Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 345 Su Li's Powerful Strength

Su Li never expected that fate's boomerang would strike him again in this way.

He never imagined that he would be the first to experience the fact that his subordinates were too powerful.

It has to be said that sometimes having subordinates who are too capable can be quite a headache. It is not easy to keep subordinates of this level in check.

Especially these knights from Hildet, none of them look like elite knights.

Some of them were practically made of iron, capable of fighting all night, using their superior mobility to annihilate an entire howling beast horde with their lances. Others could single-handedly slay necromancers amidst a vast army.

Some of them could even defeat seven green-skinned behemoths! Keep in mind that the Orstein Knights only managed to defeat this number of elite knights back then. While the behemoths riding war boars were arguably the weakest elite cavalry, they were still elite cavalry.

Although Su Li was confident, she had never tried to fight seven elite knights by herself!
As he was reminiscing, Hilde said with a smile, "My lord, it's your turn to take the stage. Your battle today is simple, only two fights, and I believe you can win easily. So, I and the other court ladies each placed a bet on you. It's worth mentioning that Ingrid made the biggest bet; she bet 2000 gold crowns on you. You don't want her investment to go down the drain, do you?"

Ingrid truly trusts herself unconditionally.

Su Li was immediately filled with fighting spirit. He put on the standard vibranium rune armor, Blazing Soul Law, which he had prepared in advance, and said, "Then I can't let everyone down. I'll go and meet our knights."

After donning his armor, he did not wear the mask of Moor, but instead wore the Wild Skull, which covered the upper half of his face.

The main issue is that the effects of Mor's mask are negligible on human knights. As elite human knights, their strengths lie in high defense, high health, and high morale. This makes them incredibly fierce and skilled in combat. While their melee damage efficiency might be slightly lower than some melee-focused units, such as elven swordsmen, Slardar's vanguard, and Chaos dwarves' Kel'dar's Fiery Birth, their ability to hold the line is unparalleled. The fear effect, which is highly effective against other races, is almost completely ineffective against them.

The humans in this world have truly maxed out their talent points in courage, loyalty, and perseverance; in terms of courage and perseverance alone, they are absolutely extraordinary beings.

This is why empires have been able to stand firm, and why humanity has been able to fight against various demons, monsters, and evil legions for thousands of years. The most fundamental reason is that humanity itself is one of the most powerful monsters in the old world.

Su Li's mentality and fighting spirit have also undergone significant changes since entering this world.

Therefore, he preferred to choose the Wild Skull, which was a prop of the Church of Tar. It could be decorated with the skull and fur of a lion, the huge skull and horns of a wild beast, etc., to make the knight appear exceptionally tall.

Su Li chose a wild skull made from a lion's skull and mane, which slightly amplified his attack power and gave him a low chance to use the Blazing Blood ability once without any cost.

After he put on all his equipment and props, Hilde helped him adjust his cloak, looked him over, and said, "No problem, my lord. Your current appearance is very different from when you wore the Black Forest Guard Knight armor. Even acquaintances would have a hard time recognizing you at first glance."

Su Li nodded in satisfaction, waved his hand and said, "Then bet me 1000 gold crowns as well, and wait for my triumphant return!"

Hilde smiled gently: "Yes, my lord. I will be here waiting for your victorious return."

Then Su Li waved goodbye to Hilde, summoned several ordinary servants to block the view of others, and escorted him into the arena.

He stepped out of the dimly lit passageway and into the entrance, where bright sunlight streamed in. A deafening roar erupted from the arena stands, with thousands waving their arms. The sound waves, carrying dust, surged and boiled under the blazing sun, completely engulfing him in this scorching clamor.

Indeed, in the arena, when thousands of people cheer for you, the feeling of being the center of attention, the exhilarating passion, is something that cannot be experienced by watching from afar.

Su Li instantly understood why all the human nations were so fond of watching matches. The Empire, as a nation founded by knights, was especially so among its people.

Today is his turn to show off his skills and prowess on the field!
When he arrived at the corresponding arena, his opponent had been eagerly waiting for a long time. Seeing Su Li finally step onto the arena with his face covered, he couldn't help but taunt him, "You cowardly guy, are you afraid I'll beat you so badly that you're deliberately dawdling and not daring to come up?"

Su Li smiled calmly. All the knights of the empire were like this: arrogant, domineering, rude, irritable, stubborn, and foul-mouthed.

So Su Li wasn't angry at all. He calmly picked up a standard warhammer provided by the organizer and said to the knight named Titus Hayes, "I hope you'll still be this confident later—when you're beaten beyond recognition and your own mother won't recognize you."

Hilde had gathered a great deal of information about Titus Hayes; he was a follower of Mannan, and it was unclear whether this arrangement was intentional.

As a follower of Mannan, he was a naval officer, or more precisely, a member of the Marine Corps. In any case, Mannan's followers were either sailors or naval personnel, and occasionally, in areas far from the Empire, they would disguise themselves and act as pirates.

As knights whose main activities take place on the sea and rivers, they undergo rigorous training in Mannnan, enabling them to deal with more threatening enemies such as greenskins and trolls.

Titus was from the famous Seamen's Knights of Mannnan. Apprentices of this order did not need to be of noble birth or particularly devout. Many of them were rough and uneducated, but they were good at fighting. Therefore, many territories would even hire them as mercenaries.

Fighting him would obviously be very helpful for Su Li to understand the details of the Blue Mirror Territory's army's combat strength.

The referee, seeing the two greet each other in a "traditional and friendly" manner, stepped forward with a smile. He had seen this scene far too often. In any arena of the Empire, the two combatants would uphold the Empire's fine tradition of greeting each other in a friendly and direct manner, so he was used to it. He reached out to separate the two.

"Now, let me announce the rules of the competition: First, all witchcraft and magic are prohibited. The use of evil magic is forbidden, including magic scrolls, witchcraft props, and the like."

"Second: The use of recovery items is permitted, which is an important display of a knight's wealth, status, and combat power. However, the cumulative number of uses cannot exceed 7."

"Third: Following the values ​​of the Sun Goddess civilization, losers are allowed to pay a ransom for a second challenge. The first to win four rounds wins! At the same time, in accordance with war discipline, the goddess requires believers to restrain their anger and passion, and strictly prohibits any fatal attacks, including blows to the head, neck, and groin. All other means are unrestricted, as long as the opponent is knocked down more than 10 times, the round is won."

"Violation of any of the above will result in an immediate forfeit and a ban from further competition."

Titus was very dissatisfied with this rule, but he had no choice but to comply, because the Church of the Sun Goddess placed great emphasis on battlefield discipline and regarded obedience to the "glorious" orders as their sacred duty. Anyone who challenged the authority of the referee could be directly judged to have lost a round, so he could only endure it.

Su Li was quite satisfied with this. He was a follower of the Goddess of the Sun, and Violet's priests always emphasized using discipline to control their emotions during battle. Fighting with anger and passion was tantamount to exposing one's weaknesses, which contradicted the purpose of Violet's military training. Other military sects in the empire encouraged their followers to indulge or even embrace these emotions. For this reason, Violet's knights were often considered calm, indifferent, and even cold-blooded.

Therefore, marshals with Welterian membership often found it easier to recruit new soldiers—the soldiers believed they could receive civilized and logical management under their command, rather than being thrown into a bloody slaughterhouse like livestock. As the famous proverb goes, "Rydmar takes you to war, Violet takes you home." The Rydmar sect particularly disliked this kind of rhetoric.

The purpose of this Glorious Games is to take the opportunity to promote the teachings of the goddess, so the rules of the organizers will naturally lean towards this direction.

For example, the use of potions is permitted, which is completely different from the fact that recovery items are absolutely forbidden in ordinary arenas. This is because the followers of the Sun Goddess are generally quite wealthy (even the richest among them), giving them a huge advantage. Many knights from other churches are dirt poor, and if they were allowed to use them, they probably couldn't even come up with seven potions.

On the other hand, it also puts the knights to the test of their calmness, meticulousness, and tactical planning. How to allocate the number of times the potion is used and in which small rounds it is used obviously requires careful planning. This gives the knights of the Church of the Sun Goddess a natural advantage that those churches that get angry and lose their temper when they start fighting cannot match at all.

This Titus is clearly not good at calm thinking in this regard; he is as fickle and irritable as the god he worships.

Su Li's words clearly enraged him. With the referee's command, he roared and charged forward, wielding a trident and violently attacking Su Li.

This is clearly not a reasonable tactical arrangement. The Trident is longer and more versatile in both offense and defense. His reasonable choice would be to attack cautiously and keep his distance from Su Li.

Rushing in front of Su Li like that is practically creating an opportunity for her.

Su Li stood motionless, letting Titus's massive trident pierce his chest, seemingly stunned by the terrifying blow. This drew gasps from the surrounding spectators, who had placed their bets without hesitation upon seeing the Bauhinia badge on Su Li, hoping for a resounding victory and a large sum of money.

Seeing Su Li's blank reaction, someone immediately shouted angrily, "Idiot, dodge! Even if you're wearing perfect-grade armor, you'll be at a disadvantage if you're hit like that."

"What scum! Are they throwing the game? How can there be such a stupid Cavaliers player! I'm going to file a complaint. Is this some kind of scam?"

"Useless! Just look at how he dawdled and was the last to go on stage, I knew he was a complete waste... Oh!! An extraordinary genius!"

"Oh!! Goddess above!!" A wave of frenzied praise almost instantly overturned the arena as countless gamblers around screamed with bloodshot eyes.

On the arena, Su Li calmly took a half-step to the side, and time seemed to stand still. Titus, who was charging forward, suddenly stopped, as if he had deliberately bent his waist and knees to present his body to Su Li's swung warhammer.

[Blazing Blood, Royal Authority and Majesty]!
When Su Li fully activates his bloodline, he gains a kingly authority akin to that of a dragon, forming a powerful aura of intimidation around him. Enemies weaker than him will be forced to kneel on one knee and bow to him. They can only stand up after he deactivates his fiery bloodline ability.

Under this powerful bloodline ability, Titus didn't even have time to react before he was smashed to the ground. His body slammed violently against the solid stone slab, producing a deafening roar, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Without a doubt, Su Li was holding back. Without the rules, Su Li could have even smashed his helmet with a hammer, making him dizzy or even unconscious.

This stark contrast instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the surrounding spectators. Countless people waved their betting tickets and cheered, applauding this sharp and cunning attack.

The people of the empire, who revere military might, love this stunning art of combat, which swiftly and decisively defeats opponents.

When Su Li raised his armored right foot and stepped onto Titus's back, the cheers instantly reached a climax. The arena quickly attracted the attention of a large audience.

The referee was also affected by Su Li's bloodline ability, and knelt down on one knee beside the two to begin the countdown.

"10!"

"9!"

"8!"

Titus was clearly unwilling to admit defeat so easily. Although the warhammer's powerful blow was very heavy, it was not fatal to the tough-skinned and elite-level extraordinary knight.

He roared and struggled to stand up again, but Su Li maintained his fiery blood burst. Even though the veins on his arms and forehead bulged, and he struggled desperately to get up, his bones even cracking, the big foot pressing on his back was like the massive claw of a dragon, making it impossible for him to lift it off.

Trident was pinned down beneath him, and no matter how much he struggled, he looked like a defeated dog in a sorry state.

He did not stand up again until the count was completed, so the referee decisively ruled that he had lost the round!

As Su Li withdrew his foot, Titus immediately jumped up, gripped the deep blue trident in his hand, and stared at Su Li with bloodshot eyes.

Thinking of his disheveled appearance just now, he was so angry that he almost lost his mind, and roared, "I will definitely kill you, you bastard!"

Su Li said with a faint smile, "You still haven't learned to stay calm. Saying such useless big words only makes you look incompetent and furious; it's completely pointless."

The referee stepped forward and pushed the two apart with his hands. He was also very dissatisfied with Su Li, mainly because Su Li's bloodline ability had a wide range of influence, and he was also implicated, which looked very dishonorable.

Then he asked Titus, "Shall we pay the ransom and continue the war?"

Titus raised his fist and fiercely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Su Li. He sneered, "Kid, the fight will last a long time. I admit I was careless in the first round, but don't get cocky! Many bloodline abilities have a much stronger stun effect than yours; it's just a matter of catching someone off guard. I only used up 10 seconds of stamina, while you used up 10 seconds of your Blazing Bloodline ability. Keep going, we'll see! Here are 25 Golden Crowns for you; the outcome isn't decided yet!"

Su Li smiled faintly, took out the wine flask he carried with him, drank a cup of restorative wine, and said with a smile, "Then you'd better hold on. My medicine will definitely be enough to support you until you run out of strength."

Seeing the gilded wine flask in Su Li's hand, Titus's eyes twitched. Having been in the Black Forest Territory for so long, he was naturally familiar with this unique and advanced recovery method. Damn those Sunfire Church knights, so shamefully extravagant! This meant the other party had once again recovered to their peak condition. Jealousy clouded his judgment.

"The second game begins!"

After the ransom was paid, Titus became much more shrewd this time, cautiously watching Su Li with his trident in hand, clearly adopting a posture that allowed him to both attack and defend.

At this point, even if Su Li used his Blazing Blood ability, it would have no effect. He was able to counterattack using his spear stance, a combat technique that many knights must learn.

Just as Titus said, the knights' fiery abilities are diverse, and many are caught off guard in the first round. But even with abilities as powerful as stun, strong elite knights can withstand the three-second stun and withstand the opponent's attacks.

Killing these heavily armored knights in a matter of seconds is no easy task. Even swinging a warhammer at their heads might not be enough. After all, these knights, when wearing perfect-grade vibranium rune armor, could truly withstand cannon fire and survive, continuing to fight.

This isn't just true for extraordinary knights. If you've ever seen a battle between English and French knights, you'll know that even two-handed swords have a hard time penetrating their defenses. In the Battle of Agincourt, French heavy cavalrymen charged through the narrow, muddy battlefield after the rain, and many fell off their horses, barely able to react in the mud. Under such circumstances, the English army couldn't quickly kill the French knights.

Moreover, in this arena, you can't attack the opponent's head or neck. So, it's almost impossible to win a match with just one or two Bloodlust abilities.

However, this cannot be applied to other people, and it certainly does not include Su Li!
Seeing Titus's cautious defensive stance, Su Li smiled and asked, "Weren't you going to kill me? Are you coming or not? If you're not coming, I'll come over."

Before he finished speaking, Su Li suddenly moved, his body erupting with blazing red flames, his figure so fast that he almost left a afterimage.

【Blazing Blood - Crimson Dragon Lord's Flame】!
Let the blood of the red dragon burn, greatly enhancing your strength, defense, speed, and heavy strikes, unleashing power that is almost on par with champion level.

Titus's eyes widened instantly, almost tearing at the corners. He stared in disbelief at the other's powerful aura. Was this the strength of an elite-level being?
He immediately raised his trident to parry, displaying his maximum reaction speed, but he was still a beat too slow. Although the warhammer avoided a vital spot thanks to his parry, it still slammed heavily into his right shoulder.

The next moment, a sonic boom seemed to create a transparent circular air wave, and he was sent flying backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground, even cracking the floor and sending up a lot of debris.

He felt as if his entire shoulder was fractured, but he still managed to flip backward, gripping the trident with his left hand and quickly regaining his balance. He stared in disbelief at his opponent who seemed to be handling the situation with ease.

Is this the kind of strength that elite-level players would possess?
The deafening cheers around them undoubtedly proved that this was true. Countless spectators went completely crazy. This overwhelming attack and the domineering momentum of crushing the opponent really made countless people's blood boil.

Titus had no choice but to take out a precious bottle of Sharya potion and drink it immediately; he absolutely could not admit defeat so easily!

This concerns the morale and spirit of both the Church of Mannan and the Church of the Sun; he absolutely cannot be defeated by the knights of the Goddess of the Sun.

Su Li shook his head, clicked his tongue, and said, "That's very irrational of you. If it were a knight from the Church of the Goddess of the Sun, they would definitely choose to concede this round."

After all, he had just activated his Blazing Tyrant state, gaining a comprehensive boost to his strength. No matter how hard Titus fought, he couldn't possibly defeat a Champion Knight. Even a genius like Thranville went to great lengths to defeat the rogue Champion Knight, the Unhonorable, even using rare-grade armor and legendary amulets.

Titus currently lacks all of these things, yet he wastes a precious potion to fight against Su Li at his peak, which is clearly unwise.

The result was unsurprising: Su Li completely dominated him in this round, giving him an overwhelming advantage in terms of strength, speed, and the probability of landing a heavy blow.

As Su Li blasted him away time and again, the cheers in the arena grew louder and louder. Such perfect strikes were a feast for the eyes, and countless people cheered and shouted wildly at Su Li.

In just one short match, Su Li incredibly attracted the attention and cheers of tens of thousands of people, creating a huge roar throughout the arena. It even drew the attention of many participants from other arenas, who couldn't help but turn their heads to look at him.

The outcome of the match was as expected: Su Li directly blasted Titus down with his warhammer, leaving him unable to stand for more than ten seconds.

However, he is also a stubborn person, with a personality like that of his god Mannan, who is furious and unruly.

After being helped up by the referee, he paid the ransom with bloodshot eyes and roared at Su Li, "Come on, let's fight again! You've used up your Blazing Blood ability. With such a strong effect, I don't believe you won't pay the price and enter a weakened state! Now it's my turn! Today I'll show you Mannan's powerful divine magic!"

(End of this chapter)