Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 443 Duel on Stage
Liu Shuang was very unhappy.

The young girl's mother died early, her father was indifferent, and she only had a rigid female official by her side. From a young age, she was influenced by the feudal and decadent ideas of the old aristocracy. When it came to matters of the heart, she was not only ignorant, but even went astray at one point.

In that logic, love and marriage are two unrelated things.

Whenever he recalls his past "adultery" invitation to Chen Mo, a truly "dark history," the Frost Swordsman now wishes he could dig a hole and disappear right there.

Perhaps for this reason, even though the mystery eventually cleared up and they fell in love, Liu Shuang never dared to bring up the matter again in front of Chen Mo. Instead, she silently stayed by Chen Mo's side, protecting him day after day. This could be considered a unique way for the young girl to express her feelings.

However, just because Princess Liushuang doesn't compete or fight doesn't mean that others can push forward.

Her instinct was to bristle, arch her back, and hiss!

But before she could react, Liu Shuang glanced at Chen Mo.

His amber eyes were like deep summer pools filled with autumn water; as he looked over, the corners of his mouth pursed slightly downwards.

The little girl didn't speak, but her long eyelashes drooped and then lifted again. Her gaze lingered briefly on Chen Mo's face before shifting away, her eyes landing heavily on the ground as if they were solid objects.

Chen Mo instantly understood.

The young girl felt wronged and angry, but she was sensible and mindful of the bigger picture, so she didn't vent her anger in this situation.

Without any hesitation, Chen Mo leaned closer, making no attempt to hide his feelings: "Are you unhappy? Go ahead and make a scene!"

"Actually, I'm not happy either, but I can't make a scene. You can do whatever you want, I'll support you!"

"Don't be afraid. Even if they want to settle scores later, they can only hold the elves accountable. You are the princess of the elves!"

With just one simple sentence, Angus, the elf captain standing beside him, almost lost his composure.

But in just a second, Angus straightened his posture.

I am the captain of the Frostfire Guard. What do I care about elves?

We firmly support our great lord and noble prince. As for the elves, it is their honor to stand up for the prince!
Well, Angus was once a member of the "Elven Redemption Army." Although his identity has been cleared, he still knows who he should thank and who he shouldn't.

Liu Shuang's eyes curved into crescents again, her lips, which had just been suppressed, turned upwards, and two small flames seemed to rise in her pupils.

What kind of trouble will she cause?

A furious outburst? A swaggering walk away? Or perhaps a table-flipping stunt?
No one in the Han Hai people present could accurately guess what their young prince was thinking; it was a girl's mind, you can't guess.

Amidst the gazes of everyone, which held a mixture of doubt and curiosity, Liu Shuang stood up decisively.

She doesn't have many hidden agendas; acting on intuition and temperament is her style. Since Chen Mo supports her, Liu Shuang doesn't have much time for deep thought.

She casually took off "Little White," the little white owl that had been hanging on her shoulder, half-asleep and curled up like a fluffy snowball. With a gentle flick of her wrist, the white owl drew a brief arc in the air and landed precisely in Chen Mo's arms.

"Gurgle—?!"

Little Whitey suddenly woke up, wide awake, its fur standing on end, its round eyes filled with terror.

I didn't realize that I was suddenly in trouble today.

Liu Shuang shed her burden and raised her head high, her posture as elegant as a swan raising its neck.

"What kind of ridiculous conditions are you offering? No way!"

"If we can't resolve this through negotiation, let's solve it like soldiers!"

She raised her hand, clenched her fist, and gestured vaguely toward the area where the celestial officials were located.

"Who wants to fight me?"

Although one could see that the young princess was bursting with anger, she did not roar or raise her voice; her tone was clear and steady, as cold as the unsheathed sword at her waist.

"..."

Chen Mo covered his forehead, beginning to seriously doubt whether he had made a huge mistake.

He knew that Liu Shuang's approach to problem-solving was always very direct, but he didn't expect it to be this direct, shifting the negotiation from the humanities to the military.

A brief pause occurred in the opposing Sky Dome camp. Those officials, accustomed to navigating verbal sparring, weighing interests, and endless formalities, uniformly went blank for a moment, as if the gears of their brains had been jammed by this proposal.

A few seconds later, a small commotion spread through the crowd like ripples on water.

It seemed to take them a moment to process and confirm what was happening before their eyes: a key member of the diplomatic mission had, at a formal diplomatic banquet, launched a public, one-on-one armed challenge against the host official.

In a world where professionals are the core of the system, resolving disagreements with force does indeed have a long historical tradition.

Throughout history, orcs have had "battlefield duels," goblins have "warrior horn battles," centaurs have "mountain races," and even sea creatures have "wave-breaking contests"! These are all recognized solutions within specific cultures or contexts.

But this is not a battlefield, nor is it a confrontation between hostile forces. It is a diplomatic arena of major powers. From any perspective, the two sides are in a relatively friendly cooperative relationship on the surface, and have even just reached some agreements.

The thousands of disciples of Tianqiong are still paying fees and working in Hanhai, while Hanhai's difference machine will soon be continuously inputting into Tianqiong.

How come... suddenly we're all ready to roll up our sleeves and fight?

Of course, putting aside their arrogance, the Sky Dome team quickly realized that their earlier suggestion to let Lord Chen Mo "sow a seed" here had offended the universally acknowledged lord's wife.

After realizing what had happened, the officials from the Sky Dome reacted with surprise, astonishment, sighs, and laughter. Of course, most of them also showed a hint of disdain and mockery.

"This person is probably spoiled; he really doesn't know his place!"

Several well-dressed staff members exchanged knowing glances. One of them, an elderly man with a long beard and eyes narrowed into slits, stroked his long hair and whispered to his colleague beside him:

"I do feel a little sorry for this kid. After all, he comes from a small place, and his vision is too narrow. A mere sixth-tier cultivator dares to challenge my Sky Dome Empire..."

Another official frowned deeply: "Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. Even if the level of the Eastern Continent is limited, it shouldn't be enough to make a second-stage sixth-level cultivator so arrogant. Could it be that they are hiding their strength?"

The fair-skinned middle-aged man next to her chuckled: "Hey, don't you even know who she is? She's the adopted princess of the elves, the little princess of Emerald. She's probably been coaxed and pampered all the way up. Who would dare to fight her with real swords?"

"She's gotten used to winning with her fists all the way. Don't forget, people outside say that this little princess has a lot of fists, but not much brains."

Some officials with concerns reminded him: "I carefully reviewed the information about Han Hai before I came. It seems that Lord Chen does not have any battlefield achievements. However, this little princess is said to be a ruthless character who has fought her way up from the battlefield. She shouldn't be so reckless, right?"

"Who doesn't understand what happens on the battlefield? How much of the credit on the merit list is inflated? Don't you and I know? If we won, is it not this young princess's achievement, or someone else's?"

"It's only a sixth-tier unit, it can't possibly fly into the sky, can it?"

The crowd discussed it amongst themselves, but quickly reached a consensus.

Although the Sky Dome cannot be fully informed about the situation in the Eastern Continent, it still pays attention to and records important events and key figures.

The Princess Liushuang before us is undoubtedly at the sixth rank, not yet at the third rank; this information can be confirmed.

This level of quality would be considered top-tier in mid-tier countries, such as those producing jade and turquoise, and would be a pillar of the nation. However, compared to a superpower like the Celestial Empire, it is still insufficient.

Therefore, the option of "not being able to win" was never considered by anyone from the beginning.

Of course, there is also the possibility that even if someone has this doubt, they would absolutely not dare to bring it up in front of the Crown Prince. Otherwise, they might be labeled as self-deprecating and contemptuous of the heavens, which could be fatal.

The crowd whispered among themselves for a few more minutes, their gazes quietly shifting to the imposing Crown Prince, who sat in the center of the hall.

This is the highest decision-maker on the scene right now, a deep and unpredictable person.

In front of the Crown Prince, when the people of Tianqiong talked about Liushuang, they would unconsciously change their way of addressing her, only daring to use the old title "Princess," for fear that the word "Your Highness" would cause someone to misunderstand.

An official in charge of etiquette cautiously stepped forward and bowed, asking, "Your Highness, Princess Liushuang of the Hanhai Delegation has challenged us with force. What do you think should be done about this?"

The Crown Prince did not answer directly, but instead asked, "What are your opinions, sirs?"

"Your Highness, this matter concerns the dignity of our great nation; avoiding war is absolutely out of the question!"

"I suggest sending a royal attendant to give them a slight punishment and dampen their arrogance..."

The Crown Prince nodded slightly. "Alright, you can make the arrangements!" "By the way," the Crown Prince's tone remained calm, even carrying a hint of concern, "give the order to make sure the people going into battle are careful. It's just a friendly spar; they shouldn't accidentally kill someone."

The old bureaucrat trembled.

These old fogies, who had been immersed in officialdom for a long time, understood perfectly well that every word spoken by those in power had a deeper meaning. Although the Crown Prince spoke kindly and said not to kill anyone, the true meaning was crystal clear to these old men.

They shouldn't be killed, but it's only right that they get injured, bleed a little, and learn a lesson.

Even if something happened, His Highness the Crown Prince didn't say anything.

Your Highness is... truly enraged!

"...Yes, Your Highness!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Since a fight couldn't take place in the "Moonlight Palace," after efficient and urgent communication between the foreign affairs personnel of both sides, the location for the duel was set at the training ground of the Third Legion of the Royal Guard in the city.

The army stationed here is the Third Legion of the Royal Guard of the Sky Empire, which is also the honor guard for this reception.

The armor was gleaming, giving it an imposing and awe-inspiring appearance.

This area is extremely vast, estimated to be over 50,000 square meters. The ground is paved with dark gray hard rock that has been magically reinforced. Each stone slab is polished to a smooth, mirror-like finish. Within those mirror-like surfaces, each stone is engraved with the iconic bird-and-cloud motif of the Sky Empire using intaglio carving techniques. The designs are intricate, exquisite, grand, and luxurious.

Around the venue, hundreds of flagpoles, each ten feet tall, stood straight, with the "Heavenly Dome Reflecting the Moon Dragon Flag" embroidered with gold borders fluttering in the wind.

As they stepped into the venue, everyone from Hanhai couldn't help but look up.

"Director Chen, there's no wind on the ground, so where's the wind coming from in the air?"

When asked, Chen Ye quickly stepped forward: "Deputy Director, Deputy Director, you can't get it wrong!"

"A magic array was set up between these flagpoles, which created a gust of wind that allows the flags to fly without falling..."

Everyone looked up again, and sure enough, it was true. Each flag on the flagpole that circled the field was fluttering in a different direction. The flags on the east side were facing east, and the flags on the west side were facing west, all pointing outwards and showing their strength.

Overall, it does have a unique aesthetic appeal.

In front of the training ground was the arena for the martial arts competition, which was about two meters high. On the left and right sides, a viewing platform that was even higher was erected. At this moment, the engineers and palace servants of the heavens were quickly and orderly carrying and placing thick velvet carpets and gilded chairs on the platform.

The Royal Guardsmen, clad in bright silver full armor and helmets adorned with yellow tassels, stood solemnly on either side of the reviewing stand steps. The crescent moon emblem on their breastplates gleamed coldly in the sunlight and magical light.

The Crown Prince gestured to Chen Mo from afar, and then they each stepped onto the stage from the left and right sides.

He's still so polite!

During the short journey from the leaders of both sides from the "Moonlight Palace" to the grand parade ground viewing platform, the foreign affairs personnel of Han Hai and Tian Qiong were extremely busy.

In this kind of situation, a fight isn't just about going up and giving someone a good beating; there are countless details that need to be negotiated repeatedly and finalized in advance.

For example, the rules of the fight.

The Sky Dome has stipulated that stacking psionic armor is strictly prohibited!
I know you have a "turtle shell," but don't use it this time.

They probably heard about Lord Chen Mo's feat of being a mere weak mage who withstood a seventh-tier Dark Walker for five seconds, proving himself to be a true man.

Although the Sky Dome certainly has no shortage of top-tier equipment, if these two were to fight endlessly on the field, it would definitely not be the scene the Crown Prince wanted to see.

For the heavens, this is their home turf, a place of national pride; to not win is to lose!
After consulting with Lord Chen Mo, Han Hai expressed his approval and put forward corresponding requirements: there must be a rank restriction, the rank of the participants must be strictly limited to the sixth rank, and no drugs, rituals or secret techniques that temporarily improve rank or strength are allowed.

They dared not actually let their own lord's wife go up and make two or three rounds of beatings.

The foreign affairs personnel of the Sky Dome quickly reported to the Crown Prince.

"allow!"

"Your Highness is wise. She is just a young girl raised in a boudoir. No matter how many fancy moves she makes, how could she possibly defeat the fierce generals who have fought their way out of the bloody battles of my empire?"

Having received His Highness's approval, the staff below immediately displayed the "magnanimity" of a great power, conveying the message to Han Hai through messenger officials.

"Your Excellency can rest assured that our Heavenly Empire, a superior nation, has absolutely no habit of bullying the weak or oppressing the small!"

“We will offer three Tier 6 items, and that young princess can choose whichever one she chooses. We will accept whichever one she chooses.”

The liaison officer jogged to deliver the message; more details regarding the rules of the competition were to follow.

No lethal force is allowed; once one side loses its fighting capacity, all actions must cease immediately.

In the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as loss of control of the force, the arbitration personnel agreed upon by both parties in advance are permitted to intervene.

Each match has a time limit. If no winner is determined when the time limit expires, the arbitrator will make a decision based on the advantages and disadvantages on the field.

Beyond the rules of arena combat, there is an even more important element: the associated betting.

If Tianqiong wins, Hanhai will hand over an inland river warship to Tianqiong and present the true name incantation and summoning method of the "extraterrestrial deity" with both hands.

As for the lord's health, Liu Shuang resolutely refused to budge.

Conversely, if Han Hai wins, the other party must open up the historical data and heritage information of the Summoner lineage to Han Hai, and allow Han Hai to send a special person to the Royal Library to borrow and copy them within a specified time.

This bet is significant for both parties, but not so damaging as to affect their future cooperation.

The liaisons had been working so hard their legs were practically blurry from all the effort, but they finally managed to clarify all the details regarding the duel and establish a proper protocol.

Now it's time to see who's truly capable.

A deep magical resonance resounded, and four clusters of magical flames suddenly lit up at the four corners of the arena. Orange-red pillars of fire shot into the sky, exploding into a hemispherical light curtain that illuminated the central platform as bright as day.

This high platform is made of the best materials and is equipped with a composite magic array. Even a third-level warrior can withstand fighting on it.

At the edge of the fire magic circle, four court mages from the heavens maintained their spellcasting gestures, slowly rising from the ground to a position nearly three meters above the platform, right at the top of the magical flames.

From below, the raging orange-red flames appeared to be scorching the mages, a breathtaking sight. Yet, the mages' robes remained perfectly still in the heatwave; clearly, this was just another little trick by the heavens to show off their magical abilities.

However, in Chen Mo's view, it was like using fireworks to burn a magician's buttocks from bottom to top, which gave rise to a sense of absurdity.

Just before going on stage, Chen Mo walked up to Liu Shuang, who was already ready, and gave her a tight hug.

He pressed the corner of his mouth to the little girl's ear and gave her some gentle instructions.

"Be careful, don't be reckless. If you can't win, run away. If you feel something's wrong, admit defeat. It's not shameful. We'll get our revenge later!"

"You haven't taken back Cloudmist City yet!"

"Besides, I don't feel at ease without you by my side to protect me!"

"Ok!"

Liu Shuang met his gaze and nodded heavily. A few unruly strands of silver hair on her forehead fluttered in a playful arc with the movement, which Chen Mo caught with his hand and gently and carefully pressed back down.

Chen Mo gently patted the girl's head and then let go of her.

"Go!"

Liu Shuang took a deep breath, and her figure, like a silver feather, leaped onto the stage.

Having honed his skills by leaping and bounding on the balcony of the Lord of the Vast Ocean's mansion for years, his movements were incredibly adept and elegant. In contrast, the person opposite him, upon stepping onto the stage, landed like a weight that had just hit the ground, creating a ripple of spiritual energy across the surface.

He was a short-haired, muscular man wearing dark red leather armor, his arms bare, his bulging muscles adorned with flame-shaped tattoos. He bowed upon meeting us, then remained silent, waiting for the signal to begin the fight.

Liu Shuang drew her sword and twirled it.

Please advise!

(End of this chapter)