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Suddenly, a massive firebird phantom with a wingspan of ten meters materialized behind him. The firebird's light then condensed and fused with Morova, transforming into a suit of golden-red phantom beast armor. The previously ordinary flame aura also shifted to a golden-red hue, its power surging severalfold.

"An advanced phantom beast?" Cato was momentarily stunned. As tools that temporarily enhance human physique and strength, phantom beasts have always been a coveted goal among warriors. However, finding a phantom beast with both desirable attributes and a high level is exceedingly difficult. Even a Sword Master like the "Sand Emperor" lacks a high-level earth-type phantom beast to aid him. Thus, when he saw Morova summon a phantom beast nearly at the ninth level, he was naturally taken aback.

Morova, now imbued with the power of a ninth-level phantom beast, had gained the strength to briefly rival a Sword Master. He casually grabbed two scimitars dropped by fallen warriors and lunged at Cato. The clash of blades rang out with a sharp "clang," and Morova flipped backward. Cato was also momentarily stunned, as his weapon was a legendary-level earth-type greatsword, while Morova wielded only ordinary steel scimitars. Moreover, Morova's aura was still somewhat inferior to his. Yet, when they clashed, Cato was unable to shatter Morova's weapons. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the two scimitars in Morova's hands had somehow acquired a feather-like pattern, a result of Morova channeling the power of his ninth-level phantom beast to enhance the weapons.

While Morova kept the "Sand Emperor" occupied, Xi Luo seized the opportunity to launch an attack, targeting Axiant Treide, who wielded the "Ten Realms Red Lotus Sword."

As the youngest "Holy Grail Knight" of the Holy Light Temple, Xi Luo had been exiled from Saint Spirit Mountain three years prior and had since been semi-exiled in the desert. However, his combat prowess remained undiminished. At this moment, he refrained from activating his "Saint Ice Thorn Aura," relying solely on his tenth-level holy aura and his epic-level longsword to effortlessly overpower all the guards around Axiant Treide, directly confronting the delicate young man.

"Holy aura? You're from the Holy Light Temple?" Treide was equally shocked. The unexpected strength and identity of these adventurers made him regret his rash decision to order their execution. Even if they were from the Holy Light Temple, they still needed to be silenced, but at least a more comprehensive plan should have been formulated. However, there was no time for regret now, as Xi Luo had already closed in on him with his sword. The icy crystal sword sent chills to the bone, and as a mere first-level Sword Master, Treide was utterly outmatched by the overwhelming power of this tenth-level Sword Master. In just two exchanges, his "Red Lotus Sword" was sent flying, and he spat blood as he staggered back.

"Teacher, save me!" In the face of death, all grace and composure vanished. Axiant Treide had completely shed his previous elegance, retreating with all his might while shouting for the "Sand Emperor" to come to his rescue.

Cato, who had staked his future on this delicate young man, had no choice but to protect him despite being entangled by Morova. The old Sword Master let out a thunderous shout, and a serpent-like stream of yellowish light materialized behind him, stirring up the sandstorm and instantly enveloping Cato. Ignoring Morova's attacks, he charged like a bolt of lightning toward Xi Luo's back. The rapidly flowing sand, infused with the earth-type aura of a Sword Master, was as impenetrable as a city wall. Not only did it deflect Morova's fiery dual blades, but it also continuously absorbed sand to grow in size, rolling forward with thunderous momentum.

This move was Cato's aura attribute, "Sand Serpent," which greatly enhanced the user's earth-type power while using sand and stones to aid in combat. It was also another reason why people secretly called him the "Old Sand Snake."

"Hmph!" Xi Luo instinctively felt the pressure from behind and had no choice but to grunt and dodge Cato's attack. Cato did not pursue him but instead leaped to Axiant Treide's side, shielding him.

"Die!" A fierce shout came from the air. As Xi Luo retreated, Morova pursued, his phantom beast armor sprouting a pair of fiery wings as he pounced down from above.

"Kid, don't get too arrogant!" Driven to such a state by two young men, Cato could not help but feel furious. His greatsword merged with the giant sand serpent behind him, and he slashed down with full force. The sound of thunderous explosions echoed, and bright light radiated like the sun. The two clashed hundreds of times in an instant, but Morova's dual blades ultimately could not withstand such an impact, shattering with a loud crash. Morova himself was sent flying, spitting blood.

Before Cato could catch his breath, Xi Luo had already taken advantage of the situation to attack. Although Cato had just expended a great deal of energy, he still did not take this holy Sword Master without a phantom beast seriously. He swung his sword horizontally, intending to deflect Xi Luo's white crystal longsword.

However, he was gravely mistaken.

At the critical moment of their sword clash, Cato's movements suddenly slowed, and even the flying sand in the air seemed to decelerate. This was the effect of Xi Luo's suddenly activated "Saint Ice Thorn Aura." At the same time, a holy white light pillar descended from the sky, landing directly on Xi Luo. This was the divine power summoned by Xi Luo's aura attribute, "Heaven's Descent." Although not as powerful as Morova's ninth-level phantom beast, it was still extremely impressive. Even more surprising was Xi Luo's longsword. This sword, whose name even its owner did not know, had absorbed the mark of an ice-type forbidden spell in the past, greatly increasing its power. It had not only become an epic-level ice-type weapon but could also instantly release tremendous power. With Xi Luo's mere first-level Sword Master strength, he could unleash an attack close to the full power of an orc Sword Master. Although using this power would leave Xi Luo unable to fight for ten to fifteen days, it was an absolute trump card for overcoming levels and defeating enemies at critical moments.

Like now.

A sword light, tinged with azure, suddenly burst forth, illuminating the entire desert with its brilliance. Facing this attack, the "Sand Emperor" Cato felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. The cold emanating from the bright sword light almost froze his soul. The power contained in this strike was nearly ten times his own attack power. Although he could not understand how a tenth-level Sword Master could unleash an attack close to the power of a Sword Saint, at this life-and-death moment, he could only gather all his aura into his sword, hoping to deflect the attack and save his life.