Chapter 773: Grand Elder
The Second Elder's words instantly resonated with all the Dark Elves. Dark Elves are proud—it's a pride etched into their bones. Whether in the distant age of gods and demons or during the Nesser Dynasty, they have always refused to merely cling to survival.
A Dark Elf who dies in battle is forever a hero to their people. But to survive by means they themselves despise—there's no way to call oneself a Dark Elf after that.
Lose that, and the Dark Elves might as well be extinct...
The Third Elder screamed in madness: "I don't care anymore! He must die! He killed my son, so he must die! I don't care who does it, as long as I survive, I don't care how he dies! If all of you die and I live, that's enough for me!"
The Second Elder sighed, "You've lost your mind..."
The Third Elder attacked Leon with wild abandon. Driven to complete madness, his power surged to its peak—Leon and Anderson together could barely hold him off.
"You must die! All of you must die! As long as you're dead, no matter what, I get to live! Isn't the Dread Dragon Warlord after glory? Then go ahead and die, all of you! Let the Dark Elf Enclave die too! As long as I survive, the Dark Elves aren't extinct!"
The Third Elder was screaming madly now, completely out of his mind.
"Dread Dragon Warlord, this is the one—he's the person our enclave spoke of. He's yours now, and so is the Dark Elf Enclave. These shameful fools, if you want to kill them, kill them all. Just spare me!"
The Dread Dragon Warlord burst out laughing.
"Fine, just as you said. Hand him over, and I'll spare you. But as for the rest of the Dark Elves—they all have to die. Their last desperate struggle is just too annoying, so you'll have to help..."
The Third Elder didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately split his focus and attacked the other Dark Elves.
In an instant, chaos erupted among the Dark Elves. The Second Elder coughed up blood in rage, unable to remain standing. He collapsed, pointing at the Third Elder, his lips trembling, but he couldn't get a word out.
The Dread Dragon Warlord laughed wildly, floating in midair, pointing at the Dark Elves and cackling loudly.
"Ashen Orc warriors, now—begin your rampage! From this day forward, the Dark Elves will be history! Of the three great races in the realm, from now on, only two remain! End them! Ravage them!"
"Feel the deepest despair, Dark Elves!"
The Dread Dragon Warlord kept laughing, and joined the slaughter himself. Even the Third Elder started attacking the Dark Elves. In an instant, the Dark Elves' defenses collapsed—a massacre was about to begin...
Just then, a terrifying change occurred in the sky.
A rainbow-hued radiance appeared from nowhere, instantly flooding the sky. The whole world seemed to be covered by this multicolored glow.
The chaotic elemental fluctuations in the air suddenly, eerily, calmed. All spells instantly collapsed, reverting to their most basic magical elements.
Countless elements seemed to rejoice. Tiny sprites formed from pure elements appeared in midair, showers of light rained down, and a rainbow bridge stretched out from the void. Elemental sprites and magical beasts danced and cheered around the rainbow bridge.
The elements began to move on their own, and the purest elemental symphony began to play.
In that instant, it was as if the world's elements were no longer under anyone's control. No one could use magic anymore, and even the magic within their bodies fluctuated with the elemental symphony.
Seconds later, a Dark Elf in robes stepped out from the other end of the rainbow bridge, and the elemental symphony reached its climax.
It was as if the whole world was celebrating the arrival of this Dark Elf.
Leon stared blankly at the scene, recalling descriptions from old books.
Rainbow bridge opens the way, elemental symphony resounds.
This is the phenomenon that only appears when someone breaks through to Sky Rank!
Leon didn't even need to think—he knew exactly who it was. The Grand Elder of the Dark Elves, awakened from the Shadowdream, had successfully broken through to Sky Rank. When a Sky Rank emerges for the first time, the world itself celebrates their birth.
At that moment, Leon could clearly sense he couldn't draw on any external magic at all. Even the mana within his body was being swept along by some force, pulsing in time with the elemental symphony.
His Mana Harness could barely suppress the fluctuations. Forget spellcasting—even his internal mana was temporarily out of reach.
This is the power of Sky Rank!
Just the phenomenon of a breakthrough alone could cripple every mage below Sky Rank!
At this moment, whether you're a Ninth-Rank Title Archmage or a mere apprentice, it makes no difference—at least to a Sky Rank. To them, there's no distinction at all!
The Grand Elder of the Dark Elves, with long white hair and an aged face, slowly stepped off the rainbow bridge. Only then did the elemental symphony fade and the surrounding elements return to normal.
The Grand Elder glanced at the Dread Dragon Warlord.
"Is there someone here who wishes to destroy the Dark Elf Clan?"
Shock flashed across the Dread Dragon Warlord's face. He gritted his teeth and instantly summoned his mana, preparing to unleash his strongest spell attack.
"Kill! Kill them all!"
But just then, the Grand Elder extended a single finger and pointed into the air.
No powerful surge of magic, not even a hint of spellcasting—just a subtle, indescribably mysterious ripple. In the next moment, the Dread Dragon Warlord's movement froze completely.
Even the mana surging around him was frozen in place. The evil black smoke swirling around the Dread Dragon Warlord was suddenly locked in midair.
(Irrelevant system message omitted)
Then, everyone watched as the frozen mana on the Dread Dragon Warlord's body began to crack and dissipate...
"No..."
The Dread Dragon Warlord screamed in terror as a wild wind whipped around him. His mana was utterly gone, and he fell to the ground like an ordinary person...
The Ashen Orcs on the ground hurried to catch the Dread Dragon Warlord.
"Attack! Kill all the Dark Elves! Kill!"
The Dread Dragon Warlord screamed madly.
His subordinates immediately resumed casting spells, and the elite troops charged again.
But the Grand Elder just frowned slightly and waved his hand. Instantly, a gentle breeze swept through, and every spell cast by the Ashen Orcs was snuffed out...
The charging Ashen Orcs all came to a halt—not by choice, but because their feet began to turn to stone...
Within a second, every Ashen Orc in the charge turned into a stone statue. A breeze blew, and the statues crumbled into fine dust, falling to the ground...
The remaining Ashen Orcs didn't need any more prompting—they were terrified, dropped their weapons instantly, and all knelt, trembling on the ground.
"A... a Sky Rank master..."
The battered Dark Elves, meanwhile, erupted in cheers. Their suffering was finally over—the Grand Elder had broken through to Sky Rank at the last moment!
Leon watched the Grand Elder, his expression calm, but the violent fluctuations of mana inside him betrayed his inner turmoil.
This is Sky Rank!
A true Sky Rank master—how could anyone be this powerful!
No wonder they say everyone below Sky Rank is just a mortal, while those at Sky Rank are a different species entirely—it's no exaggeration!
No amount of written description could match the shock and reality of witnessing it firsthand. This is true supernatural power!
Below Sky Rank, there's simply no ability to resist!
With a single strike, the Dread Dragon Warlord's mana was shattered, leaving him utterly powerless. Yet even after stripping away his magic, not a scratch was left on him—such control is simply monstrous, truly unbelievable.
Leon knew he absolutely couldn't achieve that level of control at his current stage!
Then, with another spell—Mass Petrification—the Ashen Orcs were all turned to dust. The Grand Elder's spellcasting was like divine artistry: no visible trace of casting, barely a ripple of mana, every bit of power perfectly used, with almost no waste.
Moreover, the Grand Elder seemed to float in midair as if it were second nature; there was no sign of spellcasting at all—it was as if flying was simply instinctual!
The Grand Elder slowly descended to the ground. In the distance, the Third Elder's face changed completely. As he turned to flee, his body suddenly stiffened—his mana was sealed, his feet turned to stone, and he was rooted to the spot...
Then the Grand Elder walked up to the Second Elder.
The Second Elder's injuries worsened—he couldn't utter a word, leaning against a tree, eyes brimming with tears, overcome with emotion. He tried to speak but only coughed up blood.
The Grand Elder sighed softly and touched the Second Elder's forehead with one finger. Instantly, every magical rune on the Second Elder's body lit up, and countless motes of light flew from the surrounding trees into his body.
At once, the Second Elder's charred skin rapidly returned to normal, his exhausted expression revived, and even his depleted mana was quickly restored.
In just a few seconds, the Second Elder's complexion was back to normal. He sprang to his feet and gripped the Grand Elder's arm in excitement.
"Grand Elder, you finally emerged—it's wonderful! You have no idea, just a little more, just a little more and the Dark Elf Tribe would have been finished..."
The Grand Elder glanced at the battered, exhausted Dark Elves around him. With a wave of his hand, a flood of motes burst from the forest trees, transforming into a shower of light that poured into every Dark Elf.
In an instant, all the Dark Elves' wounds healed rapidly, and their spent mana quickly returned.
The Grand Elder nodded to the Second Elder, then turned toward the Ashen Orcs.