From Outcast to Overlord The Unyielding Heir (Leander Ashcroft) novel Chapter 448

A hand formed entirely of condensed flames tore through the heavens like a fire giant reaching to rip and burn the viscous black light into nothingness.

Then, the flames swept outward, following the trails of black mist and igniting the thick, tar-like liquid. Soon, the blaze roared into an unstoppable and ferocious force.

"What?"

The black dragon had been plotting to wipe out all the remaining human cultivators after finishing Leander off. Yet, Leander's fiery strike had jerked him out of his murderous fantasies.

"How is this possible?" he breathed, utterly shaken.

Anyone trapped within the Dragonbound Array had only one fate—death. It didn't discriminate on how powerful that person could be, as even the Transcendent Realm had died to it.

Sure, there were exceptions, but those were either individuals with rare bloodlines or certain species that specialized in quick getaways. Those with secret techniques or divine power were not part of that exception.

Yet, that giant hand of fire had simply torn the special space formed by the Dragonbound Array apart and incinerated it into nothing. Suffice it to say, he did not see this coming.

A deafening crash soon followed.

The sky became an inferno, a sea of flames layered upon itself as it churned like a tidal wave spreading through the air.

Many Transcendent Realm experts turned their heads sharply, their expressions shifting. All they could see was a brilliant and blazing red.

They could hear a dragon roaring in pain and fury within the sea of fire. It sounded as if several dragons were suffering grievous wounds.

"No… My ancestors!"

The black dragon's face twisted in panic. He stomped the ground with his claw and prepared to fly upward into the flames when a thunderous explosion shook the sky.

Boom!

The sea of fire erupted, scattering into countless blazing fragments. Then, they split into two rows, carving a passageway through the sky.

A figure stepped out from within with his black hair flowing against the sea of red. His calm eyes were unfazed by the chaos he had unleashed. It was none other than Leander.

His fingers curled slightly before tightening with finality.

The entire sea of fire vanished with a hiss, returning the sky to its usual blue shade. The 12 bronze statues were still suspended mid-air. However, the pitch-black gleam in their eyes had completely faded.

Crack.

Each statue split began to crack across their heads. The fissure continued down, down, and down until they finally fell apart into nothing. Rubble and debris rained down upon the shocked crowd.

"How… How is this possible?"

The black dragon was in a state of petrified disbelief.

Each of those 12 bronze statues had once been the strongest of his species in their time. Their cultivation and strength far surpassed his. Their bodies remained even as they passed to the afterlife.

They'd even volunteered to become these statues to form the Dragonbound Array. They had chosen to remain here in death to guard their ancestral land.

In theory, these statues should be invincible to even the elements of nature. Yet, Leander had given the black dragon a harsh wakeup call by showing him that it wasn't as impervious to everything as he thought.

"What terrifying flames."

Halia, the Flame Goddess, narrowed her eyes at Leander. She was a master when it came to fire. Her cultivation had everything to do with flames, so she could confidently say that none knew fire better than she did.

She had seen plenty of rare and odd fires in this world. Yet, none of them could prepare her for the flames Leander had just unleashed.

Even she had to admit that she likely couldn't have broken out of the Dragonbound Array if she'd been caught by it. Her flames wouldn't have made a difference.

"What a terrifying man this Ashcroft fellow is!"

Khaedor's eyes glinted with excitement, his blood heating at the prospect of a good fight as he eyed Leander as though he'd discovered a better and sturdier sparring partner.

Halia shot him a look. She knew right then that her long-time rival was thirsting for battle now. Leander's powerful display had fully awakened his thirst for combat.

Aside from these two top-tier beings, the remaining International Combat Units experts exchanged heavy looks.

Leander was mainly famous in Astria, so these elites had only bothered paying attention to him after he'd made it to the list. Few had ever interacted with him personally.

Who would dare challenge him after that display?

Even Halia and Khaedor fell silent for a few seconds, tamping their desire for power down and away.

The Dragon Core was tempting, but not enough to make them fight someone as dangerous as Leander.

They had come for the unknown relic. The Dragon Core was nothing compared to that.

Halia gave him a seductive smile and waved lightly.

"Sovereign Ashcroft, you're such a joker. It's your trophy. We wouldn't dream of touching it."

Leander didn't even bother sparing her a glance. Instead, his lips curved into a cold, disdainful smirk.

"Wouldn't dream of it, you say? Or should I say, wouldn't dare?"

His mocking tone made both Khaedor and Halia stiffen with displeasure, their annoyance surging at this disrespect.

Still, they held their tempers for the sake of the relic. They weren't about to pick a fight with Leander with something as important as the relic on the line.

Leander then kept the Dragon Core away and beckoned to Clara, ready to leave the valley.

Just then, a figure blocked his path. That person was none other than Seth.

Then, he bowed respectfully.

"I'm Seth from the Shadow Division. Greetings, Sovereign Ashcroft."

Finally, he met Leander's eyes and said earnestly, "We are here under Director Gardner's orders to prevent the relic from falling into foreign hands."

"There are too many Western experts present. The three of us are not enough to achieve our objective. Since you're here, we want to ask for your help to eliminate these foreigners!"

As soon as his words fell, more than 20 Transcendent Realm experts turned pale.