From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 507

In this absolute darkness, even an Infernal Crown Transcendent couldn't sense or see anything at all.

Celia felt as though she had been dropped into pure chaos. If Leander had not been holding her hand tightly, her mind might have collapsed on the spot.

"You're finally here!"

Leander's voice was cold and calm as he held onto Celia, giving her a small sense of comfort.

"After a few hours apart, we meet again, Jeff!" The Hermit's familiar voice came from the darkness, sounding neither sad nor joyful.

"So this is how you planned to hunt me down?" Leander replied. "You might as well just show yourself. The two of us can fight above the skies of Yelem."

Leander stood still, not taking a single step. His full focus was already poured into the endless darkness around them.

Potter burst into wild laughter, yet it was impossible to tell where the sound was coming from.

"Jeff, this is one of the two domains I formed in the third turn of the King's Triple Turn—the Shrouded Domain. This is the first time I've ever used it on anyone!"

"A domain?" Leander murmured curiously.

Just moments ago, he and Celia had been walking down a bright street in broad daylight. But in an instant, everything around them turned pitch-black, and they could not even see their own hands before their eyes.

This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this.

It was nothing like the Bloodsea Prison the Blood Demon had formed at the peak of Swallow Hill. That power had shown clear signs and a forming process.

This darkness, however, appeared far too suddenly without any warning.

In the brief moment of his spiritual perception, it had already swallowed them whole.

"Jeff, you can't see me now, but I can see the shock on your face! Even though you've defeated the Blood Demon, you are still too young. Your understanding of the King Phase is far too shallow! Today, I will show you what it truly means to be one!"

Potter's voice echoed again through the void. "A King Phase uses their own body as a vessel to draw in the energy of heaven and earth, turn it into their own power, and connect with the forces of the world. With a single gesture, they can seal off a space. With a single thought, they can form a domain!

"Compared to a Transcendent, a King Phase's understanding and control over the power of heaven and earth is like that of an adult compared to a helpless infant. They are not on the same level at all!

He continued, "As everyone knows, to transition from an Infernal Crown Transcendent to a King Phase, one must undergo the King's Triple Turn and transform innate vitality into true essence. But not everyone who completes the three turns can become a King Phase! To truly enter this phase, one must experience a spiritual ascension and awaken a domain that belongs to oneself!

"Every King Phase has their own unique domain, collectively known as the King's Domain. Only after forming a domain does a King Phase gain true divine power. Inside their own domain, they can act as they please and control everything!"

There was a hint of pride in Potter's voice. He'd created the Shrouded Domain after meditating for forty years on the frozen Arctic plains.

Inside this domain, he was the absolute ruler.

Now that the domain had formed and the third turn was complete, he was, in truth, already qualified to step into the King Phase.

The only thing he was missing was a final opportunity.

"A domain?" Leander's lips parted slightly, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "So in order to become a King Phase, one first has to create a domain of their own?"

"That's right!" Potter replied sharply.

"Right now, I'm only half a step away from the King Phase. The Shrouded Domain is the less perfect of the two domains I've achieved, but trapping you in it is still effortless! You can't even sense which direction I'm in anymore. How do you expect to fight me? Jeff, our wager has already been decided. I've won!"

Celia's heart sank.

The Blood Demon had once been the most brutal, most terrifying world-class powerhouse she had ever seen. Yet, even he had never made her feel the kind of fear she felt right now.

At last, she understood what a King Phase truly was. Just this mysterious and unfathomable domain alone was far beyond her comprehension.

With a flick of his hand, he could create an entire world of his own, acting as its creator. Such presence was enough to dominate everything.

Whoosh!

Boom!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Do you really think that by using the power of space to shift yourself within the domain, I wouldn't be able to find you? My abilities are far beyond what you can imagine!"

Leander's voice was laced with contempt as he threw another punch through the void.

In the endless darkness, every strike he delivered seemed to precisely lock onto Potter's position. A mass of black fog whirled and flickered wildly within the Shrouded Domain, retreating without pause.

"What the heck?"

No matter where the black fog tried to hide, Leander captured its location and struck it head-on.

Finally, when Leander unleashed his tenth punch, the black mist completely dissolved, vanishing into the boundless darkness.

"Jeff, you truly live up to your reputation as the one who defeated the Blood Demon. You truly are the greatest warrior in history, as announced on the International Combat Units!"

Leander did not strike again. Instead, Potter's voice echoed, growing more and more distant in the darkness.

"That's enough for today. Our little game has only just begun!"

By the time the voice faded into the distance, the surrounding darkness had already begun to recede at a visible speed. Daylight returned, and Leander and Celia found themselves once more standing in front of the abandoned manor.

"Is he gone, Master Leander?" Celia asked in confusion, as if waking from a dream.

By all logic, Potter's appearance should have meant a decisive battle against Leander. Yet, he had only cast his domain before fleeing, something she could not understand.

"Interesting. The King of Assassins, huh?" Leander curved his lips into a smile before replying, "To the Hermit, killing was once his profession, but it is also a form of entertainment. He doesn't just enjoy the moment the target dies. What he truly savors is the process before that—the way his prey is forced to endure the immense pressure of death, like a cat toying with a mouse."

Murderous intent had already gathered in Leander's eyes.

"The next time he shows himself, I'll make sure he's dead."