Book 16, Starmist Sea – Chapter 32, The Might of a Sovereign
“There really are scryer recordings?” Linley couldn’t help but be interested.
Ever since he had found out that those so-called recordings of experts doing battle served as a trap, Linley had doubted whether or not Castle Hendsey had scryer recordings or not. But from Castle Master Mosi’s words, it seemed as though there really were such things.
“You’ll know once you go take a look, right?” Mosi said mysteriously.
Castle Hendsey. Underground. Within a mysterious, wide throne room. The two sides of the throne rooms had quite a few bookshelves, only the bookshelves didn’t have books on them. Instead, they had many fist-sized crystal balls.
Linley and Mosi were currently in the throne room.
“There are a total of 1628 crystals here, each one of which contains a scryer recording.” Mosi said leisurely. “In addition, the crystal balls all have introductions and explanations regarding the battle and the techniques used.”
Linley, staring at the many crystals balls stored on the bookshelves, couldn’t help but stare with shining eyes. These were all scryer recordings of ultimate experts doing battle.
“In this first room, most of the recordings are those of peak Seven Star Fiends doing battles. There are also recordings of Asuras and Purgatory Commanders doing battle. As for the scryer recording of a Sovereigns showing their might...” Mosi pointed to a corner of the room, where a rectangular pillar was located which had a glowing gemstone placed at the very top of the pillar. “The scryer recordings of Sovereigns are located there, within that pillar. The pillar is hollow. You can open it like a door.”
Linley couldn’t help but take a deep breath to calm himself down.
Good heavens. Recordings of Sovereigns showing their might? He had only heard legends of Sovereigns, but had never ever seen one. Everyone said that the might of a Sovereign was inviolable, but who knew exactly how powerful a Sovereign was?
“I’ll start from the Seven Star Fiend battles.” Linley walked over to the bookshelves.
After walking forward, Linley discovered that on the surface of every single crystal ball that was placed on a bookshelf had two names recorded down.
“This is to simplify the process of finding the recordings one wants to watch.” Mosi walked over and said with a laugh.
“Understood.” Linley swept the racks of bookshelves and the dozens of crystal balls, then suddenly his gaze fell upon a crystal ball which had several names atop it: ‘Bloodviolet Fiend’ dueling the ‘Ironleaf Fiend’!
“Bloodviolet Fiend?” Linley immediately drew closer.
This crystal ball contained scryer recordings within. One could use divine power to cause the scryer recordings within the crystal ball to emerge from it and appear in mid-air. That way, multiple people could watch at the same time. However, a person could also use his divine sense directly enter the crystal ball, which would make the watching process extremely fast.
Linley immediately filled the crystal ball with his divine sense...
In a desolate desert, thousands of people were battling everywhere, while in mid-air, two people were staring at each other. One of them was completely covered in black scale armor, with long black hair that glowed with a blue light.
The other person had a long violet robe, long violet hair, and a violet longsword in his hand. The familiar figure was one which Linley had seen long ago.
“It really is him. The Bloodviolet Fiend!” When Linley had first used his divine sense to enter Bloodviolet, he had seen many different images, and the primary subject of every single image was this person. But only now was Linley completely, 100% certain.
“That longsword is Bloodviolet!”
Only today was Linley completely convinced and certain that the original owner of his Bloodviolet sword was the legendary figure, the ‘Bloodviolet Fiend’.
There was no sound at all from the battle scene, only the images recorded down.
The Ironleaf Fiend and the Bloodviolet Fiend both specialized in speed. Linley just saw two experts instantly transform into two blurry shadows. Wherever the Ironleaf Fiend passed by, space itself began to emit a strange, rippling spatial vibration. When looking at all the vibrations at once, they actually formed a flower that was blooming.
A devilish violet light was repeatedly flashing.
“Whoosh!”
A ray of violet light filled the skies, and the spatial ripple flower transformed into two halves, and many spatial cracks appeared.
Only now did the Ironleaf Fiend’s body grow clearly visible, and he dropped down from the skies, while the Bloodviolet Fiend’s expression didn’t change at all.
“These two people were all terrifyingly fast. The Bloodviolet Fiend’s sword attacks are much more powerful than even Learmonth and Boslo. When he strikes, he shows no traces of his actions at all, and the power is tremendous. He doesn’t need to build up his power at all.” Linley could just barely understand the intricacies of this battle.
Just from the scryer recordings, he could tell that the Bloodviolet Fiend’s material attacks were tremendously powerful! Far greater than the material attacks of those other Seven Star Fiends which Linley had seen.
After the recording was completed, there was some information regarding this battle.
“This explanation is quite detailed.” Linley, after reading it, sighed in praise. This explanation actually gave a detailed explanation of the techniques used by both people. Only now did Linley understand: “So the Bloodviolet Fiend is actually most powerful in the Way of Destruction.”
Linley opened his eyes.
“How do you feel?” Mosi, seated on a distant chair, laughed as he looked at Linley. “There are many Seven Star Fiends, but the weakest of them have fused four profound mysteries. The most powerful are comparable to the Asuras of the Infernal Realm or the Commanders of Purgatory.”
“Very powerful.” After seeing the explanation of this battle, only now did Linley understand how frightening the Bloodviolet Fiend was.
If he were to encounter the Bloodviolet Fiend, he would most likely be finished.
“The Bloodviolet Fiend is extremely famous, and his power is more than enough to compete against most Asuras of the Infernal Realm or Commanders of Purgatory. His accomplishments in the Way of Destruction are at a very high level, and he is also a Soul Mutate. He truly is powerful.” Mosi shook his head and sighed. “Unfortunately, this astonishing, dazzling figure went to a material plane ten thousand years ago and was killed.”
In his heart, Linley knew that the Bloodviolet Fiend was killed in his own homeland.
“Could it be that Lord Beirut was the one to kill him?” Linley wondered to himself.
Linley didn’t over-think things. He seized the opportunity to immediately go watch the scryer recordings of other experts doing battle. They included the Bloodviolet Fiend, the Royalwing Fiend, the Bluejacket Fiend, the Silvermoon Fiend...
Aside from these, there were also scryer recordings of ultimate Deity-level experts from other Higher Planes engaging in battle.
Asuras of the Infernal Realm, Commanders of Purgatory...scryer recordings of figures at this level.
“There’s even a scryer recording of Reisgem engaging in battle.” Linley didn’t recognize virtually any of the figures who did battle, so when he saw Reisgem’s, he was naturally delighted.
The scryer recording had ‘Reisgem’ in a human form. He looked like a very handsome youth, quite similar with Bebe. Only, Reisgem’s entire body was covered in an amethyst armor, and in battle he relied on his hands and feet.
Clean and blunt. The Gravitational Space formed from violet light which Reisgem used was far more powerful than Linley’s.
“So powerful.” Linley stared, slack-jawed.
Another Purgatory Commander was fighting Reisgem, but the battle was one-sided.
Linley watched nearly a thousand scryer recordings, finally arriving at the pillar at the corner of the throne room. Pulling open the pillar ‘door’, he saw that inside, there were three memory crystals.
“You only need to see a single one of these three crystal balls.” Mosi finally stood up and walked over, laughing. “The three crystal balls are all recordings of a Sovereign dealing with a Highgod, and the technique they used in each is essentially the same.”
“Understood.” Linley took a deep breath, then sent his divine sense into the first crystal ball.
It was a vast, endless sea. In the air above, there was a black-robed middle-aged man. This person was currently laughing with his head raised towards the skies, but tears were streaming down his face. His lips were moving, as though he was saying something.
The strange thing was...
In the air above the sea, a blurry, enormous face appeared, which was completely formed from elemental essence.
The black-robed man immediately pointed angrily at the enormous face, his lips moving nonstop.
A hint of annoyance passed through that enormous face, and its lips moved slightly. The black-robed middle-aged figure’s body trembled, and then he fell down from the skies, while the enormous face vanished.
“That’s it?” Linley looked at the explanation for this scryer recording. “And that black-robed figure was an Asura of the Infernal Realm?”
Linley withdrew his divine sense from the crystal ball, his mind still numb.
“That enormous face was a Sovereign?” Linley turned to look at Mosi.
Mosi nodded. “Right.”
“All the Sovereign had to do to kill an Asura of the Infernal Realm was just move his lips?” Linley felt that this was simply too incredible.
Mosi sighed. “The Will of a Sovereign is inviolable. Even someone as powerful as an Asura, with but a thought by a Sovereign, will be easily killed. In front of a Sovereign, even the most powerful of Highgods will be unable to resist.”
Linley couldn’t help but be astonished.
Not being a Sovereign, Linley couldn’t understand how Sovereigns could be so powerful.
Kill an Asura with just a thought?
“The might of a Sovereign is irresistible.” Linley said to himself.
Compared to those countless Deities, Sovereigns were high and above them, capable of effortlessly killing any Highgod.
“Sovereigns are very remote and distant from us. As long as you do not anger Sovereigns, they won’t lower themselves to kill you.” Mosi laughed.
Linley nodded slightly. After having viewed so many scryer recordings, Linley was quite stunned. After calming himself, Linley said, “Lord Mosi, I’ve disturbed you for so long. I should return now. I truly am grateful to you.”
Mosi laughed and nodded.
Linley suddenly thought of something, and he couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. “Lord Mosi, there’s one last thing.”
“Oh?” Mosi furrowed his forehead.
“During that battle at Miluo Island, I promised Bakwill to serve as a red-robed elder for a hundred years, and that I wouldn’t leave the island without his permission. But I truly long for my homeland and want to go back sooner...” Linley continued to explain.
The next day. The Bagshaw clan’s estate. Linley’s residence. Currently, Linley and Uriah were walking towards the gates of the estate.
“Elder.” Two guards at the side of the gate to the resident immediately bowed respectfully.
Linley instructed, “Go to the island guard’s residential area and have Tarosse, Dylin, and Dylin’s two children come over.” This guard had gone last time, so he knew exactly where Tarosse lived.
“Yes, elder.” The guard immediately left.
“Mr. Uriah, sorry to trouble you.” Linley turned and laughed.
“It’s no trouble.” Uriah was very courteous as well.
After Linley returned from the underwater Castle Hendsey to Miluo Island, he had brought Uriah with him. Uriah’s was on official orders from the master of Castle Hendsey to order Bakwill to permit Linley to leave.
“Linley, then I’ll go speak with clan leader Bakwill now.” Uriah immediately left.
Just as Linley entered his residence, he saw Bebe, Delia, Olivier, Cesar, and the others all come welcome him.
“Boss, did you just say we are about to leave?” Bebe was the first to run over.
Linley looked at Bebe, Delia, and his friends. Although he had only gone one or two days without seeing them, during the past two days, he had walked to and from the brink of death, and had learned many secrets in the process.
“Yes. We are about to leave.” Linley laughed as he rubbed Bebe’s head.
“Delia.” Linley turned to look at Delia.
“If it weren’t for the fact that the master of Castle Hendsey was giving face to that juvenile amethyst beast, I probably really would have been done for.” As he thought of this, he couldn’t help but tremble. Linley couldn’t help but immediately pull Delia into his arms, tightly holding her.
“Linley?” Delia asked softly. She could tell that Linley seemed to be in a strange mood.
“I missed you.” Linley said softly. Delia’s face couldn’t help but turn red, and she said softly, “Olivier and Cesar and them are all here.” Linley released Delia. Seeing her bashfulness, he couldn’t help but begin to laugh loudly.
Sequeira was walking alongside the road. When he arrived at the gate to Linley’s residence, he heard the loud laughter coming from within.
“Oh, that Linley’s back?” Sequeira recognized Linley’s voice, and then he chuckled. “He was so arrogant in front of me. But in the end, hasn’t he become just another dog for my Bagshaw clan?” Sequeira, as the young master of his clan, knew that those red-robed elders were all under soul control.
Sequeira immediately entered Linley’s resident.
The guards at the door didn’t dare to bar Sequeira’s path.
Linley was currently laughing and chatting with Delia, Bebe, Olivier, and the others.
“Linley.” A voice suddenly rang out. Linley turned to look. The newcomer was Sequeira.
Sequeira raised his jaw slightly, and with a cold laugh, flipped out his blood-red Miluo Insignia. “See this?”
Linley was puzzled.
“Blood-red colored Miluo Insignia. What of it?” Linley said, puzzled. This time, the master of Castle Hendsey had given him a great deal of face, and had satisfied every request he had made. Linley didn’t want to cause any more problems with this Sequeira.
“Come here!” Sequeira said coldly.
Frowning, Linley walked over.
“Kneel.” Sequeira shouted.
Linley’s face couldn’t help but turn dark.
“In the name of the blood-red colored Miluo Insignia, I order you to kneel.” Sequeira shouted with cold fierceness. “Hurry.” In the Bagshaw clan, the red-robed elders who had been controlled served, above all others, the master of the castle. After that, they would obey holders of the blood-red colored Miluo Insignia.
Currently, Sequeira just wanted to thoroughly humiliate Linley. As for killing Linley?
He wouldn’t do that. As he saw it, Linley was now an obedient dog for his clan. How could he bear to kill him?
“Sequeira, what are you doing?” Linley felt that this was absolutely ridiculous.
“You dare disobey?” Sequeira was enraged. Nobody whose soul had been controlled had ever dared to disobey the blood-red colored Miluo Insignia.
“You have brain damage.” Bebe immediately shouted angrily.
“Sequeira!” Suddenly, a furious shout rang out.
Sequeira turned his head and saw his father, ‘Bakwill’, currently walking over alongside Uriah. Sequeira immediately walked over and said angrily, “Father, that Linley actually dares to disobey my orders. He needs to be properly punished.”
“Shut your mouth!” Bakwill was so furious, his face was turning red.
Sequeira was stunned.
Bakwill immediately turned to look at Linley, squeezing out a smile. “Mr. Linley, over the past few days in this place, I haven’t been a very good host. I’m truly sorry.” Hearing these words, Sequeira stared, slack-jawed.
“Father, why are you...” Sequeira didn’t understand.
Why the need to be so courteous to a completely devoted person whose soul had been dominated?
“Shut your damn mouth!” Bakwill shouted angrily.
After Uriah had conveyed the order, Bakwill and Uriah had chatted in detail. Bakwill now understood that Linley’s status was truly extraordinary. If Linley was simply a mere descendant of the Four Divine Beasts clan, his ancestor, Lord ‘Mosi’, definitely wouldn’t have stayed his hand.
“Father, I...” Sequeira was completely lost.
“WHAP!” Bakwill launched a vicious slap directly on Sequeira’s face. “I told you to shut your damn mouth!” This slap from Bakwill finally brought Sequeira to his senses. Sequeira immediately stood off to one side, not daring to make another sound.
“Mr. Bakwill, no need to be like this.” Linley now could guess that Sequeira had probably taken him for someone who had been spiritually controlled.
Bakwill forced out a smile. “Linley, my son sometimes is so arrogant as to consider everyone else beneath him. It’s only proper that he be disciplined on occasion. Linley, I’ve already learned everything from Uriah. Alas. You haven’t even stayed here at my place for more than a few days, but you are already going to leave. What a true pity.”
“There’s nothing I can do. I really do have something I must be doing.” Linley said.
“Fine, then. I won’t try to further dissuade you from leaving, Mr. Linley. Mr. Linley, you can leave whenever you wish...but of course, if you ever return to my place, my Miluo Island welcomes you at all times.” Bakwill said in a very friendly manner.
“Definitely, definitely.” Linley laughed.
Linley suddenly turned his head, and he saw that Tarosse, Dylin, and Dylin’s two sons were currently walking over. Tarosse and Dylin, upon seeing Linley, were overjoyed and embarrassed. Their emotions were extremely complicated right now.
They wanted to say something, but with Bakwill present, they didn’t know what to say for now.
“Haha, Dylin, Tarosse!” Linley immediately laughed and walked over. “No need to say too much. It is all over now!”
“Right. It’s all over now.” Tarosse and Dylin had unshed tears in their eyes. They had been under soul control, but now they had regained their freedom. This freedom which they had lost then regain would cause even the toughest of men to feel emotional. What’s more, they knew that the reason why they had regained their freedom was due to Linley.
“Haha, let’s go. It’s time to head out!”
Linley stared into the distant southeastern skies. “Indigo Prefecture...time to go back!”