Coiling Dragon (Pan Long)

Delia was by Wade’s side, but she noticed that Linley wasn’t moving at all. Even his eyes had closed. “What’s going on with Linley? Can it be…” Seeing Linley in such a state, Delia naturally would suspect…

That he had gained a sudden insight and broken through!

This was indeed the case. At this moment, Linley finally moved through the initial threshold of gaining a basic understanding of the Profound Mysteries of Vitality. Training in a profound mystery always had two major barriers; the first was the initial threshold, while the other was the bottleneck before mastery. Although there might be some difficulties encountered while training, as long as one persevered, one would be able to overcome them.

But that initial threshold as well as the bottleneck before mastery couldn’t just be overcome through effort. It required talent, luck, and that instant of sudden enlightenment.

Once that moment of sudden enlightenment came, the speed at which one gained understanding would be astonishingly fast, allowing one to advance very rapidly. However, moments later, the speed at which Linley gained comprehension began to slow down. After all, that moment of insight only allowed a person to gain a portion of understanding. The rest required training.

Linley opened his eyes, and as he did, he saw Delia.

“You made a breakthrough?” Delia said softly.

Linley laughed and nodded. “I’ve finally passed the initial threshold for understanding the Profound Mysteries of Vitality…and indeed, understanding this profound mystery isn’t an easy task. I had to experience many things first, and have my entire mentality change…only after all of these things was I able to grasp that sudden moment of spiritual awakening and enlightenment.”

Delia couldn’t help but reveal a smile on her face.

“Linley, didn’t you say that after becoming a Highgod, it would become much harder to fuse profound mysteries?” Delia couldn’t help but ask.

When fusing profound mysteries, the difficulty level was lessened if one fused the mysteries while gaining insights to them. This was much like how if a large tree was crooked when it was young, if it kept on growing crookedly until it reached maturity, it would naturally become a crooked tree. But if you were to have a straight tree begin to grow crooked only after it reached maturity, it would be hard.

“Fusing is far more difficult than gaining initial insights into a profound mystery.” Linley shook his head. “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so few Paragons, despite the passage of countless years.”

“The further one advances, the harder fusing becomes.” Linley sighed. “Look at me. It took me less than a thousand years to fuse three profound mysteries, but to fuse the fourth…although six centuries have passed, I have still only been able to fuse the Profound Mysteries of Strength with the Throbbing Pulse of the World. I haven’t been able to improve at all.”

He hadn’t made any improvements; was he supposed to just keep on wasting time?

Based on the historical pace of advancement by other people, even the greatest of geniuses would find it virtually impossible to fuse a fourth profound mystery in under ten thousand years.

“In addition, once I become a Highgod, my power will increase tenfold.” Linley said confidently. “By then, even if I encounter an Asura, I will at least be able to stay alive.”

When his soul was improved to the Highgod level, he would be able to absorb more amethysts and reach a new peak.

In addition, Linley’s ‘Blackstone Space’ had previously used God-level divine earth power. Once he became a Highgod, he would be able to use Highgod-level divine earth power to execute it. The power of his Blackstone Space would therefore rise once again!

When Purgatory Commander Resigem set up his Gravitational Space, he used Highgod-level divine earth power.

Once Linley became a Highgod, the ‘Spiritual Chaos’ component of his Blackstone Space would also become more than ten times stronger! The gravitational pull would also rise to a terrifying new level. By then, even Seven Star Fiends would find it hard to move freely within the Blackstone Space.

By then…

Linley’s Blackstone Space wouldn’t be too far off from Purgatory Commander Reisgem’s.

“In addition, only after becoming a Highgod will I have any hope of being able to repair the Coiling Dragon ring.” Linley sighed. “Although spiritual energy can be used to repair it, this is a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact, after all. My current spiritual energy is too weak. Once I become a Highgod, I can rely on amethysts to strengthen my soul to the limits of spiritual strength for a Highgod. Even if I’m not able to completely repair it, I can still make it so that it recovers a portion of its power.”

If one was too greedy, one would be like a python who attempted to swallow an elephant. The consequences would be obvious.

At present, as soon as Linley broke through to become a Highgod, his strength would become terrifying. Thus, it was best for him to become a Highgod as quickly as possible.

Time flowed on like water, advancing silently and soundlessly. Linley quietly trained within the gorge, slowly advancing step by step. As for Wade, he grew up and became an adult as well. When the hundred year event came, Wade went to undergo the Ancestral Baptism and became a water-type Deity.

“Wade’s power is too weak. In the Infernal Realm, a Demigod’s power is absolutely insufficient for roaming about.” Although Linley wanted Wade to experience some hurdles and hardships, he didn’t wish for Wade to throw his life away.

Wade normally remained within the Skyrite Mountains, sparring with the other Deities.

More than a century had passed since Forhan had been killed. However, the higher level members of the Four Divine Beasts clan felt tremendous pressure! This was because the enemy eight great clans had become more and more savage, while the Four Divine Beasts clan had lost too many Elders.

The residence of Patriarch Gislason.

“Patriarch!” Garvey said frantically. “We can’t let this continue. If this continues for another millennium, our Azure Dragon clan will probably not have Seven Star Fiends left!”

Gislason’s back was turned towards him, and he was silent.

“Patriarch.” Garvey called out frantically.

“Then you tell me. What should we do?” Gislason said in a low voice.

Garvey hesitated slightly, then gritted his teeth. “Patriarch, order all of our forces to be withdrawn. Forget about those forces of the eight great clans and their arrogant patrols…we should just stay quietly within the Skyrite Mountains and build up our strength!”

Gislason was silent.

In the past, how glorious had the Four Divine Beasts clan been? Their fame had spread throughout all the Higher Planes and Divine Planes. Not a single clan dared to underestimate them, and the lives of the clan leaders of ordinary clans wasn’t worth as much as the lives of ordinary members of the Four Divine Beasts clan.

The glory of the clan was utterly inviolable.

For countless years, although the descendants of the Four Divine Beasts clan might die, they had never lowered their heads. This was because these descendants all understood that even if they died, the clan would avenge them! The descendants of the Four Divine Beasts clan were proud and arrogant!

“Let our Four Divine Beasts clan lower our heads? Hide like turtles within the Skyrite Mountains and not go out?” Gislason said in a low voice. “Garvey, do you know what people will say about us in the outside world? They will say…that our Four Divine Beasts clan was beaten so badly by the eight great clans that we are hiding like turtles, afraid to show ourselves. That we are a pack of cowards! I am absolutely certain that this is how the eight great clans will spin the story, and that they will spread this news throughout the Infernal Realm, as well as the rest of the Four Higher Planes!”

To ordinary people, Gislason’s line of thought was laughable.

That was because ordinary people had never reached the heights that Gislason had. Even in material planes, ordinary people would be willing to sacrifice their lives for the glory of their clan, much less Deities who possessed eternal life. To them, the glory of their clan was even more important!

“Garvey, you can go back for now.” Gislason sighed.

“Patriarch.” Garvey couldn’t help but feel frantic.

“I told you to leave!”

Gislason growled. Stunned, Garvey had no choice but to leave, resigned. In the hall, the only remaining person was Gislason. His entire face was furrowed with wrinkles as he frowned, his heart filled with frustration.

He had never imagined that the incomparably firm mountains behind their clan, the ancestors, would all die.

With the ancestors dead, all the pressure now came crashing down upon the clan.

Within the gorge.

Linley, Delia, and Wade were eating together. But of course, Wade was now a handsome young man, slightly taller than even Linley, albeit somewhat thinner.

“Linley!” A voice suddenly rang out.

Linley raised his head and saw Garvey’s figure appear in mid-air, then descend. Seeing Linley’s family happily eating, Garvey let out a sigh.. “Linley, your life really is carefree and worry-less.”

“Sit.” Linley pointed in front of him. “What, are you feeling frustrated over the clan’s matters?”

“Right!” Garvey sat down.

“Uncle Garvey.” Wade called out.

Garvey laughed and nodded. “Time moves so very fast. Linley, I still remember how, over a century ago, you held Wade and Delia and hurried back. That really was a major event.”

Laughing, Linley nodded. “Right, Garvey. What happened within the clan?”

Upon hearing this subject, Garvey said bitterly, “Just today, yet another Elder of our clan lost his most powerful clone! Currently…our Azure Dragon clan, including you, Linley, only has seventeen Elders who truly possess the power of a Seven Star Fiend.”

“Seventeen?” Linley was stunned.

He still remembered how when he had accepted the position of Elder, the clan had more than thirty Elders. But now, only seventeen remained.

“After I learned this, I thought for a long time, then went to find the Patriarch. I advised the Patriarch that he should order the Elders to no longer go out and do battle, and that we should all return to the Skyrite Mountains.” Garvey clearly felt very miserable for having given this advice.

After all, he too valued the glory of the clan, did he not?

“What did the Patriarch say?” Linley asked.

“He didn’t agree.” Garvey raised his head, gulping down a cup of wine. “Every ten years, sometimes every few years, our Four Divine Beasts clan loses yet another Elder. If this continues, in a few centuries, how many Elders will our Four Divine Beasts clan have left?”

Linley felt resigned as well.

In this sort of clan war, the strength of any individual was simply insufficient.

“Enough of that. Come, drink.” Garvey raised his cup.

“Drink.” Linley responded.

Delia and Wade left the table shortly, leaving behind Linley and Garvey to chat and drink wine.

“Eh?” Linley raised his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. “He’s finally back.”

“Boss!” A figure descended from the skies, wearing a straw hat on his head. It was Bebe. Ever since he had left with Beirut, Bebe hadn’t returned a single time in the past hundred-plus years.

Linley rose to his feet.

“Boss, I missed you to death.” Bebe rushed forward, giving Linley a bearhug.

Linley and Bebe were as close as real siblings. After not having seen Bebe for so long, he naturally felt extremely happy.

“Bebe, long time no see.” Garvey greeted as well. After that affair nearly a century ago, all the Elders of the Skyrite Mountains had learned that Bebe was the grandson of the Lord Prefect of Indigo Prefecture.

“Elder Garvey.” Bebe greeted as well.

“What have you been doing for the past century?” Linley laughed as he spoke. Bebe rubbed his nose, then laughed smugly, “In the past century, I’ve roamed the entire Indigo Prefecture and visited many secret locations. Indigo Prefecture really is large. In the past hundred-plus years, I’ve only managed to visit some of the more important areas.”

“Oh, so why didn’t you continue touring?” Linley said.

Bebe pursed his lips, saying in an unruly manner, “I got bored. Didn’t want to continue.” But although he was acting in a seemingly unrestrained manner, Linley could sense a desolate aura.

At this moment, Delia and Wade hurriedly walked over from afar. Delia laughed and said from far away, “Bebe, it’s been so long since you left. Look at this fellow next to me. Do you know him?”

“The fellow next to you?” Bebe was stunned.

“Wade.” Delia laughed. “Remember now?”

“Ah?! That little fellow?!” Bebe immediately began to laugh.

Linley watched as Bebe immediately begin to chat warmly with Wade, but could still sense that within Bebe’s heart…

“Bebe’s too lonely! Once the affairs of the clan have been resolved, I’ll immediately accompany Bebe on a trip to the Jadefloat Continent. Let’s go find Ninny.”

The Infernal Realm. The Jadefloat Continent. Coldcalm Prefecture . The city of Bayfay [Bei’fei].

The streets of Bayfay City. A man and a woman were walking side by side.

“Ninny, I’ve come out for the express purpose on a stroll with you. Smile, won’t you?” The man and woman were Salomon and his little sister, ‘Nisse’. Ever since that event at the volcano range, Nisse had believed Bebe to be dead, having perished after diving into that golden magma pool.

Bebe’s death had come as a tremendous blow to Nisse.

It had also caused her attitude towards her elder brother to change.

“Alright.” Nisse just responded with a single word of acknowledgement.

A passerby on the street was chatting with another person.

“That scryer recording really was exciting. It’s been so many years since I’ve seen supreme experts like that do battle. Wow. There were actually more than ten Seven Star Fiends, and six of them used Sovereign’s Might. And that Azure Dragon clan’s Elder named Linley, he killed five Seven Star Fiends by himself. Too terrifying!”

That year, when Linley had suffered an attack from those eight Elders, many people had recorded scryer recordings of the battle. The recordings of such an enormous battle very naturally spread very widely. Since Linley’s name had been verified, it also spread with the battle.

In the past hundred years, it had finally spread from the Bloodridge Continent to the Jadefloat Continent.

Hearing this conversation, both Salomon and Nisse were stunned.

“Linley?” Nisse was stunned. She had always believed that Linley and Bebe had both died. “Someone of the same name?”

“Linley? Six people who used Sovereign’s Might?” Salomon was stunned as well.