High above Thousand Peaks, the black-robed elder's expression grew serious under Leslie's gaze. "I didn't expect that after so many years in the Azure Kingdom, you would have reached platinum-tier and can even walk in the air. This shows your affinity with mana has reached a level beyond ordinary mages. Your talent is truly astounding."
Generally speaking, only diamond-tier mages could walk in the air.
However, he also knew that some extraordinarily gifted individuals often broke the usual rules. Clearly, Leslie was one of them!
And she had hidden her true power well.
It wasn't until she revealed herself that he fully understood her strength and talent.
Such a talented and patient individual was undeniably terrifying!
Thinking of this, a strong killing intent surged in the elder's eyes.
"The Kyrik royal family letting you go was the biggest oversight, but no matter, youth is still youth. I'll deal with this hidden danger myself!"
As he spoke, he glanced at Prince Billy beside him. With a surge of mana, he sent Prince Billy to a safe distance.
"Stay far away and don't interfere. Leslie has reached platinum-tier; you are no match for her. The battle's shockwaves could obliterate you."
At this moment, the elder's black robe fluttered, and his aged face was revealed under the hood. Leslie's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this face.
Hearing the elder's words, Prince Billy became more compliant.
He knew the terrifying power of a master-tier mage, who could be considered a pillar of the nation.
Even his father treated such a figure with great respect. Such a powerful mage could level mountains and shatter peaks effortlessly.
To such a mage, a city was just a larger toy, with the strength to overthrow it.
Among his peers, Billy was considered a prodigy, having reached gold-tier level 7 like Alfonso.
However, in front of a master-tier mage, he was still as insignificant as an ant!
As he retreated, he felt a mix of anticipation and excitement.
It was rare to witness a master-tier mage in action, and observing such a powerful figure firsthand was even more exceptional.
Learning from this experience could greatly benefit his future.
His only concern now was that Leslie's strength might be too weak.
According to the elder, Leslie was at platinum-tier.
Such a level, coupled with the terrifying pressure she had just exerted, was indeed far beyond that of her peers and even more formidable than many veteran powerhouses.
However, the black-robed elder was at the early master-tier level, two full tiers higher than Leslie!
This was an insurmountable gap.
Billy was worried that once Leslie witnessed the elder's terrifying power, she would flee in desperation.
Yet, as he looked at Leslie, he noticed her calm demeanor, showing not a trace of fear. This made him frown slightly.
Given Leslie's current tier and strength, why wasn't she afraid of the black-robed elder?
Where did she get her confidence and courage?
Leslie glanced at Prince Billy and said calmly, "I didn't expect the prince to mobilize one of Kyrik's only two master-tier mages for this trip. Quite a grand gesture."
"Long time no see, Lord Bryan. Do you still remember those little girls who died by your hand?" From the fluctuations in the elder's aura, she had long recognized his level and terrifying strength. This was the man who, under royal orders, slaughtered her entire family! Master-tier mages were extremely rare. She was sure she couldn't be mistaken! Bryan was among the best, excelling in the study and mastery of formations and forbidden arts.
But the more formidable he was, the more it stirred her fighting spirit!
She had never faced a mage of this caliber before. Her previous opponents had all been too weak to make her go all out.
This top-tier powerhouse, the man responsible for her family's blood feud, would be her perfect test!
In the next moment, snowflakes around Leslie fell more densely, and the howling wind seemed to transform the world into a frozen wasteland centered on her.
Bryan's expression grew more serious as each breath he took brought cold into his body, causing a stabbing pain in his lungs.
He was somewhat bewildered. Given the gap in their levels, Leslie's magical attack shouldn't have affected him this much.
He stared intently at Leslie. This cold was no ordinary chill; it was lowering his body temperature, as if some [Order] force was at work!
Before Bryan could investigate further, his pupils suddenly contracted. Leslie's figure vanished amidst the swirling snowflakes.
When she reappeared, she was already in front of him. The cold in the air intensified, causing
a stiffness throughout his body, making it momentarily difficult to channel his mana.
In that brief moment of sluggishness, a special rune manifested in Leslie's palm. It resembled
an enlarged hexagonal snowflake, or perhaps a sharp silver blade.
As the rune appeared, the wind and snow in the air grew more agitated, tearing apart towering trees below and churning the ground as if plowed.
The icy rune enlarged in Bryan's vision, giving him a sense of watching a slideshow.
He could track Leslie's attack, and it should have been easy to block.
But due to the cold's effect, his movements and even his thoughts had become sluggish.
In this swamp-like lethargy, complex and mysterious array patterns began to weave across
his chest.
From the center of the array, a cluster of scorching flames burst forth.
The entire array seemed half-ignited, a blazing fire dispelling the cold in his body and rapidly raising the surrounding air temperature.
"World-Scorching Flames!"
With a cold gaze, he activated the array, which burst into a dazzling brilliance and expanded
several times over.
From it surged a torrent of searing flames, making the air sizzle and crackle.
Leslie's icy rune, about to land on Bryan's chest, met a strong repelling force and collided with the torrent of flames.
Sizzle!
The contact between fire and ice immediately exploded into a boiling cloud of steam, enveloping several miles in dense mist.
The collision of cold and hot currents churned the massive cloud, breaking it into pieces.
Moments later, the gigantic steam cloud, stretching from the ground to the sky, was ignited by the surging flames at its center.
Instantly, the white mist erupted into a fiery red blaze, resembling a crimson fire cloud, emitting a terrifying heat that evaporated all moisture.
The massive fire cloud then exploded with a thunderous roar! Blinding flames swept in all directions, encompassing the land and sky.
For a moment, it seemed like only extreme fire elements raged in the area, with all other mana being repelled and incinerated.
Prince Billy, who had already retreated several miles away, watched the scene in shock.
Despite having activated protective magic, the incoming heat wave almost set him on fire, turning his skin red and blistered.
Had he been at the battle's center, he would have vaporized instantly, leaving no remains, just like the towering trees.
"Is this the terrifying combat power of top-tier mages?" Prince Billy was deeply shaken. In the face of such a horrifying battle, he felt insignificant, truly like an ant gazing up at the
heavens.
However, his awe quickly turned into a cold realization.
Although he didn't understand the exact method Leslie had used, the icy rune she had summoned was completely destroyed by the black-robed elder.
Even the solid ice had been ignited.
It was clear that the black-robed elder's strength completely surpassed Leslie's.
At this moment, she was either dead or severely injured! Immediately, Prince Billy started moving toward the black-robed elder, but he noticed that
the elder's expression was very serious, without a trace of triumph. His deep eyes were fixed
on the center of the flames.
Prince Billy followed his gaze.
The area was still filled with turbulent currents, like a fog, obscuring the view.
However, within it, a familiar presence could be distinctly felt.
Under the watchful eyes of Prince Billy and Bryan, the mist seemed to be blown away by some
powerful force, revealing Leslie once more.
Leslie was now covered in thick ice and snow, her aura robust, seemingly unaffected by the
previous fiery onslaught.
In fact, Bryan's keen senses detected that Leslie's aura was continuously rising, becoming
increasingly violent!