However, Zieve was someone that constantly fought against pressure, using his knowledge and memorization capabilities, Zieve was evolving throughout the battle. Vandis noticed this too but a small disdaining smile lifted on his lips.

"I wonder how long can he keep up such a self-sacrificial technique of replenis.h.i.+ng his Spiritual Energy." He mused as his arms moved as fast as lightning and constantly pressured Zieve into a retreat. Leaping backwards, Zieve breathed roughly as his left hand crushed another batch of Spirit Stones.

Replenis.h.i.+ng one's Spiritual Energy amidst a battle using Spirit Stones wasn't foreign to any cultivator. However, this kind of absorption was dangerous since the cultivator didn't spend enough time in cleansing the impurities laden within the Spirit Stones.

Normal cultivation required peace and quiet, replenis.h.i.+ng one's Spiritual Energy while in the middle of a battle placed a huge burden on his meridians and dantian. Eventually, the cultivator would collapse from exhaustion or much worse, energy overdraft.

"Reddened eyes, ragged breathing and subconscious trembling of the fingers and extremities... Little Zieve, aren't you afraid of absorbing too much impurities and exploding from the inside?" Vanadis mocked and Zieve trembled for a moment before clenching his fists. Vanadis's words struck at the center of his problems, but he couldn't just back-out now and let them do as they please to his benefactor, right?

"Shut the f.u.c.k up, old man..." Zieve tightly clenched his sword and tried his best to stop his tremors.

"Hahaha, such vile words, don't be so angry at me, Little Zieve, I was just looking after your health, giving you sound advises, you know?" Vanadis chuckled and a sarcastic smile lifted on his lips.

Judging from Zieve's condition, he wouldn't even last half an hour so why battle against a spent soldier? He could just enjoy mocking him from afar and watch him suffer the consequences of his brash actions.

"I said shut the f.u.c.k up, old man!" Zieve crazily howled, his voice boomed like deafening thunder. The stress that built up within his mind from cautiously watching after Juliet and looking out for sudden ambushes almost made him crazy.

Unsheathing his word, he hacked haphazardly at Vanadis who didn't even take the effort to block his attacks as he just stood there and casually swayed his body around, evading Zieve's slashes and dices within a hair's breadth.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Your eyes look so red like cherries!" Vanadis said with sarcastic concern on his face, he even stretched his hand towards Zieve's face but swiftly retracted it when Zieve tried cutting his hand off.

"What are you doing? I'm just being concerned, you know? After all, we've been good friends ever since you guys made those Garlic Soups, ah right. Thanks to you, rattling your recipe off in public, the Young master and me managed to create our own original concoction based on your recipe!"

Vanadis gratefully smiled and slightly bowed his head in appreciation as Zieve's sword swept past his head's initial position. Hearing what he said, Zieve stopped for a moment and mumbled.

"What did you say? What do you mean rattling off my recipe in public?" Zieve's expression darkened, ever since he discovered the secret of his Garlic Soup, he had once never spoke his recipe out loud for fear of any spies hearing what he said.

"Hooo? So you forgot about it? Didn't you say the intricacies back then when you were bragging at Juliet when she asked you if you go a Dao Companion?" Vanadis dropped another bombsh.e.l.l and Zieve's figure stiffened in realization.

"Aaaahhh..." Moaning in pain, he clutched his head and kneeled on the ground, "So it was my fault, it was my fault that the Imperial Clan's Merchandises managed to launch a counter-attack against us on our own field... It was because of my talkativeness and arrogance!"

Vanadis merely smirked, he really enjoyed these situations. Seeing his prey, crumble in despair and hopelessness amidst their resentment and hatred right before his eyes provided him with an euphoric bliss that he wanted. Twirling his daggers around his hand, he observed the changes on Zieve's expression and engraved it into his heart.

"Vanadis, what are you doing there? Are you still not gonna kill that brat?!" Rodger who howled amidst his attacks at the formations that protected Juliet. Sparks flew everywhere as beaded sweats filled Rodger's forehead.

"d.a.m.n just how many layers of formations did these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds employed, to think that I've been hacking at it for at least half an hour but it's still not budging!" Rodger gnashed his teeth and continued his all-out a.s.sault.

"Sigh... Sorry, Little Zieve. The time for playing is over, don't you worry, okay? Your everything is engraved within my heart and I'll remember you even after your death..." Vanadis wielded his daggers in a backhand stroke, stomping forwards, he leaped at Zieve and sliced at his throat, aiming to decapitate.

"AAAHHH!" Zieve howled towards the skies, his anger and fury boiled his blood as his sword rapidly disappeared from its sheath. Sword lights and shadows flashed. Zieve's cultivation base madly rotated in an effort to keep up to his Spiritual Energy usage as the two of them engaged in a close combat battle.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on with this kid, why is he becoming fiercer as time pa.s.ses by? Shouldn't he be feeling the strain of his wanton absorption of impure Spiritual Energy?!" Vanadis thought in his mind, his arm flashed like mirages continuously deflecting and parrying Zieve's attack as well as counter-attacking with stabs.

Blood spurted out of Zieve's wounds and it made him look like someone that literally came out of a bloodbath. Despite all the injuries that he suffered and the blood loss, the crazed and determined light within his eyes never wavered and his movements were still as fierce as the wind and as destructive as lightning.

"I won't let you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds harm even Juliet's hair as long as I live!" Zieve roared, his footsteps turned complex and his attacks turned into a tempest. Vanadis was gradually becoming unable to defend against his attack as he clicked his tongue and retreated away with a backward step.

"You're still not done with that trash, Vanadis? Hurry up and dispose of that brat!" Rodger commanded, though he kept up his attacks for the last half an hour, not even a crack could be seen on the translucent barrier that surrounded Juliet's surroundings.

Vanadis clicked his tongue in annoyance when he heard Rodger's words. Staring hatefully at Zieve, he wielded both of his daggers and leaped into the air.

Dance of the Night!

Vanadis's merged within the darkness and disappeared. Zieve who lost his target stalled in his movements before quickly turning around and attacking at the empty s.p.a.ce before him.

Clang!

A fierce sound of metal clas.h.i.+ng against metal reverberated and Vanadis who failed his a.s.sa.s.sination attempt stared at Zieve in shock. As someone at the Divine Soul Realm, those with lower cultivation than him shouldn't possibly detect him whilst he's in his stealth, yet Zieve easily predicted his movements and caught him off guard.

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d... I'm done playing with you!" Vanadis took a deep breath and his entire cultivation base surged forth, forming a tempest around his body which flung Zieve towards the skies, slamming him into the ceiling.

A blood arrow exploded from ZIeve's mouth. His consciousness almost collapsed. Biting the tip of his tongue, the sharp pain awakened his senses and as he fell from the ceiling. He rotated in mid-air and burned more Spirit Stones, replenis.h.i.+ng his Spiritual Energy reserves.

"You're still continuing that? Let's see how long your body can handle such a burden!" Vanadis dashed once again, his short daggers enabled him quick strikes that dealt small wounds on Zieve's body, while easily evading the latter's counter-attacks.

"What's wrong? What's wrong, Little Zieve? Are you feeling sleepy? Why are you slowing down? Here, come here, hit me in the face, hit me in the f.u.c.king face!" Vanadis taunted while wildly laughing.

"Shut the f.u.c.k up!" Zieve made a downward slash that struck nothing. Vanadis's taunting aggravated his anger as he wielded his sword and dashed at his enemy once again.

Realizing that Zieve's tenacity was greater than he thought, Vanadis shook his head and ignited his cultivation base once more, "Prepare yourself, Little Zieve. Imma let out some steam so I hope that you won't die..." Vanadis wickedly smiled before his figure disappeared into thin air.

Reappearing beside Zieve, Vanadis stabbed at his chest and as Zieve reacted with a horizontal strike, he disappeared once again and reappeared at another location and attacked. Vanadis's movements boosted with his Divine Soul cultivation proved too fast for Zieve to handle as Vanadis repeatedly stabbed on his body, aggravating his wounds.

"I can't... Not yet... Juliet..." Despite his ironclad willpower, Zieve lost far too much blood as his body finally gave up from the strain and burden that he felt. Cras.h.i.+ng on the ground with a dull thud, Vanadis lifted his head and was about to behead Zieve when Rodger's voice rang.

"You're finally done with that brat? Come here! I feel like we can break this if we do it together!"

Vanadis movements stalled and he glanced at Zieve for a moment before rus.h.i.+ng towards Rodger. The matter of interrupting Juliet's enlightenment was higher in priority than killing Zieve. He knew what he ought to do first.

Staring at the translucent barrier, Vanadis and Zieve fused their Spiritual Energy together as their energy soared towards the skies. Earth rumbled and booming sounds of the tempest that formed inside the hall eventually converged into a point that Vanadis slammed unto the barrier.

Crack...

A cracking voice rang out and one could see a palm-size crack spreading out from Vanadis's palm. Under the all-out attack of a Divine Soul cultivator, not even a Heaven Grade Artifact could withstand his fierce attacks, much less a formation that lost its energy source.

Eventually, the crack spread like a spider's web and covered the entirety of the translucent barrier. With a final palm strike from Vanadis, it collapsed with a defeaning and grating sound as Juliet's figure was revealed right before their excited eyes.

Right after they took a step forward, Juliet's eyes suddenly snapped open followed by an all-encompa.s.sing might and sharpness that enveloped their hearts