Frederick had finally seen through the true nature of his opponent. It seemed that Ji Jue had exploited the mechanics of the duel to their absolute limit.

Even if Ji Jue and the weapon had been separate entities before entering the simulation, then all those strange movements and moments of sluggishness after he entered the simulated world had probably been nothing more than an act. The opposing craftsman’s true objective had been to offer even his simulated replica as a sacrifice to his weapon. He had not even spared his own mimic!

At this point, Ji Jue and the weapon had completely merged into one. Through the preparations and spirit circuits built into the weapon from its very inception, Ji Jue’s blood, life, and soul had completely fused with the ferocious blade in his hand. Rather than calling the intruder Ji Jue, it would have been more accurate to say that he had become an appendage of the blade, nothing more than the tool that wielded it.

That was precisely why he could share so intimately in the spirit matter and vitality plundered by the weapon, using them to continually restore himself. Otherwise, the gravitational acceleration from earlier would have been enough to turn Ji Jue’s brain into mush, never mind the later attacks that pierced his vital points and the bolts of divine punishment unleashed by the workshop!

The armor...