!!!" Thor hugged his tearful mother fiercely, and then lifted his sister high: "We won!!!!"

In the box, Raven breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Montreal: "Thank you, brother Gul'dan, for showing mercy."

"In the end, Eric is still a tough guy. You can't ignore his training, otherwise he won't be able to last until the martial spirit awakens." Although Montreal was a little regretful, his son did not suffer a fatal injury, and he lost to his son-in-law, so he was not angry:

"From now on, the Griffith family has really risen again!"

" You've gone too far. "Raven said modestly, "I'll have to rely on you more in the future."

"Haha, let's not flatter each other here." Montreal stood up with a smile: "Let's get ready to present the awards."

"It's a pity that Anthony is not here, otherwise, I really want to admire his face!"

Raven certainly couldn't scold him: "Speaking of which, Earl Tyrone is gone, and Earl Jonah also went to Mon'en City, but where is Archbishop Thomas?"

"I received an urgent letter this morning, and it seems that there is important official business to deal with." Montreal said: "But I won't miss the award ceremony, let's go, let's go and wait for him."

After emergency treatment, the award ceremony officially began.

Eric was seriously injured, more than half of his blood was lost, and his body was half-cooked. If it weren't for Archbishop Thomas's help, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for a month. Although the external injuries have been cured, he is still pale.

In comparison, Gul'dan was better off, with only five broken ribs and a fractured thigh. Now, after Thomas personally cast divine magic, he can walk very fast.

Originally, the third place should have belonged to Akori, but Anthony left in anger, and Akori also withdrew from the competition, so there was no need to compete, and Sanjif of the Slater family was replaced as the third place.

However, fortunately, Anthony left, otherwise he would be furious to see that the prize he took out, "Hate of Hyperion", fell into the hands of the Fox family.

Raven obtained the right to tithe exemption for one year, which is also a good thing for him. In this way, he can save at least 30,000 to 40,000 gold coins this year alone.

During the period, Raven and Montreal also asked Thomas about the content of the urgent letter he received, but he changed the subject.

After the award ceremony, Eric's portrait was hung in the duel field, and then there was a grand cocktail party as usual to celebrate the successful completion of the competition.

Most of the topics were still about the results of the game. The nobles gathered around Raven and Montreal, toasting and congratulating them, and it was a harmonious scene.

Raven was praised for his bravery and fortitude, and Montreal was praised for Gul'dan's noble demeanor.

"Baron Raven, congratulations." Just after sending off a group of nobles, Viscount John walked up to Raven with a glass of wine and said exactly the same words as Montreal: "From today on, the Griffith family has really risen again!"

Facing John, Raven's attitude was different: "It's not that easy. One or two strong men can't change the overall situation. After all, the nobles still have to decide the outcome on the battlefield."

"Haha, but now, people are most afraid of these one or two strong men." Viscount John had nothing else to ask for. He was of high enough status and seniority, so he had no scruples when he spoke: "I have heard many people say, 'The Griffith family is crazy. You can cooperate, but don't mess with them!'"

"Is there such a thing?" Raven was stunned. He had never heard of this before.

John chuckled: "Yes, your family's representatives, with Visdon in front and Eric in the back, are acting more desperate than each other. In addition, you dared to charge into the bloody heights with more than 100 people. Who wouldn't be afraid?"

"Besides, the story of Versacem and Selev has spread secretly."

At the beginning, Raven was in justice for Lady Doreen and arranged for Eric to fight on the spot in Versacem's castle. Afterwards, he killed all the horses in Versacem's stables and piled their heads in the castle hall as a warning.

On Sereva's side, Simon was sent directly, bypassing Sereva himself, and beat the three sons of his knight Wit so hard that they were almost disabled.

This is a naked display of muscles.

At that time, Eric only had the second level, and Simon only had the first level.

Now, one of these two people is at the third level, and the other is at the second level. The former has awakened his martial soul. If he really concentrates on causing trouble, not many companies in the entire Nord province can withstand it.

As for the reciprocal threat to Raven - a sneak attack on a third-level mage's home, even if his head was kicked by a donkey, no one would come up with such an unreliable idea.

And don’t forget, Nancy is also a third-level magician.

With Viscount John's reminder, Raven began to secretly observe the performance of the nobles at the reception, and the results obtained also confirmed Viscount John's statement.

In the past, although most nobles respected the members of the Griffith family on the surface, they could not hide their arrogance and condescension deep down.

But now, when they meet the extraordinary people of the Griffith family, their attitude is extremely humble and polite. Even towards the waiters of the Griffith family, they behave in a more aristocratic manner.

The reception ended lively, and in the next few days, the nobles began to leave the Eagle Territory one after another.

On September 8, Montreal took Guldan, who had basically recovered from his injury, and set off back to Hovey City.

After sending Montreal and others outside Goldshire, Raven and Nancy said goodbye to Montreal.

After this separation, I am afraid that we will rarely see each other again in the whole year. Nancy realized this, so she did not shed tears even on the wedding day, but her eyes were red and her words were choked.

Gul'dan rode his horse and came to Eric's side: "In the last battle, I underestimated the enemy. When we fight next time, I will definitely not lose to you!"

Eric responded with a smile: "Lord Gul'dan has exquisite fighting skills and strong fighting spirit. I am indeed just taking advantage of him."

Gul'dan felt more and more suffocated because he was taking advantage of him and acting like a good boy. He had learned 80% of Raven's knowledge.

"Let's go, Gul'dan!" Montreal greeted from a distance.

Gul'dan glanced at Eric and rode back.

After leading the team back to Eagle Castle, Nancy was a little tired and went back to her room to rest. Raven was about to follow when he suddenly saw Fiona standing at the door, staring into the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Raven asked.

"Just now, there seemed to be someone there." Fiona pointed to the row of carriages in front of her: "I saw him in the arena before, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye."

Raven looked along her finger, but saw nothing: "Maybe it's a servant of some noble family."

After saying that, Raven turned and returned to the castle.

Fiona nodded, observed for a while, and found nothing, then turned and left.

"This girl's senses are really keen." Behind the carriage, a figure wearing a gray robe appeared, with a hoarse voice:

"It seems that I have to be more careful... so as not to ruin the major events of the Holy Religion!"

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