Chapter 571
Leander didn’t show the slightest bit of pity even after killing Cedric. Only cold, detached contempt for someone beneath him.
He walked straight into the oasis after that message. Not a soul dared to speak. The bodyguards didn’t even breathe too loudly.
Darian stood with his hands behind his back. His face didn’t move, his voice as calm as ever. “Tell the Montgomery family if they don’t want their entire bloodline wiped out, they’d better let this go.
“They have no idea who they’re dealing with p>
More than half those guards were hired by the Montgomerys. Hearing Darian’s warning, they all nodded silently and committed it to memory.
Ophelia stood frozen in place. A long time passed before she snapped out of it. Her face was filled with frustration and helplessness.
She looked toward Evren and asked in a quiet voice, “Mr. Westvale, who is Leander, really? Why do you guys keep calling him Jeff? What’s with the ‘Sovereign Ashcroft’ thing?
“Is he some kind of royal heir or something p>
Evren took a deep breath before he finally spoke. “He’s no royal heir. But even if he was, he’d still outrank them by a mile.
“I’m not familiar with the name Leander. Maybe it’s his real name. But in the international martial world, he’s better known as Jeff. One of the most secretive organizations in Astria-Divine Loom-gave him a unique title: Iron Sovereign.
“You’ve seen how strong he is. If he says we’re not allowed in, then I’m afraid this oasis trip ends here p>
Evren gave a slow shake of his head. His tone carried a touch of regret. Even Rupert Collins, the legendary old master of the Bulwark Sect, had lost in a public bet with Leander. As for the rest of them, people who hadn’t even reached King Phase? They had no say at all. Who’d dare go against him?
Ophelia bit her lip. She still couldn’t let it go. Just as that frustration started to rise, Evren suddenly added something.
“By the way, that viral clip from a few days ago—the one of that blue-glowing superhuman taking down ten supersonic jets all by himself? That was him p>
The words hit Ophelia like a bomb. Her heart practically stopped.
“What? That glowing guy… was Leander p>
Her eyes went blank. She couldn’t speak another word.
Inside the oasis, Leander continued alone. The deeper he went, the richer the spiritual energy became. It was a complete contrast to the barren desert surrounding it. Every now and then, a small animal would scurry by, only to bolt the moment Leander’s icy stare fell on them.
Nothing got in his way. He went straight to the center of the oasis. After walking through dense forest, a clear lake came into view. It stretched 300 yards across. In the middle of the desert, it was a rare and precious sight.
Leander looked up at the sky. It was bright and blue, a world away from the storming winds and dust clouds outside. As he walked forward, the branches and vines in front of him parted on their own, as if an invisible force was clearing a path just for him.
He stopped at the edge of the lake. The water was crystal clear, almost transparent. He could see the bottom. Fish and shrimp darted playfully through the depths. The grass around the lake was lush and green.
“So this is the famous Westerian Divinity Vault p>
Looking around at the peaceful scenery, Leander shook his head slightly.
There was definitely powerful spiritual energy in the air. There might even be sacred treasures hidden here. But after walking this far, he hadn’t noticed anything truly extraordinary. It didn’t seem much different from any other desert oasis.
Then he paused.
He felt something. His senses picked up on something strange behind the cliff wall across the lake.
He raised his palm.
A burst of force exploded outward, blasting across a hundred yards and smashing straight through the rocky wall.
Chunks of stone shattered in every direction. And the moment the cliff broke apart, a fist-sized stream of water burst out, shooting straight into the lake.
The surface of the lake, once calm
and clear, began to ripple violently. Flecks of phosphorescent light danced across the water, and flashes of silver began to glow beneath the surface. A massive surge
of spiritual energy erupted and spun outward from the lake, forming a towering beam of radiant power.
“Is that… the spring of life p>
Leander’s eyes lit up. A smile tugged at his lips.
Now he understood why he couldn’t sense the spring before. Over time, the sacred water had been absorbed into the stone walls. Wind, erosion, and age had sealed it deep within the cliff. It had fused into the rock and become an underground flow, hidden away from the outside world.
The person who’d found the spring of life before must’ve just gotten lucky and scooped up a few leftover drops without even realizing what they were.
But now that the stone wall had been blown apart and the spring was gushing straight into the lake, everything had changed. The entire lake had been soaked in it. That kind of spiritual energy wouldn’t just fade. It would spread through every inch of the water.
At this point, the lake had turned into one giant pool of high-density spiritual energy. That thing was priceless. No King Phase alive could turn their back on it.
And Leander was no exception. He wanted it too. But with the level of control he
had, he stayed completely composed. He lifted his hand. A strong pull burst from his palm and locked onto the center of the lake.
A moment later, the force erupted.
The water reacted instantly. The lake started to churn, then spiral. It looked like it was about to collapsè in on itself. A heavy current of
spiritual energy broke loose an surged straight toward his hand like
a vacuum had torn open the surface.
The sound of water twisting and tearing filled the air.
The energy collected into a pale-blue beam, narrow and sharp, and it slammed into Leander’s palm. His body absorbed the force like a magnet. Inside him, the Devourer’s Ninefold Path roared to life, sucking it in and converting it all into clean, pure Primordial Energy.
If any other martial artist had seen this happening, they would’ve been floored.
Natural energy was everything in this world. Fighters trained their bodies and minds to pull in spiritual energy and refine it into inner strength, innate vitality, or Primordial Energy. That was how they got strong enough to flip tanks or split open concrete with their bare hands.
The more energy around them, the faster they advanced.
But even the best techniques had speed limits. Trying to absorb too much too fast would just clog up the process. Their bodies wouldn’t be able to convert it fastenough the pressure would bund up and turn lethal. Every martial artist had to know their limit and pace
themselves accordingly.
Leander didn’t care. He was devouring energy like a black hole, shoving everything
into himself as if his body were bottomless. Any other fighter would’ve exploded by
now.
But Leander didn’t even flinch. Not a crack. Not a twitch. And instead of slowing down, the absorption rate just kept rising. It was absolutely terrifying.
As he kept pulling, the surface of the lake started to drop. Vapor hissed upward as the liquid volume shrank.
Leander’s gaze sharpened. Deep below the surface, a blurry shape began to form. It was a woman.