The Rise of David

-Book 6-

Previously : David openly challenged Zion, drawing the wrath of both Zion and the mysterious powerhouse Diego, known as King Duncan of Encanta Island. While Zion plotted David’s death in secret, Mr. Sanders chose not to intervene directly—yet ensured that many martial families and sects gathered to witness the battle. His plan was simple: if they saw David’s strength firsthand, fewer would dare oppose him.

Chapter 281: Emerge Victorious

Everyone began discussing, and Diego's identity was soon spread among the crowd. However, Diego couldn't be bothered. At that moment, all he wanted to do was to kill David and take his draconic essence and Nascent Soul. ‘ I don't even know if I'll ever come to Chanaea again. I must grasp this opportunity.’

"Hey, brat! No matter what tricks you play, you must die today." Diego thought David was playing tricks on him by summoning so many people to witness the fight.

"Hmph! Do you think I need tricks to defeat you, old man?" David sneered. "However, Encanta Island is really a nice place. It actually helped you achieve Nascent Soul! I bet there are some ancient ruins on Encanta Island.

Otherwise, why would it have such dense spiritual energy?"

Diego narrowed his eyes and said, "You don't have to concern yourself with whether Encanta Island has ancient ruins. You've achieved Nascent Soul at such a young age. Besides, you've achieved it in a place with limited spiritual energy. It seems like you're hiding a lot of secrets. Although you are strong compared to your peers in the martial arts world, you're nothing compared to me! However, since you've worked so hard to cultivate, I'll just take your draconic essence and Nascent Soul and let you keep your three souls and seven senses. It's time you become a commoner."

With that, Diego's aura exploded. The trees in the surrounding tumbled, and even the crowd a few hundred meters away could feel his powerful aura.

Upon feeling that, the crowd quickly backed away.

Diego's ability as a Third Level Martial Arts Marquis instantly exposed itself. Unlike other martial artists, Diego's aura was purer and more imposing.

A hint of disdain appeared on David's face when he felt Diego's aura. Almost immediately, his body started glowing, and his Golem Body enveloped him.

"David, once you've achieved Nascent Soul, your body doesn't matter anymore. Why are you still protecting your body? You should be protecting your Nascent Soul!" After Diego said that, he released his spiritual energy and dashed toward David, aiming at his chest.

David released a burst of spiritual energy as well and leaped toward him. The two then crashed into one another violently.

They were just testing each other out, but the impact was already enough to shake the ground.

After crashing into one another, David and Diego each took three steps backward.

They seemed to be equally strong.

Just then, a few cars halted to a stop somewhere a thousand meters away.

Ryker was seen getting out of one of the cars. He was there to witness how strong David had become.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sanders got out of the other car.

Ryker shuddered when he saw Mr. Sanders. He then walked up to him and greeted, "Mr. Sanders."

Mr. Sanders nodded slightly in response. Without saying a word, he jumped and landed on the top of a mountain to watch the fight between David and Diego.

Ryker's expression turned grim when he saw Mr. Sanders there. What is Mr. Sanders doing here? Is he here to help David? If he's here to help David, our plan to deal with David must change. After all, Mr. Sanders is protecting David openly. Who in the martial arts world in Jadeborough would dare to offend Mr. Sanders?

Mr. Sanders and Xavier stood on the mountaintop while observing the fight quietly. Although they were a thousand meters away, they could still see everything clearly.

"Captain Jennings, who do you think is going to emerge victorious? Will it be David or Diego?" Mr. Sanders asked.

Xavier glanced at David and Diego before saying, "Mr. Sanders, their auras are just as pure as one another. However, David's aura seems more destructive and vicious. As for Diego, although his aura is just as violent, it seems calmer and more reserved. In fact, it's obvious that Diego isn't exerting his full strength. It seems like David has met a worthy opponent, and his life could be in danger."

Mr. Sanders smiled after listening to Xavier's analysis.

"You analyzed the

situation well. Everyone's aura depends on their own personality and history. David's ability had increased exponentially. Since he had gone through so much recently, his aura is destructive and vicious. As for Diego, he had been cultivating in Encanta Island, and his life has been peaceful and tranquil. Hence, his aura seems more reserved. Besides, he's more experienced than David. As for who will achieve true victory, it depends on a lot more than that. To win, one needs a strong mentality and determination. Diego isn't exerting his full strength because he's saving up his energy just in case he needs to escape. He's not going to fight David till his death. David, on the other hand, is ready to risk it all. Don't you see how determined David is?"

Xavier kept mum and watched the battle silently.

Boom!

Diego was launching an attack on David. His horrifying aura enveloped the sky and blocked out the sun.

Next, his spiritual energy solidified and transformed into a piercing magic sword.

"David, I heard that your Golem Body is indestructible. Take this!"

Diego held the magic sword firmly in his hand. The magic sword was a few feet long, and it was packed with an unlimited amount of sword energy. He swung it toward David in a split second.

As he was swinging the magic sword, the waves of energy ravaged the area, causing sand and gravel to fly into the air and branches crushed into pieces.

Even Mr. Sanders, who was standing a thousand meters away, could feel the might of the sword energy.

"That's some powerful sword energy! Mr. Sanders, will David be able to withstand it?" Xavier was astonished.

"I don't know," Mr. Sanders answered flatly.

Xavier was stumped, and he was looking at Mr. Sanders in puzzlement.

I don't get it. How could Mr. Sanders not know? If David isn't able to block it, shouldn't Mr. Sanders do something? After all, Mr. Sanders is here to protect David. Yet, it doesn't seem like Mr. Sanders is going to do anything!

Meanwhile, Ryker also narrowed his eyes and said, "David's Golem Body is

strong, all right. Let's see if he's able to block that sword. If he can't, he's not a threat."

At that moment, everyone's attention was on David because they were all wondering if he could block the sword.

Suddenly, the scales on David's body shimmered. Instead of avoiding the

sword, he dashed toward Diego's sword energy, preparing to take it head-on.

"Sacred Light Fist!"

David shouted and punched the sword in Diego's hand.

Boom!

A ray of white light flashed across the scene, and everyone instinctively closed their eyes. After that, they saw Diego's sword shattering and turning into droplets of spiritual energy before vanishing into the air.

The scales on David's body started falling off as well. In the end, his muscular body was exposed.

"It seems that David had gotten a lot stronger…" Xavier said in shock.

At the same time, Mr. Sanders was smiling in satisfaction.

However, Ryker furrowed his brows, with his expression looking indescribably grim. No one knew what was on his mind at that time.

Zion, who had lost an arm, was also just as shocked. He was looking forward to seeing David die a horrible death.

However, he was shocked when he saw the power that David displayed at the start of the fight.

"Diego, w-what's going on?" Zion thought David would surely die once Diego attacked.

Diego ignored Zion and stared at David with his narrowed eyes.

"You're indeed strong. I've been cultivating for decades. Apart from killing animals, I haven't had a good battle with someone. I shall use my magecraft, which I hadn't been using for ages, to have a good fight against you!"

"It's such a shame…" David looked at Diego and sighed.

Diego frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you've cultivated for decades, and this is your first fight against a human, right? It's such a shame you're going to die in your first fight in decades," David remarked.

Diego laughed.

"Haha! What an ignorant fool! You're one of those big talkers. I've seen a lot of people like you before. Normally, the more you talk big, the lousier you are. It seems like I've overestimated you."

"Let's fight, and you'll see if I'm talking big!"

With that, David reached out his right hand, and Dragonslayer Sword appeared in his grip.

The Dragonslayer Sword was emanating a dim light, which wasn't at all conspicuous, but it was rather intimidating.

Diego's eyes instantly lit up when he saw the Dragonslayer Sword David was holding.

"Is that a spiritual sword?"

Instantly, Diego's breathing turned rapid.

"Who would've known that a kid like you would have a spiritual sword? No wonder you could reach such a high cultivation level in a place with limited spiritual energy. It seems like you have quite a few magical items with you. Your spiritual sword has a sword spirit. It's so priceless, and it's a pity that you're the one wielding it."

Diego shook his head and added, "If you're willing to give me your spiritual sword and draconic essence, I'll let you live. I don't want your Nascent Soul anymore."

"Are you for real?" David asked.

Seeing that David was tempted, Diego patted his chest and assured him, "Of course! I'm a top Nascent Soul cultivator. Why would I lie to a kid like you?"

"Diego! How could you do that?"

Zion, who was standing nearby, was sweating bullets when he heard that. He had invited Diego there to kill David instead of making a deal with him.

"Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are? I'm not your servant! I've never promised you anything either!"

Diego glared at Zion.

Zion was embarrassed, and he didn't dare to utter a single word in response.

"Young one, if you make a deal with me, not only will I let you live, but I'll also bring you to Encanta Island. You can be my disciple. By then, no one would dare to kill you. With your talent, you'll surely become someone great in the future!"

Diego continued to convince David.

However, David chuckled and mocked, "Even if you don't want my Nascent Soul anymore, I still want yours! How dare you ask me to be your disciple? I only needed less than a year to be as strong as you! Do you think you're worthy enough to be my mentor? You're delusional, old man! If you were to kneel before me and beg me to tutor you, I might actually teach you a thing or two so that you could cultivate faster!"

"You're asking for death!" Diego was enraged.

Immediately afterward, Diego's body was bursting with energy.

In fact, waves and waves of spiritual energy could be seen circling around his body.

Suddenly, numerous white daggers appeared around Diego's body.

All the daggers were pointing at David, and they were packed with energy. Next, Diego's figure shuddered slightly before he waved his hand.

Those white daggers charged toward David and rained down on him.

While staring at the daggers above him, David swung the Dragonslayer Sword.

"Nine Shadows!" he shouted.

Within seconds, David's body slowly became transparent. It was as if he had transformed into a blurry shadow.

The shadow then suddenly turned clear. Somehow, another David with the Dragonslayer Sword appeared somewhere not far away.

Although the daggers were piercing his body, David didn't react to it. Instead, the other David quickly swung the Dragonslayer Sword toward Diego.

Diego felt the enormous wave of sword energy. He then frowned and backed away at lightning speed. Just like that, he barely avoided David's attack.

Mr. Sanders' eyes lit up when he saw what was happening before his eyes. At the same time, he looked stunned.

"David had gotten the core essence of Nine Shadows. What miraculous event did he encounter again?" Mr. Sanders murmured to himself.

"Mr. Sanders, David learned Nine Shadows from Ichiro. It seems like that fellow from Jetroina is good," Xavier explained, thinking Mr. Sanders didn't know who David learned Nine Shadows from.

In response, Mr. Sanders smiled and said, "Ichiro's Nine Shadows isn't even the real deal. In fact, it doesn't even have one-tenth of the power of the real Nine Shadows. One of the inheritors of Nine Shadows had probably introduced Nine Shadows to Jetroina. In reality, Fenix Osborne from Chanaea was the person who invented Nine Shadows. The technique didn't originate from Jetroina!"

Upon hearing Mr. Sanders' explanation, Xavier finally knew that Ichiro's Nine Shadows had originated from Chanaea.

"All right. Let's go."

Mr. Sanders slowly descended the mountain.

Xavier was confused. Why is Mr. Sanders leaving? What if David dies? What should we do then?

"Mr. Sanders, are you not going to keep watching David? What if—"

"There's no what ifs. That kid is stronger than I thought!"

Mr. Sanders flashed a faint smile and asked, "How are things with the Watanabe family?"

"The Watanabe family had secretly deployed a few batches of assassins, but they were all killed at the borders. Now, they don't dare to act rashly anymore," Xavier answered.

The Watanabe family stopped looking for David recently because Mr. Sanders had sent his men to stop them. It wasn't because they had given up.

"Okay. Keep your guard up. Don't let the Watanabe family come here and commit murder," Mr. Sanders reminded Xavier.

Xavier nodded.

"I'll relay the order!"

After that, Mr. Sanders and Xavier left the scene.

Meanwhile, Diego was glaring at David furiously. He didn't expect David to have mastered such an impressive technique.

Diego then pointed toward the sky, and a ray of light instantly broke through. Soon after, a shining sword appeared in his hand.

"Divine Sword!"

Diego thundered.

His sword lit up, and the light extended tens of meters long.

David was calm and collected. The Dragonslayer Sword in his hand was buzzing, and a wave of murderous aura exuded from the sword.

He was infusing the sword with the Power of Dragons.

"The first technique of Nine Shadows!"

David slightly moved his Dragonslayer Sword upward, and a strong gust of wind started blowing in the area.

At the same time, the terrifying waves of sword energy were unleashed.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

A series of exploding noises rang in the air. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and neither the sun nor the moon could be seen.

Upon enduring the sword energy David had unleashed, Diego's long sword was shattered and slowly disappeared.

Diego's hand trembled violently from the impact, and his shining sword was reduced to only a few inches left.

Diego was infuriated.

The shining sword in his hand expanded once again, and he swung it toward David.

This time around, Diego unleashed all his spiritual energy and showed David no mercy.

With Dragonslayer Sword in his hand, David fought back. They were both burning their spiritual energy in their bodies. Such a battle would consume a huge amount of spiritual energy.

The crowd was staring at them in disbelief. No one had expected David's ability to increase once again.

Within a short period of time, the two of them had already used more than a hundred moves on each other. The huge consumption of spiritual energy had Diego panting. At the same time, his expression was grim. He didn't expect such a hard battle against David.

"What's the matter? Are you running out of breath already?" David sneered. "Kid, you're stronger than I thought. However, this is only the beginning."

With that, Diego stomped his foot softly, and waves of spiritual energy could be seen rushing out of nowhere and toward him. As he was replenishing his spiritual energy, the people in the area felt that the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

Soon, Diego had fully recovered his spiritual energy.

David was shocked when he saw that. He didn't know what technique Diego used to recover his spiritual energy within such a short period of time.

Next, Diego started chanting, and his eyes widened.

Soon, light gathered at the tip of the sword and shone as bright as the sun. It was so bright that everyone in the area had to squint their eyes.

David could barely see, but he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind blowing toward him.

In response, he turned away. As soon as he had done that, he felt a gust of cold wind blow across his face.

That must be from the sword!

Seeing that he had missed, Diego quickly retreated, and the tip of his sword started shining brightly again. He was hoping that he could strike David again when the latter's vision was blinded.

David knew Diego was about to use the same trick again, so he immediately swung his Dragonslayer Sword toward Diego. Diego had no choice but to back away.

Consequently, that stopped him from utilizing his magecraft once again.

David's expression was solemn as he stared at Diego.

I know he's as strong as me. However, what's impressive is that he knows magecraft. Not every cultivator knows magecraft. In fact, magecraft is rarely seen these days. Ever since people started spiritual energy cultivation, fewer and fewer people cultivated in magecraft. By the time spiritual energy had become scarce, a lot of people then remembered magecraft, and they wanted to learn it. However, that was when they realized that magecraft had almost disappeared. Hence, it's rare to see people skilled in magecraft these days. Indeed, Diego had used magecraft, and the light at the tip of his sword wasn't generated by his spiritual energy. One needs to use mental energy to perform magecraft. It seems like he wants to fight me with magecraft.

"You want to fight me by using magecraft, don't you? Fine! I'll entertain you."

With that, David kept his Dragonslayer Sword and put his two fingers together. A golden light then flickered at his fingertips.

David then pointed his fingers toward Diego's chest. If the light were to hit his chest, it could penetrate his heart.

However, Diego was an experienced fighter, so he reacted fast enough.

Right when David was about to attack, Diego turned his body and sent a strong gust of wind in David's direction.

Seeing that, David moved in a flash, and his clones appeared instantly. Diego was frowning because all the clones looked very realistic.

Just as Diego was distracted, David appeared behind him.

With his glowing knuckle, David threw a punch at Diego. Diego sensed danger from behind, and that caused goosebumps to form all over his body the next instant.

Thump!

Diego almost fell to the ground when he was thrown forward upon getting punched by David from behind.

His expression turned grim after he got punched.

"You must die today!" he fumed, and he was filled with murderous intent.

A faint light then appeared around Diego's body when he was throwing a punch at David.

David was unfazed. He merely raised his fist to counter the attack.

Boom!

Chapter 282: Kill You Faster

Diego's punch connected, and so did David's. The fighters started a brawl to the death, but the fight was one-sided. David's punch did not cause any damage. Instead, the great recoil coming off Diego sent David flying.

David fell to the ground like a meteor, and a small crater formed around him.

Upon seeing that, Zion shouted excitedly, "Way to go, Diego! Finish him!"

Everyone else shook their heads. They thought it was the end of the line for David.

Narrowing his eyes, Ryker stated, "You're too inexperience, David."

Everyone thought David would die, as the difference in power was painfully visible. Diego sustained no injury, but David was sent flying back.

Diego approached the crater and looked down at David.

"I acknowledge your talent, David, but geniuses usually don't live long," he said coldly.

Gritting his teeth, David got back up and glared at Diego. Once again, he flew right at the latter. His golden fist overwhelmed Diego right away, but this time, Diego did not even bother dodging it.

In fact, he was smiling.

Another loud bang rattled the air. David's hit connected, but the recoil sent him flying back again, and this time, he coughed up blood.

Diego showed no mercy to the injured David.

Instead, he bellowed with a laugh, "Come on, David. Don't stop now. You still have a bit of energy."

There was mockery in that laughter.

Meanwhile, Zion also had a malicious smirk on his face.

A part of the crowd was already leaving, as the battle had already settled.

"I thought he could have kept up with Diego. Never thought Diego was just going easy on him."

"Diego was already powerful enough a few decades ago, let alone now? There's no way David can beat him."

"What a shame. David wouldn't have ended up this way if he was a bit humbler."

Some people were engaged in discussion, while some were already leaving.

A frown knitted David's brows, and he unsheathed the Dragonslayer Sword.

Even though David had unsheathed his weapon, Diego still was not fazed as the mocking smile remained on his face.

Quietly, David leaped into the air and swung the sword down, its power overwhelming the search battlefield, threatening to crush the very space itself.

Sword energy soared into the air, almost stirring the stars.

Finally, Diego's smile was wiped off his face, but he still did not try to dodge the attack.

David's sword connected with Diego, and a crisp clang rang in the air. However, Diego was unhurt, while David, once again, was sent flying backward. A deep gash appeared on his chest as if he was hit by a sharp weapon. David's bones were visible through the wound, and blood kept spurting out of it. It was a ghastly sight.

"Who would've thought you'd actually use a sword, kid? That'll only kill you faster," Diego stated, a sneer plastered on his face.

David looked at the wound on his chest, and he sheathed the sword.

I get it now. Every attack I make gets reflected to me. This wound is obviously caused by the sword. I'm hitting myself no matter what I do. The more powerful my attack is, the more I get injured. Well, this is a pickle. Never thought he would know a weird spell like this.

In the meantime, Zion laughed smugly.

"You can't run, David! I'll cut your head off and hang it on the Warriors Alliance's gates! That'll tell everyone not to go against us!"

David ignored Zion. Instead, his gaze was fixated on Diego, and a long while later, he grinned.

The scene was perplexing for Diego.

"You're smiling? Even on the verge of death?"

"Oh, but who said I was going to die? You can't kill me with that skill of yours. I saw through it, and I can break it," David said calmly.

"So what if you saw through it? You can't actually break my spell."

Diego did not think David was that powerful.

"Is that so? Care to try?"

A golden flash of light appeared in David's eyes, and waves of spiritual sense charged straight at Diego.

If physical attacks will get reflected back to me, then what about spiritual sense attacks? I'll cut his mental energy off and stop him from casting that spell.

"Hmph! You're trying to aim at my mental energy, huh? You're overestimating yourself. There's no way your energy is greater than mine."

Diego scoffed, thinking it was no big deal. He did not think anyone was more powerful than he was in magecraft. Any master in magecraft would have high mental energy. That was a given, so Diego was not afraid of David's attack at all.

In fact, he wanted to use this chance to turn David into a moron.

David's spiritual sense covered Diego and charged into his brain. The moment his spiritual sense infiltrated Diego's brain, a golden light lit up and cut off David's spiritual sense.

With a sneer, Diego uttered, "Is that all? Too wea—"

That sentence was never finished, and his smile froze.

Diego was assailed by an overwhelming amount of mental energy as if a tsunami was crashing down on him. The raging energy slumped his brain. He tried to fight back as hard as he could, but his mental energy was nothing compared to David's.

David looked at the dazed Diego, and he smirked. If Diego had not underestimated his power, it would have been a hassle to infiltrate the former's head.

He took this opening and leaped over to Diego, and then he hurled a punch. However, Diego did not seem to have noticed him, as he was in a daze. As the seconds passed by, David's fist came increasingly closer to Diego.

Upon seeing such a scene, Zion snickered. He's still going in for an attack? Look at Diego. He's not even moving.

"No matter what you do, you can't hurt Diego, David," he remarked.

Unbeknownst to Zion, Diego had fallen into a stupor.

Right before David's fist could connect, Diego finally could refocus, and he snapped out of it. He could feel the force behind that punch, which made him sweat buckets.

Instinctively, he tried to dodge, but it was too late. David's fist hit like a truck and pierced Diego's chest, creating a huge hole.

His entire being flew backward, and he fell to the ground heavily, which made him scrunch up in pain.

At the scene, Zion stared at Diego in disbelief. He thought that punch would get reflected like usual, but the opposite happened instead. Diego was sent flying backward, and his chest was chipped away cleanly.

Diego struggled to get back up. Looking at his wound, he scoffed.

"We're both Nascent Souls, David. As long as the Soul exists, so do we. That's not enough to kill me."

"Why don't we give it a try, then?"

David stared at Diego before leaping at him once more.

Diego tried to cast his spell in an attempt to block the attack, but the moment he did, his brain was in immense pain.

That mental attack earlier injured Diego's brain, stopping him from casting any spell.

Snapping out of it, Diego tried to focus his spiritual energy to block David, but it was too late.

David had arrived right in front of Diego, and he plunged his arm into the latter's chest, rummaging for his Nascent Soul.

The pain made Diego's face contort with rage and agony, while everyone else watched on in horror. They had no idea what David was trying to do.

When Zion saw what David was doing, he felt a chill run up his spine, and he made a run for it.

David did not care about Zion's escape, as he finally caught Diego's Nascent Soul. In other words, Diego's life was at his mercy.

"N-No, please!"

Diego roared.

He had to go through hell just to get this far. If David were to destroy his Nascent Soul, even if it would not kill him, staying alive would be meaningless.

"It's too late for mercy."

With that said, David yanked the Nascent Soul out of Diego.

The soul was only a bit bigger than David's thumb. He looked at it for a moment before tucking it away in his pocket.

The crowd had no idea what David had just tucked away in his pocket, but the sight still stupefied them.

"That guy's a demon. He ripped Diego's heart out and tucked it away in his pocket, didn't he?"

"Creepy. Never thought he would go so far."

"I think we'd better not cross him from now on."

Everyone closed their eyes as they refused to see the grotesque scene.

With his Nascent Soul gone, Diego's power plummeted, and he stared at David with a silent plea in his eyes.

"Please… g-give me back the Nascent Soul. You can be the king of Encanta Island," Diego begged David to give him back the Nascent Soul.

However, all David did was smirk coldly.

"I don't care about status or any of that sort. All I know is I always get back at anyone who tries to attack me."

All the color was drained from Diego's face, as he knew his fate was sealed.

"Zion, you liar!"

Diego let out one final roar, and then he spewed blood right before he fell to the ground with a thud. He died with his eyes wide open; it was evident that he died an unpeaceful death.

Even though he was frustrated, there was no other way out for him. He wanted what David had, yet it resulted in his own death in the end.