The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

Realizing that swordsmanship alone would not be enough to win, Sobalukai decided to change his tactics.

A burst of black light shone brightly from the Heavenly Lock Moon Slash, and a powerful sword aura surged from the tip of the blade, sweeping towards Tilisa like a raging wave.

Tissa dared not be careless, and the flames of her Ryujin Jakka surged as well, the blazing crimson light colliding head-on with Sobalukai's sword energy.

The two forces intertwined and canceled each other out in mid-air, and the residual heat alone caused the surrounding ground to crack.

Sobalukai snorted coldly, and a large amount of magical energy once again condensed on his body.

A long robe-like coat, black on the outside and red on the inside, appeared out of thin air on his body.

Swastika! Become a demon!

After entering the dual amplification state, Sobaluke's aura surged again, and the sheer power emanating from his body was enough to make people feel a stinging sensation.

Tensuo Zangetsu was swung repeatedly, and streaks of black sword energy slashed towards Tilisa incessantly.

Tilisa used Ryujin Jakka as a shield, releasing flames that transformed into a fire dragon, crashing into Sobalukai's sword energy.

The fire dragon's momentum was unstoppable, but strangely, every time a crescent-shaped sword aura struck the fire dragon, it would take away a bit more of the fire's power.

Upon noticing this strange phenomenon, Tilisa immediately pressed the entire fire dragon back into her longsword.

The flames no longer burned wildly, but instead concentrated entirely on the tip of the blade, making the blade appear charred black.

Then, with a gentle wave, the domineering crescent-shaped sword energy seemed to have been erased, leaving no trace.

Tilisa moved forward step by step, as gracefully as if she were strolling in a garden, but only she could feel the terrifying power contained within.

No matter how many sword strikes Sobalukai unleashed, she simply swept her sword across them, neutralizing their fierce attacks.

The two are no longer on the same level.

"Hey, if you can't do it, I'll take over!" Felix shouted hurriedly when he saw this.

"Shut up!" Sobalukai snapped.

This is a battle he fought for himself, so how can he back down at this crucial moment?

Instead of making futile attempts, he concentrated all his remaining power on the surface of Tensuo Zan Yue in an attempt to turn the tide.

Tilisa's simple thrust forced Sobalukai to focus all his attention on counterattacking.

The black sword energy covering the blade was almost tangible, as if it were about to tear space apart.

Even so, the moment it touched Ryujin Jakka, the sword aura was rendered useless and easily broken through by Tissa.

With a crisp "crack," the Tensho Zangetsu couldn't withstand the pressure and developed a crack.

Sobaluk knew that this power did not belong to Tilisa herself.

"Arios is now in your hands."

Sobaluk's voice was deep, as if he were declaring some kind of determination.

His eyes gleamed with an unprecedented light, and the previously shattered Tensuo Zangetsu miraculously began to repair itself. Complex patterns continuously appeared on the black blade, emanating a chilling aura.

"Hey, what are you doing!"

Felix sensed that something irreversible was happening and tried to stop it, but it was too late.

"From now on, there will be no more Sword Demons in the world!" Sobalukai responded in his heart.

After his body was inherited by Felix, his remaining soul also merged with Tensa Zangetsu.

With this action, the repaired Tensuo Zangetsu unleashed an unprecedented power, with black and white sword energy covering the blade, resembling the sharpest blade of judgment in the world.

"Take this sword!" Sobalukai shouted, swinging his Heavenly Chain Slash at Tilisa.

Tilisa's expression changed slightly. She had only ever seen this power, which transcended the mortal realm, in Arios.

"Bah!"

The moment the two swords clashed, the entire space seemed to be emptied of sound.

What remained in the end was the completely renovated Tensuo Zangetsu.

Felix stared blankly at the long sword in his hand, his mind a complex mix of emotions.

He could sense the weapon's transformation, but it came at the cost of Sobalukai's complete disappearance.

"If it were this weapon... perhaps there would be hope of defeating Arios."

After saying this, Tilisa's figure gradually blurred, eventually turning into starlight and dissipating into the air.

Chapter 559 The Strongest Swordsman in the World

Although he had passed the most difficult test yet, Felix felt no joy and remained immersed in the loss of Sobalukay.

After a long while, Felix raised Tensa Zangetsu again. "Defeating Arios was your last wish, wasn't it?"

Unsurprisingly, there was no response.

He sheathed his sword, casting aside all distracting thoughts, leaving only his pure pursuit of swordsmanship and his desire for victory, and stepped into the final checkpoint guarded by Arios.

Just like what Jessica had encountered before, the moment she stepped out of the portal, a terrifying sword aura swept towards her with overwhelming force.

This sword energy seemed to be telling the trial participants that if they couldn't withstand this attack, they wouldn't even have the right to speak to him.

If it were Felix, who had just landed on the island, he might have been flustered by this attack.

Having absorbed the essence of swordsmanship from all the previous levels, he no longer took such a show of force seriously.

He reached for the hilt of his sword, and almost the instant the sword energy struck, he unleashed an equally fierce slash.

The two sword energies canceled each other out, with no excess power spilling out.

This precise control made Arios take a second look.

"To be able to cultivate sword energy to this level is quite interesting."

Arios's voice echoed in the empty space.

He was dressed in plain clothes, holding a long sword, and openly scanned Felix. His gaze lingered on the weapon in Felix's hand, and a hint of doubt appeared on his face.

"Tensha Zangetsu... Who are you, and how do you come to have this weapon?"

"Don't you remember me?" Felix asked, somewhat disappointed.

"How strange, how could I possibly remember everyone's name?" Arios sneered. "However, since you were able to withstand my first move, I can make a slight note of your name."

He was merely a small fragment of Arios's memory; only the most memorable things could possibly remain.

“My name is Felix, and this knife was forged for me by Vena,” Felix introduced himself.

"The little blacksmith from Lumiel Village?"

Arios reacted more strongly to the name Vina.

"Correct."

Seeing that the other party didn't remember him, Felix didn't bother to explain further, which would reduce the burden during the upcoming battle.

"Now that you've obtained this weapon, aren't you being too greedy to still set your sights on the Holy Sword?" Arios narrowed his eyes, seemingly with a hint of questioning and dissatisfaction.

"Since it's all about eliminating the demon god, doesn't it matter who draws the holy sword?" Felix clearly couldn't understand.

"Of course it's different!" Arios suddenly raised his voice, seemingly moved. "Whether it's drawing the Holy Sword or destroying the Demon God, it should be my achievement!"

Felix was stunned, a sense of absurdity rising within him.

How could such words come from the mouth of a hero?

“But you couldn’t pull out the holy sword, could you?” Felix retorted calmly.

"What nonsense are you talking about—"

"If you've drawn the Holy Sword, how did I end up here?"

Felix's tone was sharp, and his logic was so clear that it was impossible to refute him.

Arios was speechless for a moment.

The appearance of new trial participants means that the Holy Sword has once again become ownerless.

However, he had no memory of the trial and was unaware of what had happened outside.

“Perhaps something has delayed things,” Arios tried to salvage the situation, “but it’s alright, I will guard the Holy Sword for the main body outside.”

Felix thought to himself, "The real Arios is probably no longer alive, so why would he need you to guard the Holy Sword?"

But what he actually said was something else entirely: "Well, since you don't need it for the time being, why don't you lend it to us?"

"dream!"

Arios snorted coldly, his resolve leaving no room for negotiation.

"Well, I didn't really think I could save this one anyway."

Felix sighed, clearly having anticipated this outcome.

Whether for the Holy Sword or for Sobalukhe's own wish, he must defeat Arios here.

"...I think I remember now, you're that remnant of the demon race?"

Arius, who finally remembered Felix's name, instantly changed his expression, as if he had regained his sense of righteousness, and his tone was full of contempt and hostility.

"How am I a remnant of the demon race! I am clearly a student of the Silver Wolf Class and a disciple of Master Tilisa!" Felix retorted indignantly.

“That’s because Tilisa is blind,” Arios said without any restraint.

"You guy!"

Felix finally lost his temper.

If he has any untouchable taboos, they must be Tilisa and Venere.

Having broken down in negotiations, the two engaged in a fierce battle with no reservations whatsoever.

Arios truly deserves to be called a hero of this era; the pressure Felix exerted far exceeded that of any of his previous opponents.

Every move seemed to have been honed through countless trials, perfectly flawless.

As the battle remained deadlocked, Felix suddenly had a thought: this Arios doesn't seem so great after all.

This is not to say that Arios is not strong enough, but rather that the strength and skills he has shown so far have not exceeded Felix's understanding.

As a fellow sword emblem holder, Felix was confident that he could do the same.

Why was he able to kill the demon while others couldn't?

Is it simply because he is called a hero?

"Wait a minute!" Felix used a chance to create distance during a sparring match, his tone tinged with doubt.

"What, are you planning to beg for mercy?" Arios sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

"Is this all Arios is capable of, or is this all you are capable of?" Felix stared directly at him, as if trying to see through him. "I don't feel that you are fundamentally different from others, so why were you able to destroy the demon?"

"Just like I killed you!"

This statement clearly hit a nerve with the other person.

He always considered himself a hero, but he knew in his heart that he was not the real Arios.

Even the Holy Sword could not replicate the hero's special power.

“I see,” Felix said, feeling utterly bored. “I thought you could really kill the demon with just your swordsmanship, but it seems you were only relying on external forces. Let’s finish this quickly, Vena is still waiting for me outside.”

He changed his previous passive stance, and each of his sword strikes was as swift as lightning. Even Arios was forced to retreat repeatedly and was exhausted from parrying.

Born to be a sword, and born for the sword.

How could Arios, who had only passed twelve trials, possibly compare to Felix, who had mastered the swordsmanship of more than twenty sword saints?

His prized skills seemed utterly inadequate in front of Felix.

"Impossible! I am the holder of the Sword Emblem!"

Arius, who had gradually fallen into a disadvantageous position, spoke with a voice full of resentment and anger.

"It's just a sword emblem, it's no different from anyone else not having one."

Felix responded coldly, and the sword pattern on his forehead suddenly lit up, adding another layer of faint light to the Heavenly Lock Moon Slash.

This change became the final straw that broke the camel's back.