Battle to the Nine Heavens

A cold voice rang out. Lynn caught Xiao Yan's attack with one hand while keeping his other hand behind his back, looking down at Xiao Yan from a position of superiority.

"Who are you?"

Staring at the man who had suddenly appeared, Xiao Yan's expression shifted.

"Lynn."

"Lynn?" Xiao Yan frowned, murmuring the name as if trying to recall something.

"I've never heard of you. I intend to teach him a lesson today; are you certain you want to stop me?" After a brief moment of thought, Xiao Yan shook his head and pointed a finger at Wilbur, his face filled with killing intent.

"M... My Lord!" Wilbur, being pointed at by Xiao Yan, swallowed hard in fear and shrank behind Lynn.

"I owe him a favor. Him... you cannot touch!" Lynn's expression remained indifferent.

"Who do you think you are?" Xiao Yan let out a low growl, swinging the heavy ruler in his hand.

Crackling sounds erupted.

Terrifying flames surged, scorching the air and forming ripples of heat.

"Flame Splitting Wave Ruler!"

"How bold!"

Faced with Xiao Yan's sudden strike, Lynn's face darkened with anger.

He extended his hand with two fingers pressed together.

Instantly, the winds and clouds above shifted; the clouds transformed into a vortex, and a massive, primal finger shadow slowly emerged from the center.

"Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger!"

"First Finger Moves Heaven and Earth!"

Rumble—

The finger imprint collided with the flames. At the very center of the impact, the space itself began to ripple, appearing as if it might shatter at any moment.

Violent explosions rang out incessantly.

In the capital of the Zhongyuan Empire below the battlefield, people in the plaza noticed the anomaly in the sky.

The once-clear blue sky had transformed into a desolate vortex, with murky clouds swirling within it, descending toward the ground under immense pressure.

A thunderous, rumbling sound echoed from the vortex, creating the illusion that the sky was collapsing.

"The... the sky is falling!" a soldier exclaimed.

"What is happening?" the Starfire King watched the sky nervously.

"Saint Domain experts are fighting!" Baige, the strongest person in the plaza, sensed it.

"How is that possible? This is the imperial capital; who would dare run wild here?" Luo En looked on in disbelief.

"Could it be that Albert and Lord Xiao Yan are fighting the empire's Saint Domain experts?" Luo En recalled Xiao Yan and Albert shooting into the sky earlier and couldn't help but guess.

Suddenly, a voice emanated from the thick clouds.

"I will kill him today. Let's see who can stop me!"

"Eight Extremities Collapse, kill!!"

"Second Finger Moves Heaven and Earth. I said, today... you cannot touch him!!"

Two distinct youthful voices rang out, followed by a violent collision as endless shockwaves surged in all directions.

A terrifying hurricane descended from the sky, with the imperial capital taking the brunt of the force.

Those in the plaza with weaker strength had blood streaming from their eyes under the assault of the gale, their eardrums rupturing from the impact of the shockwaves.

"A Saint War... it's a Saint War!"

"Quick... hide!"

Nobles shouted, and the scene descended into chaos, resulting in countless casualties.

Xiao Yan and Lynn, currently in the midst of their "fierce battle," noticed the turmoil below. Both men frowned and exchanged a glance.

"Let us fight above the nine heavens!" Lynn spoke, taking the lead as he flew toward the high altitude.

"Why would I fear that?" Xiao Yan held his heavy ruler, stepping through the void. Wherever he passed, flames manifested out of thin air, blooming like red lotus flowers.

Rumble—

"This..." As the two departed one after another, Wilbur still hadn't recovered.

"No, is he sick? No one told me he was this strong!!" Wilbur watched Xiao Yan's departing back, his emotions collapsing.

Wilbur felt that he had been incredibly unlucky lately. First, he was threatened by Lynn, a ruthless man who had suddenly attacked and wiped out the upper echelons of the Church of Light, forcing him to find someone.

Now, after just uttering a few harsh words, he had provoked Xiao Yan, who was capable of battling Lynn.

Looking back at the history of the Azeron Continent, Wilbur had never even heard of a genius who could possess strength near the limit of the Saint Domain before the age of twenty, at least not in the million years of recorded history.

And yet, two such once-in-a-million-year geniuses had appeared in the same era, and Wilbur had managed to run into both of them.

"I cannot stay in this material plane for even one more day. I must leave... I have to go to the Higher Planes!" Wilbur felt the commotion above and made a secret resolution.

The activity nine days above remained constant; the sounds of violent collisions roared, and intense energy shockwaves rippled in all directions, causing the space itself to ripple wherever they passed.

Clouds were evaporated by the high heat, and powerful air currents formed massive vortices, dragging in the unique stars of the Coiling Dragon World and grinding them into powder.

Suddenly, the movement nine days above came to a halt.

Amidst the immense terror, an angry shout erupted from within.

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river!!"

"Lynn, I have recorded today's defeat. One day... I will personally come to the Roland Empire to settle this!"

"Hmph, you think you can just leave after being defeated? Leave something behind!"

"Ah!"

A scream echoed from the sky as a crimson giant palm rapidly condensed, snatched Albert, who was watching the battle, and vanished in an instant.

"The master has won!" A hint of color returned to Wilbur's pale face; at the very least, it was not the worst possible outcome.

Rumble~~

As if in response to Wilbur, a figure in black robes descended indifferently from the center of the vortex nine days above.

Drip, drop~~

In Lynn's hand was a severed arm that was still bleeding profusely; it belonged to Xiao Yan.

His gaze swept over the spatial ring on the middle finger of the severed arm.

"The fake Soul Gold Bead has been successfully obtained."

"Now that this matter is settled, it is time to leave."

"Thank you, master, for your intervention and rescue." Wilbur stepped forward with a grateful expression.

Lynn glanced at Wilbur indifferently. "The favor is repaid. From here on, you and I have no further ties."

"This..." Wilbur's expression shifted.

Lynn turned to leave as soon as he finished speaking.

Seeing this, Wilbur hurriedly stepped forward. "Master Lynn, if that scoundrel Xiao Yan continues to attack, the Zhongyuan Empire will likely be unable to stop him."

"What does that have to do with me?" Lynn looked at Wilbur calmly, his cold gaze leaving Wilbur frozen in place.

Only then did Wilbur realize that from beginning to end, he had no leverage to command Lynn.

"Farewell, master!"

Lynn disappeared into the distant horizon, and on his way back, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"This Wilbur... he really took me for a free mercenary."

"If Kasa hadn't been unharmed this time, I would have already slaughtered the entire royal family of the Zhongyuan Empire."

A cold light flashed in Lynn's eyes.

After bringing Kasa back to the Roland Empire and speaking with him, Lynn learned more information that he had been unaware of at the start.

This included the fact that when the Church of Light attacked Qingli City, not a single one of the empire's dozen Saint Domain experts had defended the city.

Even the ancestor of the Rivas Family, the Qingli Sword Saint, had directly abandoned Qingli City, treating Kasa and the other defending soldiers as expendable pawns.

...In the Izeren Plane, deep in the frigid lands of the South Sea, glaciers that had not melted for hundreds of millions of years covered the surface of the ocean. Roger, the Plane Overseer of the Izeren Plane, resided on the highest peak.