Book 18, Highgod – Chapter 19, Warning – Snakes and Trees!
Everyone in the restaurant had fallen silent. The technique displayed by the red-haired woman had stunned them all. The dancing fishing line had seemed to take control of the surrounding space, forming countless vortexes that transformed into a spatial fishnet. This was simply too bizarre!
“So powerful!” The Highgods in the restaurant all understood why it was proclaimed...that nobody was permitted to fight within this inn.
“Hmph!” The violet-haired youth let out an angry snort. His entire body flashed with explosive electric light, while he himself transformed into a bolt of lightning, seeking to escape from this fishnet. But the fishing line which bound him flashed with green light, completely surrounding and sealing off this violet-haired youth’s movements. No matter how he struggled, he wasn’t able to escape!”
“Causing trouble in MY inn? You really are audacious.” The red-haired beauty said with a cold snort. “There’s no need for you to pay me for the things you broke, but you’ll have to serve as my fishbait.”
As she spoke, the red-haired woman lifted up the fishing pole, with the violet-haired youth trundled up at the other end of the fishing line. And, just like that, the red-haired woman walked out of the inn, towards that grassy area. Once she arrived by the side of the pool, with a flick of the pole and a ‘plonk’ sound, the violet-haired youth was sent flying into the water of the pool.
“He really is being used as fishbait.” Bebe said in surprise. “Boss, that woman...hey, Boss!”
At this moment, Linley was currently processing the astonishing scene he had just seen. The waves formed by the fishing line, which had twisted into countless swirling vortexes in a never-ending stream. Linley had trained for so many years in the Elemental Laws of Water. He had reached the bottleneck in the sixth Profound Mystery, ‘Circular Softness’, and had been unable to break through.
The Profound Mystery of Circular Softness was one of the easier profound mysteries of the Elemental Laws of Water to begin training in, but it was hard to master.
Water...was extremely soft!
Something as soft and gentle as a fishing line was capable of causing space itself to move like a wave of water, forming countless spatial lines that entangled a person like a spatial fishing net, trundling them up. This sort of technique required a person to have reached a terrifying level of power in the Elemental Laws of Water. And when Linley saw this, he suddenly understood something.
He suddenly gained an insight!
“Rumble...”
A surge of natural Law ripples descended into the hotel, and a large amount of water-type elemental essence gathered in the air above Linley, forming into a watery fog. A terrifying presence descended. This awe-inspiring presence was lofty and noble. Faced with this presence, everyone would choose to submit to it.
Within Linley’s body. Suddenly, Linley’s divine water clone flew out...that ‘green-haired Linley’.
“Boss, you made a breakthrough?” Bebe was delighted.
By the pool outside the hotel, the red-haired beauty who was currently using a person as fishing bait frowned, turning to glance towards the restaurant in surprise. “Hey? After seeing that technique of mine, he was able to make a breakthrough? This person’s comprehension abilities is quite astonishing.” At the same time, the red-haired woman gave the fishing pole a flick, causing the ‘fishbait’ to be whisked out and tossed to one side.
The violet-haired youth rolled on the ground, then immediately stood up.
“Enough. I’m not in the mood to punish you!” The red-haired beauty said coldly. “Remember. You had best not cause trouble in my inn. This time, I’ll spare you, but if there is a second time...I will just kill you!”
The black-robed, violet-haired youth looked at her silently, then walked to a nearby area, closed his eyes, then sat down and began to meditate.
As for the red-haired woman, she put down the fishing pole, standing up and heading towards the inn.
Within the inn, the waiters were currently cleaning up. Quite a few Highgods in the restaurant were chatting amongst themselves, discussing either the red-haired woman, Linley, or the violet-haired youth.
“It seems we have no chance this time. Even if we are lucky and the Abyssal Fruit appears, we won’t be able to overcome them.”
“Those two from the Infernal Realm are truly strong.”
“Let’s not give up. The insides of the Abyssal Mountain are shrouded in fog, and everyone will be spread around searching. Just because a person is strong doesn’t mean that this person will acquire the Abyssal Fruit! Perhaps we will be lucky and be the ones to acquire it instead.”
Those people, after seeing how strong Linley and the violet-haired youth were, knew they wouldn’t be able to out-fight them. They still didn’t wish to give up, however. In searching for the Abyssal Fruit, strength was one part of it, but luck was very important as well. In countless years, only three Abyssal Fruit had ever emerged. Although their chances of acquiring it was low, they still wanted to give it a try.
If they didn’t even try, they would remain ordinary Highgods in the vast Netherworld.
But if they gave it a try, perhaps they might suddenly gain in power and become Sovereign’s Emissaries, and stand at the peak of the Netherworld.
“Boss, congratulations.” Bebe happily raised his goblet while setting up his Godrealm, preventing others from hearing their conversation.
“It seems my luck is excellent.” Linley was all smiles. “My divine water clone actually reached the Highgod level at a time like this. It seems as though our visit to the Abyssal Mountain tonight will be a successful one!”
“Right, it definitely will be a successful one!” Bebe said as well.
To enter the Abyssal Mountain and to see the Sovereign! This was indeed too difficult. Even the likes of Linley and Bebe felt worried.
“Eh?” Linley turned to look.
He saw the red-haired beauty walk towards his table, then pull out a chair and sit down at their table. The red-haired woman pulled out a goblet, pouring herself a glass with Linley’s wine. Not saying a single word, she drained it.
Linley and Bebe couldn’t help but look at the red-haired woman, puzzled.
“Kid.” The red-haired woman looked at Linley, her lips curving upwards. “You just became a Highgod in water. Shouldn’t you thank me?”
“Right.” Linley laughed, raising his own winecup. “I do indeed need to thank you. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before I made a breakthrough?”
“Boss, what does this woman intend?” Bebe sent mentally, puzzled. Linley was puzzled as well, and he sent back, “Bebe, I also have the feeling that this woman is very weird. An expert who seems to be at the level of power of an Asura of the Infernal Realm is actually here running an inn? This really is unfathomable.”
The red-haired woman drained a few more cups of wine, tilting her head back.
“The two of you are here for Abyssal Fruit as well?” The red-haired woman laughed calmly. “From the power you revealed, you two are at least at the Seven Star Fiend level of power, or perhaps even stronger. It seems to me as though the two of you don’t need this sort of lucky break or the Abyssal Fruit, right? The power you already wield is already enough to allow you to become heroic, renowned figures in either the Netherworld or the Infernal Realm.
“Nobody ever complains about being too strong.” Linley laughed calmly.
Linley didn’t wish to let others know that he wanted to meet a Sovereign.
“Oh, that’s true.” The red-haired woman nodded. “But let me give you some advice. It’s best if you don’t enter the Abyssal Mountain.”
“Why is that? Because it is dangerous inside?” Linley asked.
The red-haired woman laughed gently. “It is indeed dangerous! Only three Abyssal Fruit has ever appeared in the Netherworld. Countless billions of years will pass between each fruit. These people who have come in search for it...” The red-haired woman glanced sideways at the others. “These are all people whose lives in the Netherworld are not to their satisfaction, and so they have come to try their luck. But trying one’s luck comes with a cost! Even someone as strong as you two, in the Abyssal Mountain, might lose your lives if you aren’t careful!”
Linley couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
“The power you wield is more than enough to allow you to roam about and dominate the Netherworld. Why risk your lives for a single Abyssal Fruit that only appears once in countless years?” The red-haired youth said.
Linley nodded.
Although ordinary Highgods, Five Star Fiends, and Six Star Fiends were powerful, it was impossible for them to stand at par with the peak experts of the Netherworld. These people would thus risk their lives and hope that their destinies would be changed by it. But for experts who were nearly at the Asura level, it wasn’t worth it. Their lives were precious!
“We are willing to go risk it.” Bebe just laughed. “I’m very curious as to what is so dangerous about this Abyssal Mountain.”
“I’m just giving you some advice. It’s none of my business whether or not you go in and whether or not you die.” The red-haired woman laughed calmly. “Only, far, far too many people have gone into the Abyssal Mountain without being able to come out!”
“Can you tell me what is so dangerous about the Abyssal Mountain?” Linley asked.
Since this young woman owned and operated an inn next to it, and seemed to be connected to the three castle lords of Greenleaf Castle, and perhaps was one of them...she definitely knew things about the situation in the Abyssal Mountain.
“Why should I tell you?” The red-haired woman asked.
Linley and Bebe were stunned.
The red-haired woman giggled as she stood up. “The higher up you go in traversing the tri-colored fogs of the Abyssal Mountain, the more dangerous it is! Remember. Beware the snakes, and the trees!” After speaking, the red-haired woman turned and left, leaving behind Linley and Bebe, both of whom were befuddled.
Linley had been prepared for the higher parts of the Abyssal Mountain to be dangerous.
But...
“Snakes? Trees?” Bebe muttered. “Of course there’s going to be trees in mountain forests. Can it be that we need to beware every single tree? Then how are we supposed to go up the mountain?”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just remember to be wary regarding ‘snakes’ and ‘trees’. Still, we can’t be incautious about other things either.” Linley said after reflecting. “That woman might know many things about the Abyssal Mountain, but she doesn’t necessarily know everything about all the dangers of the Abyssal Mountain.”
The night of the full moon. An eerie red moon, as round as a plate, hung there in the skies. Under the light of the moon, the Abyssal Mountain, always crackling with faint electric light, seemed to have a red aura emanating from it as well.
The northern base of the Abyssal Mountain.
The vast, endless chains of lightning fell down from the peak of the mountain like waterfalls. At the northern base of the mountain, there was an enormous gate that was ten meters long, and the gate was covered in carved runes as well. Large amounts of electricity crackled and flowed around the mountain gate, but the gate itself didn’t have any electricity present.
Tens of figures were at the gate.
“This is the only entrance.” Bebe murmured. “I really want to enter from other areas and see how powerful that lightning is, exactly.”
“It’s always best to be careful.” Linley raised his head as well.
The entire mountain was covered in the tri-colored fog, but the density of the fog was now a bit lower.
“My four brothers!” Next to them, five Highgods were gathered together, one of whom had a very solemn look on his face. “For many years, we’ve lived a dazed, blurred life...let’s go in and give it our best shot. At worst, we might just fail and die! But if we succeed...the brother who succeeds has to help the others take care of their matters.”
“Don’t worry, Elder Brother.”
Those people all had steely, resolved looks in their eyes. They stepped forward, passing through the gate and entering the Abyssal Mountain.
“They are just throwing their lives away!” An effeminate, soft voice rang out.
The speaker was the silver-haired, effeminate man. “They think they are worthy of acquiring the Abyssal Fruit?” The silver-haired man entered the Abyssal Mountain as well. The other Highgods were speaking to each other as well, and they all entered the Abyssal Mountain. Those who dared to enter it...had already decided to risk their lives for it.
“Abyssal Fruit?” The black-robed, violet-haired youth entered as well.
“Boom!” Linley instantly Dragonformed. Azure-golden draconic scales covered his entire body, and savage spikes appeared on his back, forehead, and other areas. With a flip of his hand, a nearly translucent longsword appeared as well. “Let’s go, Bebe.” Linley and Bebe entered the Abyssal Mountain.
Linley’s sudden Dragonforming badly startled the others.
“So this person was concealing his strength!” Those people felt their hearts quail.
“That sword seems to be a treasure as well.”
Although the other Highgods were stunned, they still passed through the gate.
Moments later, only two people were left outside the gate; the red-haired beauty and the green-robed woman.
“Boss, those two from the Infernal Realm really are powerful.” The green-robed woman said.
The red-haired beauty had a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. “If my guess is correct, that weapon from the Azure Dragon clansman should be a godspark weapon made by Beirut! It really is extremely rare to see such a large godspark weapon. The relationship between this youth and Beirut is definitely quite special. As for that youngster, he was able to grab the sword of a Seven Star Fiend with his bare hands without suffering any wounds at all, but his body doesn’t have any Sovereign artifact’s aura...as I see it, he most likely is that legendary successor to Beirut, the second Godeater Rat.”
“Oh. Let’s go back.” The red-haired woman turned and left.
“Boss, how many of them do you think will make it out alive?” The green-robed woman asked.
“Based on past precedence...the strength of this group isn’t bad. Several of them should be able to return. But if they get too greedy and attempt to go to the peak of the Abyssal Mountain? Quite possibly, not a single one of them!” The red-haired beauty said calmly. “Don’t worry about them. The Netherworld is filled with people. So what if a group of people die?”
The green-haired woman followed the red-haired woman, heading back to the hotel.