Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “However, my control is insufficient. I can only control my battle-qi to form a single true attack from the elemental essence. If I were able to control all the other spear-shadows and change them into real attacks, you would be in a great deal of trouble.” McKenzie laughed.

  Linley was beginning to understand.

  The underlying principles of this technique were quite simple. The difficulty lay in the control of elemental essence.

  For example, ‘impose’ was just borrowing on the natural force of the heavens, but this ‘Pseudo-Realm’ was different. It required complete control! Generally speaking, it was impossible for a Saint-level to totally control all the elemental essence in a given area. This was something only a Deity-level expert could perform.

  But Saint-level experts were very intelligent. By blasting out all of their of battle-qi, they allowed their battle-qi to merge with the elemental essence, then used it to control the elemental essence. Although it required them to use a large amount of effort and battle-qi, they were able to just barely create this ‘Pseudo-Realm’.

  But despite that, its control over elemental essence was far inferior to that of the ‘Godrealm’ technique.

  Linley had personally experienced how the King of Killers, Cesar, had used the power of his Godrealm to freeze both Linley as well as the peak-stage Saint-level expert, Stehle, in the blink of an eye, causing them both to be unable to move.

  That sort of control over elemental essence was absolutely terrifying.

  Compared to it, the ‘Pseudo-Realm’ was far weaker.

  “This Pseudo-Realm does have its strong points. Although it consumes a huge amount of battle-qi, as long as one is at a high level of understanding, one can suddenly create ten million attacks out of nowhere. In addition, it also allows one to hide one’s body. It is more powerful than my own ‘Rippling Wind’ technique. The only weakness is that it uses up too much battle-qi, and is very wasteful.”

  But then, Linley quickly shook his head.

  “No. This is simply a clever little technique to mimic the Godrealm ability. Although it is a test of a person’s ability to control elemental essence, it has virtually nothing to do with a person’s actual level of understanding with regards to the Laws.” Linley believed that this was definitely a wrong path of training, not a correct path.

  Earth, fire, wind, water. Each had its own Laws, such as the Laws of the Earth.

  A complete, perfect set of elemental Laws was like a complete, perfectly constructed building. Every single brick in this building was akin to one of the profound mysteries of the Laws. Each Law contained within it countless numbers of profound mysteries.

  Linley had gained insight into one particular mystery, and had developed his vibrational attack technique. This should be considered one of the higher class mysteries of the Laws of the Earth.

  After this battle, both Linley as well as McKenzie were now in absolutely tattered clothes. But of course, only Linley’s pants were torn. The two changed their clothes, then smiling, left the mountain.

  “Squeaaaak!” On Linley’s shoulders, Bebe delightedly squeaked at McKenzie, baring his fangs. It was as though Bebe was mocking McKenzie for losing.

  “You little rascal. Jeeze…” McKenzie laughed involuntarily.

  Linley laughed as well. Per Linley’s instructions, Bebe wasn’t giving any sign that he was at the Saint-level of power. Only when it was absolutely necessary would Linley reveal this trump card of his.

  Under the moonlight, the two Saint-level experts chatted and laughed on the way back to the provincial capital of Basil.

  The next morning, no matter how McKenzie tried to persuade him, Linley was still determined to head off to the imperial capital. Out of options, McKenzie personally sent them off, escorting them for over a hundred kilometers. By nightfall, the group arrived at a harbor at the Yulan river.

  Early on, McKenzie had sent people to arrange a three-story boat for Linley at the harbor.

  “Mr. McKenzie, there’s no need to escort us any further.”

  By now, Linley was on extremely good terms with McKenzie. This McKenzie had escorted them for a hundred kilometers, all the way to the port. How could Linley not be grateful for McKenzie’s kindness and courtesy?

  “Brother Linley, I really hate the fact that I can’t spend a few more months with you. However, you are in a rush to meet with your little brother, so I know it isn’t appropriate for me to insist on you staying either.” McKenzie said seriously. “Brother Linley, have a safe trip.”

  As McKenzie watched, Linley’s group boarded this ship, and then, following the tides of the Yulan river, began to sail south.

  The Yulan river was extremely wide, and the river waters were turgid.

  This ship was much finer than the ship Linley had previously rented. In addition, the skills of its sailors were much higher as well. Although they went down the same general direction with the flow of the river, they were clearly moving much faster than before.

  “This is the Yulan River? It really is huge.” Barker and his brothers were standing at the railing, staring at the roiling river waves, their eyes shining.

  Barker and his brothers came from the Eighteen Northern Duchies. They were used to seeing the land covered in snow and ice, but had never seen such an enormous river.

  Rebecca and Leena were very excited as well, while Jenne chatted with them about the Yulan river.

  Right now, Bebe and Haeru, the two magical beasts, were growling in conversation to each other.

  Linley knew that ever since Bebe had reached the Saint-rank, Haeru had felt all the more ashamed in front of Bebe. After all, Haeru was a peak-stage magical beast of the ninth rank. He was used to being proud and arrogant. But now, he had suffered a severe mental blow due to Bebe.

  “Haeru, come with me.”

  Linley glanced at Haeru, then headed directly to the second floor of the ship. Bebe and Haeru immediately followed after him. Right now, the second floor of the ship was fairly empty.

  “Boss, why’d you have Haeru come over?” Bebe suddenly asked. While outsiders were present, Bebe didn’t dare to speak, but now, with no one else present, Bebe was going to have a good, spoken chat. Bebe actually very much enjoyed speaking in human tongues.

  Haeru’s cold eyes stared questioningly at Linley.

  He didn’t know what his master, Linley, was planning to do.

  “Haeru, in the past, didn’t you and Bebe both want that darkness-type Saint-level magicite core?” Linley laughed.

  Hearing these words, the intelligent Haeru instantly understood what Linley intended to do, and his eyes immediately lit up.

  “Boss, you are giving him the Saint-level magicite core?” Bebe was able to guess it as well.

  “What, are you opposed?” Linley looked at Bebe.

  Bebe happily shook his little head, then looked at Haeru pityingly as he said mockingly, “Of course not. Although Haeru is sometimes a little bit cocky, he’s still a fine fellow. In the future, he’ll be following me, right? I’m a Saint-level magical beast. If my followers are too weak, that’ll be really embarrassing to me.”

  Listening to Bebe’s words, Linley couldn’t control his laughter from coming out.

  “Enough. Haeru, eat this Saint-level magicite core, then go to your room. I won’t let anyone disturb you.” With a flip of his hand, Linley retrieved that darkness-style Saint-level magicite core he had acquired so long ago.

  Thinking back to the affairs of his youth, and that terrifying battle between the Armored Razorback Wyrm and the Saint-level Violet Tattooed Bear, Linley couldn’t help but secretly sigh.

  Time had gone by. The current Linley most likely had the strength to fight head on against the Armored Razorback Wyrm or the Saint-level Violet Tattooed Bear. But back then, all he could do was hide.

  “Bebe, you go to Haeru’s room as well. Help me keep an eye on him. If anything important and out of the ordinary happens when Haeru is trying to break through, immediately infor
m me.” Linley was concerned about any side effects Haeru might have from eating the Saint-level magicite core.

  “Got it, Boss.” Bebe puffed out his chest, saluting.

  Linley tossed the darkness-style Saint-level magicite to Haeru. Haeru opened his jaws, catching it in his mouth as he cast a grateful look at Linley. Given his level of intelligence, Haeru knew exactly how valuable a Saint-level magicite core was. What’s more, it wasn’t a guarantee that he would break through upon eating the Saint-level magicite core. He did have a chance of failure.

  But Linley still had given him the Saint-level magicite core.

  “I hope Haeru won’t disappoint me.” Watching Haeru and Bebe enter Haeru’s room, Linley secretly sighed. And then, he once more returned to the main deck, enjoying the view of the turgid waters of the Yulan river.

  The ship continued to head south through the Yulan river at high speed as it had previously. As for the Blackcloud Panther, Haeru, he was beginning to charge towards the barrier between him and the Saint-level.

  Book 8, The Ten Thousand Kilometer Journey – Chapter 57, Yet Another Saint-Level

  A Saint-level magicite core contained the essence of a Saint-level magical beast’s magical power. A Saint-level magicite core was something that was very hard to consume, and which would take a significant amount of time to do so. In the past, because Linley had the legendary ‘Dragonblood Warrior bloodline’, his special bloodline eventually dissolved and absorbed that ninth-rank magicite core of the Armored Razorback Wyrm.

  But even after he had dissolved and absorbed that magicite core of the ninth rank, the residual energy of the core remained in Linley’s body, alongside his Dragonblood. It hadn’t been totally mastered and utilized by Linley.

  “As the current continues to take us south, from here to the Southwest Administrative Province, we will have travelled more than three thousand kilometers. Such an enormous distance will take several days, even though we are following the current.”

  Looking at the roiling waves, Linley said to himself.

  Who knows if a few days would be enough for Haeru to finish dissolving and absorbing that Saint-level magicite core. Linley himself didn’t have any experience of course when it came to the subject of peak-stage magical beasts of the ninth rank absorbing magicite cores.

  “Gates, why are you going back inside? The scenery around the Yulan river is pretty good.” The third brother, Hazer, said in a loud voice.

  Of the Barker brothers, four were standing in front of the railing, enjoying the beautiful sights of the Yulan river. Only Gates was heading back into the cabin.

  “Big bro and second bro have already made their breakthroughs, third bro. You guys can watch, but I’m not in the mood. I don’t want to waste time. I’ll go back and train.” Gates replied back loudly.

  Hazer was caught off-guard.

  Linley turned to stare at Gates in surprise. Right now, only two of the five had mastered the level of ‘wielding something heavy as though it were light’. One was Barker, while the other was Gates. Gates was a very proud person. Linley knew this quite well.

  “Gates is right.” The fourth brother, Boone, nodded as well. “I will go train as well.”

  The third brother, Hazer, followed Boone into the cabin as well, leaving behind just Barker and Ankh. The two exchange glances, then began to laugh.

  “Second bro, you have to work hard. If Gates makes a breakthrough, he’ll be more powerful than you.” Barker laughed as he spoke to Ankh.

  Ankh nodded, drawing out the two giant long-handled greataxes on his back. “I’m going to the rear deck to train with my weapons.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Barker drew out his own long-handled greataxes as well.

  The long-handled greataxes of Barker and his brothers were quite astonishing. These might be the heaviest weapons that existed in the modern world. 5300 pounds each, they were quite suited to the Undying Warriors, famed amongst the Supreme Warriors for their strength.

  Zassler laughed as he stroked his white beard. “Those five brothers really have become quite hard working. They make this old man feel a bit ashamed.”

  But despite saying that, Zassler continued to admire the local scenery.

  At Zassler’s current level, what he needed was a flash of insight. Training alone wouldn’t provide that.

  Smiling, Linley stood on the front of the ship. Slowly, Linley closed his eyes. The wind over the wide Yulan river was quite strong, and it buffeted Linley’s robes, causing Linley to sway ever so slightly.

  Linley had totally become one with the wind, and could sense the movements of the wind elemental essence.

  …..

  Time flowed on like water. In the blink of an eye, four days had passed, and the ship had entered the domain of the Southwest Administrative Province. In two days or so, they should be able to reach the harbor they were aiming for.

  “Big brother Linley is training?” Jenne said quietly.

  Rebecca and Leena both shook her heads, indicating that they didn’t know.

  Right now, it was late at night, but Linley continued to stand on the deck of the ship, his eyes closed. If someone thought Linley was asleep, though, they would have been wrong. Because every so often, a flash of violet light would pass by Linley’s body.

  The difference was, this time, Linley wasn’t aiming for speed.

  When he was training in the ‘Rippling Wind’ technique, Linley’s body was always surrounded by innumerable sword flashes. But right now, there was one just one violet flash at a time.

  No one knew what Linley was training.

  “Wielding something heavy as though it were light. Wielding something light as though it were heavy. It can be as fierce as the storm winds, or as gentle as the spring wind.” After having trained for so long, Linley finally was gaining some insight with regards to the second stage of the Profound Truths of the Wind.

  Profound Truths of the Wind, stage one – Rippling Wind. This relied on pursuing speed to the highest levels.

  In truth, once a technique’s speed reached a certain level, its attack power would also be extremely powerful. This was the reason why Linley could break through McKenzie’s defense in an instant.

  But the second stage of the Profound Truths of the Wind which Linley was developing was a very unique type of attack.

  When he struck out with his sword, sometimes the sword would flash like lightning, while other times it would be as heavy as a mountain. In truth, this sword attack was very fast, but it gave the impression of constantly rippling and fluctuating between being fast and being slow.

  That was the intention of this technique.

  “Profound Truths of the Wind, stage two – Tempos of the Wind.”

  A smile was on Linley’s face. He slashed through the air with Bloodviolet, and when it did, he gave off two distinctly different impressions; one was that this attack was as fierce and explosive as the winds of a hurricane, while the other was that it was a gentle and calm as the spring wind which blew through the willows.

  One technique with two opposing rhythms.

  “These two totally opposite tempos, when merged together, can give birth to a blade made of air.” Linley continued to pursue his goal of using his sword to create the ‘Dimensional Edge’ type of attack.

  This ‘Tempos of the Wind’ was a single-target attack.

  Although its power was far inferior to the ‘Dimensional Edge’ spell, which was so terrifyingly powerful that it could cut through the walls of reality itself, the power of the ‘Tempo of the Wind’ had already exceeded that of the ‘Rippling Wind’ technique.

  This was especially true in one-on-one combat.

  “This second stage of the Profound Truths of the Wind, the Tempos of the Wind technique, should be capable of posing a threat to peak-stage Saint-level experts.” When Linley had sparred with McKenzie, he had gained a better understanding of what peak-stage Saint-level experts were like. “However, this ‘Tempos of the Wind’ technique i
s most likely one of the more basic mysteries of the Laws of the Wind that I have gained some insight onto.

  Linley had to admit that the Tempos of the Wind was an extremely powerful technique.

  But the ‘Tempos of the Wind’ could only be considered the most basic, rudimentary level of the ‘Dimensional Edge’ spell. It was still a material, physical attack, which the opponent could use battle-qi or armor to defend against.

  But the resonating vibrations produced by the ‘Profound Truths of the Earth’ was clearly a higher level of attack. Those vibrations didn’t need to break the opponent’s armor; it could simply bypass it and attack the internals directly.

  “To an ordinary Saint-level expert, using Bloodviolet should be enough.” Linley chuckled. “Unless, of course, I encounter some particularly powerful peak-stage Saint-level experts.”

  Peak-stage Saint-level experts had varying levels of power as well.

  For example, Stehle and the Holy Emperor were both peak-stage Saint-level experts, but Stehle was much weaker than the Holy Emperor. After all, the Holy Emperor trained in Oracular Magic.

  Or for example, the Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, reputed to be the most powerful Saint-level in existence. To date, not a single expert had been able to overcome Haydson.

  Of course, there were people who had never competed against Haydson, such as the Holy Emperor, or the Dark Patriarch. They didn’t dare compete against him, because their exalted statuses meant they simply couldn’t afford to lose. Unless they were totally certain of victory, they wouldn’t compete.

  ………..

  The fifth day on the ship, at around noon, just as Linley and the others were eating lunch and chatting casually, suddenly….