Richard turned around and saw a Gate of Light opening in midair. An old man with a deeply wrinkled face stepped through it. He wore a gray linen robe like an ascetic, yet he was none other than Vala, the former Supreme Holy One of the Temple of Flames—the Grand Holy Seat.
Vala glanced toward the forest. When his eyes fell on the shattered longsword in Brando's hand, they narrowed slightly. He then turned back and looked at the four people before him.
A sacred and imposing aura instantly spread through the air.
Upon coming into contact with this aura, Richard, Royer, Saiban, and Weller all changed expression slightly. They knew very well that forty years ago, this man had already been the Temple's foremost expert. Judging from the situation now, he had already set one foot onto the final level known as the forbidden zone between mortals and gods—the peak of the Extreme Realm.
Vala had only just come to a stop when, in another direction, the gray domain in the sky withdrew, receding like a tide and revealing the figure hidden behind it. It was a middle-aged man with a greatsword on his back and graying temples. His appearance was unremarkable, as though he had weathered countless storms. Only the crow's-feet at the corners of his eyes faintly hinted at the dashing man he had once been.
But the aura radiating from him was astonishingly powerful—silent and heavy, making people feel as though they were standing before a mountain. His appearance alone was nothing special, yet the Imperial people present recognized him at a glance: Grey Sword Saint Mephisto.
"Mephisto." Richard uttered the man's name in a deep voice, his brows tightly furrowed and his heart sinking slightly. The other party was indeed already at the middle stage