The moment Minos picked up the Divine Sword and moved using his wings, his aura changed substantially, causing not only Oxo but the entire audience following the challenge on that combat platform to change their expressions.
Minos was still at level 95, but even so, he seemed to have gotten stronger overnight, while his speed startled everyone who had never seen him use his wings.
In an instant, he was out of Oxo's sight and coming at him from the right side, already using the third movement of the Divine Sword to attack his targets.
Swooish!
"Shit!" Oxe realized his opponent wasn't as simple as he had thought and moved to dodge that blade attack in his direction.
He managed to dodge Minos' first attack. Still, as Emperor Stuart prepared the next attack of this special move of the Divine Sword, his wings opened to their full span before several feathers broke out of them like projectiles.
The feathers flew at extremely high speed, as fast or faster than the blades created by Minos' first sword movements, already chasing Oxo.
Realizing that he would run out of space to escape if he continued to dodge Minos' attacks, Oxo changed his strategy by planting his legs firmly on the ground and then opening his mouth.
Then, a fabulous 'moo' sounded from his throat as the form of a giant energy buffalo enveloped Oxo's body, causing external protection to appear for his body and attacking Minos.
Minos didn't stand still when he saw the massive beast's spirit body appear around Oxo. He blocked his hearing and then activated the most advanced form of his Dragon's Gaze.
The moment his eyes glowed an intense gold, a form of golden energy left Minos' body, quickly causing a dragon spirit body to appear not far above where he was standing.
Then the energy dragon opened its eyes and let out a great cry as it moved its grandiose mouth.
The two sounds countered each other, while the tension within that combat area rose a few levels, causing the spectators to open their mouths in surprise at seeing Oxo using so much power already at the start of the fight, but also a Grandmaster exposing so much power without the use of external artifacts.
Oxo felt the pain of being attacked by Minos' blades, while the clash of his cries with that of the energetic creature caused him to lose some of his strength.
Minos continued to attack him, while he realized that if he didn't use his deadliest moves, he would fall to a mere level 95 opponent!
He directed his energies into his horns, causing them to increase in size. In contrast, several forms of energy in the shape of horns similar to his appeared near where he stood under Minos' threat.
The horns transmitted their energy to each other, forming a kind of strange formation which, after a few moments, fired a beam of energy at Minos.
Minos saw it approaching him and had no fear. As he used his 10th technique and made the Devouring Art finally appear around Oxo, he felt that attack capable of killing a level 100 cultivator disappear before it reached him.
Oxo felt the energy in the surroundings under his control moving towards Minos instead of him.
Minos left the advanced form of his Dragon's Gaze, dealing with Oxo's defense, and moved, quickly appearing on this opponent's left side while ignoring the special form that couldn't prevent him from reaching Oxo with his real body.
Minos continued to attack Oxo with his Divine Sword, forcing the being to counterattack while using his own horn to defend himself against the sword and his movements.
Unlike many of Minos' previous opponents, Oxo quickly realized what that move would do if he dodged its attacks. It was more beneficial for him to take care of each of Minos' attacks than to deal with them all at once if he let the move be completed.
While doing this, using his horn as if it were a sword, he used his legs to direct attacks at Minos, causing explosions to appear in his opponent's surroundings, while he used his great strength to break through space and attack his opponent's body.
"That is remarkable brute strength, Oxo. But you won't beat me." Minos said as he felt his opponent's attacks, making him worry a little.
He defended himself from one of those attacks with his wing while continuing to focus on attacking this opponent with his sword until he finished his move.
Oxo cursed Minos for having such a resistant, absorbable weapon, but there wasn't much else he could do. This was the most power he had. If his opponent didn't exhaust himself in the next few moments, he would lose this challenge!
"Minos, you'll regret all this! You're powerful. I admit that. But you won't be able to cope with the pressure that will hit you if you beat me." Oxe said as he continued to dance with this strange warrior.
"It sounds like you're asking me to let you win." Minos laughed when he heard that and then struck the last blow with the Divine Sword before it disappeared.
Swooish!
Oxo moved his arms and quickly formed a leather shield with several horns in front of it to defend himself against the Divine Sword's strongest attack.
That blow was so strong that even a level 101 Sovereign could be threatened by it!
"You have no choice!" Oxo said while trying not to cry out in pain as he was thrown backward shortly after his defenses exploded.
"Your chances of victory are slim. But more importantly, losing is better for you. It will give you an excuse to be whiter, and it will solve our problems." Said Oxo in a low voice as he rose from his fall.
Minos stood still for a second without doing anything else while the buffalo and dragon energy forms disappeared as his Divine Sword dissipated into thin air.
"Accept your defeat, Minos!" Oxo lunged at him as he closed his fists and prepared a punch capable of knocking out an opponent of the same level as him who was exhausted!
But the moment he attacked, Minos raised one of his hands in the air and then controlled the passage of time.
Oxo felt as if he was moving more slowly, while Minos seemed many times faster.
At that moment, Minos finally used his trump card, using his opponent's momentary weakness to steal his opponent's cultivation base!
When Minos reached level 97, Oxo and everyone else who didn't know about his ability saw this challenge take a different turn.
"I've never feared war," Minos said in determination, wanting Oxo's merit points too much to give up as easily as that alien wanted him to.
He made his last move by raising his cultivation and reaching a level even higher than the one he normally had!