The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 419: The Fight Between Swordmasters

Boom! Boom!

From behind enemy lines, a series of booming cannon blasts resounded. The projectiles shot toward the city barrier, and once they hit—

Boom! Boom!

Explosions roared as the projectiles struck the barrier, creating ripples across its surface. The lightning cannon on the flying fortress began recharging, crackling with energy once more. Though a crack had formed in its structure, it could still fire a lightning beam—albeit at the cost of further damaging its front section.

Baron Rosalind simply let the cannons strike the barrier; at the very least, he had already blocked one of the lightning cannon’s attacks. Based on his earlier estimation, the flying fortress would need three shots of its lightning beam to break through the barrier.

Though he didn’t know exactly how many energy stones the crew had brought aboard, he guessed they had no more than enough for three full-power shots.

Additionally, the crack he had created on the surface of the lightning cannon would limit its usage. Firing too many times would weaken its structural integrity, rendering it inoperable. With the lightning cannon out of action, the city barrier would hold much longer, allowing him to focus on pushing back the Emperor-stage enemies.

Without any order or warning, Baron Rosalind suddenly shot forward at such high speed that, to most onlookers, he seemed to vanish. However, to Duke Schmidt, his movements were just barely visible. Even for him, Baron Rosalind’s speed was astonishing! Without hesitation, he raised his sword to block the incoming attack.

Ting!

Their swords clashed, sending a powerful gust of wind rippling outward.

Elena and the others had already joined the fray, each picking their own opponents to engage. Though they were outnumbered, they didn’t seem to care and launched their attacks without hesitation. The forces of the Second Prince, well aware of the Rosalind cultivator’s strength, took them seriously despite their numerical advantage.

Elena now faced Adel Schwertwächter. She didn’t hesitate, slashing her sword with lethal intent. Although Adel was one of the ten great swordmasters of the continent just like her, and also she already knew his strength—after all, they had fought before.

Ting!

"You want to be defeated again, huh? Coming here so confidently," Elena said as their swords clashed.

They had crossed swords in the past, and the result? Victory for Elena. Only a few knew about it, but ever since that day, rumors had spread—placing her among the top five strongest swordmasters on the continent.

Hearing Elena’s words, Adel didn’t grow angry. Instead, he simply kept pushing his sword forward, trying to create distance between them. However, it was clear that he was the one being pushed back.

Despite his longsword and robust physique making him appear stronger, the sheer power behind Elena’s seemingly "normal" sword and her muscles could not be underestimated. She was forcing him back, overpowering even his strength.

Yet, there was no panic in Adel’s expression. Instead, a rigid smile remained on his face as he struggled to hold his ground against Elena’s power.

"Today will be different, Elena. You will fall from grace," he said in a strained voice, resisting her relentless push.

Ting!

Adel swept his sword to the side and stepped back to create distance from Elena. However, she didn’t let him retreat. She pursued him relentlessly, but with the space he had gained, he was now better prepared and could defend against her attacks more effectively.

Trang! Ting! Ting!

Their swords moved too fast to be seen clearly. Despite its size and the need to wield it with both hands, Adel handled his longsword with ease, matching Elena’s movements. Yet, she didn’t relent for even a second, striking with both speed and power.

"You’re much stronger than the last time we met—I’ll admit that. But it’s still not enough," Elena said in the midst of her relentless barrage.

Adel didn’t respond. He remained focused on his defense, knowing there was little room for error. At this moment, despite being one of the continent’s great swordmasters, he looked as if he was the one being overpowered.

It couldn’t be helped—swordmasters like Elena were a direct counter to his fighting style. His longsword was powerful but heavy and slower in comparison, while Elena’s attacks were not only absurdly fast but also packed tremendous force. In this situation, he had no room to counterattack.

Still, he searched for an opening. The moment he found one, he didn’t hesitate to use his hidden card.

Suddenly, after deflecting one of Elena’s strikes, he sprang back to create distance. Without wasting a second, he reached for a pouch hanging from his waist and hurled a fine powder toward her.

Elena, who had been about to pursue Adel, abruptly stopped and tried to dodge. However, due to their close distance and the fast-paced battle, she didn’t have enough time to evade it completely. She inhaled some of the powder and instinctively chose to retreat, unsure of its effects.

Glancing at her hands and body, she checked for any immediate changes or abnormalities.

Then, she felt it.

She felt her energy circulation spiral into chaos before abruptly stopping, as if something had blocked her meridians! She frowned, quickly deciding to land before she lost control and fell on her own.

But Adel didn’t let her.

He dashed toward her, aiming a decisive strike.

Seeing the incoming attack, Elena activated her protective talisman. The moment Adel’s sword struck, a barrier flared up around her, absorbing the blow just before her body crashed into the ground.

Baron Rosalind sensed that something was wrong and turned to look toward his daughter. His eyes widened slightly.

What just happened?

With Elena’s strength, he firmly believed that someone like Adel—or even two King-stage cultivators—wouldn’t be enough to overwhelm her. So how...?

He had no time to think.

A sword slash came for his head. He swiftly tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and immediately parried another incoming slash with his own sword.

"You dare to look away in the middle of a fight?" Duke Schmidt said with a grin.

Their battle remained at a stalemate, once again proving just how powerful Baron Rosalind was. This only frustrated Duke Schmidt further—despite his superior cultivation, he still couldn’t overpower an opponent who was supposedly much weaker than him!

"As expected. Using tricks to fight us—that’s all you people are capable of," Baron Rosalind said with a mocking expression. With a surge of power, he pushed against the duke’s sword and unleashed his technique.

First Movement of the Heavenly Sword Garden: Heavenly Sword Descend.

Baron Rosalind slashed several times toward the duke. Duke Schmidt reacted instantly, attempting to block with his own sword technique. Their attacks clashed, canceling each other out, but one slash managed to break through his defense, striking his sword with immense force and sending him stumbling back several meters.

A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he steadied himself, gripping his sword tightly.

However, Duke Schmidt didn’t seem offended. Instead, he merely shrugged.

"Well, in the end, only the result matters. No matter the method, the winner takes all," he said.

Baron Rosalind didn’t deny it and simply nodded. "That’s true. And the winner has yet to be decided."

He then continued his assault on Duke Schmidt, their battle raging on. Despite his daughter’s unfavorable condition, he still believed in her strength.

Meanwhile, thanks to the protective barrier from her defensive talisman, Elena had avoided fatal injuries. Slowly, she stood up from the crater formed by her fall.

She looked at Adel with a cold expression. He had resorted to petty tricks, preventing her from circulating her energy. Right now, she was no different from a mortal. The barrier had already disappeared the moment she stood up, as the talisman she used was a time-limited defense that activated upon being crushed.

Adel floated closer but maintained some distance, his grin widening as if he had already won.

"What are you going to do now? Like I said, today is the day you fall from grace," he taunted. "Right now, you’re nothing more than an ant—one I can crush whenever I please."

Elena didn’t answer. Instead, she took a stance, inhaling and exhaling steadily. She ignored his taunts, focusing entirely on her sword technique and the target in the sky.

Seeing her futile attempt, Adel’s expression twisted into a mocking smirk. But then, he noticed her suddenly slashing her sword toward him, causing him to frown in confusion.

"What are you trying to—"

Before he could finish, a sudden sense of danger washed over him. Instinctively, he tilted his head to the side, narrowly dodging something. An invisible force whizzed past him, grazing his cheek and leaving behind a thin line of blood. His eyes widened in shock.

He reached up, touching his cheek, and felt the warm trickle of blood. His gaze trembled as he looked down at Elena, who still stood firmly on the ground, unable to fly due to her current condition.

"You—what was that?!"