Confronting a Peak Saint-level Expert

Haoyue slowly raised his right hand.

The sleeve of his black robe slid down, revealing a hand.

A hand... covered in white fur.

Its five fingers were long and slender, but their tips bore sharp claws that glinted coldly.

At the collar of his black robe, the moonlight dimly revealed a sharply defined face.

Black tiger stripes ran across it!

"This is..."

Heidens's pupils contracted.

"A humanoid magical beast? No... tiger stripes?!"

He suddenly recalled an ancient legend.

One of the Four Ultimate Warriors-

The Tiger-Striped Warrior!

"You're a Tiger-Striped Warrior?!" Heidens cried out in shock. "Didn't the Tiger-Striped Warrior clan go extinct long ago?!"

Haoyue didn't answer.

Now that he had been recognized, there was no need to keep hiding it.

"Roar-!"

A low tiger roar rumbled from Haoyue's mouth.

His body abruptly grew taller, the muscles beneath his black robe swelling wildly. Arcane blue markings emerged from beneath his skin and spread across his entire body.

Tiger-Striped Warrior form, fully unleashed!

A terrifying aura surged skyward from Haoyue, like an ancient behemoth awakening!

Haoyue stomped his foot.

"Boom!"

The ground cracked.

He shot straight at Heidens like a cannonball!

Close combat was a warrior's advantage!

He wanted to see how much the Pope of Light, a Peak Saint-level mage, could do once he got in close!

"Hmph, you don't know what's good for you!"

Heidens's face darkened.

Though surprised by the appearance of a Tiger-Striped Warrior, he was a Peak Saint-level expert. Why would he fear his opponent?

"Light Travel Technique!"

Heidens became a streak of light, moving at an inconceivable speed.

Light magic: Light Travel Technique, the ultimate speed under heaven!

Haoyue's fist grazed the edge of Heidens's robe and struck empty air.

"Boom-!"

The force of his punch struck the ground, blasting a crater several meters deep.

"Not bad speed."

Haoyue shook out his fist, the fighting spirit in his eyes burning even brighter.

"But do you think that's all I can do?"

He took a deep breath.

Magic power from three elements circulated at once!

Earth Element: Greater Gravity Domain!

The invisible gravitational field spread out again. This time, it covered a greater area and its gravity was stronger!

At the center of the field, Heidens felt his body grow heavy, and his speed abruptly dropped.

"Gravity magic?" Heidens frowned slightly. "You're a mage too?"

Weren't Tiger-Striped Warriors pure warriors?

How could he use magic too?

And Earth Element magic at that?

But it wasn't over yet.

Fire Element: Flame Star Bomb!

Water Element: Ice Spike Storm!

Flames gathered in Haoyue's left hand and ice in his right, forming two completely different spheres of magic in his palms.

One from the left and one from the right, they blasted toward Heidens!

Ice and fire together!

"Interesting."

Surprise flashed in Heidens's eyes, but his movements didn't slow in the slightest.

"Radiant Protection!"

A milky-white barrier appeared around him.

"Bang! Bang!"

The Flame Star Bomb and Ice Spike Storm exploded against the barrier one after another, sending flames and ice shards flying.

The barrier swayed slightly but remained as steady as a mountain.

How could a Peak Saint-level defense be so easy to break?

"Ninth Rank magic?" Heidens looked at Haoyue, his eyes gleaming. "You cultivate three elements? When did the Tiger-Striped Warrior clan produce a freak like you?"

The more he saw, the more shocked he became.

Being a Tiger-Striped Warrior was one thing, but he was also a grand magus of three elements?

That was outrageous!

"A freak?" Haoyue grinned, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth. "You haven't seen nearly enough."

Heidens was somewhat irritated. He was the Pope of Light, a Peak Saint-level expert!

Yet he was being held up by a youngster who hadn't even reached Saint-level?

Who would believe it if word got out?

"Break!"

Heidens shouted furiously.

Radiant Divine Spear!

A spear condensed from pure light energy shot from his hand, stabbing swiftly toward Haoyue!

That strike contained seventy percent of his power!

He refused to believe his opponent could withstand it!

Facing that terrifyingly powerful strike, Haoyue's expression finally turned grave.

A full-strength strike from a Peak Saint-level expert was no joke.

"Come on!"

Haoyue let out a low roar.

The power of the Earth Element's Saint-level Earthguard Armor, and the shield provided by the Mountain Dragon Soul.

Passive defenses, fully unleashed!

"Clang-!!"

The clash of metal rang out, deafening!

A terrifying shock wave spread in every direction from the two of them.

Spiderweb-like cracks appeared across the ground.

The surrounding trees snapped in half one after another!

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Haoyue staggered back three steps, each one leaving a deep footprint in the ground.

A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

Peak Saint-level truly lived up to its reputation!

That strike had inflicted serious internal injuries on him.

But-

That was all.

With the Mountain Dragon Soul's passive shield, the defense of the Saint-level Earthguard Armor, and his terrifying health, which rivaled that of a Late Saint-level expert-

He had managed to withstand the strike!

"What?!"

Heidens was utterly stunned.

His furious strike had only injured his opponent a little?

That defense... was far too absurd, wasn't it?

"When did a Tiger-Striped Warrior's defense become so strong?" Heidens stared at Haoyue in disbelief.

Little did he know that Haoyue's defense didn't come from his Tiger-Striped Warrior bloodline at all.

"Again!"

Haoyue wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The fighting spirit in his eyes hadn't diminished; instead, it burned even brighter.

He could feel it.

The Ocean Dragon Soul was steadily releasing a gentle energy, healing the injuries inside his body.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before his injuries healed completely.

"This monster..."

Heidens's face finally turned ashen.

He could see it now.

His opponent hadn't come to fight him to a clear outcome.

He had come to stall for time!

"Damn it! Over there..."

Heidens's heart tightened.

He suddenly realized that this Tiger-Striped Warrior had to be plotting something by keeping him occupied here!

Clayde was in danger!

"Out of my way!"

Heidens roared, no longer holding back.

Saint-level magic: Holy Light Judgment!

A vast, majestic pillar of white light that seemed capable of purifying everything descended from the sky, bearing down on Haoyue!

This was true Saint-level magic, its power far beyond that of Ninth Rank magic!

Faced with this terrifying strike, Haoyue's expression also became exceptionally grave.

He couldn't take it head-on!

"Earth Element: Earth Travel Technique!"

Haoyue cast the Earth Travel Technique instantly, plunging into the ground and vanishing from sight.

"Boom-!!"

Holy Light Judgment struck the ground, blasting an enormous crater dozens of meters across!

Dust billowed into the air, blotting out the sky.

But just as the dust was at its thickest-

"Whoosh!"

A figure burst out of the ground behind Heidens.

It was Haoyue!

"Fire Element: Flame Body Protection!"

Blazing flames erupted from Haoyue's body.

He looked as though he had become a man of fire!

"Die!"

Haoyue threw a punch.

His fist was wrapped in scorching flames.

It was the Tiger-Striped Space-Rending Fist, created by incorporating Fire Element magic!

"Bang!"

The punch struck the barrier behind Heidens squarely.

The barrier shook violently, and cracks appeared across its surface.

"What?!"

Heidens was both shocked and furious.

He hadn't expected his opponent to be so cunning as to use the Earth Travel Technique for a sneak attack!

"Die!"

Heidens spun around and struck back with a Blade of Holy Light.

"Bang!"

Haoyue neither dodged nor evaded, taking the blow head-on.

At the same time, his fist slammed into Heidens's chest.

"Pfft-"

Both spat blood at the same time and were sent flying in opposite directions.

Both sides had suffered!

"Cough, cough..."

Haoyue climbed to his feet, blood still flowing from his shoulder, but a smile appeared on his face.

He had come out ahead.

His recovery was far better than Heidens'.

Trading injury for injury was a huge win for him!

And-

It was about time.

"A quarter of an hour."

Haoyue looked up in the direction of the royal capital.

Linley should have succeeded by now too.

Since the mission was complete, it was time to retreat.

"I'm done playing with you."

Haoyue grinned.

He spread his arms and unleashed spells with both hands.

In his left hand, crimson light gathered madly.

Enormous flaming meteors appeared out of nowhere in the sky, trailing long tails of fire as they hurtled down at Heidens!

Ninth Rank Fire Element magic: Meteor Fire Rain!

From his right hand, an earthen-yellow light soared into the sky.

Ninth Rank Earth Element magic: Greater Gravity Spell!

Each of the two spells was more terrifying and covered a wider area than the other!

Everything for several miles around became a purgatory of fire!

"Madman!"

Heidens' expression changed drastically.

He hadn't expected his opponent to cast spells on a whim, much less two such terrifying, wide-area spells at once!

He had no time to think. He hurriedly activated Radiant Protection, raising his defenses to their limit.

Boom-!!!

The blazing meteors crashed down.

Earth-shaking explosions rang through the skies.

The entire area was shrouded in flames and dust.

A long while later.

The dust gradually settled.

Heidens appeared in a crater, looking disheveled.

"Where is he?!"

Heidens looked around, grinding his teeth.

The black-robed figure had already vanished.

He'd fled?!

In the brief time Heidens had been trapped by the spells, his opponent had simply fled?

"Tiger-Striped Warrior..." Heidens clenched his fists, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes.

The Tiger-Striped Warrior clan still had a surviving descendant?

And such a monstrous genius at that!

He suddenly remembered something.

"Bolei..." Heidens murmured. "That genius marquis of the Fenlai Kingdom, the Marquis of Three Elements, was surnamed Bolei, wasn't he?"

"Haoyue Bolei?" Heidens' pupils contracted.

And he happened to be a mage of three elements as well.

The Fenlai Kingdom had changed completely.

King Clayde had been assassinated, and the killer was a legendary Dragonblood Warrior.

There were also rumors that His Holiness the Pope of Light had personally intervened, only to be stopped by another mysterious Tiger-Striped Warrior and fail to capture the killer.

As if it had grown wings, the news spread swiftly throughout the Fenlai Kingdom and even reached the surrounding countries.

A Dragonblood Warrior! A Tiger-Striped Warrior!

Two Ultimate Warriors had appeared at the same time!

The entire Yulan Continent was shaken!

And the two people who had caused it all-

Haoyue and Linley had already left the Fenlai Kingdom and were heading toward the Magical Beasts Mountain Range.

Their path of revenge was far from over.

Paterson was dead, and so was Clayde.

But the true mastermind behind it all, the Radiant Church, remained.

Still, the destruction of the Radiant Church was only a matter of time.