#689 - Another ability that you can count on

Today, the Asgard arena was extraordinarily lively, not only because of the deafening cheers from the massive crowd of spectators, but also because of the incessant clanging of metal as Thor and Yang Le clashed in the center of the arena.

Swords, spears, halberds, axes,钺 (yue - battle axe), hooks, and prongs – any weapon Yang Le could imagine, the Ruyi Jingu Bang could perfectly replicate. Relying on the War God's divinity, wielding these weapons was as natural to him as moving his own limbs.

Each weapon felt as though he had immersed himself in its use for years, every move revealing seasoned skill. More impressively, the transitions between moves were seamless, like continuous waves, leaving no openings whatsoever.

Yet, even so, Thor was not overwhelmed. On the contrary, he fought with increasing vigor. Just as he said, no matter how Yang Le changed his attacks, he could defuse any danger with just his hammer.

The two alternated attacks, each seizing the opportunity whenever the other paused. This relentless exchange drew continuous cheers from the audience.

"Gua! To witness this battle with my own eyes, even death would be a worthy price!"

Many others were shouting madly as well. Regardless of age or gender, they were all expressing their fervent desire for battle and their respect for the two warriors in the arena.

Even the King of the Gods and the Queen of the Gods were similarly engrossed, though they maintained a more dignified demeanor. Nevertheless, even King Odin had risen to watch the battle.

With the King of the Gods standing, the others naturally couldn't remain seated. The entire royal family stood behind Odin, looking down at the battle below.

They had to admit that Yang Le, whom they initially underestimated, indeed had some skill. He was able to fight Thor for so long. At the same time, after witnessing their battle, they were certain of one thing.

Thor hadn't used his full strength in previous sparring sessions with them. When they imagined themselves in the arena as either of the combatants, they realized they couldn't last as long.

To them, every move was a killing blow. Not only that, but the two even managed to use magic to hinder their opponent during the briefest of pauses.

Their battle was simply beyond their comprehension.

"Balder," Odin called out to his eldest son without turning his head. "If it were you, how long could you last?"

"I could last as long as necessary, Father," Balder said with a wry smile. "Relying on my abilities, if it's within Asgard, I could fight either of them for a whole year, provided that being beaten counts."

Balder's humorous reply brought a smile to the faces of the tense crowd. Even Balder, the strongest besides Thor, had spoken like this, so there was no reason for them to feel discouraged.

It's human nature to compare, but only with those within your own league. These two were clearly beyond the norm. It would be foolish to compare themselves to them.

"I am pleased that you see it so clearly, Balder," Odin said, turning his head slightly. "As the King of Asgard, one must be brave and invincible. Wisdom and strategy can be relied upon from others, but bravery cannot be borrowed. This is why I chose Thor as my heir."

"I hope that you will assist Thor after I entrust the throne to him. Not just Balder, but all of you. After all, one person's strength has its limits. That's when you need the help of others."

"I will, Father," Balder nodded. "I knew it ever since I lost to Thor the first time. Thor is the next King of the Gods who can lead Asgard. Sibling rivalry will never happen in Asgard. I assure you."

"I know, Balder, I know," Odin's aged voice reached the ears of everyone present. Frigga sensed the change in her other half's emotions and immediately reached out to hold Odin's hand.

Frigga didn't say much, and Odin didn't turn to look at her. The old couple understood each other perfectly; everything was implied.

…

"Clang!"

Thor once again used his hammer to block Yang Le's longsword attack. Surprisingly, Mjolnir flew out of his hand.

Dropped? No! Not only Yang Le, but probably no one present would think that. Thor wasn't the type to falter at crucial moments. This sudden unexpected move was definitely not a simple drop.

Sure enough, Thor didn't panic after the hammer left his hand. Instead, he strode towards Yang Le. At the same time, he spread his palm, and a violent thunderbolt surged from it.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Four bolts of lightning struck almost simultaneously, hitting Yang Le one after another. At the same time, Mjolnir, which had flown out of his hand, circled in the air and returned to Thor's hand.

"Bang!"

Thor exerted force from his thigh, and the stone bricks beneath his feet shattered. In the blink of an eye, Thor transformed into a bolt of lightning and slammed into Yang Le.

A total of five attacks, Thor used Yang Le's initial strategy against him. Moreover, Thor's attacks were even faster than Yang Le's.

Thor, the God of Thunder, meant that his attacks were not only as powerful as lightning but also as swift as lightning.

Relying solely on the longsword in his hand, Yang Le couldn't cope with the five attacks that arrived almost simultaneously. He needed other weapons to break the situation.

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No one could have imagined that at this critical moment, Yang Le would ignore the incoming thunder and instead aim the hilt of the longsword at the Omnitrix symbol on his belt and plunge it in.

No one understood what he was doing, and Thor didn't either. But instead of racking his brains to think about something incomprehensible, it was better to focus on the immediate offensive.

Thor decided that no matter what moves Yang Le used, he would not stop his attack.

Closer, Thor's attack was closer, and Yang Le's movements had also changed.

The longsword inserted into the symbol had undergone a new change. The Ruyi Jingu Bang transformed into a golden stream of light, one end connected to the Omnitrix symbol, and the other end, like a snake, coiled around Yang Le's body and climbed onto his hand.

The golden stream of light quickly enveloped Yang Le's right hand, but Thor's attack was about to arrive. Yang Le had no choice but to swing his right hand forward.

But his target was not Thor in front of him, but the ground beneath his feet. Before anyone in the arena could understand what was happening, the ground in front of Yang Le suddenly cracked, and several clusters of emerald-like crystals surged out like a tide.

Against Thor's attack, the strength of these crystal clusters was somewhat lacking, but there was a continuous stream of them. Whenever one broke, a new one immediately replaced it. Before long, the subsequent lightning was exhausted.

Even Thor, who followed closely, had to retreat after shattering the crystal clusters several times.

So Yang Le wasn't lying. His weapon did have other abilities.