**In a Corner of the Desert**
Emily wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, gazing at Owen in shock.
What an astonishing strike that had been!
It seemed to cut through everything, breaking all barriers, giving her the illusion that no matter how far she fled, she could never escape.
Wasn't this the ultimate swordsmanship she had been pursuing?
And she had witnessed it in Owen!
She had no regrets about her defeat.
Taking a deep breath, Emily quickly composed herself from the shock and frustration and walked step by step toward Owen.
She held out her Aqua Sword, still surrounded by a misty aura, in front of him.
"I have failed the challenge. According to the rules, my weapon, the Aqua Sword, is now yours. I hope you will treat it well."
Although reluctant, Emily chose to abide by the challenge's rules.
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, gently running her fingers along the blade of the Aqua Sword, as if soothing an old friend.
"The Aqua Sword, you're giving it to me?"
Owen was taken aback.
Though he knew the challenge rules, Emily voluntarily offering the Aqua Sword still surprised him.
After all, a mage's weapon is crucial to their power and growth. It enhances their combat abilities and serves as a faithful companion during the long hours of training.
Moreover, as far as he knew, this Aqua Sword had been with Emily since childhood and held great significance for her.
But since she had chosen to challenge him, she had to be prepared for this outcome.
Owen squinted and slowly took the Aqua Sword into his hand.
"The Aqua Sword—a renowned magical weapon on the continent. Owen really hit the jackpot!"
"Indeed, whether he uses the Aqua Sword to boost his combat power or sells it, he stands to gain immensely..."
"Emily is truly straightforward, giving it up without any fuss or hesitation!"
Many mages watching this scene felt a pang of regret for Emily.
After all, they had witnessed her strength. She was indeed powerful, and her last strike was almost on par with a gold-tier mage.
But she had lost, and she did so without relying on her sister, Annie, the saint of Moonspring Kingdom. Otherwise, even if Owen won the challenge, he might have considered Annie's status.
As the crowd discussed, Emily watched Owen take the Aqua Sword, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.
Instinctively, she wanted to snatch it back, but quickly caught herself, stopping her outstretched hand.
With a sense of loss, she turned to walk away.
"Wait!"
At that moment, Owen called out to her.
Emily turned around, her eyes red and swollen, looking at Owen angrily. He had taken her sword; was he going to humiliate her as well?
Before she could react, Owen tossed the Aqua Sword back to her. "I don't need this Aqua Sword. You should take it back."
Emily's dilated pupils contracted sharply as she caught the flying Aqua Sword in her hand.
The feeling of regaining what she had lost swept away the sorrow in her heart. After a moment's hesitation, she asked,
"Why are you giving the sword back to me?"
"It's not really giving it back. I can't use your sword, so how about we trade it for something else?" Owen replied with a smile.
Emily frowned slightly, sensing something was off in Owen's eyes. Could it be that he was interested in her?
Her cheeks turned slightly red as she prepared to firmly tell Owen that she wasn't that kind of person.
But Owen continued, "You should have acquired a group attack sword technique, the [Judgment Light Sword], right? How about trading that skill for the Aqua Sword?"
Emily was taken aback by his words.
Indeed, she had obtained the Judgment Light Sword skill, but she had just recently acquired it and was still learning. No one else knew about it.
How did Owen know?
The more Emily looked at Owen, the more mysterious he seemed.
"Here you go. This is the skill book for the Judgment Light Sword. We are even now!" Finally, she decisively pulled out a blue skill book from her chest and handed it to Owen.
"Although the Judgment Light Sword is powerful, it has some obvious drawbacks. Firstly, the speed of condensing the light sword is slow, and it disperses attacks, making it less threatening to a single target."
Emily added.
Owen took the skill book and nodded slightly.
He understood everything Emily said. He also knew that the Judgment Light Sword had purification and suppression effects on evil spirits.
As for the drawback of a long condensation time, with Owen's passive skill, Starlit, that was hardly an issue.
Moreover, Starlit could continue to be upgraded. Once this passive skill reached level 2 or even level 3, the Judgment Light Sword in his hands would become a devastating weapon beyond anyone's imagination!
"You're a decent person. If you ever come to Moonspring Kingdom, you can mention my name!"
"Next time, let's have a battle again!"
Before turning to leave, Emily gave Owen a long, deep look.
Previously, she thought Owen was a man of empty fame, perhaps with some proficiency in swordsmanship. She believed he couldn't compare to her sister or even to herself.
However, after fighting Owen, she realized she was completely wrong. He evoked a feeling unlike any other mage she had encountered!
As Emily left, the mages gathered around became agitated again. Most of their eyes were fixed on the dark golden greatsword tightly held by Owen.
Was that the Godslayer Staff? Most of them had come here for that legendary staff! When Emily was defeated with a single strike, Owen had used this transformed staff. This led many mages to believe that this was indeed the Godslayer Staff!
If they could obtain this legendary artifact, their power would surpass Owen's. His fame and everything he had would become theirs upon acquiring the staff! With these thoughts, many mages' greed grew, and their eyes turned blood-red as they slowly advanced toward Owen.
"Master Owen, we should leave this place. You're attracting too much attention right now," Benedict urged. The numerous mages gathered around were like hungry wolves, and he hoped Owen could keep a low profile and return to the duke's mansion.
Otherwise, more mages would converge here. After all, he had received news that many top-tier geniuses from across the continent were already on their way. The longer they delayed, the worse it would be for them.
However, Owen ignored Benedict and the others, sweeping his gaze over the greedy mages instead. Most were between bronze and silver tier; none could match the formidable Emily.
Seeing this, Owen raised the Godslayer Sword, directing it toward the approaching mages. "Do you all want to challenge me as well?"
The chilling light of the Godslayer Sword was so fierce that no one dared to look directly at its sharp edge.
"If you have the guts, don't rely on the staff!"
"Yeah, if you're brave enough, let's fight barehanded!"
Many mages shouted back. The reason Emily was defeated so quickly, they argued, was that Owen had used what seemed to be the Godslayer Staff. Otherwise, given Emily's previously overwhelming sword aura, Owen should have lost.
Owen initially didn't want to engage with these taunts. After all, magical weapons, skills, and even pets were part of one's strength. In a life-and-death battle, only survival mattered, regardless of the means used.
However, under the immense pressure from Emily just now, he had faintly approached the threshold of Obsidify. With a bit more brutal combat and by putting his body under tremendous stress, he could fully master Obsidify!
So, he put away the Godslayer Sword and nodded toward the mage who had just provoked him. "What is your name?"
"Aeos, I challenge you!" replied the burly mage, his eyes filled with excitement as he charged at Owen.
Feeling confident, he believed he could win without using the Godslayer Sword. After all, Owen was just a bronze-tier level 9 novice, while he was a silver-tier level 1 mage!
He was an entire tier above Owen! As long as he unleashed an overwhelming magical attack instantly, he could crush Owen completely!