Lord: I can see loyalty.

Vio stared at the bear-like man before him, but did not rush to attack.

He was observing the other person.

Arnold the sea bear's stance appears extremely casual, but in reality, it is flawless.

In those bloodshot eyes, there was no fear, no caution, only pure excitement for the battle.

This man didn't come for the Southern or Western Territories; he came for the battle itself.

Vio understood perfectly well that this kind of person was both the most troublesome and the easiest to deal with.

They are difficult to deal with because they are not afraid of death, but easy to deal with because... they are easy to see through.

"What, scared to move? Little nobleman." The sea bear grinned, twirling its giant axe in its hand. "Then I'll go first!"

Before the words were even finished, the enormous body suddenly unleashed a speed completely disproportionate to its size, and the giant axe swept across!

Vio dodged to the side, his sword flashing as it aimed for his opponent's ribs.

"clang!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

The sword tip pierced the sea bear's chainmail, leaving only a shallow white mark, and Vio frowned slightly.

The opponent's defense was even more terrifying than expected.

"Is that all the strength you've got?" the sea bear laughed, and its giant axe swung down again.

Vio didn't take the blows head-on. Instead, he used his speed advantage to weave through the opponent's exaggerated axe shadows. The essence of Dune Swordsmanship lies in balance and speed, and he needed to figure out his opponent's patterns first.

They faced off once again.

Sparks kept flying out, but no one was injured.

Vio pierced the sea bear's shoulder with his sword, but still failed to break through its defenses. However, he remained calm and composed, and instead, he gradually gained confidence.

He had roughly figured out this person's fighting style.

After creating distance once again, Vio suddenly stopped his attack and actually spoke.

"Arnold the Sea Bear, how about we make a bet?"

The sea bear was stunned, and the giant axe in its hand stopped in mid-air.

"A bet? What kind of bet?"

"I bet you I can beat you." Vio's lips finally curled into a slight smile. "If I win, you must take your people and leave the Kingdom of Rovia, and never interfere again."

The sea bear squinted, a hint of amusement flashing in its bloodshot eyes.

"And what if you lose?"

"I will not lose."

Upon hearing this, not only was the sea bear stunned, but the other warriors of the Northern Continent also stood frozen in place.

Then he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! This guy says he won't lose to Arnold?"

"Big brother, beat this nobleman to a pulp!"

Vio ignored their words and simply added, "If I lose, the result is simple: I will die at your hands, and Freedore Port will naturally be difficult to defend."

"The Earl...!" Jimmy and his companion exclaimed in disbelief.

Vio simply waved his hand to interrupt them; he was confident he could win.

"Interesting! Very interesting!" Arnold the Sea Bear laughed so hard he almost dropped his giant axe. "Alright! Earl, I agree! I'd like to see what makes you so capable of such boasting!"

He whirled around and roared at the group of Northern Continent warriors behind him, "Don't you dare interfere! Form a circle, and no one is allowed to interrupt my duel!"

The soldiers looked at each other, clearly not expecting their leader to actually accept the bet, but they still quickly carried out the order.

They retreated like a tide, creating a circular clearing in the center of the battlefield. A few bloodthirsty ones tried to charge forward, but were knocked to the ground by axe handles from their comrades.

"Duel! Duel!" someone shouted. "Sea Bear challenges Earl of the Southern Border to a duel!"

The sounds of fighting on the battlefield gradually subsided.

Jimmy and Gina exchanged a glance, and despite their worry, they obeyed Vio's orders.

Jimmy quietly withdrew from the small battlefield and went to the larger battlefield to direct the militia and knights to leave the area.

In the center of the battlefield, only two figures remained.

"You should keep your word," Vio said, glancing around.

"I am the strongest warrior in the entire Northern Continent!" Sea Bear stretched his shoulders, his eyes burning with an even more morbid excitement. "Duel between warriors is not to be interfered with by others!"

"I'd like to see what you're capable of in a duel!"

He raised his giant axe and slowly stepped forward, still looking completely unguarded.

"My name is Arnold Snowfen, and I swear by the honor of a warrior, with the Valkyrie as my witness, I will duel you!"

"Vio Ross, Earl of the Southern Border, son of the Knight of the Dunes, from the Kingdom of Rovia."

Vio simply introduced himself.

The next moment, the enemy's battle axe was already charging in!

This time, Vio didn't dodge.

His breathing technique was already operating at full capacity!

The hidden power within him surged forth like a tidal wave, and Vio's speed instantly increased several times over!

He charged towards the giant axe, and just as the axe blade was about to strike him, his body twisted at an unusual angle.

The giant axe grazed the hem of his clothes and missed!

At the same time, Vio's sword was already thrust out, this time not a test, but with all his might!

"laugh--!"

The sword tip pierced the sea bear's shoulder, penetrating half an inch! Blood was already gushing out!

The sea bear stared wide-eyed, and the soldiers beside it were dumbfounded.

He looked down at the wound on his shoulder, then looked up at Vio, his expression changing from shock to ecstasy.

"You...you were hiding your strength just now?!"

Vio did not answer, but simply turned and stepped forward again.

The sword light surged forth rapidly, pouring down like a torrential rain!

The sea bear desperately swung its axe to block, but Vio was too fast.

The sword lights surged in from all directions, each strike landing precisely on the gaps in his armor—his shoulder, ribs, waist, and groin…

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

A series of soft sounds rang out.

The sea bear had more than a dozen wounds on its body. Although none of them were deep, the blood had already stained its animal skin coat red.

"Hahaha! Good! Good!" Instead of retreating, he advanced, laughing wildly as he swung his giant axe. "That's more like it! That's more like it!"

Vio frowned slightly.

This guy is even more excited after he got injured?

But his speed did not slow down; the sword light intertwined, leaving afterimages in the air.

Vio's speed had reached its limit, his breathing technique was running wildly in his body, and each breath was accompanied by a sharp thrust.

His sword was specifically aimed at the sea bear's already breached wounds.

"Come on! Again!"

Arnold the sea bear, covered in blood, laughed even more maniacally.

The giant axe seemed weightless in his hands, wielding it with great force, yet it never managed to touch Vio's clothes.

"laugh--"

Another sword pierced his side, penetrating half an inch deeper through the gap in his chainmail.

The sea bear grunted and swung its axe horizontally, but only struck air.

Vio had already flashed behind him, and the blade shot out again, aiming straight for the back of his neck.

"clang!"

Sparks flew as the sea bear barely managed to block the sword with the handle of his axe, but the immense impact caused him to stagger forward.

"How can your speed be even faster?!"

The sea bear's eyes widened, revealing surprise for the first time. That sword strike was faster and stronger than any before!

Vio did not answer, but stepped forward again.

The second level of breathing techniques not only brings an increase in strength, but also complete control over the body.

As long as he can maintain his speed, he can continue to break through.

The sword light erupted once more.

This time, the sea bear finally couldn't keep up.

Blood kept blooming on his body, and the wounds grew deeper and denser.

Blood flowed down his thick limbs, pooling on the ground in a small puddle.

But he didn't fall down; he still had a smile on his face!