From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 533

Light flared from Leander's body, bursting forth with blinding brilliance that illuminated the night sky. At the same moment, countless spikes of spiritual strength streaked toward him like a deadly storm.

The enforcers' eyes were cold and pitiless as they poured their own spiritual strength into the attack, sharpening each spike's penetration and destructive force. Under such a relentless onslaught, Leander not only had to fend off all four of them but also protect Maeve—a mere mortal. It was an impossible task for anyone else.

A clear clang rang out from within the light, followed by a rapid, continuous cascade of metallic chimes that filled the air.

"Hm?"

The enforcers narrowed their eyes. Within the radiant glow, a sphere of light had taken shape—a perfectly rounded shield enclosing Leander and Maeve from all sides. Every spike of spiritual strength struck its surface, but none could pierce through. It was as if they were trapped inside a solid sphere of iron, impervious to the countless spears striking from every direction.

"To think he could manipulate spiritual strength to this extent—condensing it into such a resilient spiritual shield…" one of the enforcers muttered, half in awe. Even with their mastery, forming such a dense and stable barrier was extremely difficult. Yet Leander had summoned it in the blink of an eye.

"With power and talent like his, had he joined the Church, he would have become one of its greatest pillars. Unfortunately, he chose to walk the heretic's path—and now he stands as the Church's enemy."

A flicker of regret crossed their eyes—but only for an instant. The next heartbeat, their malice surged once again.

They knew all too well how dangerous a gifted and growing enemy could be. The Church had once suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Arbitration Office, all because of arrogance and complacency—because they had dismissed the threat before it had truly matured. By the time they realized their mistake, the Arbitration Office had spread its wings and forced the Church into retreat.

This time, they would not repeat that mistake. No matter how formidable Leander appeared, he would die here and now in Yelem.

The four men stepped forward in unison. Their combined spiritual strength rippled across the sky, twisting together into a massive, spinning drill—its tip gleaming with lethal precision as it drove straight into Leander's barrier.

"Break!"

The rotating spike rammed forward. Leander frowned slightly, feeling the violent shock reverberate through his spiritual field. The spinning did not stop; instead, it accelerated rapidly, gathering even greater destructive force.

"Holy Art—Spiral Drill!"

The spinning lance of energy whirled faster and faster, its penetrative power increasing exponentially. Cracks began to splinter across the surface of Leander's spiritual shield.

"Heretic," one of the enforcers called out with a sneer, "you truly are a master of spiritual strength. Your cultivation has reached the intermediate to advanced stage of the Origin Realm. Given enough time, you might even step into the Origin Breaking Realm and become a true grandmaster of the spirit.

"But unfortunately for you, you won't live to see that day. The four of us stand in the same realm—and today, we will see you dead!"

Their faces brimmed with pride and murderous resolve. Then, all at once, their eyes flashed with divine light as the spinning drill's speed climbed again.

"Break!" they roared together.

A thunderous shout tore through the heavens, followed by a sharp crack. Leander's barrier shattered like glass, exploding into countless fragments of shimmering light that scattered across the sky.

The spinning spike of spiritual strength shot forward like a drill, cutting through the air until it was mere inches from Maeve. One touch from it, and she would have been torn to shreds on the spot.

Screech!

"He's reached the pinnacle of martial arts—his physical body alone is terrifyingly resilient. And now, even his spiritual strength rivals the greatest of masters. No wonder he was able to kill Neil, the one who bore the Ring of the Sage!"

Holding Maeve protectively, Leander turned to face them. His eyes swept across the four figures, sharp and calculating. "Four Origin Realm masters," he said evenly. "Truly troublesome opponents."

Though these enforcers were not martial artists, their cultivation of spiritual strength had reached the level of the Origin Realm—what the East called psyche masters, and the West revered as spiritual masters.

A spiritual master of the Origin Realm could unleash countless invisible attacks with a single thought—formless, soundless, and deadly. Each strike carried immense penetrating power. Even if a fighter of equal realm managed to block the assault, the spiritual force within it would continue to batter his consciousness. After enough cycles, even the strongest will would begin to crack, leaving the fighter's mind broken and defenseless.

With their impeccable coordination, the four enforcers were a force to be feared. Even Neil, with all his power and the Ring of the Sage, would have fallen to them in under 15 minutes. Such was the terror of the spiritual masters.

And now, Leander faced four of them alone, all while protecting a defenseless Maeve in his arms.

Yet despite the overwhelming danger, he felt no fear. Even against four masters of the spirit, he stood unwavering. For when it came to spiritual strength, Leander knew—within the Origin Realm, there was no one who could rival him.

"Heretic," one of the enforcers growled, his voice low and contemptuous, "your spiritual strength may be great enough to defend yourself against the four of us—but with that woman to protect, you're already doomed.

"The essence of spiritual cultivation lies in abandoning emotion. As long as you hold on to affection, it becomes your fatal weakness. Now accept your judgment!"

At that, the four acted in perfect unison. Their combined spiritual power surged once more, forming a colossal spiraling spike that shot forth with terrifying speed. This time, its rotation was faster, sharper—so powerful that the very air twisted into a roaring, horizontal tornado of spiritual force.