Chapter 1254: Chapter 198: With the Strength of One, Defeat All of Terra!

“All of you, come at once.”

The black-haired knight’s words were followed by a heavy aura.

This was the natural Origin Quality and Spirit Energy being drawn to him, naturally forming a ‘Third Energy Level’ oppression.

The Ghost Valley Knight, who called himself Mahdi, stepped forward, forcing most of the exploration team members to retreat in panic and disorder.

The reason was simple.

Ordinary humans rely on oxygen to survive; if the oxygen content in the air drops below 6%, a single breath can cause unconsciousness or shock.

And for Sublimators, the same applies to Origin Quality. Although natural Origin Quality cannot be easily absorbed into a Sublimator’s power, it serves as a lubricant and intermediary in various cycles within their bodies, as vital as oxygen is to ordinary people.

But now, the Ghost Valley Knight forcibly twisted all the natural Origin Quality and Spirit Energy field within a five-hundred-meter radius centered on himself, creating a new field with him as the core.

Within this field, the concentration of natural Origin Quality would drop to fifteen percent of its original level, causing ordinary Sublimators to lose most of their combat strength, and even the Second Energy Level would feel discomfort and pain.

“It’s the suppression field, everyone retreat!”

“He’s truly a Third Energy Level, damn it, isn’t self-field control a technique that only higher levels of the Third Energy Level can grasp? How can he master it at such a young age?”

“This battle is beyond our involvement!”

The people who originally surrounded the Ghost Valley Knight retreated like a tide in fear.

In their perception, the Ghost Valley Knight moved forward as if the entire air solidified into iron blocks, making both breathing and movement an immense effort, constantly subjected to rejection and compression.

In such a situation, not to mention fighting, even staying alive had become difficult.

To this, the black-haired youth showed no expression and did not obstruct.

They didn’t affect anything anyway.

This is the Third Energy Level, the reason why it is called ‘Hero’ and ‘Foundation.’

Only Third Energy Level Great Magical Beasts can be called Beast Kings, ignoring armies and ravaging entire provinces.

Because before them, weak ordinary people and Sublimators are all meaningless; even if a million fully armed soldiers arrived, deprived of oxygen, with their armor suits’ alchemy engines running poorly, they would easily be crushed.

Of course, there are ways to counter it, such as everyone carrying oxygen tanks and modifying the alchemy engines and various alchemical creations for low Origin Quality scenarios. But spending such a significant cost merely to counter the Third Energy Level’s basic ‘Origin Quality control’ is too pointless.

They are indeed true ‘Hero Units’… entities that only ‘Heroes’ can handle.

And now, how many heroes can face the oncoming Unyielding Fortress?

The number is not many.

“It seems only you are still planning to oppose me.”

The black-haired knight halted his steps. He had arrived right in front of the massive dragon bone, also directly below it, in the very center surrounded by all the exploration team members.

The shadow of the dragon’s skull cast over him, placing the knight within the shadows, only the blood-red glow slowly flowing over his armored clothing.

However, the exploration team members, who should have originally surrounded him, had mostly retreated, leaving only eight people truly standing within the field’s range.

“Mahdi!”

Among the eight, Aina spoke first.

The Imperial Grandson of the Empire held his side sword tightly but had no intention of drawing it; he merely stared intently at Ian, speaking in an incredibly complex tone: “Are you truly the Unyielding Fortress?”

Observing the black-haired youth turning to meet his gaze, he realized he had spoken foolishly—those people went forth, nearly committing suicide to oppose the Ghost Valley Knight, solely to observe the data, didn’t they?

Since they already had the answer, why waste words?

So, Aina shook his head, holding back his somewhat restless heart, calming down before slowly saying: “We are not enemies, Mahdi. Your teacher… is the First Knight well?”

“Grandfather misses the teacher greatly. He has already exiled and executed all families and officials related to the Dark Moon Rebellion, you know, Grandfather has been waiting all along for the First Knight to return…”

“We can join forces; if our Empire acquires the Source of Dragon Blood, it can only be the First Knight’s!”

Saying so with utter certainty, Aina’s tone as if he could decide, distribute the Source of Dragon Blood, such a Fifth Energy Level life-extending treasure.

Yet, no one mocked or ridiculed; even the black-haired youth himself fully felt that this might indeed be the Empire’s true attitude.

——If it were just the Unyielding Fortress, if it were only the First Knight, Protector Axel had never wronged his teacher.

On the contrary, he might have always truly hoped, hoped that the knight who once created legends, teamed up with his father in countless legends, could return to the Empire with his own will.

If one day, the First Knight and his disciple, the second generation of the Immovable Firmament, returned to the Empire… then the unfulfilled dreams of the past could be brought to a barely acceptable conclusion, and a new epic legend would begin.