System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 777: Chapter 777: The Dance of Will

Ethan tightened his grip on the black sword. Even though Vorian’s cultivation pressure had dissipated, the atmosphere in the pit felt strangely dense, as if the very air had turned into glass on the verge of shattering.

Crul, how on earth does a battle of pure Dao Heart work? Ethan asked in his mind, keeping his eyes locked on the imperial enforcer.

[Search through Lord Amethyst’s memories, Master,] Crul replied within his consciousness, his tone tinged with seriousness. [In ancient eras, that was the purest and most fundamental way to train the way of the sword. There is no mana, no physical techniques, and no brute strength. It is a direct collision of wills where spatial perception and mastery of the blade are everything.]

Ethan closed his eyes for a split second, diving into the ancient sovereign’s sea of memories. He saw images of legendary figures crossing blades within illusory worlds, where a single thought cleaved mountains and the blade’s intent guided the duel’s fate. He mastered the projection method in the blink of an eye.

I see... it’s fairly easy, Ethan thought, opening his eyes with renewed calm.

[Hahaha! That’s what you say, kid!] Crul mocked, letting out a nervous chuckle in his mind. [But when you’ve never done it in a real duel, trying to manifest and hold your Dao Heart against a monster like him is like trying to move a mountain with a spoon. It’s impossible! Don’t drop your guard!]

In the center of the arena, Vorian raised his slender straight sword, pointing the tip directly at Ethan’s chest. His easygoing smile turned sharper.

"Ready?" Vorian asked.

Ethan took a step forward and raised his black blade, aligning his intent with his surroundings.

"Whenever you are," Ethan answered.

In that instant, reality around them seemed to crack.

Suddenly, the arena seemed to vanish for both of them. The physical atmosphere gave way to an illusory domain tinged in white and gray, where gravity, light, and air lost all meaning.

Vorian took the first step. There was no deployment of mana nor a gust of wind; it was a pure manifestation of intent. With a subtle flick of his hand, a rain of spectral blades sliced through the space from ten different angles.

Ethan didn’t move, he just concentrated his Dao Sword Heart and projected his own will into the domain. A barrier of invisible slashes erupted around him, deflecting every thrust with a resonant mental clash.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

[Holy shit, Master!], Crul exclaimed within his consciousness, stunned. [You actually managed to project it on your first try! But don’t get distracted, that monster’s rhythm is insane!]

Vorian smiled with genuine delight upon seeing his initial assault neutralized effortlessly.

"Not bad, kid," Vorian said, appearing inches from Ethan’s face within the will plane. "But a Dao Heart doesn’t just defend... it strikes."

Vorian’s sword descended in an absolute slash, carrying the weight of thousands of battles and a cutting intent so sharp it threatened to tear Ethan’s consciousness to shreds.

Ethan reacted in a fraction of a second. He adjusted the frequency of his intent and countered with an upward strike of his black sword, meeting Vorian’s blade at the exact point where the tension of will was at its weakest.

BOOM!

A mental shockwave rattled the physical pit, causing the spectators on the balcony to recoil in fear, even though neither warrior in the arena had moved a muscle in their real bodies.

"Is that all the pressure the imperial enforcer has to offer?" Ethan asked within the illusory plane, gritting his teeth as he held the clash of intents.

"We are only just getting started," Vorian answered, his eyes gleaming with a fiery golden light.

The density of the illusory space became suffocating. Vorian escalated the speed of his assaults, projecting dozens of continuous slashes that tore through the gray void. Yet, no matter how fast or complex the attack angle was, Ethan remained there: steadfast, answering every thrust with just enough precision to deflect the blade, staying constantly one minor step below, but never breaking.

"Is that all you’ve got, old man?!" Ethan provoked within the will domain, flashing a sharp smirk as he crossed his blade against Vorian’s. "I thought the Emperor’s enforcer cleaved through fate, not just handed out scratches!"

"Insolent brat!" Vorian roared, narrowing his eyes. "Let’s see if you keep that big mouth running when I shred your consciousness to pieces!"

Vorian pressed harder, unleashing a flurry of lethal intents. Yet for every power increase the enforcer applied, Ethan adjusted his spatial perception within a fraction of a second, maintaining the balance almost miraculously. The gap between them felt like a fixed margin that Ethan stubbornly refused to let close.

[Master, watch out!], Crul warned in his mind, his voice laced with panic. [He’s losing his temper from frustration! He’s about to drop a direct strike!]

"Know your place!" Vorian bellowed.

Frustrated at his inability to crush the youth’s will, Vorian concentrated his entire cutting intent into a single point. His slender sword flashed with a blinding white light and unleashed a monumental slash that split the illusory realm in half, shattering the will dimension like a broken mirror.

CRACK!

The mental plane dissolved instantly. In the physical arena, the shockwave’s impact rattled the palace vault. Vorian opened his eyes in the physical world and, realizing the magnitude of the attack he had just released in his outburst of rage, felt a cold sweat run down his neck.

"Dammit!" Vorian exclaimed, sprinting at full speed across the pit toward Ethan’s position, genuinely terrified he had pulverized him in his moment of recklessness. "Kid?! Are you still alive?!"

The smoke from the mental wave cleared slowly. Ethan stood in the exact same spot, his black sword resting over his shoulder with barely a wrinkle on his robe. He had managed to deflect the destructive attack’s trajectory in the very last microsecond, emerging completely unscathed.

Ethan looked at him with an arched eyebrow and a cold, mocking expression.

"In such a hurry to give me your condolences, Vorian? I’m still waiting for you to take this seriously."

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