Chapter 8: Thunder Spirit Blade

The two had been focused on their training for a whole year and didn't meet often. However, thanks to Snow's adorable appearance, which was irresistibly charming to both men and women, Bailey still had a deep impression of it. Connor noticed that Bailey had become even more beautiful during these days apart. Her long hair was cut into a short, ear-length style, and her eyebrows carried a heroic spirit, making her look even more valiant. She wore a combat outfit instead of traditional women's clothing, accentuating her developing figure. A faint, delicate fragrance wafted toward him, leaving Connor momentarily dazed. "We ate an entire cow," Connor said. Bailey laughed, "You're always exaggerating. With your stomachs, how could you possibly eat a whole cow?" "I definitely couldn't, but Snow could." Connor pointed at Snow, who was only about ten centimeters tall. Snow proudly patted its tiny belly. Its action made Bailey laugh. She reached out and held Snow in her arms. "With this tiny belly, you could eat a whole cow? I doubt you could even finish a cow's ear." Connor felt exasperated. He could guarantee that Snow was even more formidable than the most gluttonous dragons if it was about eating. The Demonic Bull was over two meters long. Connor had only eaten a small portion, while Snow had devoured the rest. Even more strangely, Snow's belly hadn't even bulged. To this day, Connor was still puzzled by it. Seeing that Bailey didn't believe it, Snow immediately changed tactics, putting on a pitiful look as if he were starving and Connor was a cruel master who refused to feed him. Connor nearly lost his temper in frustration. "Alright then! It just so happens that a nice restaurant opened on the city's east side. Let's go eat!" Bailey said with a smile. Giving the greedy Snow a sharp glare, Connor asked, "Bailey, how do you have so much free time today? Over the past year, you've come less than ten times, and each visit lasted no more than ten minutes." "That's because I have something to celebrate!" Bailey said playfully. "Connor, do you know? In just one year, I advanced from lower Novice-level to upper Intermediate-level! That's three whole ranks! It even broke the record set by Mr. Quentin!" "Impressive," Connor thought to himself. "As expected, the Butterfly Queen is truly extraordinary." Previously, it had taken Bailey nearly five to six years to advance from lower Novice-level to upper Novice-level. But in only one year, she had progressed from upper Novice-level to upper Intermediate-level. Usually, the higher the rank, the slower the advancement. This only proved how remarkable Yasmin's training was. "Hehe, my master even said that my talent is not inferior to hers. It might not be impossible for me to win the championship!" Bailey said excitedly. "And you know what? Just yesterday, I fought against a lower Advanced-level Demonic Bull! Can you believe it? I lasted for three whole hours before I lost. Amazing, right? Even my master called me a genius!" Demonic Bull? Connor and Snow exchanged glances. They had just eaten one. Connor had easily slain it. "Yes, you are." Connor couldn't bring himself to tell Bailey that he had effortlessly killed a Demonic Bull. That would crush her confidence. Moreover, he hadn't told anyone that he had developed battle energy. "My master also said that if she had started training me when I was seven, I'd already be at the Soaring-level by now. She's decided to focus all her efforts on teaching me from now on. She's determined to make me the second Butterfly Queen!" Bailey cheered, waving her fists excitedly. Connor teased, "Then does that mean I can become the Butterfly King?" "Butterfly King? There's no such thing. You're messing with me again, Connor. Watch how I deal with you!" Bailey suddenly realized what he meant. King and Queen were naturally a couple. Her heart started beating wildly, and her face turned bright red. Afraid Connor would notice her flustered state, she lunged at him with playful aggression. "You don't need to trouble yourself, Miss. Let me kill him for you." A cold voice rang out from ahead. The two looked up and realized they had walked into a relatively quiet alley with no other pedestrians. In front of them stood a young man around eighteen years old. He held a gleaming longsword that shimmered with purple light, and his eyes radiated a bloodthirsty glow as he coldly stared at Connor. The person looked familiar. Connor frowned in suspicion. "Who are you?" "Tucker Augustus," the young man declared. Connor and Bailey were both startled. "You're a survivor of the Augustus family!" Connor's expression turned serious. "Survivor?" Tucker's facial muscles twitched violently. He glared at Connor with a sinister gaze and said viciously, "The Augustus family was originally one of the three major families of Lanshire City. It was your father—that damned bastard—who wiped out my family! If I hadn't escaped in time, I would have died as well. But now… Your damned bastard of a father has been in a coma for three years. Today, I will kill you and avenge my family's blood feud!" Connor sneered. "How ridiculous. Back then, if the Augustus family hadn't assumed that my father was away and tried to ambush the Shayle family in an attempt to wipe us out, how could your family have been destroyed? You brought your downfall upon yourselves. You have no one to blame but your greed." "No one to blame but ourselves? Well said, well said!" Tucker flicked his sword, and a cold light flashed across its blade. "Then, if a useless waste who couldn't even cultivate battle energy like you died at my hand today, that would also be a case of 'no one to blame but yourself,' right?" He snickered and continued, "Before you die, let me tell you something. My purpose for returning isn't just to kill you. It's to wipe out all of the Shayle family's younger generation. I've already killed three. You'll be the fourth. I will make the Shayle family pay for everything they've done! Hahaha!" "Connor, run! I'll hold him off!" Bailey suddenly stepped forward. Connor was about to make a move, but the sudden development caught him off guard. Only then did he realize Bailey didn't know he had developed battle energy. Before he could say anything, Tucker sneered and swung his blade. A slash through the air. A blade light streaked across, bringing with it a frigid wind. Though the sun was shining brightly, the chilling force made it feel like they had fallen into the depths of the underworld. Bailey cried fiercely and drew a short sword to block the attack. Crack! The short sword was shattered instantly by the blade light. "Watch out!" Connor saw it. He grabbed Bailey and pulled her into his arms, yanking her aside just in time to avoid the fatal strike. The blade light passed, leaving a half-meter-deep gouge in the ground. Connor stared at the sword in Tucker's hand and said, "That's the Augustus family's sacred weapon, the Thunder Spirit Blade!"