The legendary warrior novel Chapter 158

Ivan would probably not believe that Ricky got an incomplete spiritual meridian; however, such rumor could not be just some gossip that circulated among the common people. If the rumor was true, then that would mean Ricky's spiritual meridian was definitely damaged before.

Spiritual meridian could be the strongest part of a warrior, yet it could also be the weakest. It could make or break a warrior. On the other hand, the spiritual meridian itself was so fragile that a strike with just a little applied force could destroy it. Over the years, warriors had come up with ways to protect it from getting harmed, though those protective measures would still fail at times.

But Ricky could make it today with his spiritual meridian--despite it suffering from a big blow--together with his mysterious manual thanks to the incredible gift he had obtained. Without it, he would have faced deeper problems and his life would be at stake. Nevertheless, this incredible gift could not be possessed by just anyone.

Knowing how powerful that gift was, Ivan had his eyes on it. He believed that if he took it from Ricky, he would be the best warrior with casting and martial arts skills in the Realm of Wildness. Even the top talents from the Realm of Wildness could not compete with him and should a challenge be issued, he would not break a sweat at all.

'Ivan looks pretty powerful. It seems that he spends as much time and energy on martial arts as he does on casting, ' Ricky thought to himself. 'And the warrior that followed him may be even more powerful than Ivan. This battle is going push us to our limits.'

At this time, the man behind Ivan began to make their move. He walked towards Ricky, Ivan following suit in a steady pace. The two men surrounded Ricky and Ivan made no gesture to stop what was happening.

He had seen Ricky's power. He had felt it within the tremor in his muscles and the air that went through his lungs. Ricky emanated power wherever he went even when he was trying to keep it low. Ivan knew that beating Ricky was an extremely difficult task to overcome, let alone killing him. If he was honest with himself, there was a big chance that it was him who might end up dead.

As cowardly as it might seem to other warriors, Ivan and the other man decided to fight Ricky together. Two against one. It wasn't the most honorable strategy, but if they won, who would care about how they did it? All the people would remember was the fact that they beat Ricky and nothing else. Ivan could care less about his reputation. What mattered was the gift and how he could take it from Ricky. If he could just get his hands on it...

"They have both reached the ninth grade of Blood Purification. And they're not rookies, either. Looks like things are going to get ugly for Ricky," several people commented as they watched the scene unfolding before them.

"Indeed, it is impossible for Ricky to challenge two warriors of the ninth grade of Blood Purification no matter how strong he is now. A warrior reaching the ninth grade is no ordinary warrior, as it means he reached a level that greatly sets him apart from average warriors. The ninth grade isn't an easy feat, after all."

"Yes, there may be only some slight differences between the seventh grade and eighth grade, but it's an entirely different story between the eighth and ninth grade. The gap is so apparent that an eighth grade normally wouldn't stand a chance in a fight."

"Although, I have to say, Ricky is not an easy opponent either. He would still be able to land a strong--possibly deadly--blow to one of his opponents. Sure, he might lose in the end, but he is definitely not going down without a fight. Whatever happens, though, it will be good for us since we won't have to deal with whoever loses here. There will be one less strong opponent to battle."

......

"Come on!" Ivan shouted as he made the first move. He leaped, flames covering his right feet, and aimed a fiery kick towards Ricky.

At the same time, Ivan's follower also struck. He moved as fast as Ivan and threw a punch across Ricky's face.

With two strikes coming at him at different directions, Ricky had nowhere to hide. He only had one option and that was to withstand both hits.

Ricky readied himself for the blows. He channeled the Fourth Degree of Nine-degree Body Refining Formula and made sure every inch of his body was reinforced with power. The people watching the fight gasped as they felt sheer power emanating from him while his two opponents gritted their teeth, trying to ward off the invisible force.

Despite Ricky's strength, he still found it difficult to fight two warriors who reached the ninth grade of Blood Purification. He could exchange blows and defend himself from some of the lethal ones, but after a few rounds, his body started to feel heavy with every move. Since he had to deal with two strong opponents at once, his energy was drained faster than normal. He took a step back, trying to catch his breath.

Ricky was well aware that with his sixth grade of Blood Purification, he could fight with two or three warriors of the eighth grade of Blood Purification. Now that he reached the seventh grade, he was expecting that he would be able to fight two warriors of the ninth grade with relative ease, but it was not the case. As much as he hated to admit it, beating the two was proving to be difficult.

Such was the power of the ninth grade. Even if the warrior himself was not as talented as he was, he should not be underestimated. After all, the warrior had reached the peak of Blood Purification.

'Maybe I've underestimated the warriors of the ninth grade a little too much, ' Ricky thought to himself.

But Ricky was not the one to panic. He fought with a cool head, making up strategies along the way, trying to figure out the best way to land his blows without suffering a fatal counter. He also had a trick under his sleeve--his trump card. He was not worried about losing because he had a different source of strength. He may not be a ninth grade, but he had regained his spiritual meridian and the Chaos Manual.

One moment, his opponents thought Ricky was already faltering, but the next, Ricky was coming on to them with eyes as sharp as his resolve. His opponents wavered for a second, and he took that opportunity to use his Fifth Degree of Nine-degree Body Refining Formula.