Chapter 54: Rescuing Leinuo

"Tianhu Liaoyuan."

Aikesi hovered in mid-air, forming hand seals with both hands as the Magic within his body surged out wildly.

The Fire Element, as if hearing a summons, gathered from all directions, condensing into a crimson fire cloud above his head. The fire cloud grew larger and denser, dyeing half the sky blood-red. The fire cloud churned and roared, like an awakened ancient beast, emitting a suffocating pressure.

The temperature in the air rose sharply; the wild grass on the ground began to ignite spontaneously, and the water in the ditches started to boil. War horses neighed in terror, some breaking their reins and scattering in all directions, others collapsing directly to the ground and trembling. Soldiers on both sides stopped their actions, looked up at the sky, their eyes filled with fear.

"What is that?"

On the city wall, soldiers looked up in terror. They saw flames burning in the sky; those flames were like living creatures, churning, roaring, and expanding, emitting a suffocating pressure.

"S-Saint Domain!" someone shouted, trembling.

Instantly, a commotion erupted on the city wall. A Saint Domain expert was a legendary existence; there were not many such beings on the entire Yulan Continent. How could such a powerful figure appear here?

Prince Yunluo saw it too; he was so frightened he sat down heavily on the ground, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. His brocade robe was covered in dust, his golden crown tilted to one side, looking utterly wretched. The guards beside him dared not help him up; everyone was stunned by the strange phenomenon in the sky.

On the battlefield outside the city, the soldiers of the Luo Ao Empire also noticed the strange change in the sky. The commanding general looked up, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. Although he was not a Saint Domain expert, as a Level 8 Peak Warrior, his perception of danger was far more acute than that of ordinary soldiers. The energy contained within that fire cloud in the sky was enough to flatten this entire battlefield.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" the general roared hoarsely, turning his horse's head to flee.

Too late.

Aikesi looked coldly at the enemy below and waved his right hand.

"Fall!"

The fire cloud collapsed, and countless fireballs poured down like a rainstorm. Each fireball contained terrifying high temperatures; at the center of the crimson flames, a white core was faintly visible, a sign that the temperature had reached its extreme. Upon hitting the ground, the fireballs exploded, turning into a sea of fire. The flames spread like a tide in all directions, devouring everything combustible.

Those Luo Ao Empire soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they were swallowed by the flames. Their armor melted under the high heat, their flesh evaporated in an instant, leaving not even a bone behind. Level 7 Warriors? Level 8 Warriors? Before the forbidden magic of a Saint Magus, they were no different from ordinary people. A Level 8 Warrior might block a single fireball, but when fire rained from the sky, even the strongest defense was futile.

Wherever the flames passed, everything turned to ash. Wild grass, trees, corpses, war horses, armor, weapons—all vanished in the fire, leaving only a layer of gray-white ash. The ground was scorched black, cracked into pieces, with steam still rising from the fissures.

In just a few breaths, hundreds of pursuing troops were wiped out completely.

The battlefield fell silent, leaving only the crackling of the burning flames and the occasional chirp of insects. The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the scorched black land, coating this silent battlefield with a layer of dark red light.

Leinuo stood dazed in place, staring at everything before him. Blood from that young soldier still splattered his face, and his wounds were still oozing blood, but he felt nothing at all. The enemies who had just been hunting them had now turned into a pile of charcoal. He didn't even know what had happened; his mind felt completely blank.

His subordinates were all stunned too. Those veteran soldiers who had experienced countless lives and deaths stood like wooden puppets, mouths agape, eyes wide, unable to speak. They had seen death, seen blood, seen cruel battlefields, but never such a scene—hundreds of enemies, all turned to ash in just a few breaths.

"Leinuo!"

A familiar voice came from above. Leinuo suddenly looked up and saw a youth in a blue robe descending from the sky, landing before him.

"A-Aikesi?" Leinuo widened his eyes, unable to believe his own eyes. "How are you here?"

"Passing by," Aikesi said casually, his gaze sweeping over him. Seeing the wounds all over his body, he frowned slightly. "Injured?"

Leinuo looked down at his own wounds and smiled bitterly. "Superficial injuries, nothing serious. Those pursuers—"

"Dead," Aikesi said flatly.

Leinuo swallowed hard, looking at the burning wilderness in the distance. Those were hundreds of elite soldiers, including many Level 7 and Level 8 experts; just like that, they were dead? He looked at Aikesi, his expression complex. He knew Aikesi was strong; he had known that since their school days. But back then, Aikesi was only a bit stronger than them, still on the same level. Now, however, Aikesi had reached a height he couldn't even see when looking up.

"Did you break through to the Saint Domain?" Leinuo's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Yes." Aikesi did not deny it. "I broke through not long ago."

Leinuo took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. Looking at Aikesi, he said sincerely, "Regardless, thank you. If not for you today, my brothers and I would have all perished here."

Aikesi waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the surviving soldiers.

"Let's go, enter the city." Aikesi turned and walked toward Nier Cheng.

On the city wall, Prince Yunluo saw the pursuing troops annihilated and let out a long sigh of relief. Just as he was about to stand up, he saw two figures walking toward the city gate. He immediately grew tense again, scrambled to his feet, and pointed down at the city, shouting, "Do not open the city gate! No one is allowed to open it!"

"Your Highness," the defending general hesitated. He had witnessed the entire process on the city wall and knew it was the blue-robed youth who had saved the soldiers below. "Those are our people; the leader seems to be Captain Leinuo—"

"I don't care who it is!" Prince Yunluo waved his hand, his fleshy face trembling violently. "Without my order, no one is allowed to open the gate! What if the enemy still has an ambush? What if they are impostors? Can you take responsibility for that?"

The defending general gritted his teeth, wanting to say more, but seeing Prince Yunluo's ferocious expression, he swallowed his words back. He knew what kind of man this prince was; saying more would be useless.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cold voice sounded behind him: "Is that so?"

The voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears, like a bucket of ice water poured from above, making everyone shiver with cold.

Prince Yunluo spun around sharply and saw a blue-robed youth who had appeared on the city tower at some unknown moment, looking at him coldly. Those eyes were pitch black and deep, devoid of any emotion, as if looking at a dead man.

"Y-You, who are you?" Prince Yunluo stepped back two paces, his voice trembling. He recognized this youth; it was the person who had just cast magic outside the city. A Saint Domain expert was an existence he could not provoke.

"The one who will kill you." Aikesi extended his hand, and a ball of flame appeared in his palm. The flame was not large, only the size of a fist, but the heat it emitted distorted the surrounding air. The soldiers on the city tower retreated one by one; that scorching aura made them instinctively feel fear.

"N-No, you cannot kill me!" Prince Yunluo screamed, his voice as sharp as a pig being slaughtered. "I am a Prince!

The Emperor's younger brother! If you kill me, His Majesty will not let you off!"

"Is that so?" Aikesi curled his lips into a cold sneer, the smile devoid of any warmth. "But when you caused those soldiers to die, did you not think they were subjects of the Empire? They had parents, wives, and children. They fought desperately for the Empire, while you, to save your own wretched life, watched them die with your own eyes."

Prince Yunluo's face turned deathly pale, his lips trembling. "I-I did it for the greater good! What if the city gate opened and the enemy attacked? The entire Nier Cheng would suffer! I did it for the people of the whole city!"

"For the people of the whole city?" Aikesi laughed, the sound cold and bone-chilling. "Then why don't you ask the people of the whole city if they are willing to trade the lives of those soldiers for their own safety?"

Prince Yunluo opened his mouth but could not speak.

"You—"

The flame flew out, entering Prince Yunluo's body.

There was no scream, no struggle. Prince Yunluo's body began to burn from the inside; flames erupted from his eyes,

mouth, and ears, turning into ash in moments, leaving not even a bone behind. The magnificent brocade robe, the golden crown,

and the jewels all vanished in the fire, leaving only a small pile of gray-white powder on the ground, which scattered with a single gust of wind.

The soldiers on the city tower watched this scene in terror, no one daring to move.

Aikesi looked around and said flatly, "Prince Yunluo feared death and refused to open the city gate, causing hundreds of Empire soldiers to die miserably. I have cleaned up the household on behalf of His Majesty. Do you have any objections?"

No one spoke.

The defending general was the first to react, kneeling on one knee. "Thank you, Lord, for avenging our fallen brothers!" His voice choked, his eyes red. How many of his brothers had this prince caused to die? Today, someone finally sought justice for them.

The other soldiers also knelt down one by one, forming a sea of black heads.

Aikesi nodded, turned, and walked down from the city tower.

The city gate finally opened.

Leinuo led his surviving subordinates into the city; his steps were somewhat unsteady, and excessive blood loss made his vision darken in waves. He glanced back at the city tower; there was no longer any trace of Prince Yulin, only a pile of ash-gray powder scattering in the wind. He understood in his heart and asked no more.

"Aikesi." Leinuo walked before Aikesi, clasped his fists solemnly, "Great kindness needs no thanks."

"You're welcome." Aikesi patted his shoulder, the force very light, afraid of touching his wounds, "Go back and rest well."

Leinuo's eyes reddened slightly; he nodded heavily.

That night, Aikesi stayed in Nier Cheng.

He had someone fetch the city's physicians to treat Leinuo and the other wounded. He himself sat in the courtyard of the post station, gazing blankly at the night sky. The moon was full; silver-white moonlight spilled into the courtyard, coating everything in a layer of soft light.