Slash!A golden flare shot across horizontally, cutting through the air.Half of the void was illuminated by the blinding glow, dazzling anyone who looked.The spectators below, save for Gareth and a few others, couldn't see clearly.They had no idea what had happened, only feeling the sudden drop in pressureabove, their breaths momentarily caught in their throats.Leander shifted slightly to the side whilst in the air, moving just half a step.Galen's sword barely swept past him."The Flying Sword Technique?" he murmured.He stepped forward, his figure gliding diagonally through the air, leaving a long trace of energy in his wake.He threw a punch straight at Galen's chest."Crumbleforce, Forward Flow Deflection Strike!"Galen's expression remained calm, and his right fist met Leander's head-on without flinching.The two clashed violently mid-air with a boom!Ripples of energy radiated outward from the impact.Nearby buildings cracked under the force, and some of the weaker ones collapsed entirely.Even the Celestial Pavilion's bulletproof glass cracked, looking ready to shatter at any moment.Whoosh!Leander flipped backward, retreating rapidly.Homer had previously used Crumbleforce on him, but it brought zero damage to Leander.Yet, the sheer amount of force Galen had channeled was on a different level, far beyond anything he had experienced.Galen staggered several steps back, absorbing the recoil into his feet.He raised one arm, forming a sword seal with one hand. With a sudden thrust, the sword shot forward."Flowing Sword, Storm-Rending Piercing Thrust!"The moment the sword surged forward, the air itself seemed to convulse.Countless invisible vortexes of wind gathered around the golden sword, forming razor-sharp spikes that shot out in all directions.Hundreds of these deadly wind spikes shot forth, able to shred even a reinforced armored vehicle to pieces in an instant."Trinity Strike Technique, Soulbreaker!" Leander pulled his right hand back, a blue glow igniting his fist.He launched it forward.In the void, a blue fist-shaped imprint blossomed like a lotus, expanding continuously, spanning over thirty feet as it surged straight ahead.Clang!The clash of metal rang out. Countless tiny ripples appeared on the blue fist imprint, like countless raindrops striking the air.Each time a spike of wind was cut apart, the void seemed to ripple and churn with energy."Finish it off!" Leander shouted, his eyes glowing sharply.His Nirvana Energy churned wildly, intensifying the blue aura around him.The punch's force was unmatched.The wind spikes from Galen shattered under its impact, exploding like dry wood under fire."How did Jeff cultivate such strength? He's not even twenty years old, yet his powers are so solid and resilient. I can't even contain him with my Storm-Rending Piercing Thrust!"Galen narrowed his eyes, watching as Leander's fist surged forward like a hammer, already reaching him."Cosmic Strike!" Galen remained calm as he lifted the golden sword and slashed it in the air.The sword light cut through the deep blue fist imprint, splitting it in two, turning it into countless points of light that dissolved into nothing.It was a close call."No wonder Homer died at your hands, Jeff!" Galen struck twice with his golden sword, then suddenly carried it behind his back, falling into complete stillness.Leander felt a twinge of curiosity and immediately stopped as well.They hovered in the night sky, separated by distance, the atmosphere heavy with tension."Your strength has truly reached its peak. Among the Transcendent Realm, I doubt you have an opponent under anything short of an Infernal Crown!"Galen's gaze burned brightly.Suddenly, he relaxed his grip, and the golden sword plummeted straight down toward the Celestial Pavilion.The bulletproof glass of the banquet hall shattered like tofu at the sword's strike, the blade sinking deeply into the wooden floor of the hall.Gareth and the other clan heads were stunned and confused.Grandmasters usually fought with all their might.Galen, a grandmaster from the Wanda Sect, had mastered the Eternal Flow Technique and Flowing Sword, both of which were the strongest martial arts.Yet, he had abandoned his sword mid-battle, effectively cutting off his own arm. His combat power would inevitably drop."Don't tell me he's..."Gareth, the strongest in cultivation and martial insight among them, suddenly narrowed his eyes.He was the first to realize what had happened, fixing his gaze on the void.A flash of lightning danced in Galen's eyes.His white robe shattered into countless fragments, revealing the black battle attire beneath.Only then did the spectators truly awaken to his presence.Galen was not only tall and muscular, but every inch of his body seemed packed with explosive power."Jeff, ever since our clash in the tavern, I knew I wouldn't be able to defeat you withthe Eternal Flow Technique and Flowing Sword alone!"Today, I'm going to crush you with overwhelming force!"As he spoke, countless air currents swirled above his head, forming a massive vortex.Lightning crackled within it."You might be unrivaled to most, but you cannot withstand an Infernal Crown Transcendent! Within the Transcendent Realm everything lower than an Infernal Crown means nothing to you. "Today, I'll show you the real deal!"Whoosh!The moment he finished speaking, the vortex above his head exploded violently, condensing the purest essence of heaven and earth, funneling it into his crown.His aura skyrocketed at an almost terrifying rate, rising several tiers in an instant.Leander, standing over thirty feetaway, could clearly feel Galen'sbreakthrough not just in trueenergy or spirit, but in hisSphysicalbody. Every aspect had leaped inquality. If Galen had previously been like an ordinary car, now he had upgraded into alimited-edition supercar.He was in an entirely different league."An Infernal Crown Transcendent?"Even Leander frowned.He had faced Blaze Stage, Ember Stage, and Kindling Stage Transcendents before,but never a true Infernal Crown Transcendent until now."He's an actual Infernal Crown Transcendent!"Below, Gareth's pupils constricted, his voice trembling with shock.An Infernal Crown Transcendent was the highest tier in the Transcendent Realm.Anyone who reached this level was no different from an immortal on Earth.They could command the essence of heaven and earth at will, drawing endless power, their strength inexhaustible.A mere gesture could stir the forces of the world itself, rivaling natural disasters in magnitude."This is bad!"Wesley, the Half-Lord of Highcliffe's face paled in fear, whereas Daphne felt herheart sink.Though Leander had slain eleven Transcendents in the battle at Southern Shore, the strongest among them was only a Blaze Transcendent.Even ten Blaze Transcendents united could not match a single Infernal Crown Transcendent.Now that Leander was up against one, how could he possibly win?Above, Leander's gaze burned with intensity, locking onto Galen, who seemedpossessed by a god."From the first time we met, Inoveldramanoticed you were deliberately restraining your power. It turns outyoure an Infernal Crown, Transcendent. The rumors were true," Leander murmured, his tone a mix of helplessness and awe. A faint halo shimmered above Galen's head.The man said nothing in response.Slowly, he extended his hand toward Leander, then gently clenched it.Whoosh!The heavens trembled. Countless strands of potent energy surged and converged, twisting and writhing violently around Leander.Finally, the chaos subsided, and a massive Tai Chi Diagram spread across severalfeet.But Leander had already vanished, swallowed entirely within the diagram, leavingno trace behind.Below, everyone's faces were filled with horror and disbelief.With just a casual gesture, he could manipulate the forces of heaven and earth,sealing off over three hundred feet.This was the might of an Infernal Crown Transcendent.