Book 13, Gebados – Chapter 38, Attacked On the Way Back
Seated in the meditative stance on the ground, Linley could easily sense how the vast, boundless world was filled with earth elemental essence. Every single particle of it was so friendly and familiar to him. With Linley at the center, a surge of pulsating power was throbbing out towards every direction.
“Doooong.” “Dooooong.’” .....
Each surge of pulsating power which emanated outwards was filled with natural earth elemental essence. They rolled out like waves, interacting with each other while fusing with pulsating power.
Throbbing Pulse of the World. Essence of the Earth.
Linley was focusing on slowly fusing these two profound mysteries.
“Linley!” Linley, who had been in the middle of his meditations, was suddenly interrupted by a divine sense. Linley instantly knew that it was Delia who had contacted him. An unconscious smile appeared on Linley’s face. “Delia, what is it? Do you miss me?”
“Hmph, who misses you?” Delia let out a cute ‘hmph’. “Linley, I want to ask you, how long do you plan to train there on Mount Copper Gong?”
Linley couldn’t help but be startled.
Delia’s voice contained a hint of displeasure. Naturally, Linley could detect it. Only now did Linley realize that he had gone a bit too far. “I left Dragonblood Castle in year 10066, but this is now year 10072. Uh, it’s been almost six years. I haven’t gone back a single time!”
When he was training, he truly didn’t notice how fast the time went by. It felt like those years had passed in an instant.
“Six years. I can’t blame Delia for being unhappy.” Linley felt that he was in the wrong here.
“Linley, aren’t you training? You can train in Dragonblood Castle as well.” Delia now persuaded using gentler words.
“Um...alright. Delia, I’ll come back tomorrow.” Linley said immediately, and then added an apologetic message, “Delia, I’m sorry.”
“I’m not angry. Oh, did you say tomorrow?” Delia was both surprised and delighted. “I’ll immediately order the servants to prepare a banquet for tomorrow. Right, Linley, when will you arrive at Dragonblood Castle? Around noon, or at night?”
“I’ll arrive before noon.” Linley was certain of this.
Actually, ever since he had started fusing the ‘Essence of the Earth’ with the ‘Throbbing Pulse of the World’, Lord Bluefire, ie ‘Leylin’, no longer needed to give Linley any more pointers. Thus, staying on Mount Copper Gong was no longer of much benefit to Linley anyways.
Within the elemental mansion in Mount Copper Gong.
“Whoooooosh.” The wild mountain wind howled, and the grass and flowers in front of the door to the mansion swayed. However, the wind wasn’t able to budge those several large trees there. The Lord of Mount Copper Gong, a King of the Gebados Planar Prison, Lord Bluefire, was currently there with his two brothers, sending Linley and Bebe off.
“Linley, even if you didn’t go back, very soon, I would be sending you off.” ‘Bluefire’ Leylin said amusedly. “Haha, the main issue is that very soon, I will go with my elder brother and second brother. We will depart from Mount Copper Gong, and also leave the Yulan continent.”
Linley knew long ago that Leylin was going to leave.
“Mr. Leylin, where are you going?” Bebe asked with curiosity.
“I’m not sure for right now.” Leylin let out a long sigh. “Perhaps I will pay a visit to the South Seas. That place used to be my homeland. Unfortunately, the passage of countless years has resulted in the continent where my homeland was located to sink into the endless seas long ago.”
That battle of ten thousand years ago had caused the other four continents to all be shattered and collapse.
“Mr. Leylin, if you have the time, you can pay a visit to my Dragonblood Castle. I will welcome you whenever you come.” Linley and Bebe had said their words of thanks long ago. After bidding farewell to Leylin and the other two, Linley and Bebe immediately left Mount Copper Gong and flew towards Dragonblood Castle.
After not having returned for six years, Linley now had a deep desire to return.
The Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. In the gorge beneath the shattered cliffs. A place where there were few traces of civilization.
In the past, this was a paradise for magical beasts, but ever since three years ago, no magical beasts dared to go near this place. By the side of the spring waters, within a patch of wild grass, there was a faint human figure that could be seen. It was the God from the Infernal Realm, Nieff.
Despite waiting for three years, Nieff had never relaxed his vigilance.
His divine sense was eternally activated, covering this region as he waited quietly for Linley.
“This Linley will definitely go back to Dragonblood Castle eventually. As long as he passes through the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts enroute to the Dragonblood Castle, he definitely will not escape!” Nieff arose, a black spotted spear appearing in his hands as he began to roam about the valley.
After all, having not encountered Linley despite three years of waiting, Nieff also couldn’t be certain as to when Linley would appear. He couldn’t waste all of his time waiting foolishly.
Only, Nieff didn’t realize that someone else was hidden deep within this gorge.
“This Nieff’s divine sense is very average amongst Gods. But he trains in the Elemental Laws of the Wind. In terms of speed, he is even faster than Linley. If Linley really does encounter him, it would most likely really be a bit dangerous.” The indistinct figure stared at the distant Nieff. Nieff was currently transformed into a gust of wind, and his spear blurred as it silently pierced through the empty air time and time again.
“However, danger is good.”
The blurred figure disappeared silently without a trace.
Nieff had come to a halt in his training, continuing to sit in the meditative position. But suddenly, he opened his eyes, staring towards mid-air with a dagger-like gaze.
“It is him. Linley!”
Nieff’s eyes were filled with a hint of wild joy. He couldn’t help but begin to laugh loudly and excitedly. “After waiting three years, he’s finally come!” In truth, Nieff was still hundreds of kilometers away from Linley. Naturally, despite how loudly Nieff had cried out, Linley wasn’t able to hear him.
“For Reinales, if I die, it will be worth it!” Nieff said in a low voice, his eyes filled with unmatched ardor.
Silently, Nieff transformed into a puff of smoke, transforming into the formless wind. This surge of wind flew at astonishing speed in pursuit of Linley. His speed was so great that it was much faster than Linley’s current absolute limit!
Nieff was a full God. After fusing with the divine spark, he had gained insight into three of the Elemental Laws within it. He was particularly proficient in fast movements.
“I didn’t expect he would be so fast. It seems I need to focus!”
Seconds after Nieff had flown out, a ray of light flashed out of the gorge as well, following Nieff in pursuit. In terms of speed, this ray of light surpassed Nieff.
Linley and Bebe were currently chatting and laughing enroute to Dragonblood Castle, not sensing at all the God-level divine sense which had encompassed them. If they knew that a God was in pursuit of them, perhaps Linley and Bebe would have raised their speed to the utmost limit to return to Dragonblood Castle. But unfortunately, they didn’t know.
“Boss, do you think Leylin and the others will go to the Infernal Realm?”
“Who knows. However, given Mr. Leylin’s power, no matter which plane he goes to, he will be an ultimate expert.” Ever since Linley had witnessed ‘Bluefire’ Leylin killing the seemingly powerful Sadista in a single blow, Linley had been certain that Bluefire was one of the ultimate experts amongst Highgods.
“Huh?” Bebe suddenly frowned.
“What is it?” Linley asked, puzzled.
“I feel something is off.” Bebe trained in the Laws of Darkness. He was only a Demigod, but he trained in the exact same stealth skills which Cesar trained in. He was extremely sensitive to the auras of others. Bebe suddenly turned his head, then said in shock, “Boss, quick, run!”
Linley turned his head.
Within a realm of distorted space, a blurry human figure had appeared within his field of vision, staring at him with a pair of cold eyes. It was the God, Nieff!
“You want to flee!” Nieff let out a cold laugh, immediately executing his Godrealm. Just like last time when Anras had attacked him, Linley felt as though he had sunken into a quagmire. Not hesitating at all, Linley hurriedly creates both of his Demigod-level Godrealms. “Boom!” The sky-blue robes covering his body exploded, and azure-golden scales covered Linley’s entire body. From his forehead and spine, one sharp spike after another emerged. Linley’s speed once again rose. Transforming into a ray of light, he flew at high speed towards Dragonblood Castle, fleeing.
Since he was unable to discover this person, this person was at least a God.
“Not good!” As he attempted to flee, Linley discovered that in terms of speed, the person behind him was far faster than ‘Anras’ had been. Actually, Anras’ God-level divine clone was of fire-type. His wind-style divine clone was of the Demigod level.
That was why he didn’t have an advantage in speed. But Nieff was different.
“Linley.” A human figure appeared in front of Linley. It was Nieff. Linley immediately came to a halt, and Nieff laughed coldly. “You aren’t able to flee.” The strange thing was, these words came from every direction.
Linley turned!
Currently, surrounding Linley and Bebe, there were twelve figures, all of them that of ‘Nieff’.
The twelve Nieffs had completely surrounded Linley and Bebe.
“What...what is this?” Linley was shocked. “These definitely aren’t divine clones. There are seven types of Elemental Laws; even if you include the Four Edicts, that’s only eleven. Even if a person mastered all eleven, he would at most have eleven divine clones. But these twelve people before me have the exact same aura!”
“Boss, one of them definitely is the real body.” Bebe looked around frantically as well.
Linley understood this as well, but he couldn’t tell anything different about these twelve figures.
The twelve Nieffs surrounded Linley and Bebe.
“Die!” The twelve Nieffs revealed a hint of madness in their eyes, and instantly, they swept towards the two from every direction. The strange thing was...the twelve figures completely ignored Bebe. Their target was...
Linley!
From all eight directions, and from above and below. There was no place for Linley to flee!
“Which is the real one?” Linley thought frantically, but he still had a hint of confidence. This confidence came from his Throbbing Pulse of the World – Voidwave Sword, as well as his damaged Sovereign artifact. With the defense of his damaged Sovereign artifact, his chances of survival would be very high.
The twelve all attacked together.
A strange violet flash lit up, and countless sword shadows shot out in every direction like the petals of a flower unfolding. It was the Profound Truths of Velocity – Rippling Wind! Although there were many sword shadows, the power of each sword wasn’t that great. With a series of collision sounds ringing out, none of the twelve Nieffs seemed to be harmed at all. Linley’s face instantly changed.
He had thought that the eleven fake bodies amongst the twelve would be damaged. But who would have imagined that the twelve bodies were all so powerful?
Twelve sets of cold eyes stared at Linley, as though staring at a dead man.
“BOOM!”
Twelve shadows slashed through the sky like warblades, attacking Linley.
“Only choice is to go all out.” Linley didn’t have any time to care about anything else. The adamantine heavy sword in his hand began to dance. If he wasn’t certain which one was the real body, then his only option was to randomly attack one.
“Boss!” Bebe, frantic, also stopped caring about anything else. He raised his head and let out a shrill screech. “Shkreeeeeeeeeeee!” The ear-piercing screech split the skies, while at the same time, Bebe transformed into his ‘Godeater Rat’ form, and behind him, an illusory Godeater Rat that was hundreds of meters tall appeared.
Innate Divine Ability – Godeater!
With one breath, Bebe locked all twelve bodies, trying to devour all twelve of them. However, Bebe’s current Godeater ability was only effective against Demigods. Nieff, a God, could not be devoured by Bebe at all.
The twelve bodies all halted briefly, but an instantly later, they became no longer influenced.
If the devour failed, there would be a counter-force!
“Boom!” A large mouthful of blood was spat out from Bebe’s mouth, while at the same time, wildly overjoyed, he messaged mentally to Linley, “Boss, the real body is that one!” In that instant, Bebe utilized his spiritual connection with Linley to point out the real location of Nieff’s body to Linley.
Bebe had used his innate divine ability just now not for the sake of killing Nieff, but to locate the divine spark.
His divine ability involved the devouring of divine sparks, after all. Once Bebe utilized it, he was able to sense which of the twelve bodies had a divine spark within it. Only the body with the divine spark was the real one. The others were all false.
“Him!” Linley, wielding his adamantine heavy sword, transformed into a straight moving blur, chopping down directly towards the ‘Nieff’ on his left. This was Nieff’s true body!