Gods of Yulan: Book 4 of the Coiling Dragon Saga

by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi

  Dragonblood Castle.

  Linley, Cena, and Ankh landed in the gate to Dragonblood Castle. Right now, there were quite a few people in the main hall. Everyone was chatting in soft voices. Dixie, Fain, and the others all felt extremely miserable… but the person with the most terrible look on his face was Olivier.

  Olivier had learned from Fain that his little brother, Blumer, had died!

  His little brother!

  Their parents had died early on. He, Olivier, had personally brought up his little brother. His one and only family member! When Blumer entered the War God’s College, Olivier finally stopped worrying and began wholeheartedly devoting himself to his training. Who would have imagined… that such terrible news would come today!

  Blumer was to Olivier what Wharton was to Linley!

  His little brother had died. How could he not be furious?

  “Linley, what’s the situation?” Delia immediately went to welcome them. Upon seeing Linley, Cena, and Ankh, everyone all went to welcome them as well.

  Linley’s face was terrible to behold. He just shook his head.

  “Cena, what happened?” Wharton’s face was filled with worry, and he immediately shouted the question.

  “Bang!”

  Cena immediately knelt down in front of Wharton, sobbing, “Father, everyone in the imperial palace, aside from myself and Uncle Ankh, are all dead. My wives died. Even little Kass died! They all died!” Cena deeply loved his son.

  His only son!

  “Little Kass died as well?” Wharton seemed to have been struck by a bolt of lightning. His face turned ashen. Nina, by Wharton’s side, also couldn’t believe it.

  The youngest generation of the Baruch clan was just composed of Arnold and Kass, those two kids. Both Linley and Wharton deeply adored these little treasures. Arnold usually was with his father, Taylor, in Dragonblood Castle. As for Kass, he normally lived with his father and mother in the imperial palace.

  “Big bro, we must get revenge.” Wharton looked at Linley.

  But Linley was silent.

  “Father, Uncle.” Cena was slowly beginning to recover from the grips of his rage and hate, returning to his normal clarity of thought. “The enemy who suddenly appeared… there were nearly a hundred of them flying in the air. The leader, ‘Ojwin’, is astonishingly powerful. We don’t have a good chance right now. For now, we must endure.”

  Endure!

  Linley couldn’t help but glance at Cena. After getting a vague sense of Ojwin’s power, Linley had no longer dared to easily engage in a battle against him.

  After all…

  Who knew how powerful these experts who fled from the Gebados Planar Prison were? It wouldn’t be so bad if they were Demigods, but if they were Gods… given his current level of power, if he went to fight, it would most likely be nothing more than certain death. He had already lost a child. But the living still had other family members!

  Looking at Delia by his side, Linley then looked towards his own son, Taylor, as well as the distant family of Hillman, the children of the five Barker brothers, and more… in the entire main hall, there were many people present. All of them were Linley’s family and friends.

  “I can’t take any risks,” Linley said to himself.

  Fain, seated nearby, rose to his feet as well. He said seriously, “Too many experts suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Nearly a thousand people attacked our War God Mountain. But only one of them truly attacked; with a flip of his hand, he turned War God Mountain into rubble and ash! The difference in power between us is simply too great! Linley, you have to be cautious.”

  “Linley.” Olivier looked at Linley as well. “Endure!”

  Linley nodded slightly.

  Right now, Olivier was enduring as well. He wanted to get revenge for Blumer. Perhaps to the others, Blumer wasn’t much, but to Olivier, Blumer was his only family in the world. But from Fain’s description, Olivier understood…

  He wasn’t able to get revenge. At least, he currently wasn’t.

  “In the coming days, everyone needs to stay in Dragonblood Castle. You are not to go out of it.” Linley looked at everyone as he gave his orders. “In another few months, when the War God and the others return, we will discuss things in detail.”

  They had no other options. They had to endure.

  Thousands of experts had fled from the Gebados Planar Prison, and only a small part of the thousands of experts had headed to the Arctic Icecap and left the Yulan Plane for the Four Higher Planes and the Seven Divine Planes. Many of the others had taken up residence in the Yulan continent.

  The homeland of virtually all of the experts in the Gebados Planar Prison was the Yulan Plane.

  Of course, long ago in the distant past of the Yulan Plane, there were Elemental lifeforms, Beastmen, etc… after all, only in relatively ‘recent’ days did the Yulan Plane become as it currently was. Now that these many experts had finally returned to their homeland, all of them had their own choices to make.

  The weaker parties would perhaps take over a small area and become a local lord.

  The powerful ones would directly annihilate the pre-existing imperial clans, and with their power backing them up, directly take over an empire.

  To the experts who had fled from the Gebados Planar Prison, the original ‘experts’ of the Yulan continent were nothing. They couldn’t fight back at all. The difference in power was simply too vast. Even the most powerful people on their side, Linley and Olivier, were forced to choose to endure, much less ordinary Saints.

  The Eighteen Northern Duchies.

  Dozens of experts were flying in the air above the Eighteen Northern Duchies. The leader of the group was a pair of twin brothers. Although they were twins, there were some slight differences; one of them had slightly darker skin, while the other had slightly lighter skin.

  “Big brother, the Yulan Empire and the Baruch Empire have already been taken. Even someone as mighty as Lord Adkins was only able to take over that empire known as O’Brien. It seems we two brothers will have to find another place to roost. This ‘Eighteen Northern Duchies’ area is a bit far off, but at least it’ll be a place for us two brothers to settle down,” the youngster with the whiter skin said.

  His big brother nodded. “Let’s learn from Lord Adkins. First we’ll destroy that Frost Goddess Shrine. Afterwards, won’t all these duchies obey us meekly?”

  “If they don’t, we’ll kill them,” the younger brother said.

  The two brothers exchanged glances, then burst out in laughter.

  “The Eighteen Northern Duchies is our territory!” A violet-gold shadow suddenly flew over, transforming into a Violet-Gold Rat King. “And you even want to destroy the Frost Goddess Shrine to frighten others?” This Violet-Gold Rat King stared at the group of experts with its beady little black eyes.

  The two brothers were startled. The group of experts behind them all began to laugh.

  A Saint-level magical beast had come to block them?

  “How amusing. Die,” the older brother said with a disdainful laugh. With a sweep of his arm…

  “BOOM!”

  In the air above those dozens of experts, a seemingly illusory giant black palm suddenly appeared. This enormous black palm covered the entire area, and those dozens of experts weren’t able to move at all. Those dozens of experts raised their head, staring in terror at that enormous black palm.

  But that enormous black palm continued to descend upon them with no mercy.

  “BOOM!” It was like striking tofu.

  The dozens of experts, including those two brothers that had reached the Demigod-level, were smashed into mincemeat without being able to resist at all.

  “Saints and Deities who have chosen to remain in the Yulan continent, all of you, listen closely. If anyone causes trouble or commits slaughter in the area of the Eighteen Northern Duchies or the Forest of Darkness, I will definitely shatter their souls and disperse their spirits! Hmph. All of you had better know what’s best
for you.”

  An icy divine sense message instantly spread across the entire Yulan continent and echoed in the minds of all the Saints and Deities.

  Many Deities who had been in the grips of wild exultation suddenly lost their smiles.

  The gazes of virtually all the experts of the Yulan continent turned towards the direction of the Eighteen Northern Duchies.

  83

  Sound

  O’Brien Empire. The imperial palace.

  That handsome young man, Adkins, who had been seated in a resting room, chatting and laughing, suddenly stopped smiling. He stared coldly towards the north, letting out an icy snort. “This Beirut really does have the power of a Highgod. However, he’s a bit too ferocious.”

  “Lord Adkins.” That silver-haired old man behind him said respectfully, “This Beirut acts ferociously, but he has the ability to back it up.”

  “He just relies on the Sovereign behind him to back him up.” Adkins’ slender eyebrows narrowed. His eyes were as sharp as dagger.

  But Adkins knew very well that although Highgods had completely mastered their Law, in front of a Sovereign… a single thought from the Sovereign could kill the Highgod. Sovereigns were far above them, inviolable presences that could only be gazed upon in awe.

  “If… if I could…” Adkins’ had a desire in his heart.

  In the Gebados Planar Prison, he too had heard of what the Necropolis of the Gods contained. Even someone as powerful as him, who had the exalted position of Highgod, was filled with desire towards the treasure hidden on the eighteenth floor of the Necropolis of the Gods. But Adkins knew…

  The Necropolis of the Gods was a game designed by a Sovereign.

  If he wanted to enter the Necropolis of the Gods, he had to obey the rules that the Sovereign had set. To disobey the rules… was to disobey the will of the Sovereign. To disobey the will of the Sovereign… the results of that didn’t need to be questioned.

  “Barnas, have you finished the investigation?” Adkins asked coldly.

  The silver-haired old man behind him said respectfully, “Lord Adkins, your subordinate has already completed the investigation. Those Deities O’Brien and Catherine went to the Necropolis of the Gods nine years ago. In two more months, the ten years will be up, and they should return.”

  “Good.”

  Adkins revealed a rare hint of a smile on his face. “I will endure for two more months.”

  “No one is permitted to compete against me!” Adkins murmured to himself, then he grabbed that cup of wine and gulped it all down!

  Dragonblood Castle.

  Linley had already informed Desri and Olivier of the existence of the pocket dimension training room. At this point in time, Linley hoped that Desri and Olivier would also be able to rapidly improve. Olivier, Desri, and Linley’s original body were all there training.

  As for Delia, she was in her normal room.

  After all, it didn’t make much of a difference if she was fusing a divine spark in the pocket dimension or in an ordinary place. Linley’s original body was in the pocket dimension, whole-heartedly focusing on training in the Profound Truths of the Earth. As for the divine wind clone, it was in Dragonblood Castle, quietly meditating on the Profound Truths of Velocity as well as Bloodviolet.

  In the western gardens of Dragonblood Castle, there were a few dwarf trees. It was a very quiet place.

  Dressed in a light green robe, Linley was completely absorbed in meditating on the Profound Truths of the Wind and Bloodviolet.

  “According to what Muba said, divine artifacts are divided into three levels. The high-level divine artifacts can be described as Highgod artifacts. Above those are Sovereign artifacts. My Bloodviolet… should be a Highgod artifact.” Linley was using his spiritual energy to nurture Bloodviolet. He was able to sense Bloodviolet’s spirit.

  By now, Linley had seen many divine artifacts.

  But none of those divine artifacts could come close to being comparable to Bloodviolet.

  “A Deity’s power is partially based on his understanding of the Laws and their applications. The other part is how well he utilizes his divine artifacts. Although I am a Demigod, if I am able to bring forth all of the power of Bloodviolet…” Linley thought back to the attack he had developed, the ‘Hymn of the Wind’.

  The Hymn of the Wind combined a spiritual attack, Bloodviolet’s special properties, and the Profound Truths of Wind.

  There was no need to spend much time describing its power; for him to be able to kill Beaumont with a single sword was something that Linley felt very satisfied about.

  “This Hymn of the Wind, it seems…” Linley was frowning.

  In Linley’s mind, he was constantly visualizing the usage of the Hymn of the Wind. His spiritual energy and Bloodviolet, mated together along with the Profound Truths of Velocity…

  Although Linley was capable of utilizing the Hymn of the Wind, in truth, he didn’t fully understand the principles behind it.

  “Originally, Delia had said that Bloodviolet’s sound alone was causing her soul to shake and her entire body to feel weak. Even that Beaumont… when I utilized ‘Hymn of the Wind’, Beaumont was unable to control his spiritual energy to block it.

  Linley had discovered… the power of sound!

  “Sound!”

  Linley remembered that Snowy Panda-Cat he had met in the Necropolis of the Gods. That Snowy Panda-Cat had been wielding a flute while threatening him.

  “Sound can influence, mystify, and attack the soul!” Linley came to this conclusion. “As for my Elemental Laws of the Wind, they seem to contain the Profound Mysteries of Sound.”

  Linley didn’t actually understand the Profound Mysteries of Sound.

  When he had originally developed the ‘Hymn of the Wind’, it was because Bloodviolet contained this sort of aspect to it already. Linley just utilized the Profound Truths of the Wind to slightly activate the sword song of Bloodviolet, resulting in that special effect. But now, Linley wanted to focus on researching the Profound Mysteries of Sound.

  “Rumble…”

  Linley’s divine power filled Bloodviolet, and Bloodviolet began to tremble, emitting that humming sword song.

  “Where’s Lord Linley? Inside?” Gates walked into the west garden of Dragonblood Castle.

  The serving maid said with a laugh, “Lord Gates, Lord Linley said that he needs to focus on his training. No matter who it is, without his permission, nobody is to be permitted to enter the west garden. Right now, the only person in the west garden is Lord Linley himself.”

  “No person is permitted to enter?” Gates was somewhat surprised.

  So what if someone went in while he was training?

  However, how could they know that Linley was currently researching the Profound Mysteries of Sound, of the Elemental Laws of the Wind? The sound attacks he created wouldn’t harm himself, of course, but if someone else entered, it would easily harm them. As for Linley, he wasn’t slowly researching this Profound Mysteries of Sound in a prescribed order.

  He was only starting off from what he knew of Bloodviolet as his base to heighten the power of Bloodviolet.

  If one wanted to advance in a short period of time, one had to focus on the weapon.

  “Everyone is meditating and training. The atmosphere of Dragonblood Castle has changed.” Gates turned and left. During this period of time, Linley, Desri, and Olivier, the three Deities, were all training nonstop, hoping to raise their power yet again.

  As for Barker, Zassler, Delia, and Haeru, they were all fusing their divine sparks.

  But who would have imagined that Linley continued training in the west garden without stopping. Over the course of an entire month, Linley didn’t leave the west garden a single time. As for the other people of Dragonblood Castle, they didn’t dare to disobey Linley’s orders. They had to wait.

  Wharton, Gates, Ankh, Boone, and the others were walking side by side as they left the training grounds.

  “That simple, single sw
ord attack of Olivier’s released a group of experts. This really is a huge headache,” Gates said.

  Wharton nodded as well.

  Olivier’s single sword blow had utterly turned the Yulan continent on its head.

  “When the War God and the High Priest come back, they will most likely be stupefied.” Gates smirked.

  “You know, that’s so true. Both their empires are gone.” Hazer laughed as well.

  “When they are back, they’ll need to have a conference with my big brother on how to deal with this disaster,” Wharton said with some anticipation.

  The more people they had, the easier to accomplish some things. Although the War God and the High Priest were also Demigods, they had reached that level a long time ago. In addition, Dylin was himself a divine beast. If their group of Demigods joined forces, they could still manage to find some stable footing.

  “All we can do is wait. In another month, the War God and the others will be back,” Wharton said.

  “I hope the War God and the others were able to make breakthroughs in the Necropolis of the Gods,” Ankh said seriously. “If they didn’t break through, even if the War God and the others return, it’ll be hard to say if they will be able to defeat that Ojwin.”

  The group suddenly paused in their chatting.

  In front of them was a middle-aged man, dressed in simple long robes. A hint of a smile was on this man’s face.

  “Who are you?” Ankh shouted the question.

  “Muba?” Wharton frowned. Last time, when Muba had come, Wharton had seen him.

  “He’s that Deity, Muba?” Ankh and the others were a bit surprised as well. That day, when Muba had arrived, Ankh and the others hadn’t seen them. Afterwards, when they had heard of Muba, all they knew was that Muba was a Deity-level expert.”

  “Wharton.” Muba’s face still had that faint smile on it. “I’m here to see Linley.”

  “My big bro is currently training. Only…” Wharton shook his head. “My big bro gave the order that without his permission, nobody is permitted to go in and disturb him. You came at an unfortunate time.”