Chapter 735 The Dragon Emperor Returns
Leander stood tall, his gaze sweeping across the eight figures in the sky. His eyes were cold and emotionless, as if he were looking at drifting specks of dust.
Seeing his expression, Master Caelum, Marek, and the others all reacted differently.
They had come thinking an ownerless divine treasure had appeared-only to realize it had already been claimed. Their trip was
doomed to end in vain.
“Haha… Since this supreme treasure was forged by you, it naturally belongs to you. How could we possibly lay a hand on it?”
Master Caelum, Marek, and Cassius were the first to speak. All three were nine-star King Phase masters, their strength rivaling figures like the Supreme Arbiters and the Dragon Emperor. Even after years in seclusion, they were well-informed.
They had long heard about how Leander wiped out six King Phase masters in a single battle at Ravenridge. Now, with that ancient sword in his hand-one that even they could feel the overwhelming pressure from-they had no intention of clashing with him before the great battle among King Phase masters began. No one wanted to suffer injuries at a time like this.
The three of them immediately withdrew.
But the remaining five high-level King Phase masters showed no intention of leaving.
Among them, Caius-master of Tharok’s Technique from Taybourne-stepped forward, a flicker of calculation in his eyes as he looked down at Leander,
“Mr. Ashcroft, since this sword was forged by you… would you mind letting us see what it can do?”
Caius’ body was like forged steel. Both his Primordial Energy and/physical body had been trained to their peak. His physical strength had reached the absolute limit of what a King Phase master could achieve. Once he activated Tharok’s Technique, his combat power surged, rivaling even nine-star King Phase masters.
The other four said nothing, but none of them moved. They hovered in the air, clearly waiting for Caius to test the waters.
Unlike Master Caelum and the others, they had only heard rumors about Leander. Stories of him sweeping six King Phase masters alone sounded exaggerated-after all, they hadn’t seen it themselves.
They had traveled thousands of miles to Highcrest, only to leave empty-handed. Naturally, they weren’t willing to accept that. At the very least, they wanted to witness the power of that ancient sword.
Leander let out a faint scoff, a hint of disdain curling at his lips as he shook his head.
“To be honest-even if you wanted to see its power, I wouldn’t use it on you.”
His tone was calm but cutting.
“You’re not worth it.”
There was no exaggeration in his words.
True Martial Heavenrend could cut down enemies across an entire realm. The stronger he became, the greater the gap he could overcome. With his current spiritual strength at the Origin Breaking Realm, combined with martial power nearing King Phase- even true Imperial Phase masters would be nothing special to him.
These people hadn’t even reached the Pre-Imperial Phase. They simply weren’t qualified.
A cold smile flickered in Cajus’ eyes.
“If you won’t show us the sword,” he said, voice sharpening, “then let me experience your so-called invincible strength.”
A burning desire for battle rose within him.
When he first made a name for himself, information networks were nowhere near as advanced. Very few people knew him outside of the martial world.
Yet Leander-a rising star-was now known by all. Even powerful organizations like Netherweb and the Arbitration Office treated him as a top priority. It stirred envy in Caius.
If he fought Leander today, even losing after a fierce battle would not damage his reputation. But if he somehow won, it would
make him famous across the world.
The others saw through his plan and silently cursed his cunning-but they couldn’t deny they were tempted too.
“Fight me?” Leander chuckled softly, his expression indifferent.
Then he raised a finger and pointed.
“Hmm?”
Caius suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger crash down on him. His Primordial Energy surged to its peak, forming a protective barrier around his body. His hardened physique-refined beyond steel through endless tempering-was fully unleashed.
All to block that single strike.
A faint burst of air swept forward.
It touched his protective energy-and shattered it instantly.
The force struck his left chest, sending him flying across the sky like a ragdoll. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was blasted into the distance.
Silence fell.
The other four, who had been eager just moments ago, froze where they stood. The air turned deathly still. Some even took half a step back, their faces filled with shock.
A King Phase master-someone on their levci-had been crushed with a single finger. What kind of power was that?
“It’s only been a little over a month since the Ravenridge battle… Has he gotten even stronger?”
Master Caelum and the other two exchanged glances, all shaking their heads in disbelief.
“Drop your pathetic schemes,” Leander said coldly. “Try that again, and I’ll kill you” Caius let out a miserable cry. He didn’t dare linger for even a second, turning into a streak of brown light as he tied into the distance.
Leander’s gaze shifted to the remaining four.
“Well? Anyone else want to try?
They hurriedly shook their heads, forcing awkward smiles as they backed away. “Sovereign Ashcroft, you must be joking-we were just watching the show!”
“Now that your treasure is complete, we’ll take our leave!”
In an instant, all five disappeared.
Master Caelum, Marek, and Cassius cupped their fists respectfully toward Leander
before departing in three different directions.
“True Martial Heavenrend… finally complete.”
With all eight gone, Leander gently ran his hand along the ten-colored ancient sword, unwilling to let it go.
His combat strength had at least doubled compared to before. If he faced Homer now-even without drawing the sword-a single wave of blade force would be enough to make Homer kneel.
As he lightly wiped the blade, his expression suddenly shifted. His eyes sharpened as he turned around.
Less than thirty feet behind him, a middle-aged man in a purple-gold robe was walking forward with steady steps, carrying an air of quiet authority.
He walked with his hands behind his back, yet the very essence of heaven and earth seemed to part before him, as if welcoming their master-forming an invisible
path.
His face was square and unremarkable, lacking obvious sharpness or grandeur. Yet there was something about him-something unforgettable.
“Long time no see.”
He greeted Leander as if meeting an old friend.
Leander narrowed his eyes slightly. He lowered True Martial Heavenrend behind his
back, showing no intention to Sght.
“Dragon Emperor?”.