Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “Rumble!” A great door covered with all sorts of mystical runic carvings swung open, revealing a narrow walkway.

  Uriah continued in.

  And then, the two guards at each side of the door immediately closed it again.

  The walls on each side of the walkway had some carvings, either of thousands of soldiers doing battle, or two figures dueling each other in mid air…

  At the end of the walkway was a wide, empty throne room.

  On one end of the throne room, there was an enormous fireplace. Uriah walked to the end of the fireplace and pressed a button, immediately causing a wide corridor made completely from a blood-red stone to be revealed. This blood-red corridor had a deathly aura about it that made one’s heart tremble.

  Uriah took a deep breath, then stepped into the wide, hidden tunnel.

  The tunnel wasn’t very large. At the end, there was a blood-red door with black edges that was ten meters tall and six meters wide. The entire gate faintly emanated a red glow. Uriah didn’t dare take another step forward.

  “Teacher!” Uriah said in a low voice.

  “Mm. The examination is done?” A low, gentle voice rang out from past the door.

  Uriah said respectfully, “Teacher, nothing out of the ordinary happened. The other six didn’t have any special abilities or potential. However, Teacher, those two you paid attention to should be very strong. I, your disciple, personally witnessed Lomio’s battles in the Arena. He is definitely on a Seven Star Fiend level. As for that red-robed elder, Linley, he was able to easily defeat the red-robed elder, Boslo. There’s no need to say anything further.”

  “Mm.” The person inside made a noncommittal sound.

  Uriah hesitated a moment, puzzled, then asked, “Teacher, that Linley is a descendant of the Four Divine Beasts clan.”

  “Four Divine Beasts clan?” The low voice suddenly began to laugh. “Haha…if this was ten thousand years ago, I’d be concerned. However, the Four Divine Beasts clan, at present, wouldn’t dare come irritate me! There’s no need for me to be concerned. However, for him to possess a drop of Sovereign’s Might means that this Linley should be an important figure within the Four Divine Beasts clan. Unfortunately, the present is the present, not ten thousand years ago.”

  “Tomorrow, bring Linley and Lomio in to see me. Let Lomio come in first, then let Linley come in.” The low voice instructed.

  “Yes, Teacher.” Uriah said respectfully. After waiting a few moments without any response, Uriah added respectfully, “Then I’ll leave now.”

  “You can go.”

  Uriah immediately bowed, then left, not worried about his teacher at all. Sovereign’s Might? A drop of Sovereign’s Might was indeed powerful, but his teacher was at the highest level one could be at, beneath the Sovereign-level.

  Forget about just a drop of Sovereign’s Might.

  Even that ultimate expert, Lord Aikens of the Redbud Continent, who was able to refine Sovereign’s Might from inkstones was someone his teacher didn’t fear!

  “Sovereign’s Might, in the hands of different people, have different amounts of power as well.” Uriah clearly remembered the words his teacher had once said to him.

  At present, Linley was seated with his eyes closed, while people would occasionally cross by from outside on the street. Most were maids and guards. But of course, occasionally some guests would pass by as well, and each time they did…

  Linley would open his eyes!

  “Ganmontin is a guest. He should live in this area as well!” Linley said to himself. “Judging from his conversation with that captain, Ganmontin clearly is waiting to see that so-called ‘lord’.”

  Quietly, silently, time flowed on.

  Although they were at the bottom of the sea and unable to tell whether it was day or night, Linley could clearly calculate in his mind if it was time for the sun to rise or the sun to fall. It was night, now. Suddenly, footsteps came from the street, outside the window.

  Linley still opened his eyes, looking outside the window carefully.

  A figure walked past the window.

  Linley’s eyes instantly lit up. “Him!” Although he only caught a glimpse of the man, Linley immediately recognized him. It was Ganmontin. With but a thought, a human figure appeared in Linley’s room. It was one of Linley’s Deathgod Golems!

  “Swoosh!” The Deathgod Golem instantly appeared outside the door, looking towards the street.

  The Deathgod Golem wasn’t a living creature. It only had a hint of Linley’s consciousness within it. At the doorway, it stared at the distant Ganmontin, who didn’t notice anything. But of course, if it had been Linley himself staring at Ganmontin, he would have noticed.

  A Deathgod Golem, in the end, wasn’t a living creature. It was just an object. Who would care about an object?

  “I didn’t expect that this Ganmontin would be here as well.” Linley, through the Deathgod Golem, could clearly see Ganmontin enter a little two story building that was eight hundred meters or so away from them.

  It made sense. Ganmontin had arrived a month earlier, after all. It made sense that he lived here.

  A killing look flashed past Linley’s eyes.

  “Ganmontin hasn’t yet had a chance to meet with his ‘Lord’. It’s best to remove this potential source of disaster early on.”

  If Ganmontin was allowed to remain alive, it would be very dangerous for Linley as well as Olivier. It was better to remove him immediately. The roving patrols of Castle Hendsey didn’t keep a very strict patrol watch on the guest living area.

  In addition, even if they kept strict watch, it didn’t matter.

  “Whoosh!” The Deathgod Golem entered the interspatial ring, while Linley himself instantly arose, his body immediately fusing with the ground…

  Worldwalking!

  Linley didn’t dare to emanate any hint of an aura. Immediately using Worldwalking, he reached the window below that two-story building, but as soon as he arrived, Linley heard Ganmontin cursing loudly.

  “Hmph, a group of bastards. They knew that my divine wind clone was destroyed so they all look down on me. After talking to them for so long, all of them are still delaying. Most likely his lordship doesn’t even know that I’m here!”

  Ganmontin had a belly full of fire right now, and thus was currently cursing in his room.

  He came here wanting to meet the Lord Commander, but now that his power had greatly dropped after losing his divine wind clone, those ‘old friends’ of his all looked down at him. It was like pressing his warm face against their icy buttocks; how could he possibly not be upset?

  “Motherf*cker, it’s all that Linley’s fault!” Ganmontin would forever remember Linley, who had destroyed his powerful divine wind clone.

  “Once the Lord Commander knows that there is a soul mutant God, he will definitely intervene. That Linley will definitely die!” Ganmontin ground his teeth. “Alright. I’ll have the Lord Commander use his ‘Soulseed’ to control Linley and live for millions of years without freedom, and then be killed!”

  Linley, hearing Ganmontin’s ‘cursing’ from outside the window, felt his heart tremble.

  “Soulseed control?” Linley clearly remembered that when he had been at the Yulan continent, his old friend, ‘Boss Yale’, had once been controlled in such a manner. People controlled through a Soulseed had their own memory, but were completely devoted to serving their master.

  “Soulseed control?”

  Thoughts flashed like lightning through Linley’s mind. He instantly thought of a possibility.

  “Why would Miluo Island be so generous as to allow the victors of a hundred battles in the Arena to come here and look at the precious scryer recordings of their clan?”

  “Why would Miluo Island permit the red-robed elders to come to this secret area?”

  “This Ganmontin is hunting for experts with great potential for his Lord Commander. Why does this Lord Commander want experts with high potential? If he was to train them, how coul
d he be assured of their loyalty?”

  “Also, why are so many Seven Star Fiends willingly serving Bagshaw’s clan? Why are Seven Star Fiends so loyal to the Bagshaw clan?”

  “And also, Tarosse and Dylin. When Cesar was about to be killed by Sequeira, why had they actually, unbelievably, chosen to throw their lots in with the Bagshaw clan’s side? In addition, the two of them just so happened to have come here before as well!”

  Linley’s face instantly turned white!

  Book 16, Starmist Sea – Chapter 29, Unable to Leave!

  “Trap!”

  Linley felt his heart turn cold.

  “What an enormous lie!” Linley began to shudder.

  Demigods. Gods. Highgods. Generally speaking, all those capable of winning a hundred battles had high potential and some special abilities! In addition, after arriving at Castle Hendsey, they had to be tested. Only after their potential was verified would they be allowed to stay, while the others were deported.

  “All those who are allowed to stay have special potential.”

  “Wait! If that’s the case, how can we explain Dylin?” Linley, based on the series of events and on the fact that Dylin and Tarosse had chosen the Bagshaw clan’s side, was now certain that Dylin had been controlled as well.

  Linley immediately came up with a possibility…

  “It’s not just those who pass the test who are spiritually controlled. Even if they don’t pass, most likely they will still be controlled. Only, a subordinate will do it instead.” Linley understood this; after all, how could any hundred battles victor of the Arena be weak?

  The more the merrier, as far as soldiers for one’s forces.

  Pondering this from the viewpoint of the master of Castle Hendsey, instantly understood: “The so-called examination is most likely to divide people based on their power. After determining how powerful an opponent is, they’ll know what level of expert is needed to control that person.” The more powerful a person was, the harder they would be to control.

  For the likes of Lomio, a Seven Star Fiend, it would be incredibly difficult to control him.

  “Lomio and I didn’t need to be tested at all. This means…very possibly, this master of the castle, the so-called lord ‘Commander’, will personally deal with us.” Thinking of this, Linley couldn’t help but be frightened. Even in Miluo Island, there were quite a few red-robed elders.

  Within Castle Hendsey, there were multiple Six Star Fiends and Seven Star Fiends.

  “Even Seven Star Fiends have been effortless controlled. Then the power of this Lord Commander…?” Linley frowned. For the Lord Commander to be able to control Seven Star Fiends meant one thing…this person was extremely powerful with regards to the soul.

  But what Linley feared the most…

  Was precisely this, experts skilled in soul attacks!

  “When I encounter this castle master, I won’t be able to resist at all. Can it be that I will have to use my Sovereign’s Might?” Linley immediately thought back to how the clan leader, Bakwill, had Destruction-type Sovereign’s Might himself. “This master of the castle is clearly the true power behind the Bagshaw clan. Even Bakwill has Sovereign’s Might…how can the master of the castle not have it?”

  “Someone capable of letting Miluo Island stand proud and independent in the Infernal Realm…the power this master of the castle possesses is at a level which I definitely cannot take on.”

  Linley immediately came to a conclusion…

  “Flee!”

  He had to flee!

  Linley turned to look at the window. Ganmontin was currently resting in his room. Ganmontin now only had his divine water clone, and it would be very easy for Linley to kill Ganmontin.

  “Cannot kill him! If I kill him, I would attract attention, and they will definitely keep a close watch on me. If I want to leave, it will be very hard.” Linley, after having come to this understanding, couldn’t possibly remain here and wait for death.

  He had to flee quickly!

  “Just consider yourself lucky.” Linley glanced at the window, then immediately utilized the Worldwalker technique and entered the ground.

  After having come to this conclusion, Linley himself felt shock in his heart. Based on what he knew…his hypothesis was most likely 99% correct! It no longer mattered whether or not this place truly had scryer records of experts; he couldn’t remain!

  Having one’s soul controlled was a fate worse than death!

  On the city walls that were forty meters tall, there were a large number of patrolling black armored guards. Occasionally, there were some red cloaked guards amongst them. This place was more severely guarded than any other place Linley had ever seen.

  All of the black armored guards were silent, not daring to make a sound.

  However, the red cloaked guards would occasionally chat, as though quite relaxed.

  “Each time Arena victors are sent here, even we have to come over and be on patrol.” Two red cloaked warriors were walking alongside each other while chatting and laughing.

  “Actually, all we need to do is capture anyone we see fleeing. The real task of oversight isn’t for us to worry about; it’s that thing over there.” One of the red cloaked warriors pointed to the core of the city.

  “You are talking about the Water Element Heart?”

  “Naturally. The Water Element Heart controls the vast water around this area. If anyone dares to exit our boundaries, the Water Element Heart will easily detect it. By then, we’ll just have to act.” The roving guards were quite relaxed.

  It was impossible for anyone to secretly flee!

  Forcibly flee? That depended on if they were strong enough. If they were, those patrolling guards would be dead.

  But suddenly…

  The enormous city wall glowed with the colors of the rainbow, and the multicolored light even blinked twice, immediately startling awake all of the patrolling warriors.

  “Someone is fleeing!”

  Dozens of the nearest black armored guards and red cloaked warriors all flew directly towards the direction of the disturbance. They clearly could tell that the person who had charged out was…

  The red-robed Linley!

  “Good heavens, a city wall that has a circumference of tens of kilometers is actually protected by an enormous magic formation? And which seems to have all types of elemental energy?” Linley stared at the massive city walls and the flashing, multicolored magic runes. He tasted sourness in his lips.

  He wasn’t able to flee.

  Currently, a large number of black armored guards were staring at this place, and many red cloaked experts descended from the skies as well.

  “A red-robed elder?” These red cloaked warriors were startled, and then one of them said in a sonorous voice, “You dare to abscond? Hmph!”

  Linley glanced at the group of red cloaked warriors. Previously, during the testing, Linley had seen a red-cloaked warrior attack. They were roughly on a Six Star Fiend level. “A group of Six Star Fiends?” Linley laughed bitterly to himself.

  There was no way for him to forcibly escape any longer.

  “I am a red-robed elder of the Bagshaw clan, Linley! I have something important that I must immediately return to handle. I didn’t want to disturb you. Now, please step aside and let me return to Miluo Island.” Linley’s voice rang out.

  The leader of the red cloaked warriors said calmly, “Oh, Elder Linley? The rule of our Castle Hendsey is that unless we have permission, no outsiders are ever permitted to leave.”

  “I have something important to do!” Linley said angrily.

  “Please, Elder Linley, just wait a while.” One of the red cloaked warriors said. “If you want to force your way out, then don’t blame us.” Actually, these red cloaked warriors, upon seeing that it was a red-robed elder of the Bagshaw clan, didn’t want to attack either.

  This was because red-robed elders were all Seven Star Fiends.

  Once battle began, their group of people might be able t
o obtain victory through numbers, but it would assuredly be a pyrrhic victory.

  Linley was frustrated. “Neither acting firmly nor speaking softly works. If I try to force my way out, most likely all the experts from the castle will pop out.”

  “Linley, why are you in such a rush to leave?” A familiar voice rang out. Linley turned and saw that white-haired elder with red armor and a red cloak fly out. It was that expert named ‘Uriah’.

  Uriah laughed as he looked at Linley. “Linley, you haven’t even gone to the first viewing room yet.”

  “Mr. Uriah.” Linley said hurriedly. “There’s nothing that I can do. Just now, I received a soul message from my servant. I really do have something important I must handle, and so I have to leave. As for the first viewing room, how about I return tomorrow?”

  “Oh?” Uriah frowned.

  “Makes sense.” Uriah laughed. “Linley, since you really do have an important task to handle…”

  Linley’s heart leapt up.

  “Then I won’t force you to stay. However, I’ve already reported your arrival to the master of the castle. I don’t have the authority to let you leave. How about this. You wait here for a while, and I’ll make a report to the master of the castle. I trust that he won’t make things difficult for you.” Uriah laughed.

  “Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Uriah.” Linley said.

  Uriah laughed calmly, then immediately flew away.

  Linley’s face sank. “Ask the master of the castle? This is going to be troublesome!” Linley glanced at his surroundings. There were tens of red cloaked experts staring at him, and on the walls, there were many black armored guards watching as well.”

  “How can this Castle Hendsey have so many experts?” Linley was helpless.

  Originally, in Royalwing City, even Six Star Fiends were very rare. As for Seven Star Fiends, they were virtually nowhere to be seen, as they were usually hidden throughout the Infernal Realm. But this Castle Hendsey had a pile of Six Star Fiends and even quite a few Seven Star Fiends, and a seemingly even more powerful ‘master of the castle’.