---

Chapter 252: The Inherited Bow, The Transformed Sword

This woman, along with the bow and arrow she carried, felt oddly familiar…

Ah, it came to me.

Along with the image, a name that the Priestess had almost forgotten surfaced in my mind.

Isn’t this the Fiery Blossom’s bow?

Well, to be precise, it should be described as… a bow that once belonged to the Fiery Blossom.

If Vilyric remembered correctly, this ancient longbow, which reached the purple level and had decent quality, was from that cocky guy’s teacher, who had dueled the Fiery Blossom in the Tapeya Basin of the Beast Kingdom and ultimately fell to her blade… the personal bow of the world’s top archer.

Although Miss Vilyric was busily beating someone up at the time and didn’t know the details of that battle, seeing the Fiery Blossom rejoin them with the broken bow once wielded by the enemy, even a dullard could guess what had transpired.

After the Beastman War ended and they returned to the capital of the United Kingdom, Liliya mentioned when talking about that legendary master that the Fiery Blossom had later sought her help to find a skilled craftsman who could restore the last memento left by her teacher—Antonio Stevenson. However, it’s unknown how that was handled afterward.

Unexpectedly, it had now appeared on this little girl.

Considering the Fiery Blossom’s strength, and the little girl’s aura being still quite far from the Earth level, there was no way it could have been snatched or stolen from her. So, the only reason the girl had this bow was clear.

“Heh… that guy actually took on a disciple. The inheritance of humans truly makes one contemplative.”

“Master, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing, Xiao Guang. Look at that girl. Doesn’t she seem a bit familiar?”

Following Miss White Fox’s gaze, Little Dragon Daughter twitched her pert nose and slightly furrowed her brow.

“The scent does seem a bit familiar… We should have interacted with this human somewhere before.”

“Ah, that’s fate for you. You can’t dodge it even if you wanted to.”

Given Xiao Guang’s contempt for humans, or rather for the majority of ordinary creatures in this world, she naturally wouldn’t care about a purple weapon that was no different from scrap metal to her. Let alone make a connection to some red-haired archer who was probably still far away in the United Kingdom.

When she said familiar, it was indeed because they had previously had an encounter, albeit a forced one.

It should have been… during their time in Holy Star City.

Not long after reaching that city, while having dinner at a restaurant, Vilyric had coincidentally spotted this girl at the adjacent table. The only reason she remembered was that she had been accompanied by another merchant who also looked a bit familiar to the Priestess. His name was… Xavier, if she recalled correctly?

This was someone she had hitchhiked with when traveling to the Forgotten Land in the United Kingdom. However, after the incident in Bawo Town, Miss Vilyric had sent those guys packing to avoid dealing with the ruckus.

Although she had ended up saving a few unidentified bystanders during the destruction of the Forgotten Land, allowing Edwina to help guide them, it indeed surprised her to spot a half-acquaintance in the Holy Kingdom.

However, it was Vilyric who knew Xavier, not Xi, and they didn’t share a deep relationship. Although she overheard him whispering with the girl who seemed to be called Sasha about things regarding their side, the Priestess merely pretended not to notice to avoid trouble.

So, they brushed past each other just like that.

Due to the angle, Vilyric didn’t pay close attention to the longbow on Sasha’s back at the time. If not for this coincidental encounter, she likely wouldn’t have realized that this girl was, in fact, a disciple of the Fiery Blossom.

Well… speaking of which, shouldn’t Sasha be running around with Xavier? How did she end up alone in the remote eastern forest of Sanos Province, tangled up with these mysterious characters?

Curiosity pricked at the Priestess as she decided to approach the little girl, who had caught the Fiery Blossom’s attention.

Since her master hadn’t said anything, Little Dragon Daughter wouldn’t casually intervene in what she perceived as mere ants fighting, silently observing as the chaotic skirmish evolved into a one-on-one showdown between the Soul and that four-armed Blade Demon.

Though it was four weapons against one sword, the Soul didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage due to numbers. The Blade Demon’s four blades came crashing down like pouring rain, yet they were expertly parried by the Gray-clothed Swordsman, both sides increasing their pace, with an inexplicable momentum visibly rising.

“Clangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclang!!”

The clashing weapons resonated like the sound of gallant armored steeds, and the blood trees that had initially attacked Vilyric’s group, as Xi had said, had long since ceased their assault on the Soul, becoming mere background noise to the battle.

To be honest, the Soul was stronger than Vilyric had anticipated.

While the aura he displayed was merely of an average legendary level, hardly reaching the transcendent threshold, aided by some exquisite sword techniques and equipment, he managed to stand against a Blade Demon of at least pinnacle legendary level.

The key lay in the Soul’s reaction speed.

Perhaps due to some unique physique, combined with having had his soul tempered by Miss White Fox, this guy clearly possessed a mental strength that far exceeded his current level, allowing him to convert that into dynamic vision, capturing every incoming attack with clarity and responding accordingly.

However… it wasn’t enough; it was time to determine a victor.

At this thought, the Blade Demon made a sudden horizontal sweep with his weapon.

An unremarkable move led to results starkly different from before.

“Clang!”

A long sword soared into the sky, reflecting the startled visage of the Gray-clothed Swordsman on its slick blade and the other weapon charging in from the side like a lightning strike.

“Soul!”

In the stunned shouts of whether it was the Dark Spirit or the Dark Lotus, Miss White Fox reluctantly raised her hand.

Demons, as beings from another realm, are subject to the unseen suppression and weakening of world power here.

Typically, that would reduce their displayed fighting strength by at least 5-10 levels, meaning that this demon, appearing merely to be at the pinnacle legendary level, was almost certainly a superior demon, or what one would call a Transcendent Level Expert.

It was stronger than the Soul, and significantly so.

Practical combat experience, understanding of power and technique was no less than the other’s reaction speed… these factors, which couldn’t be measured by mere levels, remained unaffected by suppression and ultimately led it to victory.

This strike would sever the Gray-clothed Swordsman’s head, and the latter couldn’t stop it, having no time to draw another sword.

But just as Miss Vilyric prepared to break the rules, intervene in the battle, and save the Soul’s life…

An anomaly occurred.

Beneath the blood tree… the air throughout the entire forest suddenly became stagnant for a moment.

It was impossible to judge by level or strength, akin to everything returning to silence, different from death, but pure annihilation’s terrifying aura…

In the 0.01 seconds before that weapon made contact with the Soul’s neck, it abruptly swept back!

“What?!”

Like fingers hastily retracting from boiling water, the weapon, engulfed in murderous intent, retracted far quicker than before!

Yet it was still a moment too slow; that blade connected to one of the Blade Demon’s arms began to dissolve like snowflakes melting in a river, disintegrating at a bizarre and visible speed!

“Splurt!”

Without hesitation, the Blade Demon swung his blade, severing the weapon that was about to permeate his arm’s armor.

Even as it fell through the air, the weapon had already completely dissolved into nothingness.

Then, with the tip of his foot grounded, aided by his battle wings, he retreated a good ten or so meters, assessing the Gray-clothed Swordsman on the spot with a somewhat dubious eye from within his helmet.

“Oh?”

Miss White Fox’s pale hand also paused slightly in mid-air.

Then, the Blade Demon, after a brief stagnation, adopted a more serious tone and spoke in somewhat clumsy common tongue of the Holy Kingdom.

“What is your name?”

The Gray-clothed Swordsman looked a bit pale, not from the fear of death but rather a certain exhaustion from nearing his limit. Nonetheless, he understood who he was speaking to and replied.

“Soul, a swordsman.”

“…Soul, huh? A good name, very fitting for you.”