REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO-Chapter 291: MARTIAL SAINT

Logan looked around.

The entire area had turned into a wasteland.

The massive stone boulder where he had begun his breakthrough had completely merged with the ground. The earth around him was charred black, still faintly crackling from the lightning's residual charge. Trees had been reduced to ashes — some burned down entirely, others half-collapsed and smoldering, their trunks blackened beyond recognition.

'Good thing I came out here instead of staying home,' he thought, exhaling softly. 'Otherwise, who knows what would've happened to the house by now.'

He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of new power coursing through him. A satisfied smile crept across his lips. "Martial Saint Realm, huh," he murmured, voice low but steady. "Who would've thought I'd reach this level at just fifteen? The person who gave me that core… I wish I could thank him properly."

Then his gaze shifted — upward and toward a specific spot. There, five figures stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.

"He… he broke through two realms at once?!" Lifeng, one of the three from the Evil Spirit Families, shouted in shock. "What the hell is he? Is he even human?"

His companions were just as stunned — as were the girl and the young man from the Spirit Families, both unable to tear their eyes away from Logan.

The girl turned to her companion, and said in a low but tensed voice. "Should we approach him now? If we fail to convince him to join our side, and the Evil Spirit Families succeed instead, it'll be disastrous."

The young man nodded grimly. "I know." He paused for a bit. "Let's go talk to him."

With that, the two of them began walking toward Logan.

The three men from the Evil Spirit Families exchanged glances. Then, two of them started heading toward Logan as well, while Lifeng shot off in another direction — toward their earlier hiding spot cloaked in darkness, where Rowan's unconscious body still lay.

The four who were advancing toward Logan had barely closed the distance when an overwhelming pressure erupted, slamming down on them like a mountain. All of them were forced to their knees instantly, faces contorted in shock and fear.

The sun hadn't fully risen yet. In the faint, hazy light of dawn, they could barely see Logan's silhouette as he slowly rose from his lotus position. The tattered remains of his clothes slipped off and fell to the scorched ground as he stood upright.

He was still quite far from them, so the details weren't clear — but had the girl seen him any closer, she would've turned away in embarrassment. Logan was completely naked now, his body emanating a faint golden glow from the lingering energy of his breakthrough.

And then.... he moved.

His speed was so astonishingly fast that to the four of them, it felt as if he had simply disappeared into thin air.

Meanwhile, Lifeng reached Rowan's limp body and crouched down, extending a hand to grab him. But just as his fingers brushed Rowan's arm, he froze.

A chilling wave of killing intent washed over him — primal, hungry, and suffocating. It felt as though a hungry ferocious animal had just found its prey.

His entire body began trembling. Slowly, he tried to turn his head to look behind him…

But before he could....

BAM!

A deafening impact echoed through the forest as Lifeng's body was hurled through the air like a broken doll.

He crashed through several trees, snapping thick trunks in half, before finally slamming into a massive oak. The impact shook the ground.

Sliding down the bark, he clutched his stomach, and coughed a mouthful of blood. His vision blurred as agony surged through his body.

'W-what… what was that?' he thought, mind reeling, heart pounding in terror.

Logan was now standing beside Rowan's unconscious body. He slowly crouched down and placed two fingers against Rowan's neck to check his pulse. 'He's just unconscious,' Logan noted silently, a faint trace of relief flickering in his eyes. But then his expression hardened. 'They're lucky. Still… they'll have to pay.'

He rose to his feet, his movements deliberate, and began walking toward Lifeng.

Lifeng, meanwhile, was in a pitiful state. His ribs felt shattered, his internal organs severely injured, and his legs refused to respond. He tried to stand, but his body wouldn't obey. Panic gripping him, he began dragging himself backward through the dirt, every movement leaving a trail of blood and sweat.

"What the fuck… what the hell did we just come here to recruit?!" he hissed through clenched teeth, his voice trembling.

Logan kept walking — slowly, steadily. His steps were unhurried, yet each one seemed to bring him unnaturally closer. No matter how far Lifeng tried to crawl, the gap between them closed with terrifying inevitability.

At last, Logan stopped right in front of him.

Only now could Lifeng truly see the appearance of the source of his horror.

Logan's naked body was standing before him like a mountain. His body had transformed. After breaking through two realms in one night, he had grown taller, broader, every muscle clearly defined as if sculpted from divine stone. His presence radiated quiet power. And his eyes… calm, deep, and unwavering — like a tranquil sea that hid endless storms beneath its surface.

That calmness chilled Lifeng more than any killing intent could.

"W-whatever you're planning to do — don't," Lifeng stammered, desperation creeping into his voice. "If you touch me, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

He tried to sound threatening, but the tremor in his tone betrayed his fear. He knew — painfully well — that he wasn't even close to being Logan's match. Though they both were martial saints, Logan's strength felt like he was on a whole different league.

Logan paused, his gaze sharpening. "You shouldn't have hurt my friend," he said quietly but his each word was laced with restrained fury. "I despise those who use the innocent as their stepping stones."

He lifted his hand slowly, the air around his palm beginning to stir.

And then....