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Chapter 173 Storm - A Thousand Blades' Burial Song! The Mad Wolf Feels Fear for the First Time

north.

rustling.

The cold wind howled, stirring up fine snow dust on the ground.

A few light, feather-like snowflakes drifted down from the clouds and silently disappeared into the snow.

On the snow-covered ground, a beautiful girl with long, icy blue hair and a black-haired youth the size of a doll sitting on her shoulder were staring intently at a certain direction in the distance.

There, two streaks of light, one silver and one gold, were hurtling towards the two of them at breakneck speed, the shockwaves they generated even blowing the snow on both sides into the air.

Clang!
Dorothy drew the Lionheart sword from her waist and assumed a fighting stance.

The two streaks of light stopped more than ten meters away from them, and the magic gradually dissipated, revealing the two figures encased within them.

In the silvery light, there was a young man with short silver-gray hair and a face with a sharp, chiseled look. He was carefully examining Dorothy in front of him and the black-haired fairy on her shoulder with great interest.

Above the youth's head was a line of deep purple text—Noble.

Within the yellow light was a tall, but plain-looking, blond middle-aged man with a calm expression, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The words above his head are white and represent civilians.

"The silver-haired one should be at the peak of the New Moon stage, while I can't figure out the blonde one. He should be at the Crescent Moon stage."

Dorothy whispered to Xia Mingyu.

Upon hearing this, his expression also became serious. Although he was very confident in the girl's strength, it would be too much of a stretch for her to fight two opponents, especially one who was fighting across ranks!
"You are the murderer who killed Lucas, the lord of the Icefield Territory, and Iser of the Frost Territory, among others, right?" the silver-haired youth said coldly.

Huh? Didn't she only kill Lucas?
Xia Mingyu paused, looking at Duo Luowei with a puzzled expression.

"Cough cough, when I passed by those territories, I saw that their actions were too outrageous, so I couldn't help but kill them."

The girl touched her head awkwardly, not wanting His Highness to think she was too bloodthirsty, so she didn't mention it.

"You couldn't resist and killed him? You're really outrageous!"

Upon hearing her words, the silver-haired youth's interest gradually turned into a chilling killing intent.

“In this land of the North, only the most powerful Dean family has the privilege of killing at will, not you, a woman who appeared out of nowhere.”

As the young man spoke, he drew a sharp longsword from his waist, its blade engraved with ice wolf patterns.

“I am Kane Dean the Mad Wolf, woman, state your name.”

Exchanging names before a life-or-death battle is a tradition shared by knights in this world. Although he firmly believed he would win, he also acknowledged the woman's ability to kill multiple lords.

“Jade, Dorothy,” Dorothy said calmly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Kane and the middle-aged man beside him.

Compared to Kane, who was of the same rank, the enemy at the Crescent Moon rank was more worthy of her attention.

Seemingly sensing this, a flash of annoyance crossed Kane's face, but he suppressed his anger and said:
"No one will interfere in the battle between you and me."

"If you can withstand my attack for ten minutes, I will give you a chance to live. Otherwise, you can expect to have your head chopped off and hung on the city wall!"

After saying this, Kane was about to get up and attack when the blond middle-aged man next to him gently pressed down on his shoulder.

He glared at the other person with displeasure, but said nothing. After all, the other person was indeed a stronger one than himself, and he, who adhered to the principle of the survival of the fittest, would naturally give him respect.

“I am Ariel, the vice-commander of the Frostfang Knights, and the Emerald Knight. Before the battle, could you please remove the fairy on your shoulder?” Ariel said calmly.

"After all, we don't want to hurt the darling of the god of night and dreams."

Especially since Ariel is a food fairy who can produce massive amounts of food, she silently added in her mind.

After whispering a few words to Xia Mingyu, Dorothy silently floated to the open space to the side, watching everything with a worried look in her eyes.

Then, Ariel released Kane's shoulder, and the next moment, the young man known as "Mad Wolf" erupted with surging silver-white magic power, and he rushed towards Dolores, who was already in a fighting stance, like an arrow released from a bow.

Dangdang Dangdang!
Accompanied by a series of rapid, drum-like sounds of clashing swords, the two transformed into two streaks of light, one silver and one blue, intertwining at a terrifying speed that surpassed the limits of ordinary human vision.

At the center of their battle, sword energy surged, instantly slicing away all the snowflakes that drifted close by.

Xia Mingyu floated not far away, watching their battle intently. With his improved eyesight after advancing to the Morning Star level, he could barely make out the fighting movements.

The silver-haired youth known as Mad Wolf was ruthless in his swordsmanship, making no attempt at maneuvering or defense. He seemed like a carbon copy of Berg, only his sword was faster and more vicious.

Dorothy's swordsmanship was much more elegant, deftly deflecting fatal attacks like a butterfly flitting among flowers, and even having the strength to leave subtle sword marks on her enemies.

"It's clear that Dorothy has the upper hand now."

After making this judgment, Xia Mingyu's expression relaxed considerably.

"Your Excellency, Fairy."

Just as he was watching the fierce battle intently, a sudden remark from beside him nearly made him fall to the ground.

Xia Mingyu then noticed that the blond middle-aged man who had previously claimed to be the vice-commander of the Frostfang Knights had suddenly appeared beside him.

"I mean no harm."

Seemingly sensing Xia Mingyu's nervousness, Ariel, like a French soldier, raised his empty hands high to indicate that he had no intention of fighting.

"What's the matter with you?"

Upon seeing this, Xia Mingyu stepped back slightly and asked warily.

Although his body is currently somewhere between illusion and reality, according to the records of fairies in the books, he can still be harmed by pure magical attacks.

“I just wanted to express my gratitude to you,” Ariel said calmly.

Gratitude from the enemy?
"Thank you for what?"

Xia Mingyu paused, then asked in confusion.

“On my journey to capture the Jade Knight, I passed through dozens of villages along the way. Those villagers who had suffered from famine were saved and brought happiness because of the food you brought. I think it is necessary to express my gratitude to you,” Ariel said slowly.

"What does this have to do with you?"

Xia Mingyu was even more puzzled. He clearly remembered that Dorothy had mentioned that everyone in the Frostfang Knights believed in the law of the jungle, and every knight was like Lucas, pursuing power at all costs. Otherwise, they would not have been able to stand out from the resource-scarce North.

"Occasionally, a sheep will appear in a wolf pack."

"Besides, before I was a knight, I was a commoner. I have tasted the bitterness of hunger and know how sorrowful and painful it is." Ariel pointed to the white commoner characters above his head, a faint trace of melancholy flashing across his unremarkable face, as if he were thinking of some unspeakable memories.

While they were talking, the two men who had been locked in close combat not far away temporarily distanced themselves.

"huh, huh"

Kane, who had been so arrogant before, was now breathing rapidly, and his body was covered in bloody wounds, making him look disheveled.

Dorothy, however, remained calm and composed, her breathing showing no fluctuation whatsoever.

The difference in skill between the two, at least in terms of swordsmanship, is already obvious.

"Hold on for ten minutes, and I might give you a chance to live," Dorothy said coldly, returning the previous statement to the other party.

She has never been a good-tempered person, especially when facing enemies.

Upon hearing this, Kane's face immediately contorted with shame, anger, and ferocity. For him, as the eldest son of the Lord of the North and naturally proud, this was undoubtedly the greatest humiliation!

"call!"

The silver-haired youth took a deep breath, and the next moment he looked up at the sky and let out a mournful wolf howl!

The sound seemed to be squeezed out from deep within the chest, sweeping across the silent snow like a sharp sonic blade.

At the same time, a line of dark blue text appeared above his head—Ice Wolf Knight.

Upon hearing the wolf's howl, even the knight girl, whose will was far stronger than that of ordinary people, couldn't help but cover her left ear with one hand in pain.

This is the unique ability of the Ice Wolf King—the Howl of Death. It's unexpected that it would be recreated on a human knight. Perhaps this is why the Dean family has been able to rule this vast land of the North for nearly a hundred years.

Taking this opportunity, Kane immediately gathered all his magic power into the blade, and the longsword engraved with ice wolf patterns instantly emitted a dazzling silver-white light.

"Ice Wolf Slash!"

He roared and took a sudden step forward, his body bursting with bone-chilling cold.

As the longsword swung through the air, the silvery-white strike instantly transformed into an ice wolf formed from gathered magic power, its gaping maw full of fangs lunging at Dorothy, who was clutching her left ear.

Wherever the slash passed, the moisture in the air instantly froze, leaving a frost trail on the ground.

Clang!
Fortunately, at the critical moment, the girl managed to break free from the influence of the death howl. She raised her longsword high with both hands, and with the surging emerald magic, a jade sword several meters long was instantly formed.

"cut!"

Dorothy swung her greatsword down sharply, colliding violently with the ice wolf that lunged at her with its claws outstretched.

boom!
With a deafening roar, a ring-shaped shockwave erupted from the point of impact, blowing the snow on the ground within a radius of nearly 100 meters in all directions, revealing the originally yellowish soil.

"How is it possible that she blocked my Ice Wolf Slash, which I unleashed with all my might, so easily?"

Seeing this, the silver-haired youth's angular face was filled with astonishment and disbelief.

He stared blankly at the seemingly fragile, beautiful blue-haired girl opposite him, who was as delicate as an ice crystal flower. At this moment, Kane finally realized one thing—that the Emerald Knight was a powerful figure who surpassed him in every way!
In terms of both combat prowess and natural talent, he was far inferior to that woman.

However, the fierce battle would not stop because of his distraction. Noticing his lapse in concentration, Dorothy decided to seize this rare opportunity and kill the enemy first.

"Hoo," the girl breathed in a strange rhythm, the Lionheart Breathing Technique, passed down through generations of the Mason family, the only ducal family in the former Kingdom of Sosia, and considered the pinnacle of all breathing techniques.

She decided to take advantage of this crisis to test the sword skills that Tamerlan had just taught her.

Dorothy once again raised Lionheart Sword, and countless emerald green magic powers flowed from her body to the sword, but instead of covering it, they swirled around it.

In an instant, the violent air currents condensed into a bluish-white vortex around her, her icy blue hair danced wildly in the wind, her clothes fluttered in the wind, and she seemed to become the eye of the storm.

"Storm - Thousand Blade Burial Song".

With a clear shout, she slashed down with her long sword, and in an instant, a tornado several meters in diameter, composed of countless tiny emerald green blades, rose from the ground.

Swish swish!
The high-speed rotating wind pressure tore apart the yellowish-brown ground, drawing in gravel and dust to form a destructive spiral storm.

The edge of the storm shimmered with a blinding blue light, the air hissed sharply as it passed, and the ground it ploughed into deep spiral trenches, while the vegetation along its path was instantly shredded into countless wood chips.

This is the swordsmanship of a legendary female knight, now revived in the hands of a young girl.

Kane, facing this terrifying storm, suddenly had his pupils contract, and all the muscles in his body trembled uncontrollably under the pressure of the impending death.

Feeling the slight pain as the wind pressure tore at his cheeks, the silver-haired youth clearly realized that this was an attack he could not withstand; if he were hit, he would definitely die!
And because of the enormous suction force generated by that terrifying storm, it was already a miracle that he was able to use his remaining magic power to keep his body from being sucked away; he had no strength left to escape.

Kane's palms, gripping his weapon, were sweating profusely, and his teeth chattered slightly. His retina reflected the ever-growing blue storm, and he could even hear his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

At this moment, this unruly youth, hailed as the "Mad Wolf" by the people of the North, finally felt an unprecedented fear, and so...
"Ariel, save me!" Kane abandoned his dignity as the young master of the Dean family and chose to cry out for help even when facing an enemy of equal rank.

Swish!
Just as he was chatting idly with Xia Mingyu, mainly because Xia Mingyu was initiating the conversation, the blond middle-aged man suddenly transformed into a golden streak of light and reached Kane's side before the terrifying blue storm could engulf him.

Clang!
With a simple movement—drawing his sword, slashing horizontally, and sheathing it—Ariel unleashed a golden sword aura over ten meters high, which collided violently with the azure storm.

Zheng——!
With a piercing screech, the azure storm was split in two by the golden sword energy. The upper half of the storm went out of control, turning into countless chaotic air currents that scattered in all directions.

The lower half of the storm slammed into the ground, creating a huge crater several meters in diameter.

The golden sword energy had not yet dissipated; it streaked across the sky above the girl's head and hurtled towards the horizon until it disappeared from sight.

"Even among those at the Crescent Moon rank, this guy is definitely not an ordinary person!"

Dorothy's pupils contracted as she looked at the blond middle-aged man blocking Kane's path, feeling a deep sense of apprehension.

She wasn't unfamiliar with powerful individuals at the Crescent Moon rank, but she knew very well that her uncle, the former Eastern Border Knight Commander Ransen, could certainly have done that casual sword strike, but her Uncle Kari, who was also a Crescent Moon Knight, might not have been able to.

Unexpectedly, after blocking her attack, Ariel did not attack again, but instead raised her hands again, just as she had done to comfort Xia Mingyu earlier.

Dorothy, who was about to crush the pale witch's snowflake, was taken aback by this strange scene and paused her actions.

“Can we sit down and have a chat, Your Excellency Jade Knight?” Ariel said calmly.

"I meant no harm." As if to prove his words, a gentle smile appeared on his plain face, but it looked rather funny because it was too stiff.

After hesitating for a moment, Dorothy sheathed her longsword, but held the snowflake tightly in her palm.

"Okay," she agreed.

(End of this chapter)