The Paladin in the Abyss

"Do you want me to be your... Queen?" Akama's voice was as seductive as ever, and she twisted her revealingly dressed body. "But this Sir Lancelot seems a bit difficult to deal with, my... King?"

The onlooking crowd erupted, and the residents of Mogrondale booed loudly. Akama had been the longest-reigning Lord of Withering, dominating the richest region of Mogrondale, the Blood Abyss, for nearly a hundred years. Even she had submitted the decadent tyranny of Dugba. Would there really no one who could handle this worm demon?

Some also deciphered the implicit prerequisite in the female demon's words. Her territory, her rights, even she herself could belong to Dugba, but if he failed to take down this human knight, then all of it would be for nothing.

And there were some onlookers whose ambitions were not so great, therefore having lived long enough, snickering coldly at those who jeered. 'Shapeshifter' Lady Akama had reasons for maintaining her status for so long, but she was no succubus; carnal pleasure was a pastime, not a means of survival for her.

"Heh heh heh heh, maybe not a Queen, but at least one of the concubines in my harem," Dugba let out a lecherous laugh. "Of course, your status will be very honorable, but you've got to be ready to meet my every demand at any time. After watching how I will slay this man wrapped in metal, you will feel honored to serve me."

"Hehehehe, then I'll have to find a good spot to thoroughly enjoy His Majesty's performance," Akama, along with her entourage, walked over to Pakos. "The Immortal, your steed is really strong today, could I borrow it for a ride for a couple of days?"

"Haha, of course, that's no problem," the halfling chuckled in response. "This big fellow would like a master like you. It's been a while since you visited my little shop; do you want to come by for a visit?"

"Let's not, I have no interest in stooping to visit your little rundown shop," Akama said with a light laugh, covering her mouth, then turned her head to look at the arena. "It seems this human knight was carrying your emblem earlier, do you plan to step in and help him?"

"Hey! What you're implying... He's just a regular customer, I don't owe him anything," the halfling's grin grew even brighter as he turned his head and shouted into the arena. "Lancelot, don't mind me, I'm still with you in spirit!"

The human knight raised an eyebrow but said nothing. On the other side, Dugba seemed annoyed, "Are you two done talking? I want to start my killing show..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Lancelot had already charged him like a glacier lightning bolt. The human knight believed all that needed to be said had been said, and since it was time to act, there was no need to listen to the enemy's drivel.

Dugba was taken aback by his speed. Lancelot was definitely considered a big man among humans, but among demons that could weigh well into the four figures, he was nothing but a speck. Yet, a speck completely wrapped in metal charging with a speed that exceeded the limits of mortals, any creature in his path would feel an instinctual fear.

The Human Knight said nothing as he charged towards his opponent, delivering a powerful overhead slash with considerable force. Dugba was extremely self-assured, convinced that one day the title of Demon Prince would be his, but even he felt a twinge of fear in the face of the dreadful Great Sword, instinctively shrinking back and attempting to block the ferocious attack with his most robust huge horns.

A dazzling blue light flashed, followed by a thunderous boom. Dugba's upper body was blasted to the ground, while the silhouette of the Human Knight, propelled backward by the rebounding force like a butterfly swept up by a fierce wind, landed lightly twenty feet away from Dugba, squinting to gauge the damage inflicted by his strike.

Dugba staggered to his feet, to his horror, discovering a fist-sized notch had been cleaved into his mighty horn. The headbutt was their Kabutomushi Demons' most solid part, to think that the strength of this Human Knight was so terrifying!

Lancelot too was not entirely satisfied with the outcome. He had exerted seventy percent of his strength in that blow, nearly going all out—unless he was certain of a killing blow, he would reserve thirty percent of his energy to adapt to any forthcoming changes. The power of the Sword Aura using True Yuan was only marginally less than the version employing Innate True Qi, and with the bonus force from the charge, he had only managed to make a small gap. It seemed the Kabutomushi Demon's horn was even harder than Mithril.

The crowd of onlookers erupted in cheers. Although the Human Knight had gained the upper hand in the initial clash, Dugba hadn't sustained substantive damage. However, to the residents of the Misty Plains, such an outcome had far exceeded their expectations; before the battle commenced, almost no one believed this Human Knight would survive the upcoming duel.

Dugba, infuriated, scrambled up from the ground, nearly mad with rage. How dare this shameless human strike first—it was his right to do so! Emitting a shrill screech, he reared his enormous horn and charged fiercely at his adversary. The spectators behind Lancelot immediately shrieked in terror, dispersing to either side.
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But the Human Knight did not move. After the initial exchange, he had formed his own assessment of the strength disparity between them. Moreover, the Kabutomushi Demon's unique facial structure allowed it to keep its targets locked with its eyes while charging head-down. If he moved in any direction, he would end up exposing his back to the enemy, leaving him extremely vulnerable.

If he couldn't avoid it, he decided not to dodge at all!

Lancelot hefted the Glacier onto his shoulder as the liquid True Yuan within his Dantian surged out like an erupting volcano, circulating through a specific path in his Meridians like a swirling vortex. The True Yuan flowed in circles, speeding up with each pass, each circuit drawing forth even more True Yuan. Although he appeared motionless to the onlookers, a storm of terrifying power had gathered inside him.

The first Cultivation Technique he grasped after sensing Qi was the Qi Gathering Slash. Compared to the Qingyun Sword Art he practiced later, the Qi Gathering Slash's drawback was its lack of sustainability and focused destructive power, but its burst strength was formidable and required no separate cultivation.

After Foundation Establishment, this technique had a corresponding enhanced version: Gathering Qi Slash. This version was even more flawed compared to the Qi Refinement Realm version as it required standing still to gather energy, severely limiting its use in combat, but it could unleash a blow with a strength that surpassed the cultivator's physical limits.

Confronted with Kabutomushi Demon's unavoidable and terrifying charge, Lancelot stood his ground without yielding, choosing to take the blow head-on!