My Celestial Ascension Chapter 907: A Sparring Session (2)

Clang! A resounding clash of metal echoed across the whole training area, accompanied by a fierce wind that whipped up clouds of dust into the sky.

"..." The spectators appeared utterly stunned, completely taken aback by what they were seeing. In their thoughts, they were sure Yuan would get sent flying by Princess Nerith’s opening blow.

Regrettably, events didn’t unfold as they pictured. Yuan remained steady right where he was; he didn’t shift even a single step.

"T-This is impossible! How on earth did he stop that strike?!" A voice cried out, full of utter astonishment.

"How could this happen?! He was supposed to get hurled back!"

"Did Princess Nerith hold back? He seems way too delicate in my eyes."

"That could be it! She might have taken mercy on him seeing how pathetic he looks."

The training area filled with murmurs once more. All were left speechless by the surprising turn; they hadn’t foreseen anything like this at all.

"Amazing... You handled that so smoothly. Guess I need to step it up now, or I could really end up losing this match," Nerith said while pulling away from Yuan. Surprise was evident on her face at how casually he had countered.

"That strike didn’t even tap half your power. Quit restraining yourself," Yuan responded seriously, clenching his sword tighter.

"Alright then. I’ll go all out from here." A subtle smile crossed her lips before her face hardened. Abruptly, a vivid azure glow wrapped around her form.

Her feet’s ground started shaking as the aura intensified. The blade she held quivered and lit up with a soft blue light.

The moment after, Nerith disappeared from view, cracking the earth slightly where she stood. Her velocity was such that faint trails of her image trailed behind.

Yet Yuan’s gaze followed her path without effort, like her quickness posed no challenge to him.

Her blade slashed at his neck with horrifying swiftness, but Yuan just leaned a bit to the side, evading it with the tiniest motion.

Such a minor shift made her edge pass his neck by only a hair’s breadth. Instead, the sword slammed into the earth with devastating might.

Boom! The weapon crashed down, unleashing a massive blast that rattled the training field and flung dirt high up.

"Tsk!" Nerith muttered in annoyance, annoyed at grazing him so closely without connecting.

Her speed ramped up further as her aura flared wildly. She dashed at paces the crowd couldn’t even follow.

Clang! Clang! The piercing rings of metal meeting metal kept ringing out while bursts of sparks flew everywhere.

From the viewers’ perspective, it was just a streak of brightness darting over the field, each sword meeting sending out blasts of air.

Within moments, Nerith traded countless blows with Yuan. Still, he parried them all perfectly, giving her zero chance to slip through.

’Odd... why am I feeling this thrilled? Could it be because I’m up against someone genuinely powerful at last?’ Nerith pondered while launching her attacks with bolt-like accuracy.

Her thoughts sharpened to a point, her breaths even and measured. Everything else seemed to drag as she hammered away with nonstop sword swings.

Even with her keen concentration and boosted awareness, she failed to pierce Yuan’s guard. It was like striking at an unyielding peak—with just a regular sword in hand.

Regardless of her repeated assaults, the peak stayed rooted. Then a cold truth hit her, stabbing deep into her core.

’It’s not my skills or pace that matter... He’s on another level entirely. I must find a gap and hit at the right instant.’ Nerith mused, her look growing solemn as her keen gaze burned with determination.

Having resolved that, Nerith altered her approach. Her motions switched suddenly, turning smoother, erratic, and deadly sharp.

Every swing of her sword packed huge force, and each time it met Yuan’s, a blast wave spread over the whole training area.

The nonstop clangs of metal, paired with the fierce blasts, made spines tingle as the fight’s ferocity climbed higher.

Dorian observed the match with an odd look in his gaze—he was stunned, more so than he cared to show.

He hadn’t thought this apparently weak youth could match Nerith evenly. More than that, he was dominating her without budging much.

Dorian himself wouldn’t dare take on Nerith directly in combat, let alone drive her this far.

The assurance that had lit his eyes crumbled away. Nerith would never go for a feeble guy like him. She’d always kept distance from men, pouring her life into fights and slaying beasts.

At the same time, the crowd remained rooted in wonder, eyes bulging at the incredible show of might. Their pulses raced hard as embers scattered and tremors rolled through the dirt.

"Who do you reckon will take this fight?" One person queried, voice shaky.

"Right now, I’m clueless! They’re both beasts... We can’t track their moves!"

"True. No way to spot who’s ahead. The power in their hits is downright scary..."

Murmurs raced through the group, thrill and strain mixing as they tried to follow the action.

Many were fresh recruits just learning the ropes. They’d never seen a showdown this epic. It was like beholding gods clashing with otherworldly power.

"Starting to wear out, Princess?" Yuan inquired with a light grin as he pressed forward, his sword coming down in strong, repeated sweeps.

Nerith switched right away to blocking, straining to evade and deflect his hits. But each of Yuan’s swings landed like a ton, jolting up her limbs.

She couldn’t keep her footing anymore. Inch by inch, she got pushed back, fighting hard to hold her blocks.

"I couldn’t have dreamed you’d wield a sword this masterfully... It’s like I’m a tiny stone trying to budge a massive cliff," Nerith answered with a mixed smile, exhaustion plain on her features.

"Hmm, you’re talking like the match is already yours to lose," Yuan noted softly while dropping his sword and standing still in front of her.

"I recognize my boundaries, Yuan. I see I can’t beat you," Nerith answered, letting out a long breath to calm her lungs. "Though I hate saying it... I give up."

"You earned this victory clean and true, Yuan..." She added with a weary but genuine smile.