18 The might of Maria and The Phantom Cat

Everyone looked at Maria when she was introduced by Lloyd.

Their eyes shine especially the male ones.

As they scrutinized her clearly, if ignoring the little scars in her face and necks, one can find her very beautiful and mature. Her body was perfect with the robe she is wearing as it clearly define her curves and round buttocks, her body exudes an aura of a seductress but her face says otherwise. Her face pale and eyes lifeless, as if she has no control of her body and can only submit to what is coming. Her whole left forearm also looks hideous as they were filled with tattoos that clearly labelled her as slave so that nobody would expect her as a commoner.

But nevertheless, the four males, excluding Lloyd, was looking at her with lustful eyes, which in fact most if them are only in ther teens and some are even a pre-teen, simply some are still brats but are wearing such lustful expression. They are willing to ignore a scarred face and a lifeless expression as long as they can do her, a 10 years more older than them.

While the boys are looking at her with lustful expression, the 2 girls are emitting envious stare towards the 25 year old women. Every woman tends to compare themselves to other ones, and they find themselves being inferior to the woman in front of them despite only being in the teens and puberty.

Michelle was only looking at Maira with disdain, thinking having a cultivation with that age is akin to trash for her. She can probably achieve that cultivation before 18. Michelle also doesn't think much of the woman's beauty as she was confident she was more beautiful if she reach that age, might even surpasse Maria in terms of beauty and cultivation.

Yet all of 7 of them, including Lloyd and Michelle, cannot help but look with contempt and disdain Maria, why? Just because she was a slave, a battle slave at that. One can just even order her to fight an expert more powerful than her just to die. A slave life is not worth much and is easily throwable.

For a battle slave, even a mortal or commoner, with no power and cultivation lives more easier life than her. It is due to her status as a slave.

Seeing the lustful and disdainful eyes of everyone, Maria's eyes shook a little. Although her eyes seemingly lifeless, she force it that way.

After introducing Maria to the group, Lloyd ordered them venture inwards to the desolate forest.

After encountering some tier 1 beasts and easily slaughtering it, they finally found a tier 2 beast.

"Everyone, be careful. That is the Phantom Cat, a tier 2 beast specializing in speed." Lloyd whispered as he stopped the group, signalling them to be quiet.

Belonging to the Sword Dance Sect, all of them uses the the Sword Dance Cultivation technique, a technique that highly focuses on augmenting ones sword by ones energy, increasing it's sharpness, speed and durability. Of course, as Sword Dance Sect disicples, all of them uses swords.

After hearing the warning all of them slowly took out their swords, with various kinds of appearance in hand.

"Everyone, proceed to the formation we planned earlier. Since this is a beast with a specialy of speed, we will surround it so that it will have no place to escape to. There is no need to directly confront it, just contain and restrict its movements. I need a few minutes to activate the treasure my father gave to me. Go!!." Lloyd ordered everyone hastily surrounding the phanton cat. Although its name is a cat, its more preferrable to say it's a panther due to its size that is thrice the size of a normal one. The reason why it's called a phantom cat was due to it's appearance which is literally a cat but is very huge.

The Phantom Cat already noticed everyone coming before them noticing it. It didn't do anything as it was thinking of what will the other party do. It didn't care at all when it saw the 7 people surrounding it. It's eye only glittered with amusement as if finally finding a toy it can thoroughly play.

After surrounding the beast, Lloyd took out an intricate looking sword that was currently pulsing with golden light. As he grabbed the sword he started to pour his own energy in it.

The Phantom Cat seemingly to notice what was happening and intention, it leaped towards to Lloyd hoping to stop him.

"Maria! Go confront the beast as long as possible, never in any circumstances can let it reach me! Fellow disciples, do not engage it and just refrain it from escaping. You all not need to move as your only job is to intercept it together if it attempts to escape!" The other 6 people nodded with relief. All of them was nerve-wrack when the beast started to move, luckily Lloyd reacted with a command to make his battke slave confront it immediately in which she did.

Lloyd was basically saying that Maria should risk her life to protect him even if it means her dying and by telling his fellow disciple to not move, to just stay in their places is saying that no one should help Maria and just try their best to not confront it.

Everyone started to relax and watch the intense battle between Maria and the Phantom Cat. This was a battle between peak Spirit Formation. Although they were amaze at the fight, not long they started to watch as spectators and completely relaxed themselves as if they were watching a drama. Their gazes started to shine in amusement.

They knew that their effort is not needed because Lloyd will take care of the beast by using the treausre his father gave him so they started to relax and watch the battle with interesy, without caring for the life and death of Maria.

Although they will feel of losing someone as beautiful as Maria, they will not feel that bad about it as there are still many fishes in the sea.

The fight was getting intense and wild.

Maria's Sword Dance skills reach a high level as she was already dancing gracefully elegant one that can even shun the immortals and awe the gods. Her splendor creates grandeur image of her, making her exudes a bearing of a pure nobility akin to an imperial princess. Although her overall bearing became more graceful and elegant, her sword skills power was also becoming increasingly violent as if a terrifying calamity was about to form. There are already many trees in the forest becoming victim in their clash, the ground split apart and powerful wind gales appeared.

Of course the Phantom Cat was also not be underestimated. The Phantom Cat speed was so fast one cannot almost follow it with the naked eye. Its every strike with its claw generates tremendous wind force that slice the trees and ground. Every time it moves it cracks the ground beneath it, showcasing the might of its speed, one that is unrivalled beneath the Spirit Formation.

Even Lloyd was currently feeling the intense battle happening in his surrounding while still pouring more and more energy into the silver sword. The 6 other disciples, including Michelle, was starting to back up as the affected radius of the fight was getting bigger and bigger. Their amused and entertained countenance was starting to pale, they never expect a kind of level in this fight. If even one of them get thrown out in the middle of the battle, no doubt they will disintegrate into nothingness, that's how powerful and bizzare the battle prowess of the two.

Due to the intense battle of the two, the current place they are right now are in a mess. The ground has many holes and countless of trees being sliced apart.

While the two were fighting, Lloyd that was now finished pouring the sword with almost all his energy he currently has, was now channeling the might of the sword.

With the glowing sword in his hand, that was more intense than ever, Lloyd pointed towards the two. The skill which the sword possess is the 'Sword Point of the Sword God', a skill that shoots an illusionary sword that can instantly obliterate the area of wherever it was aiming to, the power is related to the user's strength. If a Spirit Formation weilds the sword, then the sword can kill anyone in the Spirit Formation in a certain area of a small radius and below but the limit is only at Spirit Formation, any cultivation above that is useless. One can say that with this sword, Lloyd can dominate over all the inner disciples that has is a Spirit Formation.

That was why his father went to a great extent to fully obtain and become the true owner of the sword by buying it with tons of resources from the Clan's treasury and also with him pleading to his brother, the current patriach, all of it to give his son a silver spoon and to let his son's name resound throughout the kingdom.

It was only a month ago that this sword was bestowed upon him by his father and this was his first time to use it's might and reveal it to the public. That is why he was very sure of the completion of tbe quest to subjugate or eliminate a tier 2 beast.

Even knowing Maria still battling the Phantom Cat, he nevertheless pointed the sword towards them and willed the sword to attack.

Without caring for Maria's life, Lloyd shot the sword point with tremendous power to the point the ground in trailed into was being gauged deeply by the swords might.