Chapter 362
The sky lit as sparks flared where he tore across the atmosphere.
His retreat stretched hundreds of feet. The whip snapped in two.
He caught himself with a palm strike against the air and managed to hover. But his eyes burned with disbelief.
The Soulasher, his weapon, was said to cut even souls. That was a myth, but the truth was enough. It could break steel, bring down buildings, and crush armor with
ease.
Yet Leander had caught it in his hand, broken it, and hurt him with nothing but raw flesh.
Greed’s voice shook with fury. “D*mn it! The Arbitration Office judged him wrong. Jeff belongs in SS-level, maybe even SSS. Whoever said he was only S-level was a fool p>
Rage seethed through his chest.
The Arbitrators had come at the call of the War God Sanctum. Five elites had been sent to wipe out the four great houses. Four of them stood at Ember Stage. One at Blaze. That was Greed.
The plan was simple. Crush the families. Slaughter the young elites of Astria. It was meant to be easy. But Leander had appeared.
At first, his presence had startled them, but Greed had believed his side still held the strength to win.
That belief was gone. Eight had already fallen. Now even he was bleeding. One man had destroyed them all.
The air split with another shriek.
Leander rushed forward again, his body moving like a jet, a roar of pressure trailing in his wake.
“Take another punch p>
His fist drove forward, plain and unadorned. There was no innate vitality, no glow. Only flesh, only strength.
Greed had no time left.
He crossed his arms, bracing with all he had.
The punch crashed down. The force exploded, tearing through his guard as if it were paper.
A groan tore from his chest.
His body shot down like a cannon shell and slammed into the ocean.
The sea erupted upward.
Waves towered high as he vanished beneath the surface.
Leander stood above the waves, fists clenched, gaze hard as stone. He looked like
a god of war, untouchable and unyielding. Every eye on the shore turned toward him with awe and dread.
“One man just crushed nine Transcendent Realms p>
Reginald’s aged face trembled, his hand shaking as he stared.
“The Dragon Emperor of his age would falter before this p>
Daphne’s lips curved into a proud smile, her eyes shining with fierce devotion. This was the man she chose. This was Ander, her beloved.
Though she had never cared whether Leander ruled over his peers or towered above the world, the truth remained. Every girl longed for her hero. Every woman wished the man she loved would stand unmatched, a champion no force could bring down.
Ethan’s eyes trembled. His proud head dipped low for the very first time before his generation.
“That’s Leander for you p>
The words slipped from his lips like a confession. A bitter smile tugged at his mouth. He bore twin martial powers in his body, yet even so, to reach where Leander stood now would take him ten long years, maybe more. And by then, where would Leander stand?
He already knew the answer. He would spend his entire life chasing that shadow. To catch it or even surpass it would take a miracle far greater than fate could give.
Leander stood straight, his figure tall against the sky. His feet pressed against the void. His eyes held no pride and no fear.
Greed had been struck twice and beaten down. Yet he was still a Blaze Stage Transcendent. Death would not claim him so easily.
The sea burst upward with a violent crash.
Greed erupted from the waves, drenched and staggering, his entire frame dripping with brine.
A Martial Sovereign could walk in
water without ever getting wet. Gathering Vitality into a Barrier was something they could do easily Greed’s soaked body told its own story He had poured everything into his defense.
Leander’s strike had drained him bare.
“Jeff p>
His roar cracked the sky. His eyes blazed like fire, as if he could rip Leander apart with nothing but his stare.
Since he entered the Transcendent Realm, he had never once suffered such disgrace. Yet today, his humiliation came at the hands of a man barely twenty, a youth of Astria.
Leander opened his hands wide. A mocking smile played across his lips.
“You swore you’d win back the Arbitration Office’s pride?
“This is the best you’ve got p>
Greed’s chest heaved with fury. But he did not strike. Fear chained him in place. Leander’s strength was beyond reason. He felt it clear. The young man’s realm had only just stepped into Transcendence, yet his power swelled stronger and greater than his own. That truth clawed at his mind.
Greed’s lips curled into a cold grin.
“Jeff, I’ll give you this. One on one, I can’t beat you.
“But today, no matter how strong you are, you’ll still die here p>
Leander’s eyes narrowed. His voice dropped flat. “Is that so p>
Greed’s hand snapped open. A crystal of green gleamed in his palm.
“That’s a comms crystal p>
Reginald’s face drained pale. The others froze. They felt the pulse of power locked
inside it. Such a tool could belong only to a Transcendent.
Some of them already had soul power. Soulpower could pinpoint their location. Then they would just need to inject it with some innate vitality Break it, and a signal would blaze across the world Allies tied to
it would feel it’s call. They would
come at once. That was the crystal’s purpose.
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Greed was not finished. He had a card left to
play.
A sharp crack rang through the air.
Greed crushed the stone to dust.
Two streams of light rose above his head, twisting into phantom shapes before fading away.
Leander’s eyes shifted to the horizon.
Two black specks grew against the line of the sea. They swelled larger, rushing closer until the sky itself seemed to bend around them. In less than a minute, two towering figures stood above the waves.
One wore a robe traced with thunder. His hair shone gold, his eyes blazed blue. Lightning arced between his pupils, sparks alive with power. Clouds churned above him. The sea below heaved in answer to his presence.
The other gripped a blade from Jesund. His beard was white, his face smooth and free of age. His eyes glimmered like drawn steel. The waves split beneath his feet, parted by the force of his aura alone.
The weight of their arrival crushed the air. Compared to them, Greed seemed a dim flame before a raging storm.
Leander’s face did not change. Yet Reginald, Anton, and the others froze. Their breath turned shallow. Their faces drained white.
They knew. These were legends. They’d seen many people in their long, long lives.