Chapter 474: The Journey is the Sea of ​​Stars

The red and blue surges of mana.

Continuously clashing.

Leaving the onlookers in awe, it was clearly a duel between two sky knights, not the typical scenario between an Earth Knight and a sky knight.

"Am I hallucinating?"

"Viscount Liszt's swordsmanship is truly terrifying!"

"Can an Earth Knight really deliver such ferocious attacks?"

"Such intense fire-attribute mana is unbelievable."

"Incredible!"

Everyone exclaimed at that moment; they were all seasoned knights who had fought countless battles, well aware of the gap between the sky and the earth.

An utterly insurmountable gap.

But Liszt had boldly forged a bridge, transforming the chasm into a passage, achieving an unforeseen balance of power.

Unfortunately.

As the exclamations faded.

The scene shifted in an instant, the balance, lasting less than ten seconds, was shattered as Liszt's mana faltered, and he was engulfed by the blue-white mist of water.

With a metallic clang.

A massive force hit, forcing him to drop his sword, and he was pushed back six steps, nearly tumbling over the ship's railing into the sea. He barely caught the railing to steady himself.

"Whew!"

Exhaling a heavy breath, wiping the sweat from his brow, he fully grasped the gap between himself and the sword saint—once Lee William got serious, the unleashed combat power was something he couldn't withstand even for a single strike.

But for the sword saint to kill him in one move was also nearly impossible.

He could still hold out for two or three moves before being slain.

If it were an ordinary level sky knight, he could probably withstand them head-on, lasting for ten or twenty rounds: "Without advancing to a sky knight, without the ability to fly and dodge, it's hard to compete with a sky knight... Intermediate fire attribute primary dragon mana, no matter how resounding the name, is still just intermediate mana."

He felt somewhat disappointed with his current strength, the "Dragon Mana" provided limited enhancement to his power.

However.

He did not know that such a performance had already shocked the onlookers.

Even Lee William, who was sheathing his sword, looked at him with a very complex expression. As a veteran sky knight of nearly twenty years, he knew exactly how strong his own power was. Yet today, an Earth Knight had given him the feeling of "balancing power."

And it was his own seventeen-year-old son!

Even if it was only a brief balance of power, it was enough to shock him, to disbelief.

He turned to the surrounding crowd: "Alright, everyone disperse, go back to your places, don't crowd the deck, let the shipwrights repair the damaged deck." A battle, though not thrilling, still caused extensive damage to the deck. The deck made of rockwood could not withstand the aftermath of their clash.

Dismissing the crowd.

Lee William then said to the somewhat dejected Liszt: "Come with me to the cabin."

Upon entering the cabin, a squire knight brought two cups of coffee. Lee William took a sip and then scrutinized Liszt: "You are right, your strength is truly not to be underestimated. If it were twenty years ago, just after I was promoted to a sky knight, I might have been careless enough to be defeated by you."

"I thought I was already pretty strong, but I didn't expect the gap to be so large compared to a sky knight," Liszt shook his head.

What he really meant was his dissatisfaction with 'dragon mana.'

But to Lee William's ears, it sounded different: "You shouldn't think like that. You're in the process of promotion but haven't succeeded yet. You are still just an elite Earth Knight. Being able to display such powerful combat strength is already remarkable."

"I understand," Liszt replied, "I just thought I'd be more of a genius."

The Marquis was momentarily stunned.

He felt as if he'd been caught off guard: "How much more of a genius do you want to be? Becoming a sky knight at sixteen and a dragon knight candidate in the continental kingdom? Your current performance is actually on par with those dragon knight candidates. You went from an Earth Knight to a sky knight in less than two years!"

He looked visibly indignant: "In my over forty years of life, I've never heard of such a performance!"

Liszt wanted to say something.

But the Marquis didn't let him interrupt: "Even a seventeen-year-old sky knight—I've never heard of such a thing in the history of the Sapphire Duchy!"

"There are still geniuses out there. The Marquis of Bull's grandson, Andre Sapphire, could craft mithril armor at twelve, which shows his mana cultivation is already quite strong. If he keeps up his talent, becoming a sky knight at sixteen won't be hard, and he could even be selected as a dragon knight candidate."

Embarrassed by the praise, Liszt steered the conversation to the Marquis of Bull.

The Marquis of Bull was taken by the Duke, and his fate remains unknown. His son died in battle, but his grandson and close confidants left Iron Hoof Island early, and their whereabouts are unknown. Even the great magicians of the Goat Assembly don't know where they've fled to.

That Sapphire Dragon assassination incident came suddenly, erupted suddenly, but the outcome remains unclear.

"How do you know?"

"I once searched a set of mithril armor from the Marquis of Bull's study in Fort Juniper, on which was engraved: 'Iron Knight Andre Sapphire, completed in the autumn of 149, the first set of mithril armor, gifted to grandfather.'"

The Marquis pondered slightly: "I know Andre, he was indeed twelve in 149. A twelve-year-old Iron Knight is indeed a genius, almost on par with your performance... Perhaps one day he will become a threat to the Sapphire Family, but with the Duke riding a dragon to guard, we need not worry."

"I am not worried. No matter what happens in the Sapphire Duchy, the strength cultivated by oneself is the foundation for standing in this world."

"You thinking this way proves that you have indeed matured."

Not lingering on the topic of the Marquis of Bull for long, they soon returned to Liszt. The Marquis inquired in detail about the state of Liszt's internal mana. Finally, he came to the same conclusion as Liszt: he is indeed in the process of being promoted to a sky knight, and there are indeed no obstacles in his way.

"Such a smooth promotion, Liszt, even I am starting to envy you. When I was promoted to a sky knight, it took a whole month, consuming countless potions and energy to break through the barrier between intermediate and advanced mana, and finally succeeded."

"Perhaps I am standing on the shoulders of giants, with your cultivation experiences, making me more at ease."

"I would rather think of it as the favor of the glory of knighthood! You are indeed a son of glory, the pride of the Tulip family." The Marquis patted his shoulder, his tone becoming gentler, "Your future is destined to be more splendid than I imagined. I hope to see the day you surpass me."

Such a sentimental and warm scene.

Made Liszt somewhat uncomfortable. He found it hard to integrate into the father-son affection, so after holding back for a long time, he just said lightly: "It won't be long, after all, my journey is the stars and the sea."