Chapter 135
Chapter 135 The Sword Master of Jesund Returns to Astria
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In the mountains of Shenaga, Jesund, a middle–aged man wearing a blue robe darted through the forest with agility and speed. His face was filled with panic, and though he appeared to be in his early thirties, his movements were swift, his feet barely touching the treetops as he bounded forward, clutching a piece of yellow cloth in his hand.
At the mountaintop sat a simple thatched hut. The man hurriedly approached it, laying down a samurai sword that had been broken into several pieces at the door before kneeling on one knee.
“Master, I’ve returned. These are the fragments I managed to retrieve in Ravenridge, Mornwick, Astria, through some special connections p>
He had been in shock when he found these broken fragments of the sword. It was once his master’s famed weapon from earlier years, known as “Hellbringer,” a blade that had accompanied his master as he dominated Jesund, defeating countless powerful warriors. It had become a legendary sword that struck fear throughout the land.
His master, defeated in Astria two decades ago, had his sword broken by his opponent during that battle. After returning to Jesund, he reforged the blade using various metals, making it even sharper and more resilient than before. He named the new sword “Hellbringer II” and gave it to his younger disciple, who had been tasked with traveling to Astria to hunt down martial geniuses. Yet, despite its legendary status, this sword had been shattered in a second- tier Astrian city, and his disciple had disappeared without a trace.
Inside the straw hut, a tattered mat lay on the floor. Moss had grown over the once–pristine mat, and parts of it had rotten from age. It seemed to have witnessed countless years.
On the mat sat an elderly man in rough, simple clothing, his body skeletal and withered like a dried corpse. Yet, the middle–aged man’s words were clearly addressed to him.
As the elder’s chief disciple, he knew very well that his master had maintained this posture for over a decade. For nearly 5,000 days and nights, the elder had neither eaten nor drunk anything, sitting as still as a stone. If it weren’t for the slow, even breaths and his strong, unwavering aura, anyone would assume the elderly man had long passed away.
Anyone who saw this frail elder would likely overlook him, never imagining that he was the legendary figure who once traversed all of Jesund, challenging and defeating countless martial artists across Astria–the Sword Master of Jesund, Tsaric Dubois–Briggs!
“ Lionel, your heart is unsettled. Sit down first. ”
Tsaric hadn’t moved a muscle, nor had he opened his mouth, yet a clear voice resonated in the man’s ears–a sign of immense mastery of inner strength, a ventriloquism technique only attainable by the most advanced martial artists.
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15:19 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 135 The Sword Master of Jesund Returns to Astria
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His voice betrayed no age, and with a casual wave of his sleeve, the dust and debris on the ground were swept away, revealing a clean patch of earth.
The middle–aged man, Lionel Sutherland, hesitated not a moment longer. He knelt down immediately, regulating his inner strength to calm the breathlessness caused by his hurried journey. After a long while, he spoke in a steady voice, “Master, Hellbringer II is broken, and my fellow junior disciple is missing. I fear p>
Lionel carefully observed Tsaric’s expression, noting that the elder showed no reaction, as if entirely unconcerned. Just as Lionel was beginning to doubt, Tsaric finally opened his eyes. A piercing light shot forth, sharp as a sword’s edge, cleaving a deep fissure into the rock before him.
Lionel’s pupils contracted in shock. He had followed Tsaric since he was fifteen, learning the master’s sword techniques and excelling in them. This skill allowed him to rise through Jesund’s martial ranks, rarely tasting defeat. Now, he had nearly reached the level of a Martial Sovereign, and even within that class, he was almost without equal. Yet, at this moment, Lionel realized how utterly outclassed he was. Compared to Tsaric, he was nothing more than a trickling stream, while Tsaric was the vast, boundless ocean.
“Hellbringer II, broken by sheer force in just one blow… How intriguing!” Tsaric’s eyes gleamed with interest as he examined the fragments of the legendary Jesund blade at his feet.
“Back when I fought Gareth Ashcroft in northern Astria, it was the most memorable battle of my life. We fought for three days and nights before a victor was decided. In the end, I missed a strike, and Hellbringer, after such prolonged use, could no longer withstand the strain. It was destroyed. Afterward, I returned to Jesund and reforged it into Hellbringer II for your junior. It was superior in sharpness and resilience compared to the original. To chip it required immense power, but to break it into pieces with a single strike? Even Gareth Ashcroft, at his peak ten years ago, could not have done that!
“Even now, in all of Astria, only the so–called ‘Four Extremes‘ possess the strength to shatter it so completely.” Tsaric’s eyes flickered with a trace of doubt. “But what puzzles me is why any of those four, the pillars of Astria’s martial world, would target your junior. He was merely a young martial artist hunting talent in Astria. Why would they take action against him p>
He shook his head lightly, still unable to comprehend the mystery.
Lionel’s eyes suddenly widened as a thought crossed his mind. He hurriedly spoke, “Master, recently, in Astria’s martial world, a young Martial Sovereign has risen to prominence. His rise began in Ravenridge, and it was there that my junior met his end. Could it be that he was the one responsible p>
“A young Martial Sovereign?” Tsaric’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Seeing his master’s reaction, Lionel quickly recounted everything he had learned about
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Chapter 135 The Sword Master of Jesund Returns to Astria
Leander. With each detail, Tsaric’s expression grew more surprised.
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“Jeff Ashcroft?” Tsaric murmured with a slight sigh, shaking his head. “I didn’t expect Astria’s martial world to produce such a talented genius again. In comparison, our martial world is rather lacking in talent p>
In the next moment, his gaze returned to its usual calm indifference as he waved dismissively. “Even if Jeff Ashcroft is a Martial Sovereign at such a young age and managed to defeat your junior disciple, there’s no way he could have shattered Hellbringer II. Achieving the rank of Martial Sovereign at seventeen or eighteen is already extraordinary and nearly unheard of. That he could have done this while also defeating Alek Peterson of the Cloudveil region is a sign of immense potential. But no matter how exceptional he is, he doesn’t possess the power to rival Gareth Ashcroft or those like him. Breaking Hellbringer II in a single strike is far beyond young Jeff Ashcroft’s ability p>
Though Leander’s sudden rise had impressed Tsaric, who had dominated Jesund and challenged Astria’s
greatest warriors two decades ago, it wasn’t enough to place Leander in the ranks of the few he truly considered formidable. Even Leander’s defeat of Alek had only caused a brief ripple in Tsaric’s otherwise calm demeanor. In Tsaric’s mind, the only martial artists worth his attention were the ones who stood at the pinnacle.
Lionel’s expression shifted as he listened to his master’s analysis. He then revealed another piece of recent news. “Master, Jeff Ashcroft’s strength might not be so simple. Just yesterday, one of Astria’s Four Extremes, Grayson Shire, descended from his mountain seclusion and is headed to Ravenridge. He specifically challenged Jeff Ashcroft to a duel p>
Whoosh!
As soon as Lionel finished speaking, a surge of sword energy exploded from Tsaric’s body, cutting through the waterfall beside them, causing it to momentarily stop in mid–flow.
“Shire challenging young Ashcroft? Well, well, it seems I’ve underestimated this young Martial Sovereign!” Tsaric exclaimed, standing up. His eyes gleamed with an intense light, and though his figure remained frail and small, Lionel felt an immense pressure, like an invisible mountain had risen before him. One step forward, and it would crush him.
Suddenly, the fragments of Hellbringer II on the ground shot into the air. A sword aura emanated from behind Tsaric, enveloping the pieces in a brilliant light. Within moments, the fragments were ground to fine metallic dust and scattered into the wind. He had destroyed the legendary blade with a mere flick of his hand.
Lionel was filled with awe and reverence as he knelt, bowing deeply. If he was an unparalleled sword master, then Tsaric was the very embodiment of the sword itself–an unstoppable force.
“Lionel, we depart immediately for Astria! ” Tsaric declared, standing at the cliff’s edge, overlooking the mountain range before him. “I want to witness Grayson Shire and Jeff Ashcroft’s battle in person. After that, we’ll travel to Highcliffe, where I will once again meet
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Chapter 135 The Sword Master of Jesund Returns to Astrial
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Gareth Ashcroft and his peerless martial skills. This time, it will be even more extraordinary than our last battle over a decade ago p>
Sword energy swirled around Tsaric, extending more than ten yards in every direction, as his battle intent surged.
Lionel nodded, fully aware that the legendary sword master, who once struck fear into the hearts of Astria’s top martial artists, was returning. The Sword Master of Jesund, who had caused so many of Astria’s finest to fall in defeat, was once again setting foot on the Eastern lands.
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