From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 526

A sharp tear split the air as a mist of blood exploded across the sky. Neil, a true King Phase fighter, was cleaved clean in two by the air blade.

The sight left Deo, the Hermit, and Moffat completely stunned, their faces frozen in disbelief and horror.

"How… How is that possible?" Deo's eyes went wide as his mind struggled to grasp the reality before him. He couldn't understand how Leander managed to kill a real King Phase with just one strike.

Just how powerful is Ashcroft? To think even a King Phase means nothing to him!

"Master Leander won!" Celia's expression brightened. Even someone as composed as she was couldn't suppress the joy rising within her.

Maeve and Aurora stood speechless for a long while, unable to react, while the Lavette sisters were utterly awestruck by Leander's devastating strike.

With a soft hiss, the two halves of Neil's body dissolved into countless motes of light that drifted away on the wind. But from behind that fading brilliance, a battered figure staggered backward—it was Neil himself.

It turned out that the body that had been split earlier was but a phantom. Yet even so, blood ran freely down the corner of his lips, and his aura plummeted sharply.

"A clone?" Leander frowned slightly. He hadn't managed to kill Neil in one blow, and that surprised him. His gaze lifted to the Ring of the Sage hovering above Neil's head, and he finally understood. "So, that ring took the hit for you."

Neil wiped the blood from his mouth, his face dark with frustration. If not for the ring blocking that fatal strike, he'd already be a broken corpse by now. But even with its protection, Leander's air blade had wounded his very core.

He no longer had the strength to stand against Leander.

"That ring might've saved you once, but let's see if it can save you twice," Leander said, his eyes sweeping coldly across Deo, the Hermit, and Moffat. "This time, I'll send all four of you to your graves."

As his words fell, divine light blazed once more in his eyes, and another half-moon blade of air began to form above his head.

Origin Blade!

"Run! Now!" Deo bellowed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His Primordial Energy surged violently as he burned that blood essence, exploding into his peak speed as he shot into the night sky.

The Hermit and Moffat didn't hesitate either. Already injured by Leander's earlier attacks, they had no intention of testing themselves against the Origin Blade—a weapon that even Neil couldn't withstand.

All three triple-turn Half-Kings stomped the ground and darted away in desperate flight. Neil himself unleashed the holy light power of the Ring of the Sage to its fullest, transforming into a beam of white light that streaked in the opposite direction. His core was damaged beyond repair; he had no chance left in a direct confrontation.

…

"Too late to run!"

With a faint hum, the Origin Blade vanished into the fabric of space. When it reappeared hundreds of feet away, a scream split the night, followed by a spray of blood.

Moffat was the first to fall. The blade pierced straight through his chest, bursting out in a crimson bloom before whirling onward.

The Hermit, his white robes fluttering, barely managed to glance back before the blade cleaved through his brow. The next instant, it was already streaking forward again.

Deo's body flashed through the night, his bloodline flaring as he twisted through the air. But the Origin Blade was even faster. It intercepted him mid-flight, slicing through the space before him—and through his neck.

His head flew upward, blood gushing skyward like a fountain—macabre and dazzling against the darkened heavens.

Boom!

The light around Leander dimmed as he studied the man before him, the corner of his lips curling into a faint, sardonic smile. "Another King Phase?"

That night alone, he had already faced two King Phase beings. And from what he sensed, this cloaked man's power far outstripped Neil's. His Origin Blade could hunt Neil down like a cornered dog, but this stranger had dispersed it with a single attack.

…

The fact that his strength was on an entirely different level had Leader quickly realizing that the black-robed figure was very likely one of the few surviving King Phase fighters from the great War of the King Phase a hundred years ago.

The man gazed at Leander for a long moment before turning to Neil. "When I brought you into the Church, I did so to shape you into the greatest Demon Hunter of your generation. But look at you now. You've become the Arbitration Office's lapdog—helping them stir chaos across the world.

"You've wielded the High Priest's gift, the Ring of the Sage, as if it were your personal weapon. Tell me, is this how you repay my teachings? Is this how you honor the Church's faith in you?"

His eyes blazed coldly with fury. "If not for that ring—if not for the reputation of the Demon Hunters—I would never have stepped in to save you from that spiritual blade."

Shame washed over Neil's face. He dropped to his knees in midair, unable to speak a single word. "Master…"

"Silence! You've lost the right to call me that."

The man's voice thundered with restrained wrath as he reached out his hand. The Ring of the Sage, Neil's most prized treasure for over 60 years, tore itself free and flew obediently into his master's palm.

Once that was done, the black-robed man turned his gaze back toward Leander. "Jeff Ashcroft, even in seclusion, I've heard of your name. I hold no allegiance to the Arbitration Office, nor do I care for their affairs. But tonight, I ask you for a favor—spare this fallen disciple's life."

Another King Phase stood before him, yet Leander's expression remained calm and detached. His eyes glinted faintly as he shook his head. "Spare him? Not a chance." His voice was cool and decisive. "If you want to keep him alive, show me if you're strong enough to do it."