Although he is different from the traditional Sword Saint.

When he's at full power, the effects he can produce are only better than an average Sword Saint.

"Beatrice, how about trying it with me?"

Louis looked at Beatrice, and said with a cheeky smile:

"Do you want to see how strong your dear one can get now?"

Beatrice glanced at him and said:

"Are you sure you don't want Qian to give it a try?"

Louis shook his head and said:

"Qian should have already advanced to legendary, right?"

Beatrice replied with a squinting smile:

"You found out, huh!"

Louis shrugged his shoulders without giving much explanation.

He had seen Qian's regular state before.

But after not seeing her for a period, upon their reunion, he realized he could hardly sense any threat from her.

At that moment, he knew that Qian had definitely stepped into legendary rank.

If her threat level towards him had increased significantly within a short period, it would mean her training had made great breakthroughs.

But if the threat had lessened rather than increased, it wasn't merely a huge breakthrough.

It could only be an advancement.

Because he understood well that Beatrice's deputy role was equivalent to her Personal Guard.

If Qian didn't possess the talents to perform as a Personal Guard, then no matter how much Beatrice valued Qian, she wouldn't just keep Qian alone by her side.

At least, she would preserve Qian's deputy position and arrange for another deputy with safeguarding abilities.

But now it was still only Qian accompanying her, which says a lot.

"Alright then, I'll be your opponent."

Beatrice chuckled softly, and with a wave of her hand, a two-meter-long knight's lance appeared in his hand.

Louis waved his hand, and the Sky Light Sword, sheathed and all, appeared in his hand.

When Beatrice raised the knight's lance, Louis sensed a noticeable change in the aura surrounding her.

A force, like the sticky scent of blood, spread over her.

That was the smell of the battlefield.

Without even looking, Louis knew that Beatrice must be well-versed in the White Crow style.

This feel as if one is amidst the battlefield is the most significant characteristic of the White Crow style deeply studied by the Nine Swords.

"Pretty strong..."

Louis exclaimed with pleasant surprise.

He knew that Beatrice herself had quite impressive combat strength.

But he didn't expect Beatrice to display such formidable momentum at LV13.

If Alice was like a cold dagger, silently tearing open the enemy's defense to strike at the vital point when she made her move.

Then Beatrice was a grand cannon roaring with might.

Hide and deliver a killing blow?

That's a misconception of not having enough firepower.

She didn't need to do that, just launching a direct assault was enough.

This was partly influenced by Beatrice's style as a ruler, but mostly because her honing of battle aura had far surpassed her peers.

So, there's no need for flashy tactics, direct confrontation is the key.

All fear comes from insufficient firepower.

And she was confident she would be the heavy firepower among the same level.

But in the next moment, she noticed that everything in her sight changed.

Even without activating Dragon's Wrath Armed·Liberation Form, Louis's destructive power was elevated to the exemplary high level.

She only noticed the world around her becoming stagnant at that moment.

It was undoubtedly the Steel Soul Flow Level 9 Martial Art, [Time Stop], activating.

But she wasn't without a way to counter it.

Among the human nations, the cradle of the Nine Swords is the Ense Empire.

There was no nation more knowledgeable about how to defend against the Nine Swords' time-stopping effect than the Ense Empire.

In just that moment, an item on Beatrice relieved the time-stop effect on her.

The moment Beatrice raised the knight's lance, an equally stagnant force spread from her body.

Steel Soul Flow Level 9 Martial Art·Time Stop.

Louis also had an item that could defend against the time-stop effect, but Louis didn't use the item.

He directly activated [Eternity Training].

Having already used time stop and the Isle of Time, he was well aware of the effects of such martial arts.

Martial artists consolidate everything around them with an indomitable will, causing even others' consciousness to be obscured under this overwhelming will.

This effect was akin to erasing others' perception of time.

This was why many adventurers often didn't have any opportunity to counter and were instantly defeated when encountering a Nine Swords master.

But [Eternity Training] would pull a martial artist into an unknown distant dream.

In the very moment the distant dream is opened, even if only for half a second, or perhaps less than 0.01 seconds, his consciousness was protected by the distant dream.

Under such circumstances, he could completely dispel the mental obscuring effect of [Time Stop].

While this technique is theoretically feasible, only a few have succeeded at practical execution.

It is a method trending toward mastery of skill.

In the progressed professions of the Nine Swords, only a Nine Sword Grandmaster who has climbed to the zenith of technique can flawlessly use this effect.

Well, generally speaking.

For Louis, as long as it's a technique, it cannot be said that it is impossible to replicate.

The terrifying nature of his greedy thirst for knowledge shows itself in his unrivaled learning ability.

Even though Beatrice had received all sorts of top-tier training since childhood, she couldn't eliminate the inherent flaws within the [Time Stop] martial art.

This is why the Eternal Blade developed [Isle of Time] based on the [Time Stop] martial art.

To avoid those effective countermeasures against time stop from working.

Yet, it was clear that in this confrontation between the two, there wasn't even a need to use such legendary safeguards as Isle of Time, typically reserved for Demigods.

Within just a fleeting moment of entering and exiting the distant dream, Louis dispelled Beatrice's time stop.

Time stop against time stop.

Both parties employed effective means to evade being caught off guard.

"Falling behind, huh!"

Even in the Ense Empire, there wouldn't be many items capable of countering time stop.

There are generally only two types of routine items.

Both Louis and Beatrice had such items equipped.

But the problem was, Louis used a skill to trade it off against Beatrice's time stop.

And Beatrice, to block Louis's time stop, had a single item in a cooldown period.

If the two were being ruthless about it, taking a minor injury to instigate another time stop, Beatrice wouldn't be able to reclaim even footing.

"Let's clash head-on then, let me see whether you've neglected your martial arts, Beatrice."

Louis spoke sincerely.

At the moment he utilized Eternity Training to counter Beatrice's move, the scales of victory had already tilted entirely in his favor.

With full power, Beatrice didn't stand a chance.

Time stop against time stop, once one side expends time stop first, there's no chance for victory.

Especially when Beatrice's existing means couldn't effectively limit the capability of time stop powers.

Beatrice also knew that Louis was giving her face.

After all, the spar was essentially meant for Louis to gain an accurate understanding of his current strength.

During the contemplation, the spear and sword clashed first.

The shockwave spread directly beneath their feet, leaving a big pit in the training ground.

But... Louis's strength was superior.

Even though his profession level was lower than Beatrice's, his basic attributes still surpassed hers.

Thus, at the moment of the clash, Beatrice was sent flying backward.

Although uninjured, in that instant of being sent back, Beatrice withdrew her lance and said helplessly:

"Seems like there's no need to continue testing."

At the moment when their weapons collided, she perceived that Louis's mastery over martial arts surmounted hers.

She was naturally a genius.

Just by looking at the data, one could see a lot of things.

LV13 being able to use [Time Stop], if others knew, they'd be scared to death.

Even Alice, at LV13, might not be able to unleash such power.

But Beatrice effortlessly achieved it.

In the eyes of others, no matter what, Beatrice was worthy of the title of a prodigy.

However, Louis was even more excessive.

His foundation, mastery of martial arts, and bodily attributes comprehensively suppressed Beatrice across all fields.

This duel didn't need to continue.

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