Book 17, Indigo Prefecture – Chapter 9, Eighty Years
As they discussed this, Baruch actually laughed. “But the strange thing is, my bloodline is actually extremely pure. When undergoing the Ancestral Baptism, I actually badly startled those warriors on guard there, and was received by the elder.”
“Your bloodline is very pure?” Linley looked at Baruch.
Baruch was just six thousand years old, while the Four Divine Beasts clan had been in existence for countless years. It was indeed quite bizarre for Baruch’s bloodline to be so pure.
“Generally speaking, the children of our ancestor, in particular the second and third generation members of our Azure Dragon clan, will have an extremely pure lineage. But unexpectedly, my bloodlines are actually comparable with the second generation.” Baruch didn’t hide anything at all.
The second generation of the Azure Dragon clan was composed of the sons and daughters of the ‘Azure Dragon’ Sovereign.
The children of the ‘Azure Dragon’ Sovereign naturally had very pure bloodlines. The members of the third generation who had great innate talent could also be compared to the second generation.
But as for the later generations...
Perhaps occasionally, in one generation, a genius would appear with extremely pure Azure Dragon lineage. But this was a vanishingly rare occurrence. Baruch, however, was one such example.
“This is also precisely the case as to why that elder told me these things regarding our clan.” Baruch said.
So that was how it was.
Linley now understood. Up till now, he had been puzzled at how Baruch knew these things.
“Actually, the affairs of our ancestor as well those eight clans isn’t much of a secret. In the clan, everyone with pure bloodlines, high potential, or are at the Highgod level will all know about these things.” Baruch said solemnly. “After all, clan warfare occurs frequently.”
Linley nodded. “I could sense that when I saw those patrolling guards.”
The strictness and severity of the vigilance of the Four Divine Beasts clan was far greater than that of the patrols on Miluo Island.
“Linley, your natural talent is definitely better than even mine.” Baruch’s eyes were shining. “You haven’t even undergone the Ancestral Baptism, but you are already so powerful. After you undergo it, you’ll then gain insights into the Elemental Laws of Water.”
“Insights into the Elemental Laws of Water?” Linley said in astonishment.
He currently had only gained insights into the earth, the wind, and fire. He didn’t have any insights whatsoever into the other Elemental Laws.
Baruch said solemnly, “Right. Our Azure Dragon clan is the clan of a water-type divine beast. If the members of our clan aren’t even able to understand the Elemental Laws of Water, then we would be jokes. Currently, you aren’t able to gain insights into it, but that’s only because your lineage hasn’t been fully awakened. After you enter the ‘Dragonize Pool’ and undergo the Ancestral Baptism, you will naturally be transformed into an ‘Azure Dragon’, while at the same time, you will naturally and immediately reach the Demigod level in the Laws of Water. In addition, you will also gain our innate divine ability.”
Linley was completely stunned.
In the past, when Linley had watched how divine beasts would naturally become Deities after reaching adulthood, he would secretly sigh at how naturally blessed they were.
But he hadn’t expected that the same was true for himself.
“I can become an Azure Dragon, and not only gain an ‘innate divine ability’, I’ll also become a Deity in water!” Linley couldn’t help but feel joy in his heart. “Most likely, in the Infernal Realm, there are very few people who have five divine clones, including my original body.”
Once he underwent the Ancestral Baptism, he would have the earth clone, fire clone, water clone, wind clone, and original body. Five bodies.
Since birth, he had high elemental affinity for ‘earth’ and ‘wind’, and he was also able to somewhat use ‘fire’. But now, he would also have ‘water’.
“We are the Azure Dragon clan!” Baruch said proudly. “Training in the Elemental Laws of Water will be extremely fast. Look at me. Although my understanding and ability to gain insights is poor, in just a few thousand years, I’ve already gained insights into five of the profound mysteries of the Elemental Laws of Water. I’m not too far away from the Highgod level.”
Linley couldn’t help but be astonished. For a person to gain insights and master five of the profound mysteries of the Elemental Laws of Water in just a few thousand years was indeed very fast.
“The heavens have indeed been quite kind to the Azure Dragon clan.” Linley said to himself.
“Clan leader, I haven’t undergone the Ancestral Baptism yet. Then, how can I go undergo it?” Linley hurriedly asked. The Ancestral Baptism would allow himself to increase in power. Naturally, the sooner he experienced it, the better.
“Don’t be impatient.” Baruch laughed. “The Ancestral Baptism is carried out within the clan only once every century. Although the clan is very large, every hundred years, there will still be some newborn descendants. Thus, they’ll be allowed to undergo the Ancestral Baptism.”
“Oh.” Linley hurriedly asked, “Then when will the next Ancestral Baptism be?”
“The last one was twenty years ago. Thus, if you want to go undergo the Ancestral Baptism, you’ll need to wait eighty years.” Baruch said.
“Eighty years.” Linley wasn’t in a rush.
Ever since he had stayed five hundred years in the Amethyst Mountains, Linley no longer cared too much about the passage of time. A single session of meditation...after closing his eyes, eighty years might pass before he would open them again.
“Linley, in the future, you will be very powerful. Thus, your responsibilities will also be great. Our Four Divine Beasts clan is currently battling against those eight great clans. You will definitely become a powerful warlord for our clan. Thus...you need to work hard. Only in this way will you be able to survive in the dangerous battles of the future.” Baruch said solemnly.
And Linley nodded seriously as well.
In the eight great clans, seven were from other planes. They had moved their entire clans over, pursuing and attacking the Four Divine Beasts clan. One could imagine how deep their hatred was for the Four Divine Beasts clan. However, given the arrogance of the Four Divine Beasts clan, there was no way they could forever hide within the Skyrite Mountains.
The struggles and battles between them thus naturally happened all the time.
The warfare between the Four Divine Beasts clan and the eight great clans...as soon as Linley got involved, he would begin to experience a true rain of blood and storm of slaughter.
“I need to train hard.” Linley said to himself.
Indigo Prefecture, Skyrite Mountains. It was as calm and peaceful as ever. Perhaps the army of the Four Divine Beasts clan would be sent out to battle and war against the eight great clans, but Linley’s group who lived deep within the Skyrite Mountains knew nothing of these things.
The peaceful days spent in training passed very quickly. Sixty years soon passed.
On this day.
In the Skyrite Mountains. The gorge where Linley’s group was currently living. The many members of the Azure Dragon clan living here were either training or gathering together.
“Let’s go to the Yulan branch and tease those little fellows. Want to come?” In one corner of the gorge, six youths were gathered together, and one of them, a blue-haired man, laughed as he spoke.
“I’m not going.”
“I’m not going either.”
The other five men all shook their heads, and one of them even said, “Second Brother, don’t go cause trouble at the Yulan branch.”
“What’s wrong with you? How come all of you are so cowardly now. It’s just the Yulan branch. Their strongest members are just Gods. What are you afraid of?” The blue-haired man was rather unhappy.
“Second Brother, in the past, it was fine to cause problems for the Yulan branch, but what you don’t realize is that in the centuries you’ve been in seclusion, there have been changes in the Yulan branch.”
“What sort of changes?” The blue-haired man snickered. “Can it be that in just a few centuries, they’ve produced a Highgod? A few centuries ago, their entire branch only had twelve Gods. Aside from that Baruch who trains a bit faster, the others are all very slow. Can it be that Baruch has become a Highgod?”
“It’s not Baruch. Sixty years ago, another member of our clan returned and said that he was of the Yulan branch. The tribesmen all took him to be a God, but he was able to just stand there without moving and send Asru flying.”
The blue-haired youth couldn’t help but be stunned. “Did you say Asru?”
“Not just Asru. When we heard this from Asru, we didn’t believe it. So, we went with Elder Brother to make some trouble for him, but...even Elder Brother was easily defeated by that Linley.”
“Elder Brother?” The blue-haired man was now truly stunned. “My Elder Brother was defeated as well?”
“Right. Thus, Elder Brother is now meditating in seclusion.” Another one of the five spoke out.
Only now did the blue-haired man realize that this was the reason he hadn’t seen his Elder Brother this time upon concluding his training. He had thought that his Elder Brother had gone travelling. So in reality, he was in seclusion.
“This person truly is powerful?” The blue-haired man asked, puzzled. “What is his name?”
“From what the Yulan branch’s people say, he is named Linley!” Someone immediately said.
“Right. His name is Linley. Those Yulan branch members are now very smug. They even say...that if we want to struggle against the Yulan branch, then we should come and see if we can beat Linley. Unfortunately, all of the Highgods in our gorge who tested him were defeated.”
“Thus, in the past sixty years, nobody has dared to cause trouble for the Yulan branch again.”
After hearing the explanation from his friends, the blue-haired man finally understood.
This gorge was a place where very weak branches lived. Many branches had just a few Highgods, and the entire gorge, all combined, only had twenty or thirty Highgods. But Linley was able to defeat several of them.
Naturally, the other branches in the gorge would acknowledge the new status of the Yulan branch and not go humiliate them.
After all, if instead of humiliating them, they were themselves humiliated, that would truly be a loss of face.
Suddenly...
A surge of endless ripples descended from the heavens. That unique energy ripple caused the blue-haired man and the other five to be startled.
“The descent of the natural Laws?” The six men were greatly shocked.
This was the sign of a person becoming a Deity on their own.
The six immediately began to chat amongst themselves.
“Who made a breakthrough?”
“The descent of the natural Laws was centered on the Yulan branch. It was someone from their branch.”
“It’s probably that Saint, finally breaking through to become a Demigod. No need for all this commotion.” The blue-haired man snickered.
.....................
Currently, quite a few people were gathered outside Linley’s door, with only Delia and Bebe having run inside.
“What’s going on?” Baruch walked over and immediately asked.
Tarosse laughed. “Linley made a breakthrough.”
“He’s become a Highgod?” Baruch immediately asked through divine sense. Up till now, many of the other people in the Yulan branch viewed Linley as a Highgod, just one who was low-key and hid his aura.
“Not sure.” Tarosse shook his head. “He shouldn’t have. When Linley first arrived, he was still meditating on the fifth profound mystery of the Laws of the Earth.”
While they chatted amongst themselves, three figures emerged from within the room.
“He came out. Linley came out.” The Yulan branch’s clansmen were all very excited.
“Everyone, you can go back to your own places now. I just made a breakthrough in one of my divine clones, that’s all.” Linley laughed calmly. Seeing the group of clansmen present, especially the look of veneration with which they viewed him, Linley still felt quite happy.
After having arrived here, Linley naturally wouldn’t just watch as his clansmen were humiliated. Thus, on multiple occasions, he had shown his might, shocking the other branches.
These days, the Yulan branch no longer needed to endure humiliation. These other clansmen naturally felt gratitude towards Linley.
“Everyone can disperse now. Don’t stay here.” Baruch laughed as well.
Only now did the group of clansmen, chatting and laughing amongst themselves, depart. While doing so, they said amongst themselves, “Linley is so formidable. What clone do you think made the breakthrough?”
“Most likely, a divine Destruction clone.”
“It might be his divine Wind clone.”
Those other clansmen weren’t clear about Linley’s detailed situation. They weren’t even sure as to what type of Laws Linley was currently training in.
“Linley, what breakthrough did you make?” Cesar went up to him, greeting and asking him.
“Divine fire clone.” Linley laughed at himself. “Only now have I finally reached the God level in my divine fire clone. I truly am slow in training in fire.”
Cesar, Tarosse, and the others were immediately speechless. He had been training for less than a thousand years, but had reached the God level in earth, wind, and fire...and he was complaining that he was slow?
“How is your training in the Laws of the Earth progressing?” Tarosse asked.
“Still training in the fifth profound mystery. I’ve reached a bottleneck. I wonder if I’ll be able to completely master the ‘Profound Mysteries of Strength’ before the Ancestral Baptism.” Linley said.
Only a decade or two was left before the next Ancestral Baptism.
Ten or so years, to Deities, was a very short period of time. Linley’s original body accompanied Delia, while his three divine clones were completely absorbed in their training. But even after the day of the Ancestral Baptism was about to arrive, the ‘Profound Mysteries of Strength’ remained stuck at the bottleneck.
On this day, nearly eighty years had passed since Linley had arrived at the Skyrite Mountains.
In front of Linley’s residence. Baruch was walking over.
“Linley, tonight, the Ancestral Baptism is about to begin. I’ve already registered your name for it. Soon, you’ll most likely be led away by others to participate in the Ancestral Baptism. Make your preparations.”
“Understood.” Linley’s eyes couldn’t help but be filled with a look of anticipation.
The Ancestral Baptism. What exactly was it like?