Chapter 293
Chapter 293 Ashes Beneath the Flow
“Devourer’s Flow? Seriously p>
That name hit like a bolt of lightning. Everyone froze.
零團
Finister
Until now, their training under Larry had been all muscle and grind–basic routines, repeated endlessly, building raw strength brick by brick. Then Leander waltzed in and, without so much as a drumroll, dropped a full–on strength cultivation technique on their laps, just like that.
In the martial world, this kind of technique was the crown jewel of any sect. Everyone would guard it like it was sacred, but Leander tossed it out as if he were handing out candy.
The squad stared at him, their admiration rising by the second.
A few of them couldn’t resist. They sat down right then and there, followed the blueprint, and started channeling their strength. The effect was… immediate.
Even after just half a cycle, their energy was flowing twice as fast as it usually did. It felt cleaner, too. No murkiness, no resistance–just pure, focused power coursing through them. It made their eyes light up. Some even looked like they’d just been hit with a shot of clarity.
Everyone wondered, Who is this guy?
Leander watched from the side, hands behind his back, lips tugging into a small, knowing smile.
He had already prepared the notes for Devourer’s Flow before arriving. This wasn’t some last- minute idea. It was the toned–down version of something way more intense–The Devourer’s Ninefold Path.
That one? Yeah… total beast. Most people wouldn’t last a second with it.
He knew that better than anyone.
The original method chewed through your insides like a storm. No ordinary body could handle the punishment. It didn’t just test your endurance–it flat–out tore you apart.
He only made it through that nightmare by sheer grit, crawling back from the edge of death more times than he could count. It nearly broke him.
Actually, it did break him.
His martial power? Cone. His body? No longer anything close to normal. Whatever he had been physically had been burned away in the process. What came out the other side wasn’t the same man. Stronger, sure, but definitely not human in the usual sense.
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Chapter 297 Ashes Reheath the Flow
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The Devourer’s Ninefold Path wasn’t just a technique–it was born from desperation. A wild shot in the dark that somehow landed. It worked, but only for him. Anyone else who tried it would just end up scorched from the inside out.
So, he went back to the drawing board, taking the best parts–the way energy rebuilt itself, the unique rhythm of recovery–and softened the edges. He adjusted the intensity and removed the elements that could break bones or overwhelm martial power.
What came out the other side was Devourer’s Flow–refined, deadly, and finally usable by someone other than him.
Even watered down, it was worth more than gold to any clan or martial family. He gave it away not for glory, but because these soldiers needed to grow fast.
They had a month. That was it.
Within four weeks, he’d be walking back through the gates of the Ashcroft Residence in Highcliffe.
Not as a disgraced heir looking for redemption, but walking in like he had never lost his position in the first place.
Leona stood a little way off, watching him closely. “That’s Jeff Ashcroft? The villain my guild has been hunting for months p>
She couldn’t believe it.
She had joined the military at eighteen, climbed ranks fast, and got pulled into the Southern Wyvern Blade to help with logistics. Darrow had seen her potential early. What he didn’t know was that she had another identity.
She was a Tarlyn.
The news of Mason’s death had hit her hard nine months ago. Her second uncle had been everything to the family. She thought her father, Tristan, would rise up, take revenge, and lead the charge.
Instead, they pulled back.
She couldn’t believe it at first. Then she learned why. The man they hated had climbed straight to the top of the Astria Power Index.
Jeff Ashcroft wasn’t just a threat–he was untouchable.
She hated that feeling of helplessness and watching the guild fold without a fight.
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Chapter 203 Ashes Beneath the Flow
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Even now, watching Leander calmly instruct soldiers like some war–hardened sage, she wanted to hate him. She should hate him.
Yet, he didn’t act like the monster she imagined. He didn’t sneer or boast. He just trained people as if their future depended on it.
She walked over, quietly slipping into her assistant role. Standing this close, watching the way he moved–calm, precise, completely in control–it was getting harder to hold onto the image she’d built in her head.
She thought, This is the guy we feared all this time? He doesn’t look anything like the villain I pictured.
“From the Tarlyn Guild, huh?” Leander’s voice broke through her thoughts.
Her heart skipped. “How’d you know p>
He gave a gentle chuckle. “The technique you use is just like Mason Tarlyn’s. It’s not exactly subtle p>
Then he glanced sideways at her. “I’m just surprised someone from the Tarlyn Guild is serving in the military p>
His tone shifted, eyes sharpening. “I killed Mason at Mount Lurvale. Since then, your family’s had it out for me. You might be in uniform, but you’re still a Tarlyn. I’m sure you’ve got your own reasons to hate me p>
“You’re my assistant now. You’re handling my logistics. That means I need your head in the game. If personal feelings are going to get in the way, I’ll have General Leon transfer you elsewhere. Don’t force yourself to play nice just for show p>
Leona’s jaw tightened, a flicker of irritation in her eyes.
“Chief Ashcroft, don’t question my professionalism,” she snapped. “I know how to separate my duty from personal stuff.
“I’ve got a job to do, and I plan to do it well. Besides, I’m a soldier before anything else. Being a Tarlyn doesn’t change that. So don’t talk to me like I’m some ticking time bomb p>
Leander nodded slightly. “Fair enough p>
He turned back to the squad like the conversation had never happened.
Leona’s fists curled at her sides. One part of her wanted to yell at him. The other? Couldn’t help but respect the hell out of him.
She let out a low mutter under her breath, “He’s so d*mn infuriating p>
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Chapter 93 Ashes Beneath the Flow
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Down below, at the base of Mount Lurvale, a faint shadow drifted through the mist. A figure in white robes moved like smoke, silent and fluid.
He looked ancient, hair like snow, robe fluttering as he scaled the cliff face without a sound. Each step carried him dozens of feet upward, tapping lightly from ledge to ledge until he stood at the summit.
The winds howled. Clouds wrapped the peak like a crown. Yet his robe didn’t so much as ruffle.
“Forty years,” he murmured, eyes scanning the view. “Didn’t think I’d ever return here p>
With a sigh, he vanished.
High atop the mountain inside the Tarlyn Residence, Tristan sat cross–legged on a stone bed, steadying his newly awakened Martial Sovereign realm. His aura pulsed, deep and rooted.
Next to him stood Olivia, calm and focused. Her aura flickered between soft glows and fades as her cultivation steadily rose.
After a long silence, Tristan finally opened his eyes. He let out a slow breath through his nose, releasing the stale energy he’d been holding in.
“Dad,” Olivia said gently, handing him water.
He took a slow sip, wiped his lips, and smiled faintly. Besides, there was a sharp gleam in his eyes–renewed and confident.
“I’ve made good progress. My inner strength is steady and full. Later this week, you’re coming with me to Fellridge Highland. I want to test myself against Serik Darnor. A real spar might be exactly what I need to break through again p>
His energy had already reached its peak. The only way forward now was to fight someone strong enough to shake the foundation.
Olivia nodded, then paused as her expression shifted. Her voice lowered slightly, hesitant. “Leona called earlier. The new Chief Instructor of the Southern Wyvern Blade has officially taken over p>
She glanced at him.
“It’s… Jeff Ashcroft.” Content originally comes from.net
“What?!” Tristan’s eyes narrowed instantly.
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Chapter: 2003 Ashes Briveath the Flow
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It took him a moment to respond. “Darrow really pulled out all the stops. To get Ashcroft on board… impressive p>
He paused, then gave an order. “Tell Leona to treat him with absolute respect. I don’t want anyone provoking him–not even your Uncle Larry p>
His tone grew heavier. “Mason already crossed that line once, and we saw how that ended. We can’t afford to repeat it. Not with him p>
Olivia nodded. She already knew how dangerous Leander was. The Tarlyn Guild had thrown everything at him and still failed.
She turned to leave, then froze.
A voice, calm yet sharp, echoed through the chamber. “Who said the Tarlyn Guild fears anyone p>
Both Tristan and Olivia tensed on instinct. One was a Martial Sovereign, the other just half a step away–yet neither of them could tell where the voice had come from.
Worse still, they hadn’t sensed a single thing approaching.
Tristan shot to his feet, energy surging around him as his eyes swept the room, searching for the source.
Then, in the span of a breath, a figure appeared–white robes, long silver hair, and a presence that felt ancient.
His gaze was calm, his voice cold. “Forty years gone… and I come back to find the once–mighty Tarlyn Guild trembling inside its own home p>
He looked Tristan over with quiet disappointment, slowly shaking his head. “Tristan, you’ve really let me down p>
Tristan’s heart dropped. He stared in disbelief, voice dry and shaking. “Great–grandpa p>
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