The Sword Of The Fire Dragon

A Fierce Battle

The pair of eyes belonged to a massive dragon, deeply intrigued by the figure of Arya. Last night, it had deliberately let the handsome young man leave without restraint. This allowed the dragon more freedom to observe him closely.

"Turns out he wasn't lying," it murmured to itself. The great dragon considered Arya to be both fascinating and enigmatic.

Unaware that he was being watched, Arya practiced intensely, his focus solely on mastering the techniques written in the Dragon King’s manual.

The dragon remained hidden behind a large rock, continuing to spy on him. It was quite astonished to see Arya move his body like a dragon hunting its prey. In its assessment, the young man was practicing a technique clearly related to dragons.

Meanwhile, Sarwana perched on a massive tree deep in the forest, watching a group of eight individuals in the distance. Judging by their appearance, he could tell they were warriors.

One among them, an elderly man clad in all white with a long white beard, held an ivory-colored staff with a tiger’s head carved into its handle. The other seven wore white tops and black trousers, with swords slung across their backs.

Sarwana furrowed his brow. Their movements suggested they were searching for something, though he didn’t know what.

As the ruler of Panguripan Gorge, Sarwana had no intention of letting intruders roam his territory freely. Besides maintaining peace in his domain, he also needed to protect the rare Tundra Moss from being stolen by those who had long sought it.

As time passed, the group drew closer. Sarwana suppressed his energy to avoid detection. Not out of fear, but to remain unnoticed while gathering more information about their intentions.

The eight warriors stopped not far from the tree where Sarwana was observing them.

"Spread out! Don’t stray too far, so others can hear if you find any clues!" commanded the white-bearded elder.

"Yes, Master," the seven responded in unison before spreading out, advancing and flanking. The elder, however, stayed in place.

Not long after the seven disciples departed, a man wearing a bamboo hat arrived at the scene. A sword with a red eagle-head hilt hung on his back.

"Hahaha... Who would’ve thought Kelana Jati, known for his righteousness, would also covet the Dragon Fire Sword?" the man mocked, clicking his tongue in disdain.

The elder named Kelana Jati turned his head upon hearing the voice. Recognizing the newcomer, he fully turned around.

"So it’s you, Darmawisesa, the Red Eagle Warrior, also yearning for that sacred sword. Will you change your title to the Red Dragon Warrior if you succeed in obtaining it? Hahahahaha!" Kelana Jati retorted.

"I should ask you the same, Kelana Jati. Will you rename yourself the Ivory Dragon Warrior if you claim the sword? And will your school’s name change as well?"

"Don’t drag my school into this, Darma!" Kelana Jati snapped, his face flushing with anger.

"And what will you do about it, Kelana Jati? Do you want to resume the duel we left unfinished?" Darmawisesa taunted.

"You seem to have learned nothing from the past, Darma! Have you forgotten that if Mulawarman hadn’t intervened, you would’ve died by my hand back then?"

"Died, you say? Hahahaha! You’re too confident, Kelana Jati! Now that there’s no one to stop us, why don’t we finish what we started?" Darmawisesa challenged.

"Afraid of you? Never!" Kelana Jati scoffed arrogantly. "I’ll prove that you’ll never be able to defeat me!"

"You arrogant old fool... I’ll kill you!" Darmawisesa growled, his jaw tightening as his fingers curled into claws.

Kelana Jati wasn’t one to back down. His fingers also hardened into claws, fitting for the moniker he carried.

What followed was a fierce battle of claw techniques in the heart of the forest. Kelana Jati unleashed the Tiger Claw Hunter technique, while Darmawisesa countered with the Mountain Eagle Strike.

The hand-to-hand combat moved at incredible speed. Darmawisesa quickly realized that Kelana Jati’s strength hadn’t diminished over the years.

The Red Eagle Warrior was startled by Kelana Jati’s initial speed. He tried dodging swiftly, but another attack came from a different angle, accompanied by an immense aura that bore down on him.

"His movements are so fast!" Darmawisesa reluctantly blocked the attack, causing him to stagger backward several steps.

"I’ve roamed the martial world for decades. If needed, I’ll use all my strength to kill you this time!" Kelana Jati shouted as he launched another attack.

The battle intensified, with dozens of strikes exchanged in mere moments.

Darmawisesa had overestimated his ability to defeat Kelana Jati, which left him on the defensive against his longtime rival. Realizing this, he shifted his mindset and fought more seriously.

Despite his best efforts, Darmawisesa, lacking Kelana Jati’s experience, remained at a disadvantage. He focused on evasion, unable to counterattack as his moves were consistently thwarted.

Though accustomed to fighting speedy opponents, Darmawisesa was genuinely troubled this time. Kelana Jati’s techniques were more fearsome, infused with greater internal energy than during their previous encounter.

"How long will you keep dodging, Darma? Even with your speed, you’re no match for me in this martial world!" Kelana Jati spun and suddenly changed direction, targeting Darmawisesa’s exposed flank.

Thud!

Darmawisesa was flung back, crashing into a tree. His chest burned from the claw strike’s impact.

"Ugh...!" He coughed lightly, spitting out thick blood that disrupted his breathing.

Determined not to be humiliated by his old foe, he stood and blocked Kelana Jati’s next attack, aimed at his chest.

The 40-something warrior stumbled back but quickly advanced with his Mountain Eagle Strike. His claw-like hands, combined with his light-body technique, allowed him to move rapidly.

Gradually, Darmawisesa began to turn the tide, going from defensive to offensive. However, none of his attacks landed on Kelana Jati.

"His moves are so precise and deadly. What technique is he using?" Kelana Jati blocked Darmawisesa’s strike and used the impact to leap high. He grabbed his staff, still planted in the ground, and countered with swift precision.

"Hunter’s Staff Strike!" Kelana Jati shouted, slashing his staff toward Darmawisesa’s head.