Chapter 766: Ashes vs. Lorgar!
The sacred duel between the Aosha Clan and the Wildflame Clan arrived as scheduled.
The Scorching Land had never been so lively as it was today. The people who came on foot to watch almost filled the area around the high platform. To allow more people into the sacred ground and ensure the promotion effect, Iron Axe even distributed a box of God's Punishment Stones through a rental system. As long as the number of people from the same clan did not exceed fifty, the other major clans had no objections.
Moreover, they couldn't stop it even if they wanted to.
The current Aosha was already a well-known second-ranked clan. Unless they violated the laws set by the Three Gods, every word they spoke carried considerable weight, and every request should be fully considered.
Ashes slowly walked up the high platform, immediately greeted by cheers from the crowd. The Mojin people always held true warriors in high esteem, and her combat performance over the past half month was enough to earn the respect of everyone.
Some had even called her the strongest fighter in the Northern Lands.
Therefore, this duel also became a contest between the strongest in the Northern Lands and the strongest in the Southernmost Region.
Ashes's attire was still the same as usual, her long hair tied into a ponytail, hanging down her waist, wearing a black robe, without armor or weapons.
This was not intentional arrogance.
The Wildflame Clan's request included a clause for "bare combat," which Tulam explained did not mean fighting without clothes, but without any weapons, armor, or auxiliary items, including God's Punishment Stones. This seemed to compensate for the Goddess's lack of ability to some extent, while inadvertently weakening the combat strength of transcendent witches. The month of understanding had revealed that they did not understand the classification of witch abilities. Anyone who awakened was regarded as a Goddess, and they did not understand the existence of the most special category of witches: the Transcendent.
Perhaps the other party just wanted a good fight.
She finally agreed to this request, precisely because the Wildflame Third Princess's ability was also melee-oriented. This was confirmed not only by Tulam's description but also by information collected from various channels. Lorgar, the strongest Goddess in the Southernmost Region, had an ability similar to Macy, able to transform into a giant beast, while gaining strength and agility far beyond ordinary people. This made her very interested in whether a transformed witch was stronger or a transcendent.
If it were an opponent like Anna, Ashes would never have agreed.
The unpredictable black fire was both offensive and defensive, impossible to guard against. Without the protection of God's Punishment Stones, it was almost impossible to get close within ten steps.
In addition, an evenly matched battle would also be of great benefit to her.
Ever since learning about transcendence, Ashes had always wanted to take her abilities a step further.
According to Agatha, to become a transcendent being, in addition to day-to-day hard work, one must constantly fight against powerful enemies, ushering in high-level promotion in moments of life-and-death realization.
This was the main reason that drove her to agree to the other party's request.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly erupted into deafening cheers. A woman wearing a hooded cloak lightly leaped onto the high platform and walked to Ashes. As expected, the Sand People cheered louder for their own people. Without a doubt, she was the opponent she would face today—the Goddess of the Wildflame Clan, Lorgar.
"Are you Ashes?" She took off her hood, revealing a head of reddish-brown curly hair, and… a pair of high, fluffy ears.
Ashes was stunned. "These are… dog ears?"
"It's a wolf!" Lorgar corrected, her face flushing red.
"Oh, aren't you wearing shoes? The ground should be very hot," she lowered her gaze and glanced at the other's barefoot feet.
"Mojin people are never afraid of hot sand," she alternately tiptoed, while taking off her cloak, revealing the fluffy tail behind her.
Seeing her expression, it was obviously very hot… Ashes shrugged. "Maintaining the transformation form at all times to adapt to the consumption of magic power? That's a good practice method."
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Lorgar wagged her tail. "This is the price of the power bestowed by the Three Gods, not some practice method—I can't restore my human form, I can only live as a half-human, half-beast."
So that's how it is, Ashes suddenly understood. Because she didn't want to expose this appearance, that was why she wore a cloak in such a hot place… And showing her bestial form after taking the stage would make people mistake it for her entering a combat state.
So the giant beast that the intelligence mentioned was a giant wolf?
If she were to be lured with a bone, would she instantly shift her target, thereby greatly reducing her combat power?
At least for Macy, this trick was very effective.
"What are you smiling at?" she frowned. "Are you looking down on me?"
"No, it's nothing," Ashes suppressed the corners of her mouth that were rising. "I just thought of an interesting friend… Since you're ready, let's begin."
"That's exactly what I want." Lorgar raised her hands, and the smooth arms that originally belonged to a woman suddenly swelled up, instantly turning into a pair of thick wolf claws. "Father, ring the gong!"
This is… arbitrary partial transformation? Ashes raised her eyebrows. It seemed that although she knew nothing about the mysteries of magic power, she still instinctively mastered the use of magic power proficiently. Even Macy could hardly do this, only showing it in emergencies.
As the Wildflame Clan leader struck the bronze gong forcefully, Lorgar kicked off the ground with both feet and rushed towards her fiercely.
Although the wolf girl was very fast, in Ashes's eyes, she was not much different from an ordinary person. She could even predict the other's next foothold and preemptively attack.
However, she did not do so.
Lorgar obviously did not use her full strength, but planned to test her strength in this form first. Ashes planned to use a head-on approach to make the other party understand that there was no chance of defeating her without becoming a complete body.
She stretched out her hands, grabbing the wolf girl's claws like iron pliers, then twisted her body, using the opponent's momentum to lift her directly over her shoulder and slam her hard on the ground.
This was where the advantage of the transcendent lay. If the partial transformation only had powerful strength in the corresponding parts, then every finger and every tendon of her was always maintained in the strongest state. The strengthening of magic power on the body was constant and never stopped. At any time, she could feel the surging power within her body.
A punch smashed the ground where Lorgar was lying into pieces, while the latter rolled to avoid it, then supporting herself with her hands, she kicked towards her head with bent legs upside down.
The kick that could cause the internal organs of an adult to rupture was caught by Ashes with one hand, while tightening her grip. Lorgar's calf suddenly broke open, and it was about to be crushed alive. At this moment, the wolf girl also realized that something was wrong. Enduring the severe pain, she raised her other leg and swept towards her head, and halfway through the kick, it had turned into a wolf leg as thick as a waist!
Ashes released her fingers and lowered her head to dodge this sweep. Lorgar, who had finally broken free, dared not continue to test, and transformed the right leg, which already had five bloody marks, into a wolf leg as well. In this way, her limbs were completely beastialized. Not only did her size increase a lot, but her speed and strength were greatly improved.
Unfortunately for Ashes, the other party's situation had not improved much. Any part that was not beastialized was an obvious weakness to her.
Such as the head and abdomen.
The transcendent witch swung her fists violently, forcing Lorgar to raise her claws to parry. Then she grinned, and before the wolf girl could react, she slammed her forehead hard against the other's face.
"Ooh—"
The Third Princess couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, tears and blood splashing out together. The huge impact force shattered her nose in response, and the intense pain forced her to close her eyes.
Ashes turned around and kicked Lorgar in the soft abdomen, sending her flying!