Book 17, Indigo Prefecture – Chapter 10, Dragonize Pool
The skies were dark. It was already sundown.
Tonight, the Ancestral Baptism was going to begin. Within the gorge in the Skyrite Mountains, Linley was patiently waiting. Just a short while later, Linley saw a warrior dressed in azure armor fly over from the air.
“Who is Linley!” The azure armored warrior shouted.
Linley felt a surge of joy. He immediately went up to greet the man.
“I am Linley.” Linley laughed. The azure armored warrior glanced at Linley. After a short, careful scrutinization, he couldn’t help but frown and bark, “Stop joking around. Everyone who goes to the Ancestral Baptism is less than a century old. You are a God. Can it be that you are less than a century old? Quick, go have Linley come out.”
Linley didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. It seemed as though he had been taken for an imposter.
“I am Linley. I had been living in other planes, and only returned to the Skyrite Mountains just eighty years ago.” Linley explained. “Thus, up till now, I have yet to participate in the Ancestral Baptism.”
“Oh?” The azure armored warrior was rather puzzled.
At this moment, watching from below, Baruch, Delia, Bebe, and the others also didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. The azure armored warrior actually didn’t believe Linley was who he said he was. Baruch himself immediately flew up towards that azure armored warrior. “It’s true. He is indeed Linley. He wasn’t born in our Skyrite Mountains, which is why to this very day, he has yet to undergo the Ancestral Baptism.”
The azure armored warrior glanced at Linley, then let out a cold snort. “I’ll believe you for now. But, kid, you better understand...if you’ve already undergone an Ancestral Baptism, undergoing a second baptism will be of no use to you. And, if you were to be found out to be an imposter, you will be in trouble. Enough. Let’s go.”
The azure armored warrior immediately flew high into the sky.
Linley turned his head to say his farewells to Delia and Bebe, then immediately followed.
They flew up into the Dragon Avenue, and followed it. Linley kept close behind the azure armored warrior as they advanced nonstop. After flying for quite some time by the side of this azure armored warrior, the two arrived at the top of a pitch-black mountain peak.
At the top of the mountain peak, there were multiple azure armored guards, a bald, black-robed man, as well as ten or so young men and women.
“Milord, Linley has been brought here.” The azure armored warrior flew over and immediately said respectfully.
The bald, black-robed man glanced sideways at Linley, nodded, then instructed the warrior, “Enough. You can leave now.” The black-robed man looked at Linley. “Linley, wait here for a while. When everyone is present, we’ll go in.”
“Yes.” Linley stood there with the other ten or so people.
“These people are all just Saints.” Linley could immediately tell that these youngsters were very suspicious, and they looked at Linley in surprise. They were amazed to discover that they actually couldn’t see Linley’s power!
“This person isn’t a Saint?” Those young men and women were all puzzled.
For someone who had been born less than a century ago, especially a descendant of the Azure Dragon clan, it wasn’t very likely that they would be able to become a Deity on their own without having undergone the Ancestral Baptism.
Linley just waited there quietly, as one young man after another was led here by azure armored warriors.
“A total of twenty eight. All present.” The bald, black-robed man nodded slightly, then said calmly, “Enough. Little fellows, all follow me. Remember, without my permission, you aren’t allowed to run around wildly.”
As he spoke, the bald, black-robed man led them all into a corridor within the mountain peak.
The outsides of the entrance to the corridor were all covered with draconic sculptures. The entire corridor led downwards, deep into the heart of the mountain. This corridor was nearly six meters wide and four meters tall. It was very rectangular, while at the same time the walls of the corridor had some ancient sculptures as well.
The floor was covered with a woven carpet.
Linley just quietly followed the bald, black-robed man.
“Hey, you, you’re already a Deity?” A jade-haired girl walking alongside Linley couldn’t resist her curiosity, and so she asked the question in a soft voice.
Linley turned to glance at her. He chuckled, but only nodded in response.
The jade-haired girl’s eyes immediately lit up, and were filled with a look of adoration. “You are so amazing. You’ve never undergone the Ancestral Baptism, but you were able to become a Deity in under a century.” Even the other youths who were taking part in the Ancestral Baptism turned to look at Linley with either veneration, or surprise, or jealousy.
Less than a century?
He had passed the century mark long ago. However...in the Yulan continent, when he had become a Deity on his own, it was true that at that time, he had been training for less than a century.
“Pipe down.” The bald, black-robed man shouted icily.
Immediately, those twelve Saints were so scared, they didn’t dare say another word. Linley’s expression didn’t change. “This bald fellow has quite the temper.” Linley continued to walk and follow him. Moments later, they arrived at the end of the corridor, which had a wide hall past it with quite a few black-robed figures within.
“All here?” One of the black-robed men went to welcome them.
“A total of twenty eight. All present.” The bald, black-robed man said. “You watch them for a while. I’ll go invite the two elders to activate the Dragonize Pool.”
“Right. Do you know where the two elders are, right now?” The black-robed man said.
The bald, black-robed man said, puzzled, “Could it be that they haven’t arrived yet?”
“They arrived, they arrived. But the two elders just went into a private room. They even said that without their permission, nobody is permitted to enter.” The black-robed man was puzzled. “They are in the private room in the eastern palace hall.”
“I’ll go take a look.” The bald, black-robed man immediately walked over.
Deep within the mountain, in a private room in the eastern palace hall.
Two figures were currently standing, shoulder to shoulder. One of them had a hawk-hooked nose, a balding head, two drooping sideburns, and a pair of eyes that were as grim and callous as a viper’s. The other was very handsome, with long hair that flowed down his back.
The two were both dressed in azure armor that was embroidered with gold patterns, as well as a cloak that was covered with strange, peculiar magic runes which flowed with all sorts of faint light.
They were currently focusing their attention on watching a scryer recording that currently being broadcast, floating in the air within the private room.
“Formidable.” The bald man couldn’t help but sigh in praise.
“Even you and I probably wouldn’t be able to so easily block that blade blow.” The handsome man sighed in praise as well.
The scryer recording currently being played, amazingly, was the scene of Linley’s battle in the skies above Miluo Island. The scene which had just caused the two to sigh in amazement was that of the red-robed elder of the Bagshaw clan using a single blade chop to break apart Linley’s ‘cube’.
That battle had been watched by many outsiders who were present at Miluo Island. Those of them who trained in the Elemental Laws of Water naturally would record it down.
Because the main figure in this battle, ‘Linley’, was considered by many experts to be of the ‘Four Divine Beasts clan’, these scryer recordings naturally made their way to the Four Divine Beasts clan. Only, the speed at which this happened was rather slow.
Linley had been in the Four Divine Beasts clan for so many years now, but the scryer recording had just now made its way here.
“Look. That red-robed elder is about to fight with our clansman.” The handsome man said hurriedly.
In the scryer recording, that red-robed elder, after hearing the order from the clan leader of the Bagshaw clan, ‘Bakwill’, began to wield his blade and charge towards Linley.
Seeing the saber blow strike down, the two elders both held their breaths.
But then, they saw from the scryer recording that Linley was able to use just his right leg to kick against that saber, smashing that Seven Star Fiend directly into the ground. Moments later, the scryer recording came to an end.
“Formidable!” The handsome man sighed in praise.
A stunned look was in the eyes of the bald man as well. “Just by relying on his body, he was able to resist a full force material attack from a Seven Star Fiend. For his body to be so incredibly strong...even in our clan, there are few who are at this level.”
“You and I are not, at least.” The handsome man agreed.
Although the Azure Dragon clan’s members were indeed strong in Dragonform, to be as strong as this...very few in the Azure Dragon clan could accomplish it. For one’s Dragonform to be at this level of power wasn’t just a matter of lineage; it also required other factors.
“It isn’t just that his body is tough. Did you see that globe of earthen yellow light surrounding his body? Everyone trapped within it will have their movements be affected. Even that red-robed elder of Miluo Island was affected as well.” The bald man said solemnly.
“Right. That’s a Gravitational Space. An extremely formidable Gravitational Space.” The handsome youth said, puzzled, “Someone in our clan is actually specialized in the Laws of the Earth? And at such a level? Inconceivable!”
After having seen that scryer recording, they were certain that this person was of their clan.
In the entire Infernal Realm, only the Azure Dragon clan could have such powerful bodies after assuming Dragonform!
“This person’s power is great.” The bald man sighed. “He was able to defeat a Seven Star Fiend without even using his innate divine ability. If he had used his innate divine ability, he would have easily won.”
“Right.” The handsome man nodded. “His body is so powerful, which means that his lineage must be very pure. If his lineage is very pure, then his innate divine ability must be formidable as well.” The handsome youth knew full well how powerful his clan’s innate divine ability was.”
“But, I’ve never seen this person before.” The bald man looked at the other man. “Have you?”
The handsome man frowned. “This transformation...I haven’t seen it either.”
“It might be an expert who is in seclusion outside the clan.” The handsome man said.
“Hmph. The clan is in a state of crisis, but this person still doesn’t return.” The bald man was clearly very unhappy. “He might be powerful, but if he doesn’t return, what good is he?”
“Knock!” “Knock!”
The sound of the door being knocked.
“Enter.” The bald man said calmly.
The bald, black-robed man pushed open the door to the private room, then said respectfully, “Elders, the twenty eight participants of the Ancestral Baptism are here.”
“Oh. Let’s go. Let’s activate the Dragonize Pool.” The handsome man said, and then he headed out alongside the bald man.
The two were members of the elders of the Azure Dragon clan.
Linley’s group of twenty eight followed behind the two elders and the four black-robed men, walking through a narrow corridor. Up in front, the two elders chatted and laughed with each other. “Garvey [Jia’wei], it’s quite a rare occasion for us to have a God participate in the Ancestral Baptism.”
“It is quite interesting.” The handsome man nodded.
“He became a God without undergoing the Ancestral Baptism. Not bad.” The handsome man turned to glance at Linley, but unfortunately...during that great battle above Miluo Island, Linley had been in Dragonform the entire time.
Currently, Linley was in human form, so the two elders naturally couldn’t recognize him as being the main character of the scryer recording they had just seen, that so called ‘reclusive expert’ who was living outside the clan.
At the end of the walkway was a very wide palace hall.
In the center of the palace hall, there was a large round pool that was two hundred meter in diameter. The waters of the pool emitted a very peculiar odor, and next to the pool, there was a black-robed figure that was tossing in a large amount of herbs into it.
“Bubble, bubble...” The waters of the pool continuously frothed.
“This is the Dragonize Pool.” The bald man said in a clear voice. “Wait a while. Go in only after I tell you to.”
As he spoke, the bald man, with a flip of his hand, retrieved a fist-sized gemstone. This fist-sized gemstone sparkled with a dazzling azure light, and the bald man tossed it directly into the Dragonize Pool.
“Plonk!” The gemstone fell into the waters of the pool.
The strange thing was...
The Dragonize Pool immediately glowed with a dazzling azure light that was quite piercing to the eye. And then, the waters of the entire Dragonize Pool began to wildly bubble, with blasts of water constantly appearing and a large amount of azure energy forming waves that circulated on the surface, as though tiny azure dragons were swirling about.
“Enough. You can all go in now.” The bald man said casually.
“You keep an eye on them for me.” The bald man turned to look at the bald, black-robed man. “After the Ancestral Baptism is complete, retrieve the Dragonize Jewel and give it to us.”
“Yes, Elder.” The bald, black-robed man bowed as he replied.
“Let’s go.” The bald man and the handsome man laughed, then departed. The Ancestral Baptism would take a fairly long period of time. The two elders wouldn’t just wait there like fools.
The bald, black-robed man immediately stared coldly at the group of twenty eight. “All of you, go in.”
“Dragonize Pool?” Linley stared at the azure energy swirling about in front of him, at that Dragonize Pool that was emitting that dazzling azure light. He immediately dove directly into the Dragonize Pool, moving so fast he was like a ray of light. As for the other twenty seven, they too charged forward en masse and entered the Dragonize Pool.”
The twenty eight all landed within the Dragonize Pool.
“Roaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!” The entire Dragonize Pool emitted a strange, draconic roar, a roar which shook the soul. At the same time, the dazzling azure light which the Dragonize Pool had been shooting out in every direction began to dim, and the large amounts of azure energy swirling on the surface of the pool, with a whoosh, flooded towards those twenty eight people.