"Ahhhh!"noveldramaA scream tore across the distant sky as fierce flames erupted, painting the horizon red. The voice was shrill and gut-wrenching, echoing through the clouds.The crowd could faintly recognize that the voice belonged to Neil, who had fled far into the distance only moments ago. But what left them all bewildered was how someone already thousands of feet away-nearly at the edge of the horizon-could suddenly burst into flames on his own.The black-robed man spun toward the burning light in the distance. Seeing the inferno blaze across the horizon, his expression darkened, fury boiling in his eyes. But beneath that anger was confusion-what had Leander done, and how could he ignite Neil's body from such an impossible distance?Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief. She had once witnessed Leander unleash the Dragonfire Soulchaser above the Southern Shore, where he shot down two Transcendent Realm powerhouses from the World Power Rankings.But back then, Leander had gathered flames into a longbow and loosed it with his own hands. Today, he hadn't even moved-no bow, no flame, no sound. And yet, he had killed as if by thought alone. The realization left her stunned."Ashcroft," the black-robed man demanded, his tone shaking with both rage and dread, "what kind of technique did you use?"Leander smiled faintly. "Technique? The moment my spiritual blade touched him, he was already dead."It was his most lethal spiritual strike-once a person's mind was marked by his spiritual strength, there was no escape unless they possessed greater mental power or overwhelming strength to counter him.Anyone touched by that mark could be obliterated with a single thought, no matter how far they fled. The mark would ignite from within, turning their very soul into fire until nothing remained.Neil might have reached the King Phase, but he was newly ascended-far from the level of the ancient Kings. Worse yet, he wasn't even a practitioner of spiritual strength. His mental defenses were weak. So after Leander had seriously injured him, it took only a single thought to reduce him to ashes."D*mn you!" the black-robed man roared as he sensed Neil's life force vanish completely. His fury burned so hot it nearly burst from his eyes. "Do you realize what you've done? Killing a Demon Hunter of the Church-do you know the crime you've committed, Ashcroft?"He still couldn't fathom how Leander had done it, but that kind of godlike power filled him with a deep unease."Crime?" Leander's tone was almost mocking, a smirk tugging at his lips. "The Church is a relic of the last century, and you still have the nerve to bring it up?"He stepped closer, his gaze cold and sharp. "If your Church is truly powerful, why haven't your people stood up to the Arbitration Office? Why were you suppressed, forced into hiding, your High Priest dethroned? Even your so-called Demon Hunters were reduced to running dogs, serving under the very organization that crushed you."You want to lecture me about the Church? You've come to the wrong man. I don't even flinch at the Arbitration Office-what makes you think your fallen Church is worth my time?"Each word cut like a blade, stabbing straight into the stranger's heart because Leander was right. Once, they had ruled beside the divine, but the day the High Priest was forced to bow before the 16 Supreme Arbiters was the darkest, most humiliating day in their history.And though the Church of the Holy Light still endured in secret, they no longer dared to challenge the all-powerful Arbitration Office. They could only act from the shadows, clinging to what influence they had left.Now, with Leander's words, that last fragile veil had been ripped away-exposing the old wound beneath, still raw and bleeding."You've got some nerve, Ashcroft!" the black-robed man thundered. "First, you make enemies with the Arbitration Office, and now you treat the Church as if it's nothing! You should know-killing one of our Demon Hunters means declaring war on the entire Church!"Every rank within the Church will unite in judgment against you! From this moment on, you are a heretic in the eyes of the Holy Light. Wherever its radiance shines, there will be no place for you to exist!"He fixed his gaze on Leander, the malice in his eyes sharpening to a tangible edge.Leander merely scoffed. "Enough talk. If you're truly here to judge me, then do it. Your disciple's dead-you should be coming for revenge. Or has a King Phase fighter from a century ago learned to do nothing but flap his gums?"His tone was calm, indifferent, almost mocking. A faint smile played at the corner of his lips as divine light gathered in his eyes."Hmph!" The black-robed man's animosity flared so strongly it felt almost solid. His aura surged, the pressure around him rising like a tide. But after a long moment, his breathing steadied, and the fire in his eyes began to fade away."Spare me the provocations,Ashcroft. You know as well as I do that my very appearance here already violates the King Phase Accord If I were to strike at you now it would mean the Church openly tearing that accord apar The Church of the Holy Light will not be the first to break the peace-not before the Arbitration Office does." He cast one last glance at Leander, then slowly raised his palm. A faint, holy glow shimmered there, forming into a radiant Western sigil."I won't fight you," he said coldly, "but that doesn't mean the Church of the Holy Light won't. You've slain a Demon Hunter-your sin is unforgivable. Whatever judgment they pass upon you will be the consequence of your own actions."With that, he crushed the glowing sigil in his hand.Leander's brows lifted slightly as he watched. He recognized the method. He'd seen something similar at the Aorinth Peaks when he'd slain severat Chief Arbiters-everyone except Greed. Before his death, Greed had shattered a jade talisman just like this one Moments later, 15. Chief Arbiters had descended through space itself to besiege him. It seemed this glowing sigil served a similar purpose—some sort of divine communication link, capable of summoning reinforcements or opening a spatial passage for powerful beings to descend.Voom...Ripples spread outward from where the sigil had shattered, sweeping across the sky above Yelem. Clouds scattered as the night cleared, moonlight flooding the heavens.Then, around the black-robed man, four points in space began to twist. From each distortion, a portal opened—each just large enough for one person to step through.Four figures emerged almost simultaneously, their presence shaking the air itself. They were old men, each robed in garments etched with sacred runes each radiating the aura of a Western master. Their power wasn't as overwhelming as the black-robed man's, but it carried a strange, layeredresonance—subtle, vast, and unfathomable. Leander's eyes narrowed in surprise at their appearance. He hadn't expected to encounter spiritual cultivators here, much less ones of this caliber. Their energy was refined, potent-none of them weak."Four spiritual masters... all at the Origin Realm?" he murmured under his breath.The black-robed man smiled faintly at his reaction and gestured toward the newcomers. "Just as the Arbitration Office has its assembly order, the Church has its own too."These four are not Kings, but their mastery of spiritual strength rivals that of the realm. Together, they've executed countless heretics who dared defy the Church's will. Your execution will be carried out by them."