A massive palm descended from the sky, forcing the water column and the relic in it back down into the spring. Everyone's faces drained of color as their expressions twisted in shock.They swiftly turned around to search for the culprit, and there stood the white-clad Leander, hovering mid-air as he looked down on them with cold, indifferent eyes."Jeff? Why has he returned? Didn't he refuse to help us?"Kenneth stared at Leander in disbelief. Leander had bluntly refused to take action earlier. Yet, here he was now. None of them could understand why this was happening or what was going on in Leander's brain.The others wore complicated expressions as they exchanged looks. Yet, his threat rang loud and clear as none dared take another step forward.Halia and Khaedor, who had been dominating the scene with an overwhelming aura, finally shifted their attention to Leander.The usually silent Khaedor lifted his gaze slightly and said coldly, "Jeff, you're a top- tier powerhouse on the International Combat Units.However, you've already made it clear that you wouldn't interfere. So, why are you here now? Are you breaking your own word?"Leander didn't even flinch at the accusation, his face cold."I did say I wouldn't help the Shadow Division. That part hasn't changed, but I didn't return to help them-I'm here for myself. Everything here belongs to me. Anyone who dares to take what's mine... Dies."His voice was sharp and absolute. Everyone could clearly sense the pure, icy killing intent in his words. Their expressions shifted dramatically.The reason Leander had returned was entirely because of what Clara had revealed earlier.She had described an underwater herb that was shaped like a dragon-serpent. He'd also noticed the golden gleam earlier. All of this matched the description of the legendary and nearly extinct Bloodjadea!This herb was a once-in-a-century elixir. Anyone who obtained it could skyrocket in strength. Its spiritual energy was so immense that it could instantly elevate an ordinary person to a Transcendent Realm cultivator.If handled properly, its energy was powerful enough to create an entire army of Transcendent-Level cultivators.Meanwhile, if an Infernal Crown Transcendent got their hands on it, their cultivation would soar in leaps and bounds. They'd ascend to a level that existed only in myths.Nevertheless, the Bloodjadea had an even greater significance to Leander. It was one only he knew, which was the forging and tempering of the soul.He'd be able to obtain spiritual strength on par with that of a Spirit Convergence after refining the Dragon Core. Once he stepped into that realm, his spirit would grow several times stronger, allowing him to break past his limits.However, that wasn't enough. With a spiritual strength like that, he needed something to temper it. He didn't just want power for the sake of power. All of that fluff and nonsense wasn't what he wanted.No, he wanted quality. He wanted a spiritual strength that came with the ability to wield it like a weapon.If he didn't have that, his spiritual power was essentially useless regardless of how much he had. Instead, it would become a weakness enemies could exploit.That was why he had to obtain the Bloodjadea.Due to its unique environment and conditions for growth, the herb had appeared only a handful of times in recorded history. Heck, only once or twice in ancient Astrian myths, and a few times in Western divine legends.Leander had searched high and low for it. Alas, he'd never seen even a blade of leaf or a broken root of it.He never expected it to appear here, in the ancestral ground of the Deepcoil Dragons, right in the heart of the Aorinth Peaks.Judging by the blinding phenomenon earlier with its bursting to the brim spiritual energy, he was confident that the relic that everyone had been eyeing was none other than the Bloodjadea.Only such a treasure could trigger such a massive celestial anomaly and draw so many experts here.Halia and Khaedor's expressions darkened.They hadn't provoked Leander earlier because they didn't want any unnecessary conflict. However, Leander's declaration that everything in this valley belonged to him changed things.He had just ripped their chances of getting the relic right before their eyes.Thus, Leander was now their mortal enemy."Jeff, who do you think you are?"The other experts on the International Combat Units list finally exploded."Do you think a lone man like yourself is enough to stop all of us from making a grab for that relic? Do you really expect us to step aside just because you said so, and let you walk off with everything?The person who'd broken the tense silence was over two meters tall. He essentiallylooked like a towering mass of pure muscle.He even had the voice to match his size as the ground shook slightly as he bellowed."I'm Torrez the Raging Bull, ranked 11 on the list!"Seth's jaw tightened when that name dropped.Although Torrez wasn't in the top 10, he had trained his body since childhood. His physical strength was so terrifying that he could withstand a tank without taking any damage.Years ago he had wreaked havoc ina small Western nation, destroying over a dozen tanks with his bare hands. He was infamously known as the Immortal Berserker after that incident. He was ranked 11th only because he had been on international wanted lists for years and had to keep a low profile. Otherwise, he could've easily entered the top 10-perhaps even the top five. "You have a problem with me?" Leander glanced at him calmly."Of course, I do!" Torrez roared, causing his clothes to burst into shreds.His body swelled rapidly, transforming into a giant over four meters tall with bonesand muscles like steel. Soon, inky armor grew around him."If you insist on barring my way to claiming that relic, I'll show you the true power of a world-class fighter!"His aura surged into unimaginable heights. Yes, Leander had surprised him earlier by breaking the array.However, Torrez was confident with his chances. That was because he figured he would have been able to brute force his way out of that weird array if he'd fallen victim to it.noveldramaTorrez shot forward like a launched missile with a stomp of his foot, moving at nearly sonic speed.Everyone else could only watch as a mountain of a man hurled himself right at Leander."What terrifying physical strength!"Seth's heart clenched at the sight. He now understood how Torrez was capable of destroying tanks barehanded.With a body like that, he'd probably even walk off a collision with a train. Meanwhile, the train would never see the light of day again.Wind howled as Torrez lunged for him. Oddly enough, Leander didn't move a single step. Instead, he simply lifted his hand and lightly pressed his palm forward.Clang!They heard a metallic crash instead of the sound of flesh hitting flesh.Then, they watched as Torrez was forced to a stop and how a delicate-looking hand lightly tapped against his chest."Ah!" Torrez, who was ranked 11 on the list, spat out a mouthful of blood as his eyes turned dull.His giant form shrank back to his human form as he fell from the sky. He was already dead before he hit the ground.A renowned powerhouse of the International Combat Units had been killed just likethat.Everyone stared, wholly dumbstruck. Even Khaedor and Halia, the strongest onesamong them, narrowed their eyes at the sight.Leander retracted his hand calmly."Those with any objections may step forward."Silence fell over the valley.Torrez, with all his monstrous might, had died from just a single palm strike. Whowould dare challenge Leander now?Those famous experts froze where they stood. All seemed lost when they simultaneously turned their eyes toward Halia and Khaedor.Winds howled around the two as their auras surged, distorting the space aroundthem.The top two on the International Combat Units list... were finally about to make theirmove.