Book 17, Indigo Prefecture – Chapter 7, The Clan’s Crisis
The Azure Dragon clan’s Yulan branch simply had too short a history, spanning just a few millennia. A few millennia, in the ancient history of the Four Divine Beasts clan, could be considered a single drop of water in a sea.
A short history resulted in weak power!
In this gorge within the Skyrite Mountains, the other branches of the Azure Dragon tribe looked down on them and mocked them. This was very normal. Fortunately, the clan had very strict rules; members of the same clan were not permitted to kill each other.
This was a very severe rule. Nobody could violate it.
Precisely because of this, although the Yulan branch had lived a life of some embarrassment, they weren’t in any mortal danger. Baruch and the others could thus just endure it. After all, if they fought back, they would just be humiliated even further.
They were weaker. There was nothing they could do!
But this descendant of the clan who they were welcoming back, one who had returned from the Yulan branch, had effortlessly toyed with a Highgod and multiple Gods.
Baruch, Ryan, and the others all stared at Linley in disbelief.
“Linley?” Baruch stuttered.
Linley looked at Baruch, then laughed. “Clan leader, let’s hurry back. I still don’t even know where I’ll live?”
“Right, right.” Baruch recovered from his shock. Although he didn’t understand how Linley could be so powerful, Baruch wouldn’t ask right now. He immediately laughed, “Let’s go, let’s go back.”
The other clansmen of the Yulan branch all stared at Linley in amazement. This descendant was too strong!
“What are you looking at?” Bebe’s voice rang out. “What? Can it be that after the lesson my Boss just taught you, you haven’t had enough? You want to test him again?”
Linley turned to look.
Asru and the others were staring towards Linley with gazes full of shock and fear. They couldn’t believe that this was real.
“Asru.” Linley spoke out. “You and I are both members of the Azure Dragon clan. We are all members of the Redding clan! Since we are all members of the clan, fighting amongst ourselves will just result in ridicule from others.”
Asru was stunned.
“The Yulan branch is also a member of the Redding clan.” Linley laughed calmly. “I’m a member of the Yulan branch, and also a member of the Redding clan. I don’t want to see you causing trouble for us in the future. If something like that happens, then I wouldn’t mind...giving you a good lesson.”
O’Brien, Cesar, Tarosse, and the others were all laughing off to the side.
They knew exactly how powerful Linley was. During the great battle at Miluo Island, Linley’s power had been completely revealed and was unquestionable.
“Let’s go.” Linley held Delia’s hand, then followed Baruch, Ryan, and the other members of the clan towards the abode of the Yulan branch. The only ones left were Asru and the others.
“Lord Asru, this...” A youth behind Asru said, his face filled with disbelief, shock, and anger.
Asru’s face was gloomy.
“Who would have thought that an expert would appear amongst the Yulan branch.” Asru said in a low voice.
“But he’s just a God.” Someone immediately said.
Asru shook his head. “Impossible. That Gravitational Space was powerful to an unheard of level. In such a powerful gravity, he would definitely be able to effortlessly kill us. Only an extremely powerful Highgod could possibly train the Gravitational Space to such a high level.”
“How powerful?” The Gods behind him were all puzzled.
“Six Star Fiend. Perhaps Seven Star Fiend!” Asru said in a low voice.
Immediately, those Gods were completely stupefied. These people, when encountering a Highgod, were normally all very respectful. Generally speaking, Highgods were at the Four Star Fiend level of power. Anyone capable of reaching the Six Star Fiend or Seven Star Fiend level had a high status in the clan.
“But we noticed that he was just a God.” Another blue-haired youth said hurriedly.
Asru turned and glanced at him mockingly, then turned and left, not paying attention to that God at all.
“What’d I say wrong?” The blue-haired man was still lost.
“Can’t you guess that he was hiding his aura and just pretending?” Another God snickered. “Let’s go. I can’t imagine how this short-lived Yulan branch actually produced such a powerful expert.”
While still muttering amongst themselves, those Gods all left.
Linley knew very well that even two brothers of the same mother, much less branches of the same clan, would possibly struggle with each other for status. The weak would be looked down upon and embarrassed.
This was normal.
“The high level members of the Redding family don’t care about this. First, it’s not convenient to interfere. And secondly, they are probably satisfied with the situation.” Linley understood that when the weak were viewed in contempt, this anger at being humiliated would serve as a powerful motivation for the clan to grow stronger.
Perhaps an expert would appear.
In the end, the rules of the clan prohibited clansmen from killing each other. With this rule in place, there would be no fear of the clan losing its power.
“Only when there is competition, when there is a differentiation between the ‘high’ and the ‘low’ levels will there be improvement.” Linley sighed.
Unfortunately, his Yulan branch had become the weakest branch. Its roots were weak and its history was short. There was nothing that could be done.
“Linley, on the other side of the grass is our Yulan branch’s residence.” Baruch pointed towards the front. Linley, looking in that direction, saw that at the end of the short grass, there were multiple two story buildings, as all a palace which took up a very wide amount of space.
When Linley’s group passed through the grass, quite a few men and women came to welcome them, including two children.
“Clan leader!”
The group all hurriedly welcomed them.
“Haha, hurry up and prepare a feast for celebrating Linley’s arrival.” Baruch laughed loudly.
“Clan leader, who is Linley?” Nobody here recognized Linley.
Linley looked carefully at this group of people. All of them had an aura which felt so familiar to his soul. These were people from his clan, people of his blood. “Our Baruch clan has so few people in the Yulan continent, but in the Infernal Realm, we are much more populous.”
All of them in the Infernal Realm possessed unlimited lifespan. Naturally, their numbers would continuously grow.
“Who is Linley?” Baruch immediately laughed. “He is someone from our Yulan branch.”
“He came over from the Yulan continent.” Ryan added. “Look closely. He is Linley. Don’t misrecognize him in the future.” As he spoke, he rested his hand on Linley’s shoulder.
Immediately, everyone looked towards Linley while a commotion broke out.
“He came from the Yulan continent?”
“He actually came from the Yulan continent. Hey, Linley, how’s our Baruch clan doing?”
“Linley, do you know ‘Bozart’ [Bo’sai’te]? He’s my son!”
The group of them all excitedly asked questions nonstop. In the Infernal Realm, they were the weakest branch of the Four Divine Beasts clan. In the Yulan continent, however, they were the ‘Dragonblood Warrior clan’ which had dominated the continent.
The humiliation which they now had to endure naturally made them think all the more of their glory days in the Yulan continent.
They were filled with longing for the Yulan continent.
“If all of you ask questions en masse like this, how is Linley going to respond?” Baruch snorted coldly. “Enough of this. Hurry up and prepare a banquet. Today, every member of our Yulan branch is going to get together for the banquet. During the banquet itself, you can ask your questions.”
“I’ll go arrange the banquet.” Immediately, a brown-haired woman laughed while flashing Linley a smile.
Not just this woman; many of the other members of the clan were all smiling towards Linley. They naturally were very welcoming towards their clansmen who had come from the Yulan continent!
The clan’s banquet was attended by every single member of the Yulan branch. Hundreds of people thus squeezed into the palace, but fortunately, the palace was very large, allowing everyone a place to sit. During the course of the banquet, the atmosphere was very lively.
After all, of the hundreds of people present, only a few dozen actually came from the Yulan continent. The others had been born in the Infernal Realm.
They were thus very curious regarding the root of the Yulan branch, the ‘Yulan continent’.
As for the ones who had actually come from the Yulan continent, such as Baruch, Ryan, and the others, they were also very interested in learning the situation of the descendants of their clan. This entire banquet all but turned into a story-telling time for Linley, Cesar, and the others, and Cesar and O’Brien talked nonstop regarding all sorts of matters which had occurred in the Yulan continent.
At the same time, they also told the story of how Linley had risen to sudden prominence in the Yulan continent.
Master sculptor, Grand Magus Saint, Dragonblood Warrior...
Linley’s story caused many of the descendants of the clan in the Infernal Realm to be filled with envy. Although they, too, were powerful, in the Four Divine Beasts clan, they were just the bottom tier. How could they compare to Linley’s resplendence?
By the time the banquet concluded, it was dark. Only now did the group of clansmen part from Linley.
Ryan led Linley and the others to their residence.
“Linley, these three buildings are for you all to live in. You make the arrangements for who lives where.” Ryan said warmly.
“Right. No need to trouble you. I’ll make the arrangements.” Linley laughed.
Ryan smiled, then left, while Linley, Delia, Bebe, O’Brien...the group finally let out sighs of relief.
“The banquet finally came to an end.” O’Brien laughed, then let out a sigh. “Despite having been in the Infernal Realm for so long, I’ve never spoken so much in one breath. Linley, these clansmen of yours truly are quite curious regarding the Yulan continent.”
“The vast majority of them have never been to the Yulan continent before. Of course they are curious.”
Linley laughed. “Enough. Everyone, go get some rest. Everyone can choose their own residence.” In the end, Linley, Delia, and Bebe took one building, Olivier, O’Brien, Cesar, and Tarosse took a second building, while Dylin and his two sons took a building.”
A quiet night.
Linley and Delia were in each other’s arms on the bed, smiles on their faces.
“Linley, are you very happy right now?” Delia said softly.
“Right.” Thinking back to the banquet that day, and that scene of how those clansmen all asked him all sorts of questions, Linley couldn’t help but laugh. “When I was with those clansmen, I felt as though I returned to a large family. It truly was wonderful! If my father could see them as well, he definitely would feel very happy and very content.”
Linley still remembered how his father had dreamed all his life to restore the clan to glory.
His dying wish was that the weapon of the clan leader, Baruch, be returned.
“Right. If your father knew, he would definitely be very happy.” Delia said. “If your father knew what you had done over these years, he would definitely be very proud.” Delia rested her head against Linley’s chest.
Linley held Delia in his arms.
“I rather miss Sasha and Taylor.” Delia said.
Linley couldn’t help but think of his own son and daughter. Who knew what was going on back in the Yulan continent?
“Delia.” Linley suddenly said.
“What is it?” Delia raised her head.
“Let’s try and see if we can have another one, shall we? Maybe we’ll succeed.” Linley said slyly. Delia was startled, and then her face reddened as she looked at Linley. Linley chortled, then lowered his head to kiss Delia...
Dawn. Linley got out of bed and headed to his residence’s gate.
“The morning air is excellent.” Linley watched as the fog swirled around in the gorge. From afar, various buildings could dimly be seen, and that coiling ‘Dragon Avenue’ could be seen in the skies. Given his visual acuity, he was able to even see those patrol warriors on Dragon Avenue.
“This is my Four Divine Beasts clan!”
Linley sighed in his heart.
Linley suddenly had a feeling, and he turned to look. Not far away, a figure was walking towards him. It was the clan leader of the Yulan branch, Baruch. Baruch’s face was covered in smiles. “Linley!”
“Clan leader.” Linley hurriedly went to greet him.
“Come. Let’s find a place to chat. There’s something I need to discuss with you.” Baruch said.
“How about right here at my place?” Linley said.
Baruch glanced around, then nodded. “Might as well. There’s no outsiders here at your place. No need to worry about others overhearing.”
Linley was rather surprised. From what Baruch was saying, it seemed as though they were going to discuss a rather important matter. Linley immediately led Baruch towards his own living place, then to a study within.
Linley and Baruch both sat down.
“Clan leader, you can go ahead.” Linley said.
Baruch looked towards Linley. Pausing a moment, he then said, “Linley, first tell me, are you a God or a Highgod.”