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Chapter 579, Truly a Good Person
The battle took a sudden turn, with Wu Heng swiftly gaining the upper hand.
The young man who had just arrived on the island and immediately issued a challenge to the guild was now injured, his robes stained with blood.
The surrounding spectators, who had fallen silent, gradually erupted into excitement once more.
"I knew it! There's no way the Island Lord would lose."
"The Island Lord's swordsmanship must have been taught by Imiro."
"So many flashy skills, yet he's nothing but a weakling."
...…
On the spectator stands.
The members of the Gold-Silver Island Guild all breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, Wu Heng never let anyone down.
Sheila Grey removed her hand from her sword hilt, glancing briefly at the old mage beside her before instructing, "If anyone concedes, end the match immediately."
"Understood, Steward." Shiyali nodded in agreement.
The old mage, however, frowned as he stared intently at the battlefield, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
Since when did human prodigies become so common?
Luan was already considered a monstrous talent—a 17-year-old mage with advanced swordsmanship.
And yet, another had appeared on this remote island.
"What's going on?"
...…
In the dueling arena.
Luan, who had split into three, suddenly saw his target flicker before his eyes. The next second, six identical figures appeared, spreading out in front of him.
An illusionary clone technique?
No, it was the effect of his opponent's artifact.
A flash of unease crossed Luan's eyes. His entire body became shrouded in a smooth glow, his movements growing even more agile.
His three rapiers changed direction simultaneously.
Moving at an even greater speed, they thrust toward the nearest three figures.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three metallic clashes rang out.
The attacks had been blocked.
At the same time, the six figures closed in, surrounding all three of Luan's copies.
The longswords were held horizontally, then swung down like iron whips.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Heavy strikes landed in succession.
The three Luan figures were instantly knocked to the ground.
A second strike followed.
The three figures merged back into one.
His protective barrier shattered over and over, his magic constantly disrupted.
He had no escape.
He could only curl up, gritting his teeth in stubborn resistance.
"You really think…"
Wu Heng almost blurted out, You really think you can steal my fame by coming to this island?
But remembering that this was being broadcast live, he held back.
Instead, he said, "If you can't go on, just surrender."
Luan clenched his teeth, remaining silent.
Wu Heng applied even more force.
...…
"Stop!" The old mage shouted angrily, suddenly standing up.
A fierce wind howled around him, making his robes billow.
A surge of powerful magic rapidly gathered.
Bang!
Sheila Grey slammed her hand against the armrest, her voice cold. "Mr. Moffat, since you signed the challenge contract, you must abide by the rules. If he can't win, he can surrender. We follow the rules, and so should you."
Clatter!
At her words, a large number of skeletons gathered around.
Weapons were unsheathed.
At this close distance, the many Level 15 skeletons stationed on the island.
Were enough to ensure he would gain nothing from interference.
The old mage narrowed his eyes, then let out a cold chuckle, "Young people should have this kind of resolve. Very well, we surrender. Let's end this match."
...…
On the dueling platform.
Luan looked even more disheveled.
His protective magic shield was completely ineffective, and only his tattered leather armor provided a sliver of defense.
Shiyali walked onto the platform, glancing around before announcing loudly, "The duel is over. Island Lord Wu Heng is victorious."
With her declaration.
Wu Heng stopped his attacks, and his six clones instantly merged back into one.
A wave of dizziness and ringing in his ears hit him as the side effects settled in.
Once he recovered, he looked down at the figure still curled up on the ground. "Mr. Luan, it's over."
Wu Heng called out, causing Luan to shudder.
Slowly, Luan looked up, his eyes filled with rage and unwillingness.
Wu Heng extended a hand, offering to help him up. Luan clenched his teeth, his expression feral.
"Everyone is watching—maintain your dignity."
Luan quickly realized the situation.
He endured the pain, straightened his tattered clothes.
And forced himself to say with composure, "Wu Heng, Island Lord—you have won."
"It was just luck. I did have an age advantage."
The two exchanged polite bows before Luan turned and stepped off the platform.
Shiyali brought the wager from this duel and handed it to Wu Heng.
Wu Heng raised the reward high, signaling to the surroundings.
"We won, Golden-Silver Island won."
The crowd below was momentarily stunned.
In an instant, cheers erupted from the audience.
Like waves spreading, the sound echoed throughout the entire area.
The island master had won.
Golden-Silver Island had won.
...
Amidst the cheers,
The merchant representatives watching the match boarded their carriages and left early.
Unlike common spectators who watched for entertainment,
Wu Heng defeating 'Luan' was not a trivial matter.
A human genius personally cultivated by the Guild was defeated in such a small place by another young individual, Wu Heng.
Would the Guild now support Wu Heng, or would this attract the attention of other powerful figures?
All of these possibilities could come into play.
Regardless of the outcome, they needed to report back immediately.
To prepare for investment.
...
With the duel over, the dispersal of the crowd was left to the Guild to handle.
On the carriage returning home,
The maids who had come along to watch chattered excitedly.
"Master didn't even have to use the skeleton, otherwise he would have won much earlier."
"That skeleton is level 18; that would be too unfair."
"He challenged of his own accord; even if he died, he'd have no one to blame but himself."
"Master is so handsome..."
The maids spoke with excitement.
Wu Heng opened his reputation status to take a look.
[Reputation: Level 18 (31747/48000)]
His reputation had increased by more than two thousand.
Unlike the slow accumulation from newspaper publications, this time it surged instantly, jumping to 31,000.
It felt as if all those on the island who had yet to contribute to his reputation had suddenly been added to the pool.
It was definitely worth the effort.
"Master, what would you like to eat?"
"Let's go to the tavern outside the Guild, might as well celebrate the victory."
"Great! Eating outside sounds good."
...
Guild Dormitory.
Luan's injuries had healed, and he had changed into a clean mage robe.
However, he no longer had the high-spirited arrogance from when he first arrived on the island.
"If it were purely a contest of magic, I might not have lost to him."
The old mage shook his head slightly. "No, we underestimated him. The Guild's information was incomplete; there's no way he's only level 12. His newspaper publications must also be part of his preparations to craft the image of a hero."
"He's level 15? Was his body taken over?" Luan blurted out, then abruptly stopped himself.
The old mage was briefly stunned, not expecting him to think in that direction.
Nodding slightly, he said, "We're returning to headquarters now. If word of this spreads, it might negatively impact you. We need to handle this matter first.
Your theory about possession is plausible. Necromancers specialize in soul research, and there are various methods of resurrection that involve occupying a body.
If we present this idea to the Guild, it might cast doubt on him and reduce any negative impact on you."
Luan's eyes flickered. "Teacher, if we leave now, won't it seem like we're running away?"
"It's just a small place; what does it matter? We're leaving now without notifying the Guild."
"Understood, teacher!"
Quickly packing up their belongings,
The master and apprentice left the Guild and headed to the port to board a ship.
...
After finishing their meal outside,
Wu Heng and his group returned home.
The maids went off to their tasks, while Wu Heng stopped by the radio station to check for new updates.
Then he went straight upstairs to his study.
Sitting down,
He took out the wager he had won from the duel.
A magical artifact equivalent to a second-tier merit reward.
[Scrying Staff]
(Description: A magical artifact engraved with the Scrying Guardian spell, capable of deploying magical sentries to scout any given area.)
From its effects, it seemed to be a rather valuable tool.
Without a ranger, most professions lacked effective scouting methods.
Many relied on scrying scrolls for reconnaissance.
However, scrolls were single-use and difficult to acquire.
This artifact, on the other hand, provided sustained reconnaissance capability. It was likely a tool Luan himself had used or one he had discarded.
Wu Heng had ghostly spirits to scout for him, so he had no need for it.
He would decide later who to give it to.
Beyond the artifact, the greatest gain was in reputation.
"The news will continue to spread, and those who were watching Luan will learn of me through this event."
"What a generous man."