237 Bloody Matrimony

"The energy! It's so volatile!'

Will cursed in his mind as he struggled to take control of the volatile energies within his body. He doubted if he could last more than a few seconds at best. But in a crucial battle, this was enough. 

Will circulated the mana in his energy channels to the greatest magnitude he could as he went for one final push. The runes covering the sphere produced a blinding light that made it seem as if a small sun had been born in the middle of the arena. But the moment this sun formed, it began to shrink. 

Resisting high intensity light was child's play for most of the observers, who each had their own unique methods that allowed them to see what was happening without having their vision impaired by the light. But that slight moment of adjustment was just enough to change the atmosphere of the proceedings. 

The sphere of Truth started to rapidly shrink as the light got brighter and brighter. Its intensity seemed to work in concert with Gianluigi Suffering. 

"Argh!" 

Indomitable Moon howled in pain, but alas it was pointless. He had already released all the energy he had. 

Mjolnir's Lockdown was a spell designed to seal space itself. Through the force attribute, it forcibly stabilized space until large bodies could barely move. Will was not proficient enough in the mystic arts to be able to cast the spell by himself. Hence the need for an array. 

As the sphere of Truth became smaller, Indomitable Moon's screams became more intense. The seal not only sealed space, but also bombarded the target with a force from multiple directions. It was as if there were thousands of invisible arms trying to crumple the prince's body like a piece of paper. Within a few moments he had spat out multiple mouthfuls of blood, while his internal wounds kept piling up. 

Under normal circumstances, Mjolnir's Lockdown had frightening secondary effects such as freezing, electrocuting and the like, but Gianluigi was protected from these by the sphere of Truth. Yet it could do nothing to block the divine force. Truth was the most stable material in existence only when compared to the mortal realm. 

Not only was divinity form of energy above Truth in terms of tier, but it was intangible and could not be blocked. It could only be outpowered. 

Lacerations and muscle wounds appeared all over the werewolf prince's body as his body violently vibrated in place in a futile attempt to resist the force. But alas it was too late. After only 5 seconds, the once large sphere of Truth that had threatened to destroy Will only moments ago had become no different in size from a small hut. 

The sphere floated in front of Will as he continued his crushing gesture. Indomitable Moon's violent screams did nothing to phase Will as he applied as much pressure as he could. 

Tears of blood streaked down the prince's eyes as he stared daggers at Will. Bones creaked and cracked as Indomitable Moon's flesh was shredded all over. Countless minor wounds riddled his body until he lost sense of his bodily vessel. 

'This will be very costly to recover from.' 

Then the moment of truth came. 

Clap! 

The sound of a violent clap resounded in the arena as Will's two separate hands collided. No longer impeded by any invisible object. 

A sound akin to breaking glass assailed the ears of the observers as the sphere of Truth broke apart into green motes of light that were violently swept aside by chaotic winds, revealing a sorry figure inside. 

Thousands of small shimmering runes chained together in continuous lines covered Indomitable Moon's body, while his bloody body made it difficult to recognize him as the almost unbeatable Veritas Core prodigy. 

Not a single piece of skin was left unmarred as blood ceaselessly flowed out of him onto the ground. 

'The seal is still imperfect. The blood should have been sealed within him and he shouldn't have been able to scream. I need to work on controlling force better.' Will was already reviewing his application of the spell, completely uninterested in the result of the match. 

The moment the sphere of Truth had been shattered, the Prince had been attacked by the myriad energies that had been gathered outside his protective barrier. 

He had been frozen, electrocuted, battered and crushed all in one moment so excruciating it seemed to stretch till eternity. Were it not for the seal having locked down the space itself, the damage would have resulted in many visible signs of damage such as smoke. The Prince has been charred to that much of a degree. Very few bones had remained unbroken, much of his flesh had been ruthlessly assailed by violent forceful divine energy. 

Yet despite this, The Prince did not lose consciousness. 

As the space finally calmed down, the spell started to dissipate. The crowd quieted down. The shimmering runes disappeared like flakes of snow melting visibly in a blazing sun. 

Despite his grievous wounds, Indomitable Moon managed to  landhis large, damaged werewolf body in a disjointed yet graceful manner. His vision never left Will's body. The former's breathing was so calm it almost bothered the latter. 

'He should be damaged beyond comparison. But he can still hold his posture straight. Well almost straight.' 

Will could not help but respect his foe as he relaxed his mind. His body was also riddled with injuries, most of which came at the cost of applying movements his body couldn't handle. 

The spells he used like Hydrolytic Fission made his movements faster but they did so to a degree that Will's body couldn't handle. Will's body had not reached a level where he could fight at such speeds without reinforcing it with yuan. 

'I was limited to mana. No yuan, no radiant energy. It's no wonder my body can't handle this. I should rely on them less often.'

This experience made Will realize the importance of having a strong body. This wasn't his first time fighting under limitations, nor was it his last, but he knew that his body was of a lower standard than his mind and soul. And this bothered him. 

'That's why I have Primordial Refinement. With the injuries I just got, I could refine my body to a whole new level. But I can't use Radiant Energy as the Catalyst. This also damaged me far more than I expected, I might have gone too far… Which means…' Will was already strategizing on how to best utilize his remaining pills. He was quite the schemer and enjoyed the process, but an unexpected consequence had manifested. 

' I will deal with the damage after the match. For now, flex and look dope. Focus Will, focus!' 

Indomitable Moon's large frame settled after landing, while his frame relaxed visibly. Suddenly, his body shrunk at a visible rate as his fur shortened. His muscles became smaller while his bones reduced in size. His body returned to its original slightly muscular male frame. 

Unfortunately he was no longer the same handsome prince with devilish charm. His blonde hair became so bloody it was crimson while his face was riddled with all sorts of cuts, bruises and gashes. It was a horrifying sight for the weak of heart, but who among the cultivators had not seen such scenes?

Despite his grotesque injuries, the Prince stood tall and faced Will with a somewhat straight back

"I admit I have lost."

It did not take an observant human to know that these words were spoken with a heavy heart. Will almost felt pity for his prideful foe… almost. 

Gianluigi continued, "This defeat occurred because of my carelessness, but let me warn you. Your next opponent won't allow you to leisurely set up an array to gather energy.

You should be running on fumes right about now. He is desperate and doesn't want anyone to reach the final. My advice is give up before the match begins. He might wipe you out of existence. 

Do not mistake this advice for kindness. I don't want you to die before I get the chance to redeem myself against you." 

'That was so cliché I almost puked. How do you say things like this without blushing.' Will mused as he stared at his foe. He was tempted to speak, after all he had no grudge with the prince, he felt he was at least worthy of being met halfway. 

But before Will could reply, the werewolf Prince fainted onto the ground. 

Thud! 

' How heavy is this dude? He is only slightly taller than me but he sounds so heavy…' 

With a loud impact, the prince greeted the floor in  matrimony. A small puddle of blood formed around his still body. 

This was the final action that caused a sudden realization to settle in. 

Peerless Dao Master, the underdog water mage, had defeated Indomitable Moon. 3rd disciple of Everlasting Willow! 

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