Book 19, Metamorphosis – Chapter 40, Will
“You really are a Paragon!” Linley, despite being mentally prepared, couldn’t help but suck in a breath.
What did it mean for someone to be a Paragon? It meant that one had completely, thoroughly mastered one of the Laws. The number of people who were able to become Paragons was even fewer than the number who were able to become Sovereigns. From this, one could tell that without exception, every single person who reached this level was a glorious figure who possessed astonishing innate abilities, comprehension, luck, and who was hard-working!
One couldn’t be lacking in any of these aspects. Only in perfection could a Paragon be born.
Bebe’s eyes turned round. He stared at Bluefire for a long time, unable to say anything.
“What’s with those looks on your faces? There’s no need to be like this.” Bluefire said with a laugh.
“What do you mean, no need to be like this? Paragon!!!” Bebe called out in shock. “Mr. Leylin, including you, the planes of the universe only have, all combined, less than thirty Paragons! The material planes are numerous beyond count, but in the course of countless years, how many Paragons have been birthed from them? Most likely, our Yulan Plane only has you!”
Bluefire began to laugh. Although his heart was as calm as water, when he thought of these things, he couldn’t help but feel slightly proud as well.
Upon reaching the level of Paragon, it was true that a person could be proud for the rest of his life.
“Mr. Leylin, admirable, truly, admirable.” Linley felt a surge of heat in his heart as well. How long would it be before he would reach the same level?
Bluefire couldn’t help but laugh, while Bebe suddenly said, “Boss, didn’t Grandpa say that once you reach Mr. Leylin’s level, you can go to the Necropolis of the Gods? Uh...he’s a Paragon, Boss. When will you become a Paragon? Doesn’t that mean that entering the Necropolis of the Gods is something for the distant future?”
“That’s what Beirut said?” Bluefire was startled.
“Right. He did say that.” Linley said, resigned.
Previously, Linley still had some hope, but now that he knew Bluefire was a Paragon...“Can it be that I am going to have to reach the Paragon level before entering the Necropolis of the Gods? How long will that take?” Linley knew his own limits. The further along one went in fusion, the more time it took. Linley even suspected that even if he spent countless years, he still might not be able to become a Paragon.
After all, there were many people who initially trained very quickly, but upon reaching a certain level, could no longer rise. They had reached their limit.
“Haha...” Bluefire shook his head and laughed. “When I entered the Necropolis of the Gods, I had only fused five profound mysteries. I imagine what Beirut meant was that when you, Linley, are at the level I was back then, with five mysteries fused, you’ll be allowed to enter! There’s no way he is requiring that you be a Paragon. That’s too stringent.”
Linley, hearing this, couldn’t help but nod. Right. When Bluefire had entered, he hadn’t become a Paragon yet.
Bebe mumbled, “Even fusing five profound mysteries will take very, very long. The farther along one goes, the harder it is.”
“What’s the rush?” Linley said with a calm laugh. “Bebe, given my current power, I already am able to stay alive against other commanders. Once this Planar War concludes, we will return to the Infernal Realm! When we no longer have any important business to attend to, we can slowly spend a few billion years in training.”
Bluefire smiled and said approvingly, “Not bad. You aren’t arrogant and you aren’t impetuous. Only then can you allow things to reach their natural conclusion. The more impatient you are, the harder success will be.”
“There’s no need to over-think matters regarding the Necropolis of the Gods.” Linley said with a laugh.
Right now, Linley didn’t really have any burdens; after having spent all these years in the Planar Battlefield, he had acquired three badges, and lacked only one more. Given that his power had increased greatly, Linley was confident that if he and Bebe joined forces, it wouldn’t be hard for them to acquire one more. After accomplishing this matter, he would truly be relieved, and would be able to calmly continue his pursuit of perfection.
“Mr. Leylin.” Linley looked at Bluefire and said solemnly, “I have a question in my heart.”
“Speak.” Bluefire sipped some wine and said with a calm laugh.
“I am very confused regarding Highgod Paragons.” Linley said with a frown. “There are quite a few commanders who are exceptionally, innately talented, such as Reisgem or Reihom. They were born with tremendous power. In addition, they have fused five of the profound mysteries of their Laws! Logically speaking, given how powerful their bodies are and the fact that they have fused five profound mysteries, I feel that they should be on par with Highgod Paragons. But previously, when they fought Bayer, I discovered...the difference was tremendous. They were toyed with.”
“Right. That Bayer was too powerful. He was easily able to compress space. That restrictive power was too terrifying.” Bebe said hurriedly.
“In addition, soul attacks. Wind is suited for material attacks, and not for soul attacks. Although it has ‘Music’ and ‘Sound Waves’, the power isn’t extraordinary. But why is it that when Bayer executed a soul attack, I fell into a dazed state without being able to resist at all?” Linley didn’t understand at all.
Even Paragons had differences amongst themselves.
Wind-element Paragons were extremely strong in material attacks. Water-element Paragons had exceptional material defenses. Previously, Hemmers said that a water-element Highgod Paragon was slightly weaker than him in a frontal clash.
But Bayer was a Highgod Paragon of wind. Why was it that his soul attack was so terrifying?
Linley truly didn’t understand!
“Haha...” Bluefire began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Bebe muttered. “Paragons truly are monstrously powerful. It seems as though they are mighty in every aspect.” Different Highgod Paragons of different elements would have different specialties, but although they might be weaker in one aspect, they still far surpassed commanders in might.
For example, although that Highgod Paragon of water was weaker in material attacks, he was still close to being on par with Hemmers.
“Highgod Paragons have no weaknesses.” Bluefire said with a calm laugh.
Linley and Bebe immediately perked up and began to listen carefully. Naturally, when a Highgod Paragon spoke on this subject, they spoke with authority.
“Highgod Paragons are extremely powerful in every aspect! Different Laws and Edicts only result in Paragons being stronger in certain aspects; for example, I am strongest in soul attacks! Actually, Highgod Paragons are powerful in all aspects...because of a certain secret.” Bluefire said.
“Secret?” Linley and Bebe were stunned.
“Right.” Bluefire sighed in praise. “Linley, I can tell you two this, but...the secret about me being a Paragon, as well as this secret? You can’t tell anyone else.”
“Of course.” Linley and Bebe both nodded.
Bluefire nodded slightly, then said, “That year, when I was fusing the six profound mysteries of the Laws of Fire, I reached a bottleneck! I was only one step away from becoming a Paragon. I was already extremely powerful by that point in time. However, once I took that final step and became a Paragon, do you know...how great the difference in power was?”
Linley shook his head. “I’m not sure. However, breaking through bottlenecks, generally speaking, wouldn’t result in too ridiculous an increase in power.”
“When I took that final step, I felt myself transformed!” Bluefire sighed. “A qualitative transformation. The difference between heaven and earth!”
“Heaven and earth?” Linley and Bebe were startled.
“I trust you know that generally speaking, any Highgod, even a very powerful one, who hasn’t reach the Paragon level, upon annoying a Sovereign, can be destroyed by the Sovereign with a thought. There is one type of Highgod which is an exception; Paragons! A Sovereign’s Will cannot kill a Highgod Paragon!” Bluefire laughed.
Linley nodded slightly. He knew this.
“Why?” Bluefire said with a laugh. “This has to do with the secret of Paragons! Upon becoming a Paragon, in an instant, one is transformed.”
Linley and Bebe listened carefully.
“In that instant of transformation upon becoming a Paragon!” Bluefire seemed to be reminiscing about that feeling he had. “A very unique sort of natural Law surrounded my soul! My soul underwent a sort of qualitative transformation. After the transformation completed, I understood how powerful Paragons were.” Bluefire began to laugh.
A qualitative transformation of the soul? Linley was stunned.
From Demigod to God to Highgod, the soul rose in power each time. But he hadn’t imagined that upon reaching the Paragon level, the soul would rise again.
“This sort of soul transformation caused the natural Laws to bestow upon me a sort of authority which Paragons have!” Bluefire smiled. “An authority which included the Will of the natural Laws of the world! A Paragon’s Will!”
Linley was stunned.
Everyone had a will, but the will of ordinary Highgods was an insubstantial thing, containing no attack power. “The Will of a Paragon...contains the Laws of the world?” Linley couldn’t refrain from asking.
“Right!” Bluefire laughed. “Actually, the increase in power from fusing the profound mysteries, in and of itself, is limited. But even an ordinary attack from us, upon being infused with our Will, will cause the power to rise to a terrifying level! This is a sort of authority! An authority bestowed by the universe itself! And this is what we rely upon to resist the Will of a Sovereign!”
Linley and Bebe began to understand.
They, too, had heard that a Sovereign’s Will was inviolable. Sovereign power wasn’t that special; however, Sovereign power infused with a Sovereign’s Will was terrifyingly, ridiculously powerful. The most terrifying thing about a Sovereign was their Will.
“It is like an Emperor! He doesn’t have to act himself; an order from him can cause countless people to lose their heads. To an ordinary person, an Emperor’s will is inviolable!” Bluefire laughed calmly. “This is a sort of power. The force of his will! The will of ordinary Highgods cannot be used to attack, but for Highgod Paragons, they have this sort of authority, bestowed upon them by the universe itself!”
Linley and Bebe now understood.
Good heavens!
So this was the situation. Will? Amongst the countless Highgods, Highgod Paragons were like ‘Emperors’ who were far above the others. The Will of Highgod Paragons contained the natural Laws, and so even an ordinary attack by a Highgod Paragon contained terrifyingly powerful force!
“No wonder! A casual movement by Bayer caused the four of us to feel such tremendous restrictions.” Bebe sighed in praise. “An empty-handed attack was comparable to a Sovereign weapon attack.”
“What about the Will of a Sovereign?” Bebe said hurriedly. “How much stronger is it than a Paragon’s Will?”
“Much stronger!” Bluefire laughed. “It is the same principle! Sovereigns have a Sovereign spark, and they too have been bestowed by the natural laws of the universe with tremendous authority! This causes their Will to possess even greater power. Sovereigns, from trillions of kilometers away, can use their Will alone to control their Sovereign power to attack us. We Highgod Paragons can just barely hold them off and preserve our lives. However, if a Sovereign was to come in person to attack us, there’s no way we would be able to resist.”
Linley and Bebe now completely understood.
The Will of a Sovereign was bestowed by the natural Laws of the universe with far more authority than the Will of Highgod Paragons.
If they were trillions of kilometers away, a Sovereign wouldn’t be able to kill a Paragon. But if they were close by, the Paragon would still die. But of course...amongst Highgods, Paragons were already invincible figures.
“A Will which possesses tangible power and might.” Linley sighed.
Bluefire stayed with Linley and Bebe for three days. During these three days, the three of them chatted and drank. Linley told him some of the stories about the attacks they had suffered here on the Planar Battlefield, and Bluefire had sighed when listening. Still, after three days, Bluefire still parted from Linley.
After all, Bluefire had come to the Planar Battlefield for a purpose that was different from Linley’s; Bluefire disdained from killing people.
Currently, they were outside the cave. Standing on the desolate earth, Bluefire was bidding Linley and Bebe farewell.
“Haha, Linley, let me wish you luck in acquiring your fourth commander badge, then.” Bluefire said with a calm laugh. “Right. Tell me. Before this, you stayed with Reisgem for a time. Half a month before I met you, I discovered Reisgem and that Reihom you described in a cave.
“Oh?” Linley and Bebe were instantly overjoyed.
“Where are they?” Linley immediately asked. Linley still felt very grateful towards Reisgem.
Bluefire looked around, then pointed towards a direction. “Go straight in that direction. Roughly a hundred and ten thousand kilometers away, you’ll discover a mountain with two peaks, like a ram’s horn. The two of them are staying there at the base of the mountain, in a cave. But of course...I can’t be sure if they are still there.”
“Thank you, Mr. Leylin.” Linley was overjoyed.
Generally speaking, they would stay in one place for many years. As Bluefire had seen them there recently, Reisgem should still be there.
“It seems as though you want to reunite with them as well. Then we’ll each part ways now.” Bluefire laughed.
Linley and Bebe immediately bade Bluefire farewell, then, without returning to their cave, flew towards the direction Bluefire had pointed towards at high speed. Actually, upon hearing the description of a ram’s horn shaped mountain, Linley already had an idea. He had a map of the Planar Battlefield. Naturally he knew where the mountain was located.
Bluefire watched as the two disappeared into the desolate wilderness, then couldn’t help but laugh. He then sighed, “Beirut really spared no expense and no effort! However, now that Linley has fused four profound mysteries, it can be said that Beirut has accomplished his goal. As for the fusion of the fifth profound mystery, that’s quite far off. It seems, for now, there’s nothing more for me to do here! Mm, I’ve never seen a Planar War. I can’t miss the final battle that will happen in three hundred years.” Bluefire gracefully departed.