Chapter 524
“What p>
Neil’s expression drastically changed. He felt a fierce gust of wind rushing toward him from above, a speed that matched his own palm strike moments ago.
He swiftly retreated, bursting backward, attempting to dodge the incoming attack. He could sense the draft slice past him, yet his eyes saw nothing.
The Hermit and the others watching from the sidelines were utterly confused and bewildered. They didn’t know why Neil was backing away, but they too sensed that in the space ahead, some terrifying, unseen entity was traversing the void.
Leander’s eyes maintained their divine luminescence. In the darkness, Neil felt a powerful, wind-like current shadowing him, always keeping within a three-foot distance. He continuously flashed and moved through the air, yet he couldn’t shake it.
“Darn it p>
Finally, Neil stopped. Sensing the surging airflow right in front of him, he roared and unleashed his Primordial Energy, driving a punch forward.
His punch was fluid, flawless, and perfectly natural-a masterpiece of instinct. Primordial Energy and physical strength fused into one, and the space ahead was instantly battered inward. In the invisible void, something seemed to collide with the force of his fist, producing a deafening crash.
Bang!
With that blow, the surging draft instantly dissipated, but Neil himself was shoved back several yards by a tremendous force. His expression was now iron-gray.
“This is… spiritual strength p>
He stared intently at Leander, fixating on the divine light in his eyes, growing more astonished by the second.
Although his own knowledge of spiritual strength was limited, during his apprenticeship with his master in the Church, he had encountered many spiritual masters. These individuals possessed legendary reputations across Westeria, capable of killing people invisibly with a mere thought or tracking a target from hundreds of miles away-they were terrifying.
The path of spiritual strength was difficult at first but became easier later. Once a spiritual master achieved completion, they were comparable to a King Phase being, capable of attacking and defending with invisible force.
He had never fought a spiritual master, but the tactics Leander was using were clearly spiritual strength attacks. Nothing else could be so completely intangible and undetectable.
He was utterly stunned that Leander was, in fact, a spiritual master.
To achieve Leander’s current mastery in martial arts alone was already an immense feat, yet Leander wasn’t just excelling on one path; he had reached the summit of another, with both disciplines reinforcing each other. This fact filled Neil with profound jealousy.
This was a peerless prodigy, a monster cultivating both spiritual strength and martial arts. If Leander were allowed to fully mature, who could possibly oppose him? Perhaps even the Supreme Arbiters might find the outcome uncertain.
The more he considered this, the fiercer the murderous intent in his heart became. He was resolved: even if it cost him everything, even if he ended up gravely wounded, he would ensure Leander was permanently dealt with here and now.
“You’re surprisingly perceptive p>
Leander stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I wonder how many times a true King Phase master like you can withstand the attack I just sent p>
As he spoke, the air currents in front of him swirled, and several more invisible, sword-like forces seemed to coalesce.
Neil’s smile vanished, and he dared not be arrogant again. He now regarded Leander as a genuine threat.
Swoosh!
A sudden, sharp rush of air sounded in the void as the invisible sword energy Leander had condensed with his spiritual strength shot forward.
Neil could not see the attack and could only rely on changes in the airflow to sense its position. He flickered through the air moving at near-supersonic speed. Every time he reappeared, he threw a punch, and a muffled explosion would erupt in front of him.
He threw nine consecutive punches, and nine sharp blasts reverberated before him. With every punch landed, he was forced to retreat several yards. Each invisible sword force Leander controlled possessed an irresistible impact.
Invisible sword energy streaked across the sky, yet the Hermit and the others could see nothing, only Neil constantly flickering, retreating, and punching into empty space.
This bizarre spectacle caused
everyone to gasp. They could only imagine that if Leander had used
rlie
this tactic against them earlier Hacking Neil’s keen senses ande
powerful Primordial Energy, how could they have defended
themselves?
They would likely have been pierced through the chest by an invisible attack the
moment Leander formed the thought.
“It seems a King Phase master is nothing special!” Leander continued to condense spiritual strength attacks, mocking him coldly. “Right now, you’re only managing to parry. How can you talk about a duel How many more times can you block this p>
As he spoke, he condensed four more invisible swords and shot them into the void.
Neil didn’t reply. His body was constantly being forced back; every attack Leander sent shook his vital energy and blood. Even with his expertly forged Primordial Energy, it was difficult to withstand so many violent assaults.
Yet, even as he retreated, his gaze never left Leander. He kept a sliver of vital energy locked firmly onto Leander’s position.
Finally, just as the next four invisible swords shot toward him, he suddenly used the reactive force of the previous attack to catapult himself backward.
His foot stomped down hard in the void, and an energy wave exploded. His entire being instantly surpassed the speed of sound, surging forward to meet the four invisible sword forces.
“Hmm p>
Leander’s expression shifted slightly, greatly surprised. At that exact moment, Neil raised his hand, and a small, white object on his middle finger flew off.
The Ring of the Sage!
It was the first time Neil had truly utilized this legendary ring since becoming the Demon Hunter.
The Ring of the Sage suddenly erupted in white light, as if bathing the world in holy radiance.
Within the holy light, a visible barrier opened, enveloping him like a protective membrane.
His body charged relentlessly forward, and shielded by this holy light, he boldly collided with Leander’s four invisible sword forces.
A colossal explosion, four sharp blasts, tore through the sky. Leander felt his four invisible swords shatter instantly.
But Neil himself, undeterred, hammered through the void like a cannonball. He was now hurtling toward Leander, though the holy light shield surrounding him seemed to have dimmed slightly.
Neil’s body shot out, now only ten feet from Leander. When he saw his look of astonishment, a ruthless smirk played on his lips.
“Jeff, so what if you’re a spiritual master? The drawback of a spiritual master is the need for long-distance casting. As long as you haven’t stepped into the realm of a spiritual grandmaster, once I get close, you’re finished p>
As he spoke, he had already closed the distance, now less than six inches from
Leander. He needed only to reach out to pierce Leander’s body.
He lunged, showing no mercy. Primordial Energy surged from his palm,
transforming his hand into a blade aimed directly at Leander’s heart.
The very instant he struck, Leander suddenly grinned, and a long, fair hand clamped
onto his wrist.
In that moment, the violence suddenly ceased, and the look on Neil’s face froze
solid.