Chapter 516
At the very top of the clock tower, a middle-aged man in a flowing robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Even though it was night, the Yelem Church was blazing with lights. Every corner was illuminated, and everyone could clearly see his face.
Countless people froze, their expressions filled with terror and awe. The Yelem Church was massive, towering high above them. For ordinary people, even trying to climb it with a ladder would be nearly impossible. Yet here was this man, standing atop the green bricks as if it were nothing. It was beyond comprehension.
“The Hermit!” Celia whispered, her expression tightening with concern. Just that single strike earlier had already made her painfully aware of the insurmountable gap between her and the King of Assassins.
If The Hermit hadn’t intended to rescue Denzel, that one move alone would have been enough to wound her severely or even end her life.
With the Hermit’s appearance, Leander barely moved. He leaned back in his chair, a sly, almost sinister curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Under the gaze of everyone present, the Hermit floated down from the top of the clock tower, landing as silently as a feather.
The sight shook the entire crowd again. Nathan and the others stared in disbelief, unable to process what they were witnessing.
They had seen high-flying Martial Practitioners in TV shows and movies, but this clock tower was over a hundred meters tall, as daunting as a cliff. Even the most agile heroes in those dramas had never dared to leap straight off such heights.
The Hermit’s presence completely upended everything they thought they knew. Compared to the shock of the others, Zara and Liana managed to keep their composure. Coming from the Southern Wyvern Blade, they were familiar with martial arts taken to its extreme, capable of walking on air. But even they had never imagined that Yelem’s group would encounter someone like this.
The Hermit stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an aura that felt as if it held the sky and earth itself. His eyes swept over Celia, calm and measured. “When I blocked your punch earlier, I could feel your innate vitality. It reminds me of the King of Assassins back in the day, Terek Shelton. You must be his disciple, right p>
“Yes.” Celia nodded softly, a flicker of hatred sparking deep in her gaze. She had heard Terek mention it. A century ago, the Hermit had defeated him and seized the title of King of Assassins, forcing Terek into hiding and out of the Assassin’s World ever since.
Hearing her answer, the Hermit showed no surprise. He said lightly, “Good. With a disciple like you, Terek’s name as the King of Assassins is still well defended p>
Then in an instant, his tone shifted. His eyes became as cold and sharp as blades. “But since you are Terek’s disciple, you should know me. Even at his prime, Terek fell to me a hundred years ago. And you, his disciple, dare to spar with me p>
He let out a single, low shout. Celia’s pupils shrank, and she stumbled back a few steps, nearly losing her focus.
This was the gap between an Infernal Crown Transcendent and a triple-turn Half- King.
As Celia retreated, a long, pale hand rested lightly on her shoulder, calming her mind once more. Leander held a cup in one hand and drew her behind him, a faint smile playing across his lips. “The Hermit, now that you’re here, it means you’re ready. Our wager is about to be settled p>
The Hermit smiled and nodded, spreading his hands casually. “Tonight, with everyone gathered here and Yelem Church right by, isn’t this the perfect place for our showdown p>
Nathan and the others who had followed Leander all the way there turned pale, stunned by what they were hearing.
The Hermit rides the wind, like some immortal descending into the mortal world, clearly a terrifying presence beyond imagination. Yet Leander stands opposite him, speaking as an equal. Could it be that Leander is on the same level as him?
Zara and Liana froze, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief as they stared at Leander.
The Hermit just lands from the wind, clearly a top-tier force in the world, yet he says he wants a showdown with Leander. That word ‘showdown’ is only used between equals. Does that mean Leander is strong enough to match the Hermit?
Liana’s eyes trembled slightly. She could only feel like everything around her was just a hallucination.
The guy I’ve roasted and even gone to threaten personally turns out to be an unrivaled master?
The Hermit and Leander locked eyes for what felt like forever. In the next instant, a gust of wind exploded beneath the Hermit’s feet, transforming into a streak of light that shot straight into the sky, carrying a thunderous, sweeping sound with it.
“Jeff, let’s do this. To put it in your Astria Martial Practitioner terms, today we settle who’s stronger and who survives p>
Leander grinned and shot a glance at Celia, silently telling her to watch over Nathan and the others. Without any visible motion, he turned into a blue streak and shot up into the sky.
The two beams of light pierced the heavens, leaving everyone on the ground frozen in horror. Nathan, Luke, and Evander-the three who knew Leander best could only gape upward in that moment it felt like they were meeting him for the very first time.
“Jeff?” Zara and Liana’s hearts raced, but even through the shock, they caught the
name. It rang a strange kind of familiarity to them.
In the next instant, their bodies shuddered as they both turned toward Maeve. “Maeve, could he really be p>
Maeve blinked, a mix of pride and glee radiating from her as if she were showing off
her boyfriend. “Yep, that’s him. The legendary Chief Instructor you’ve all been talking about p>
Zara and Liana just froze, mouths agape.
Denzel, badly wounded and
breathing shallowly, still had enough
clarity to process what he was
seeing When Leander and the Hermitvanished into the võrd together, his face drained of@olor. He could never have imagined that the young man he had provoked was actually the sole legend of the International Combat Units.
A sharp roar of wind tore through the sky. The two beams dissipated, revealing
Leander and the Hermit standing tall.
“Jeff, I’ve been sitting in the Artic
plains for fifty years. Today, I’ll test your Supreme Martial with my Frostbound Reversal!” The Hermit’s eyes glimmered with an icy on clenched his fist, and a wave of frost poured from his arm, forming a
chill He
massive ice spear tens of feet long
in the sky.
The spear split into two, then four, then eight, until eventually hundreds of ice spears streaked across the sky like frozen hailstorm blanketing the night. Even from hundreds of meters below, the crowd shivered from the sheer cold.
“Frostborne Halo!” The Hermit raised his palm. Hundreds of ice spears began spinning at speeds barely visible, merging into a gigantic ice crystal wheel hurtling toward Leander.
The Frostborne Halo tore through the night sky. The Hermit had thrown everything he had into this attack, holding nothing back.
A few kilometers away from Yelem Church, seven figures stood in a line atop a tall building.
After seeing the Frostborne Halo in the sky, Deo’s lips curved into a sly, victorious grin. “The Hermit’s done it. The prey is trapped. Now it’s our turn to show how the hunters strike p>