Chapter 301: Jack Rust vs. Maximus Lonihor
All across the galaxy, entire cities were erupting into uproar.
Did you see that!? a woman asked.
Holy shit, her husband exclaimed, placing his trembling hands over his mouth. Holy shit.
Thats our Jack! Edgar shouted back on Earth, pumping a fist. Go get them, tiger!
Vivi sported a restrained smile. Harambe looked up with pride, while the professor did not react, torn between horror and excitement. Her son was riling up the entire galaxybut at what cost?
Back in the Hell arena, the crowd had fallen quiet. They didnt know what to do. For them, this was not a far-off spectacle on a screen; it was real, far too real. Someone had just slapped the Animal Kingdom as hard as he possibly could at the core of their territory. He hadnt given them the slightest bit of face.
What a lunatic! Did he not care about his life at all?
And, most importantly, what would happen next? Jack Rust had exhibited great power. What if, against all odds, he managed to defeat Maximus Lonihor? Would he really be released?
That extremely talented madman would be free in the galaxy? If the Kingdom let that happen, they would pay in blood! Clearly, Jack Rust had a huge grudge against them.
In the honor seats, the various Elders were in a heated discussion through telepathy. The Grand Elder was burning with indignant rage. In the Animal Kingdoms hundreds of thousands of years of history, this was the first time they were humiliated like thisand it was on his tenure as Grand Elder.
Summon every available Enforcer and Elder, he commanded the rest of the Elders. We can take no risks. If Jack Rust wins, he will be apprehended and executed the moment he leaves the planet.
One of the meeker Elders asked, But Grand Elder, what about
I couldnt give a second shit! the Grand Elder roared in everyones mind. Damn everything and damn our public image. If we let this guy escape after everything he did, there will be no Animal Kingdom to suffer the consequences! Do you understand me!?
Everyone gulped. Yes, Grand Elder.
The Grand Elder then turned to the two white-robed C-Grades of the Hand of God. I hope you understand, he said. We will compensate the Hand, but this man must die no matter what.
The two of them glanced at each other and sighed. There was no helping it. They had tried to enlist Jack Rust, but he seemed hell-bent on dying.
The only ones not participating in the conversation were Elders Huali and Monsoon of the Animal Kingdom, who had been invited to watch. Nobody saw fit to ask their opinion, and they already understood everything anyway. Monsoon wasnt even paying attention to the final battle; his mind was rife with calculations of how this affected his chances of getting the Grand Elder position.
As for Hualishe was just worried. Jack was her disciple, and he seemed to be committing suicide. Shol, too. What were they thinking?
Jack Rust raised his hand high. Hualis thoughts were cut short by a knife, her entire attention focused on the arena. It was only a second later that she realized it: Jack Rust, a D-Grade, had commanded the unwavering attention of every C-Grade present. He had achieved an influence unimaginable for anyone else in his Grade.
It was impressive; the most impressive thing shed witnessed in a millennium. If he lived on, there was no telling what heights he would reach.
Unfortunately, he was trading his life for this opportunity. He would go down with glory and make the Exploding Sun proud. It saddened her, but there was nothing she could do.
As per our agreement, Jack Rust spoke, his voice carrying over the millions of live audience, if I win, you let me and my friends go. If I lose, I will proclaim myself a dog of your faction, becoming your slave for as long as you see fit.
Maximus laughed coldly. Do you think you can still become a slave, Jack Rust? After what you did? No, even that would be too good for you. If you lose, you will proclaim yourself a loser and take your own life, right here, right now.
Jacks eyes narrowed. Deal.
Good. Prepare yourself. Today, you die!
Golden radiance rained from the heavens. Maximus was in no mood for games. Motes of golden light surrounded his body, filling the eyes of the onlookers with his majesty. Rows of winged knights emerged from the light, brandishing their spears and charging straight at Jack.
Meanwhile, Maximus himself could not be seen, covered in light as he was. Who knows what kind of transformation was taking place under it?
Hmph! Jack snorted, crossing his arms. Do you take me for a fool, Maximus Lonihor?
The audience did not understand what he meant. The Elders, however, did, and they couldnt help but admire Jacks insight.
By raising the stakes and starting a battle-form transformation that would take time to complete, Maximus had been enticing Jack to assault him before the transformation was over. But it was a trap. If Jack did attack, Maximus would ridicule his lack of honor and complete his transformation regardlessafter all, if he wished to, he could have assumed his battle form beforehand.
This was just a way to secure the moral high ground over Jack, make him doubt himself, and win the Kingdom some favor in the spectators eyes. Unfortunately for Maximus, Jack possessed the composure and dignity to just wait.
The winged knights dissipated before even approaching Jack. They turned into motes of light that dove back into the glowing sphere that had formed around Maximus. By now, the radiance was almost blinding, and one could faintly hear chanting whispered in the sky.
Suddenly, the tips of two feathered wings peeked out from the sphere of light. With a mighty flap, they broke it, sending motes of light flying everywhere before extinguishing themselves. The audience gasped. Jack raised his brows.
Here it is! someone shouted in the audience. The Lonihor Angel battle form!
Maximus floated in the sky, almost divine in radiance and dazzling in brilliance. His indifferent face spoke of arrogance. Four white, feathered wings stretched from his shoulderblades, an armor made of light covered his body, and a dazzling sword of light was held in his grasp.
The audience ogled. Jack whistled. I thought you were a cat, not a bird, he said.
Maximus gave him the faintest of smiles. Our previous battle was interrupted, Jack Rust. Maybe that is why you have such confidence. Have you never seen a leonines battle form before?
I have, a couple of times. Cant say I was particularly impressed. I still killed them all.
A slight crease of the brows was the only evidence of Maximuss anger. Have you ever wondered why, of the Animal Kingdoms five noble families, the leonines reign supreme?
I assumed it was because you shout the loudest.
The two main leonine families, the Lonihors and the Emberhearts, have discovered that when they cultivate the Dao of Supremacy, they can combine it with their innate physique to trigger a transformation. For us, it is the angel form. It is this form that forces the other families to serve us and lets us stand on equal footing with the other B-Grade factions.
I see. Very impressive. Are we going to fight or drink tea and discuss history?
Maximuss brows creased further. He raised his sword high. You understand nothing, Jack Rust. You are a bum, a trash cultivator of a recently Integrated planet. You dont even understand how to run a spectacle, but so be ityour death in humiliation will be spectacle enough.
I am all those things, Jack agreed with a nod. Which makes your ensuing death all the worse. If I, a country bumpkin who has cultivated for less than a year, can defeat the strongest D-Grade cultivator of a B-Grade faction who had cultivated for centuriesjust what does that mean for your Animal Kingdom?
You utter big words, Jack Rust, but can you back them up?
Jesus, man, are you going to fight me or not?
Maximus charged. His wings flapped fiercely, taking him through the air at a speed that resembled teleportation. He was before Jack in an instant, swinging his sword like the guillotine of heaven.
Jack met it with his fist.
The sky shattered. Light rained everywhere, an explosion of colors and radiance that did not stop. Each time it was about to dissipate, more light erupted, more sound, more shockwaves. The barrier shook under the onslaught. The arena had become a stormy sea of golden and purple light, intertwined with each other and fighting for supremacy.
Most of the audience were blind, but the C-Grades were not. Their eyes penetrated the light and followed every exchange, every clash. They gasped.
The barrier adjusted its brightness to let the rest of the audience watch, too.
In the middle of the arena, Jack and Maximus were going toe-to-toe. They clashed, broke off, and clashed again. Their patterns were chaotic, their strikes sharp. They crossed the sky like a pair of angry wasps, colliding before the shockwave of the previous clash even had time to dissipate.
Once, twice, thrice. Ten times, twenty, a hundred. Maximuss dazzling sword illuminated the sky, but Jacks fists were indomitable. The more they fought, the more they sank into the battle, the more they learned the others patterns, and the sharper they got.
Last time, Jack had been at a clear advantage, but it was much more chaotic now.
Jack stepped forward to attack. His fist traveled in a straight line, carrying the force of multiple collapsing mountains. A sword of the heavens cleaved down to intercept it. Jacks knuckle met the blade. The skin tore. A thin line of blood trickled down, but the sword was pushed back, as was his fist.
Each clash was like that. Jacks body couldnt handle a direct collision against the blade, but his regeneration fixed the wounds almost instantly.
Maximus dove in, using his wings to instantly accelerate to three times the speed of sound. He appeared behind Jack and slashed. Jack teleported behind Maximus, but Maximus followed the teleportation mid-swing, reappearing behind his opponent. Jack was already turning, throwing a tight punch over his abdomen. It met the tip of the blade and both were ricocheted away.
Jack pushed on. His punches fell like hail, strong and hard. Maximus was on the defensive now. He ran and teleported away, but Jack matched each movement to keep attacking. They were competing over agility, their control over their flight and teleportations. They were equal.
A fist landed on Maximuss shoulder and was shrugged off. Another found his shin. Jack was like a storm, striking everywhere with deadly precision, but Maximus possessed extraordinary technique. His sword was always at the right place, each movement flying into the next. His body was perfectly positioned.
From a contest of agility, the battle switched to one of technique. The two fighters went head-to-head, both refusing to retreat. They hovered in the middle of the arena and went to town on each other.
Jack slapped away the blade to punch out. Maximus ducked under the fist, struck upward, then teleported diagonally to redirect his strike. Jack had expected the movement and was already turning. He took the blade on the shoulder, letting it reach the bone. In the same movement, he drove his knuckles into the others nose, sending him tumbling through the air.
Maximus came to a stop three hundred feet away. Heh, he said, blood running over his mouth, I guess were
His words froze unspoken. Jacks shoulder, where hed been slashed, was regenerating with speed visible to the naked eye. Soon, it was unblemished, but Maximuss nose remained broken.
The leonine frowned heavily.
What happened? Jack taunted. Kitty got your tongue?
Maximus did not reply. He charged into battle carrying a different airif before he was showcasing his strength, he was now going for the throat. So was Jack. The two clashed again, a storm of punches and slashes that tore the very air around them to shreds.
Jack dodged the blade, but a set of sharp claws came at him from the side. He took a nasty gash on his chest. At the same time, the four wings bent towards him and shot out sharp feathers, nicking him and forcing him to dodge to keep his eyes safe.
The dazzling sword kept coming. One strike flowed unstoppably into the next. Jack weaved and bobbed, utilizing every scrap of fighting experience he possessed. This battle was driving him to the limitthough not past it, not yet. He could manage. The more Maximus went all-out, the wider Jacks grin became. He could feel the ecstasy of battle, the same one hed felt all the way since his Forest of the Strong days.
When his life was on the line and death was one mistake away, he felt alive.
Jack accelerated to match the others rhythm. The Iron Fist Style was pumping out furiously. His body, dense as a neutron star, took the hits and regenerated. His Brutalizing Aura was spread out at full force, stealing a small portion of Maximuss power, and his Dao Domain filled his body, eager to burst out.
He slapped away the blade and punched into the claws. His knuckle bled, but Maximuss arm was pushed back. Sharp feathers flew for Jacks face, but he let them graze his cheeks. He leaned into the battle, securing the momentum and pushing Maximus back. One strike turned to ten, which turned into a hundred. His fists were unstoppable, every Dao Root operating concurrently at full force.
Maximus didnt even have time to teleport away. Suddenly, he was on the back foot, defending for his life. However, he was an extremely skilled warrior. Even under heavy pressure, he defended masterfully, combining his every advantage to come out unscathed.
Finally, he dodged one punch and let another meet his temple, using it as a springboard to escape this clash and regain the offensive. Even as he flew away, his sword erupted with blinding light. Heavenly Divide! he shouted, teleporting above Jack and slashing down.
Meteor Punch!
The sky ruptured between them as a meteor met a slash that could cleave the heavens. The two attacks ground against each other for a moment. Then, slowly, the meteor pushed through, accelerating into the slash before shattering it and bursting out.
Maximus barely had time to teleport away, as his attack had slowed down the meteorite, but he was forced to watch his strike be defeated. How!? he shouted. How can you possibly be this strong?
Jack laughed carefreely. He knew he was going to win. And, though he didnt reply to Maximus, the answer was simple: because he had better stats and Dao.
His titles were overwhelmingly superior to anyone elsesboth the Integration ones and the title he secured by conquering Trial Planet. The stat increase they amounted to was far greater than the twenty levels difference between them. Moreover, he had a perfect foundation, an incredibly rare phenomenon. Across the entire galaxy, there were only a handful of people with four Dao Roots, and Maximus was definitely not one of them. Most were B-Grades.
Honestly, Maximus being able to compete was already a testament to his great skill as a warrior. Jack had to admit that, on that front, he was outskilled. His life-or-death experiences, equal-strength spars against Copy Jack, and Iron Fist Style made him a master fighter, but Maximus was even above that.
However, Maximus did not know all that. In his eyes, Jacks strength was impossible. There was no way to acquire it. He was the strongest D-Grade of the Animal Kingdom. He could hold his ground against the greatest D-Grades of the entire galaxy. How could there be someone that much stronger than him?
Was he going to die?
The realization came like a mallet to his skull, but Maximus was vastly more experienced than Rufus Emberheart had been. He possessed no fear of death. In his long life, hed survived even more life-or-death battles than Jack!
All he felt was the intense desire to prove himself stronger. Superior. COME! he shouted, diving at Jack with every ounce of strength he could muster. His Dao shone inside him as he went completely all-out. If he lost, it would crack, and he would never be able to advance again. But it didnt matter. He was supreme. He couldnt lose.
Not to a human.
Light erupted from his blade, illuminating even the skies above. Even the Enforcers had to shield their eyes until the barrier could adjust. Jack pulled his fist back, welcoming the attack. DIE! he shouted, putting his entire strength before the attack. His fist shot out. Color and sound were swallowed by purple.
At the last moment, Maximus teleported away. He reappeared below Jack, an ugly smile on his face. Fool! YOU die! he screamed, dragging his blade up. Final Heavenly Divide!
There was far more energy imbued in this strike than in the previous one. It left no room for retreat. Maximus would either succeed or die on this hill, and Jack had just been tricked. He was punching the other way!
Except, Jack was no idiot himself. Though Maximus was more skilled, his supremacy made him prone to underestimating Jack, and Jack knew that. He hadnt used a single feint in this battle, saving it for when it would matter most. Hed even shouted, DIE! like a lunatic to make it more convincing.
Mid-swing, Jack reached into the fabric of space with his other hand, poked it open with a finger, and teleported himself in the exact same spot he was occupying, but upside-down! Instead of punching up, he was now punching down, directly at Maximuss strike.
A feral grin played on his lips as he shouted, METEOR PUNCH!
His entire strength went into the strike. Neither of the two pulled back. One would be eviscerated.
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