The more they oppose, the more it shows that I am doing the right thing
Chapter 42 Your Holy Sword, Broken

Ai Xueli was a genuine magic prodigy.

Born into a noble family in the imperial capital, her life was destined to be different from that of ordinary people from the very beginning.

After graduating from the Magic Academy, she became a saint of the Alchemical Church at fourteen, a Priest of the Church at nineteen, and a prospective Fourth Order Magician at twenty, as well as an examiner for saint examinations... Her life was just that smooth sailing.

Serving as an examiner was merely a stepping stone in her brilliant future, nothing more than a very small interlude.

She was different from those commoners—Ai Xueli was well aware of this, she was going to have a dazzling life.

Those without talent, those from remote places, could only be left far behind by her, only able to cast admiring glances at her retreating figure.

But when Ai Xueli stood naked, her robust body exposed before the eyes of all, feeling the admiring glances cast by those people,

the only emotion she felt was shame,

unparalleled shame.

Shame like she had never felt before.

Ai Xueli covered her naked chest muscles, and since there was nothing to cover between her legs, she squeezed them tightly together. The piercing cold wind cut through her skin, yet what was colder was her heart.

She could feel the eyes of the surrounding audience landing on her burly skin, and of course, even more gazes fell on the glinting golden underwear, stinging like needles.

She bit her lip slightly, her cheeks blushing slightly with shame.

If it had been just that, it would've been bearable,

but what made her feel even more ashamed were Arthur's words.

"Seven-foot man, why are you acting like a shy little girl!"

Damn it!

Who the hell is a seven-foot man!

I was a girl all along!

Ai Xueli lamented in her heart, but Arthur never had any thoughts of gentleness and chivalry; his lion-like gaze was fixed intently on her body, his Magic Wand like a holy sword striking straight down from above her head!

This strike was fierce; the Magic Wand cut through the air, producing a whistling sound.

Ai Xueli had never had any experience with combat. She had always been a magic prodigy, not a Holy Knight prodigy.

Fortunately, the Scales of Order Alchemic Magic Circle could fully replicate the physical condition of the examinee,

and Ai Xueli, relying solely on the instincts of this warrior's body, subconsciously stepped back, allowing the Magic Wand to graze past her face and smash into the ground with a dull roar.

Arthur launched another strike, and Ai Xueli, relying on her instincts, blocked it, and as the two Magic Wands collided, sparks of metal flew.

Damn it, his wand is made of alloy!

"Let us have an honorable duel then!" Arthur pressed, his wand close to Ai Xueli's face, "Knight Ai Xueli!"

Cheers erupted from the audience stand, although nobody understood why a mage's duel had turned into a brawl between burly men, but having witnessed this battle between the strong made even failing the exam worth the price of admission.

This bastard from the frontier...

Ai Xueli took a deep breath slowly, forcing herself to calm down.

There's no need to fear.

Their physical conditions are the same.

If she just explored slowly, perhaps she could keep up with the pace—she gripped the Magic Wand tightly in her hand, her muscles tensed rapidly, her robust heart pounding fiercely, mixing strength in her blood, delivering it to every part of Ai Xueli's organs.

They had already exchanged a few blows, and although Ai Xueli was the only one getting hit, she was slowly adapting to the rhythm of the fight.

Or rather, it was Arthur's replicated body that was learning how to fight, solely through instinct.

She imitated Arthur's stance and swung her Magic Wand at him in return.

This strike was also powerful and heavy, bringing with it a strong air pressure—Ai Xueli was going to prove that a prodigy could rapidly surpass ordinary people in any field.

She had already vowed in her heart to use the cruelest means to humiliate and torment these barbarians from the frontier.

And defeating them in the field they were most proud of would be the ultimate insult.

But unfortunately for her, Arthur's greatest skill was not in swordsmanship, but in skulduggery.

In the dishonorable realm, Ai Xueli would forever remain a mere mortal at the foot of the mountain, only able to look up at the god... the lunatic on the mountaintop.

Facing the Magic Wand pressing against her face, Arthur slowly closed his eyes.

Arthur remembered the words his father taught him when he was a child. Archduke Annand once said, "For a knight of the Sun Family, offense is the best defense."

He still remembered his father's teachings, he would not disappoint his father's expectations, and he would not tarnish the honor of the Sun Family.

At this very moment, epiphany dawned.

Offense is the best defense.

Arthur gave up resisting, his face even bearing a smile.

A bright and untamed smile, like sunshine.

Just like the sun itself.

His foot swung down with a mighty heave, whooshing through the air, the kick's target was clear, and its attitude precise, encapsulating Arthur's purest and most noble will. It was a foot filled with honor, with determination and courage, and it had but one destination—

Ai Xueli's groin.

That was also why Arthur didn't wear clothes.

The golden underwear made first contact with the back of Arthur's foot, fabric compressed by the wind pressure, then it caved in, continuing its unstoppable advance upwards!

Advance!

Advance upwards!

Forge ahead with resolve and will!

Breaking through all difficulties and obstacles,

Like a charging knight,

This was the song of courage composed by Arthur Sunny!

Ai Xueli's wand-wielding stance froze, the metal magic wand stopped in front of Arthur's face, but it no longer had the strength to advance, her whole body going limp.

"Crack."

Her expression became frozen.

Her eyeballs first ceased rotating, widened in shock, her mouth and nose flared open, eyebrows rising, and the skin on her face slowly contracting.

Eventually, even her breathing ceased.

"Hiss—" Her teeth gritted fiercely, a sound emerging from deep within her throat.

"Hiss—" All the male spectators cooled from the lower half of their bodies, as they too felt the phantom pain.

The Holy Order Alchemic Magic Circle was perfect, perfectly replicating the physical state of the test takers, so it could perfectly replicate that kind of suffering.

This was a touch Ai Xueli had never encountered in her twenty years of being a young miss, a sensation never experienced before, even a sense beyond comprehension.

First, a slight coolness, then sourness, a wave of acid spread from the lower abdomen into the organs, churning through her intestines like a writhing poison snake; after the cold acid surge passed, what followed was pain.

The pain was neither sharp nor throbbing but a heavy, dull ache. It came abruptly and left slowly, and between its coming and going, it stripped away all of a man's stubbornness and dignity.

This was, from one man to another:

The ultimate insult.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—hiss!"

Ai Xueli clutched her crotch and collapsed to the ground, writhing like a maggot, her eyes empty and helpless as they stared at Arthur, as if looking at an inhuman entity.

To Ai Xueli's further despair were Arthur's words.

"Knight Ai Xueli, as a Holy Knight, your holy sword has shattered," he said with the air of a lonely master, "but my holy sword remains erect."

Stop insulting the holy sword already! Ai Xueli was in too much pain to speak.

"Such an honorable duel."

Arthur knightly sheathed his wand, his face still adorned with a sunny, radiant smile. The courtyard's sunlight streamed through the mist, illuminating his handsome profile and casting a sacred glow over his perfectly sculpted body,

"But you remain but a lone warrior."

He extended a gentlemanly hand to Ai Xueli while loudly addressing the surrounding crowd, his voice echoing across the larger part of the Alchemy Hall, "I acknowledge your courage, Knight Ai Xueli."

"Well done!" Ansu led the applause, and Lister followed suit with clapping, lauding the courage of our fellow countryman.

[The examination is over.]

The voice of the Scales of Order announced.

[Examiners may not stand again.]

[Candidate Arthur Sunny, examination number 59, examination score one hundred percent.]

[Next candidate, please prepare, examination number 60, Lister Muen.]

Is your courage stripping in public, is your honor a kick to the groin in full view of everyone?

Ai Xueli felt like she was going to cough up blood from anger.

The Alchemic Array had already stopped, her simulated state disappearing along with all injuries and pain.

But for some reason, whenever she walked, Ai Xueli could still feel a twinge of phantom pain.

"From the frontier…" She bit her lip, rage filling her eyes, "Is the next one also from the frontier?"

Gazing distantly at Lister on the preparation platform,

This time, she would not be as careless as before. Nor would she fall for the same tricks again.

They are just frontier riffraff after all.