Duel

Although Callum had worn a cultivation-limiting bracelet that reduced his cultivation to the 10th stage of Body Tempering, his actual cultivation was the peak of the 4th stage of the River Consolidation realm. 

Also, with him being 23 years old, he had much more combat experience than me. Accordingly, his talent was also better than his peers.

So, I had to keep calm, baiting him and strike only when he fell into the trap.

In the first few clashes, I discovered that his strength was incomparable to the normal 10th stage Body Tempering disciple. 

He had taken some strength enhancement elixirs and thus was as strong as a 1st stage River Consolidation.

I had expected this, but no special countermeasure was required as I parried his blows and kited around on the platform. 

His attacks were becoming more and more forceful, but somehow, with a bit of positioning and a flick of the sword, I always deflected his attacks. 

Yet, on the outside, I showed that I was getting overwhelmed and thus, with a broad grin, Callum started to attack more fiercely and wildly. 

But whatever he did, he couldn't take a single hit on my body. He started to realise my ploy and, with great displeasure of being conned showing on his face, curbed his ferocious attacks and started to attack steadily. 

At that exact moment, I positioned my left arm on his sword's path. He cut a deep gash on that elbow so that I could not move my left arm. 

After getting a hit after trying so hard, his hopes reignited, and he started to attack with more strength, trying to make me succumb to defeat. 

The crowd was in uproar, already determining the victor of the duel in their minds.

I tried to parry the attacks, but I had difficulty maintaining my balance due to the loss of one hand's mobility. And somehow, he got a hit on my right hand, too. 

The sword was hoisted up from my right hand. Callum was happy and tried to pin me into a corner. 

I dodged his attack and punched his face with my previously injured left hand. This greatly shocked him as he hadn't seen this coming. 

He shifted his face instinctively to dodge the attack. But he found a knee to his abdomen, which made him expel the air from his lungs, making him a little disoriented.

Taking the chance, a dagger in my right hand was placed on his throat. Feeling the cold tip of the dagger on his skin, he shivered, and with unwilling eyes, he eventually conceded to me.

The audience, as well as the elder acting as referee, were baffled by the sudden turn of events. They didn't know how my seriously injured hands healed that fast. 

The secret to the super healing of my injuries was formations. I had made the life-rejuvenating formation on my clothes.

It is one of the most used formations by healing priests to save the heavily injured ones by combining the stellar energy inside the body with the life force. 

This formation could help heal mangled limbs and all in a short time and could also sustain the near-dead people in a stable state for a while.

According to mother, the people of the planet Caligen would kill each other to get this formation and thus asked me to keep it a secret. 

Her warning was somewhat unnecessary as I would have kept this secret even without it. 

After giving Callum a cupped fist bow and taking the origin stones placed as the bet, I climbed down the platform.

I walked towards my sister. Her face was radiantly glowing at the outcome of my win. 

I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the platform without saying a word. Alice didn't understand what I was doing but still followed me without any protest.

But the reaction of the crowd was not the same. I was committing blasphemy in their eyes by dragging their Goddess with my filthy mortal hands. 

But as their Goddess didn't protest, they made way for us. I climbed up the platform with Alice in tow and spoke authoritatively.

"From today onwards, your Goddess Alice is my woman. 

If you want to pursue her, then defeat me in a duel. If you win, I will gladly give you a chance to court her to you, who will be more worthy than me. But till then, if you dare covet her, I would gauge your eyes out."

That said, I kneeled on a knee and held Alice's hand.

"Alice, from today onwards, I am yours. Till the day you cast me aside, I will always be with you. Forever."

I kissed the back of her hand and lifted my head to look into her eyes. Alice's face was flushed red, and she meekly nodded her head in assent. 

Even though this was supposed to be an act, the words I spoke were my true thoughts. And seeing Alice reacting like this made my heart skip a beat.

I raised up, pulled Alice and walked towards the Luna sisters. 

I couldn't hear anything aside from the furious thumping of my heart. It was euphoric. By the time I had calmed down, we had reached the Luna sisters, who had complicated facial expressions.

"If we didn't know better, we would have thought you were really proposing to your sister."

Elfie said while looking between me and Alice. Seline nodded her head and added excitedly.

"You two would make a great couple. It was like watching a prince and his princess in a play."

I agreed with their words. We definitely would have made a good couple if not for being siblings, as someday, when she found her love, my sister would eventually leave our home. 

This thought made me dejected, but I pushed these thoughts out of my head and looked at Alice. She had not said a word since the duel.

"Alice. Now, no one would pester you anymore. You can fully focus on your cultivation. If anyone disturbs you, then tell me about him. I would take care of these issues."

Alice didn't say anything and just nodded. I looked at the Luna sisters and said.

"Please take care of her. I think she has exhausted herself with all those leeches. The next time we meet again would be when we enter the Turquoise Realm. Practice hard till then."

After leaving Alice in their care and saying my goodbyes, I left for my courtyard to continue my cultivation.