“Damn it!” Azure Dragon took a few steps forward and coldly exclaimed, “You want a fight? Bring it on!”
“Very well! I shall grant your wish!” The opposing man said in a deep voice, as he launched a palm strike.
“Azure Dragon, be careful!” Harleen furrowed her brows and simultaneously unleashed a powerful gust of wind to block the opponent’s attack.
“Hmm?” The middle-aged man clearly didn’t expect Harleen to possess such strength, his pupils slightly contracted.
“He brought this upon himself by losing an arm.” Harleen pointed at the man with the severed arm and spoke in a low voice. “Severing his arm was a mercy, otherwise, he would face much worse! Of course, if you truly want revenge, we are more than willing to oblige!”
Harleen’s group paid no further attention to the enemy and led the others to continue their path.
The opposing man clearly wasn’t ready to give up so easily and sneered, “Do you really think I, from Northfortia, am afraid of you?”
As the words fell, he attacked again, his aura reaching its peak. Immediately, he raised his hand and sent out several ferocious gusts of wind towards Harleen.
“You really have a death wish!” Ivy shouted, as she channeled her full strength and unleashed several chilling glimmers.
The clash of their attacks created a loud noise, their strengths evenly matched.
“Attack!” Another middle-aged man from Northfortia raised his hand and commanded, “Let the people of Glavale know our true strength!”
“Understood!” The other twenty or so members of Northfortia responded simultaneously.
“If you wish for death, we shall grant your wish!” Harleen looked at Azure Dragon, Night Orchid, and the others and said, “Everyone, careful!”
“Take care of yourself too, Ms Knight!” Azure Dragon and the others responded before charging forward.
Soon, both sides engaged in a fierce battle. The members of the Guardians, led by Philbert Parker, stood nearby, observing the commotion without any intention of intervening for now.
Before long, one of the middle-aged men who had been fighting Harleen was sent flying by a sword energy she released, leaving a deep gash on his arm.
“Damn it! You injured me!” The man looked at the wound on his arm. He was a genuine Eighth-rank Sovereign who had never taken Harleen seriously. But now, he found himself being the first one injured, which was difficult for him to accept.
“I promise you, today, I will tear you apa-” The man turned his gaze towards Harleen, continuing to speak.
“In your next life! I’ll send you on your way!” As Harleen finished speaking, she activated the Ether Mountain Sword Technique without hesitation. Since the battle had already begun, she wouldn’t show any mercy.
Without pause, a sword filled with thunderous power shot towards the opposing man like a solid object, unstoppable.
“Empty boasts!” The middle-aged man sneered and still didn’t take Harleen’s attack seriously. As he spoke, he channeled his full strength and raised his hand to meet her attack. However, his pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks in the next second. A sense of death surged from his feet to the top of his head. Only then did he realize how wrong he had been. Harleen’s attack possessed the power to kill opponents of a higher level. He intended to dodge, but because he had underestimated his opponent all along, it was obviously too late. He could only watch as the sword energy rapidly expanded in his pupils.
Just then, a wave of energy swept in from the side and blocked Harleen’s attack. Harleen was pushed back several steps by the energy wave, then turned her head to look. The one who made the move was Philbert Parker.
“Thank you, Provincial Governor, for your assistance!” The man who had been fighting Harleen, now coming from the brink of death, turned to Philbert Parker and bowed in gratitude.
“Aren’t you people from Glavale going a bit too far?” Philbert Parker nodded slightly at the man before looking at Harleen.
“What do you want to say?” Harleen took a moment to catch her breath and spoke coldly.
“That person from Northfortia only said a few things to you, and your people severed his arm!” Philbert Parker glanced at Harleen. “Do you think Polar Domain is Glavale’s private garden? You can do whatever you want? I’ll make it clear to you. As long as the Guardians exist, Glavale shouldn’t think it can act so recklessly!”
“I had heard that the Guardians were no longer necessary, now I’m confirmed.” Harleen responded coldly. “From the start, the people from Northfortia provoked us, and you, the Provincial Governor of the Guardians, pretended not to hear it! And then, the people from Northfortia started the war against us, you pretended not to see it! Now, you know the people from Northfortia are no longer a match for us, you come out to mediate for so-called justice? You have no shame!”
“Outrageous!” Another male Guardian stepped forward. “How dare you speak to the Provincial Governor like that? Kneel down and apologize immediately!”
“You’re ignorant!” Harleen glanced at the man and ignored both of them, turning to charge towards the others in the battlefield.
“May I allow you to leave?” Philbert Parker’s voice rang out once again. As he spoke, a powerful wave of energy surged from his hand, rushing straight towards Harleen.
“You bastard!” Harleen furrowed her brows and summoned her twelvefold power to block the attack.
“Careful!” Ivy, not far away, shouted at the same time.
Bang! A muffled sound followed, and then Harleen was sent flying, landing on the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood, her breath in disarray. The difference of three or four ranks clearly made it difficult to contend.
“Harleen!” Ivy exclaimed and ran over.
“I’m fine!” Harleen struggled to stand up and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
“Take this pill for healing!” Ivy took out a healing pill from her body and handed it to Harleen.
“Thank you, Ivy!” Harleen took the pill and swallowed it.
“Is this how the Guardians operate?” Ivy then questioned Philbert Parker.
“The Guardians’ way of doing things doesn’t need to be explained to you!” Philbert Parker glanced at her before looking back at Harleen. “Give you a chance, let that guy from earlier disable his own arms, as an explanation to the people of Northfortia. Or I will personally take action, and by then, it won’t be just disabling his arms!”
“You can try!” Harleen said in an angry voice.
“Then I’ll fulfill your wish first, I’ll find him later!” Philbert Parker responded coldly.
“Ivy, step aside!” Harleen turned her head and looked at Ivy. As she finished speaking, a slightly chilling aura emanated from her, and her eyes gradually turned red.
“… No!” Ivy hesitated for a moment and quickly spoke up. “If you release that power in your body, it will backlash against you. Opal isn’t here to help you suppress it.”
“It’s okay, I can handle it!” Harleen’s eyes flashed with a resolute expression. For her, if there were other options, she wouldn’t take this step. She was well aware of the consequences, that no one would be there to help her suppress that power. It could cause damage to her meridians at the very least, or even lead to demonic possession. However, she knew that she had no other choice.
“Are you two finished chatting?” Philbert Parker’s voice rang out from a hundred meters away. “If you two like each other so much, then I’ll fulfill both of you at the same time!” As he spoke, he flashed forward, and two violent waves of energy surged, causing a fierce wind and thunder to shake the sky. There was no holding back in his attack. He clearly had no intention of sparing their lives.
“Ivy, step aside, don’t make a reckless sacrifice!” Harleen exclaimed before raising her hand to meet the attack.