At the same time, a blazing sword aura, crimson as blood and capable of scorching the heavens, tore through the sky like a meteor from beyond the stars. It carried a sharpness that could slice anything and a righteous brilliance that purified all evil.
With impossible speed, it descended, aiming straight for the demonic hand of Soul Devourer, pressed against Jared.
Even before it struck, the scorching sword energy and the overwhelming, majestic sword intent radiating from it caused the surrounding demonic aura to churn violently, as if confronting its natural nemesis, melting and dissipating on the spot.
Soul Devourer’s expression shifted slightly. His pressing hand had no choice but to retract suddenly. With a backhand strike, he unleashed a condensed seal directly toward the crimson sword aura.
Boom!
The collision of sword aura and demonic mark erupted in an earsplitting roar, a storm of energy sweeping the battlefield once more.
But this time, the crimson sword aura proved superior. It shredded most of the demonic mark, forcing Soul Devourer to take a half-step back.
Between Jared and the ancient demon now stood a figure in a crimson sword robe, his body radiating a blazing sword intent like a living inferno.
In his hand was a simple, crimson longsword. He descended like a fire god, standing firmly between the two, shielding the badly injured Jared.
It was none other than Reiner Asher.
He had originally departed from Level Ten, wandering the void in search of other Chaotic Origin Flame fragments. Yet, guided by an unexplainable sense of unease and the threads of fate, his attention had been drawn instinctively to Level Ten.
There, he sensed the earth-shattering battle at the headquarters of the Infinite Soul Demon Sect, and the familiar, yet nearly extinguished aura of Jared. Without hesitation, he tore through space and returned at full speed.
“Are you all right?” Reiner didn’t turn, but his spiritual sense swept over Jared, detecting his grievous injuries and life-threatening condition. His eyes burned with even greater fury.
Seeing Reiner appear, Jared felt a sudden surge of relief, followed by a wave of hope and renewed confidence.
With Reiner here, this old demon would no longer be able to act unchecked.
Drawing a deep breath, Jared suppressed the coppery taste of blood in his throat.
With a hoarse, cold laugh, he addressed Soul Devourer, his voice weak yet dripping with scorn and hatred. “Old demon… Your time has come! With Flame-Sword Venerable here… Let’s see how long you can remain arrogant!”
Soul Devourer steadied himself. His eyes scanned Reiner, sensing his Top Level Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Nine cultivation and the overwhelming purity and magnitude of his sword intent.
His gaze sharpened, but then a mocking smirk curled his lips.
“So it’s you, huh?” the old demon sneered, unconcealed contempt in his tone. “Not guarding your Fire Secret Realm, and running off here to meddle? You think you can save someone from me?”
Reiner’s expression darkened. His crimson longsword hummed as searing sword intent erupted skyward. “You demon! Do not be so arrogant! Mr. Chance and I share a bond. With me here today, you shall not harm him! Be wise. Withdraw immediately, or do not blame me for showing no mercy with my sword!”
“Hahaha!” Soul Devourer laughed, as though hearing the most amusing joke. “No mercy with your sword? You? If my senior brothers were here, maybe I’d be cautious. But you? An old relic guarding a secret realm for thousands of years, barely advancing in cultivation… You dare speak boldly before me?”
Demonic aura surged around him again, his immense, terrifying spiritual pressure fully unleashed, locking onto Reiner. “If you insist on seeking death, then I’ll deal with you as well today! Perfect… I can even consume the soul fire of your years of sword cultivation to aid my own recovery!”
Hearing what Soul Devourer had said, Jared’s eyes widened in surprise.
How did Soul Devourer know Reiner’s background? That he, Lucas, and Flegel were of the same master…
Clearly, this demon knew far more than he had expected.
Just as the tension reached its peak, the battlefield on the verge of erupting into war, two distinct, yet equally majestic spatial fluctuations rippled outward simultaneously, from opposite directions above the battlefield.
Then, two figures appeared, one on the left, one on the right, as if stepping directly from the depths of the void, descending onto the scene.
To the left stood a man wrapped in a robe that seemed woven from molten lava and black demon-fire. Handsome yet unsettling, he wore a single crimson sigil, a living flame, between his brows. Those eyes of his, smoldering scarlet, held a promise of worlds reduced to ash.
He did nothing, yet every nearby law of fire bent its knee to him, flaring and crackling in reverence. This was the Blazefire Demon Lord, Lucas.
On the right hovered a stark contrast: a plain white robe, lightly threaded with gold clouds of flame. The wearer’s features were warm, almost gentle, and within his clear eyes flowed endless light and quiet warmth, as though fire itself could heal.
Around him pulsed a steady, nurturing breath that cleansed instead of consumed, the very embodiment of life within flame. He was the Fire Spirit Lord, Flegel.
These two sovereigns of every blazing path across realms now appeared together, above the desolate ruins of the Infinite Soul Demon Sect.
Reiner felt his pulse stumble. Joy flickered, awe followed, and, buried beneath both, a nervous tremor he could not quite hide. He sheathed the sword aura still raging around him, bowed with practiced respect, and said, “Greetings, Lucas, Flegel…”
“Reiner, this no longer concerns you. Stand down…” Lucas delivered the words like a sealed decree—cool, final, unquestionable.
Reiner‘s shoulders locked. His mouth opened, searching for a defense, but Lucas’ indifferent, crushing gaze smothered every syllable.
At last, he managed only a sigh and stepped back. He withdrew several paces, no longer shielding Jared with his body, yet refusing to leave altogether.
Flegel offered Reiner a gentle nod. Greeting complete, his attention drifted to Jared, collapsed, chained by Soul Chains, blood pooling beneath him.
When Flegel brushed Jared’s core with a flicker of divine sense and tasted the faint, but impossibly pure, Chaotic Origin Flame hiding there, a rare flash of surprise rippled through his calm eyes. High above, the Soul Devourer felt both rulers arrive and felt his own heart plummet like iron through water.
