Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “Swoosh!” “Swoosh!”

  Wharton and Taylor simultaneously transformed into streaks of lightning, flying out at high speed.

  Dragonblood Castle. The war training grounds.

  Linley’s group of six was standing here. Linley was actively emanating his aura while greeting one familiar figure after another through his divine sense. However, when he used his divine sense to investigate, Linley discovered that many familiar figures of the past had disappeared, such as Grandpa Hiri, Uncle Hillman, Wharton’s wife Nina, Jenne…

  “Are they all dead?” Linley wondered to himself.

  Just because they weren’t at Dragonblood Castle didn’t necessarily mean that they were dead. But Linley, too, understood that the lifespan of normal humans who didn’t reach the Saint-level would generally reach at most three or four centuries. Five centuries was the utmost limit. Only by reaching the Saint-level would one possess eternal life.

  One figure after another flew over at high speed from places throughout Dragonblood Castle.

  “FATHER!” A deep voice rang out. Linley’s eyes lit up. It was Taylor.

  “BIG BRO!” It was Wharton.

  “Lord Linley.” The incredibly muscular Barker.

  A large group of people flew over at high speed, and in an instant, nearly a hundred had gathered here in the training grounds. Linley only recognized less than half of these people, and didn’t recognize the majority. However, upon seeing all those familiar faces, Linley couldn’t help but feel excited. These were his comrades, his friends, his family!

  “Big Bro!” Wharton immediately gave Linley a tight, vicious bear hug.

  “Wharton.” Linley hugged his little brother as well, unable to refrain from feeling regretful.

  “MASTER!” Linley turned to look. There was a man dressed in a long black robe. It was the transformed Haeru. Haeru was staring at Linley in excitement as well. So many years had gone by. As a King amongst magical beasts, Haeru felt extremely grateful towards Linley for what he had given him.

  Wharton and Linley released each other. Wharton was completely unable to suppress his excitement. “Big Bro, I really didn’t expect you’d be back. We were just talking about going to the Infernal Realm to look for you. Big Bro…there are many people here you don’t recognize, right? Let me introduce them…this is Arnold’s son…”

  Wharton, in one breath, introduced more than ten important people.

  These people all stared at Linley, their eyes filled with shock, awe, and veneration. It was like they were staring at a titan from legends.

  “Wade, come, meet your uncle. Also, this is your older brother, Taylor…” Linley was incomparably overjoyed right now.

  Right at this moment…

  “THIRD BRO!” A voice suddenly rang out from behind.

  Linley turned to look.

  It was a Demigod, dressed in a long black robe. Those intelligent eyes looked the same as they always had, only they appeared slightly older than before. This was the man who had been one of Linley’s closest friends…his Fourth Bro. Reynolds.

  “Fourth Bro.” Linley immediately went to welcome him, tightly embracing his ‘Fourth Bro’, Reynolds.

  “Third Bro.” Reynolds couldn’t help but shed tears as well.

  They hadn’t met for nearly two thousand years. He had thought that they would never be able to meet again. Now that they saw each other, how could he not feel excited?

  “Third Bro, it’s been so many years.” Reynolds was so excited, his entire body was trembling.

  “Right.” Linley nodded repeatedly as well.

  Linley immediately thought of Yale and George. He hurriedly asked, “Right, Fourth Bro, where’s the Boss and Second Bro? How are the two of them?” Linley had a hint of hope in his heart. After all, Yale and George were very talented as well. Maybe…maybe they had reached the Saint-level as well.

  The chance was low, but Linley held out hope in his heart.

  “All dead.” Reynolds voice sank.

  Linley was stunned.

  “Dead…” Linley sighed.

  Actually, Linley had mentally prepared himself in advance for this return. After all, he hadn’t come back in nearly two thousand years. Anyone not at the Saint-level would age and die, just from the passage of time. Becoming a Saint was extremely hard, after all. In the past, it was only because Delia had received Beirut’s gift, that divine spark, that she was able to become a Saint and then a Deity.

  In truth, only a Saint should have been able to fuse with a divine spark. As for those who were not yet Saints, divine sparks weren’t of much use.

  The reason why Delia’s training speed had risen so rapidly didn’t have anything to do with the divine spark itself. In truth, it was due to some special materials which coated that divine spark!

  Because…

  That divine spark was no ordinary divine spark.

  It must be understood that wind-type divine sparks should emanate a faint green aura. But on the day of the wedding, the divine spark which Delia received had no color at all. It was very ordinary! Actually, that divine spark was something which Beirut had refined and reforged after using up quite a few treasures. The core of that spark was a divine spark, but the outside layer was of some precious materials which allowed Delia to more easily sense elemental essences.

  And thus, she was able to quickly rise in power.

  “However, they didn’t die of age.” Reynolds said in a low voice.

  Linley was stunned. “What?”

  “Big Bro, it’s best for us to go inside to talk about this.” Wharton said hurriedly.

  Linley stared at Reynolds, who let out a sigh as well. “Third Bro, let’s go into the hall to slowly discuss this.”

  Linley felt that things were a bit strange, but he tamped down his disquiet and questions, following Reynolds and Wharton into the castle, to the hall for discussing major events. Only twenty or so people actually entered the hall.

  The other juniors were stopped and kept outside.

  Within the great hall.

  Linley’s family, Bebe’s family, Wharton, Taylor, Sasha, Zassler, and the Barker brothers were all present.

  “Fourth Bro, what happened, exactly? You said the Boss and Second Bro didn’t die normal deaths?” Linley couldn’t help but speak out.

  “Right.”

  Reynolds said in a low voice, “Third Bro, let us finish. Don’t grow impatient. You have to be calm!”

  “Hurry up.” Linley couldn’t endure any longer.

  Reynolds nodded. “Third Bro. At present, in the Yulan continent, there are only two Empires remaining. One is the Baruch Empire, while the other is the Odin Empire. As for the land west of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, where the Holy Union and the Dark Alliance used to rule, that has devolved into various duchies and kingdoms that aren’t worth mentioning.”

  “Odin Empire?” Linley frowned.

  “Right. The former O’Brien Empire, Yulan Empire, Rhine Empire, and Rohault Empire, as well as the great plains of the far east, have all been unified into the Odin Empire.” Reynolds said.

  Linley couldn’t help but feel startled.

  This Odin Empire took up more than half of the entire Yulan continent.

  “Actually, not long after you left, Lord Beirut sent us a message through his divine sense, informing all Deities of some information. After that, those Deities gave up their plans of entering the Necropolis of the Gods and left to the Higher Planes or Divine Planes.” Reynolds said slowly. “As for the Yulan Empire and the O’Brien Empire, they were restored. Second Bro, ‘George’, became a pillar and an important official of the Yulan Empire, while Boss Yale worked hard for the Dawson Conglomerate…with our help, the Dawson Conglomerate truly absorbed the other two major trading unions, become the number one trading union of the Yulan continent.”

  Linley just listened quietly.

  “But…our calm and peaceful lives lasted for just two centuries. And then, a person appeared!”

/>   Reynolds said in a low voice, “His name is Odin. In just a single short year, he unified the various other Empires, and even wanted to annihilate our Baruch Empire. But when he attacked…fortunately, Lord Beirut appeared and stopped him with a rebuke. Ever since then, he’s not invaded so much as a single inch of the territory of our Baruch Empire. Based on the information we received from Lord Beirut, this Odin was also one of the five Kings of Gebados, and was nicknamed the ‘Vile King’.”

  Book 18, Highgod – Chapter 7, Parting Words

  “One of the five Kings?” Linley couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. Each of the five Kings of the Gebados Planar Prison was a supreme expert. Bluefire was one of the five Kings. Since Odin was titled the ‘Vile King’, on par with Bluefire, then Odin’s power was definitely at an astonishing level as well.

  “The deaths of the Boss and of Second Bro have to do with him?” Linley couldn’t help but ask.

  “Yes, Third Bro! You know that our Second Bro, George, was very talented in magic. In addition, he was fairly diligent in his training…a century after you left, he reached the Saint-level. He should have had eternal life, but…”

  Reynolds’ face turned dark. Clearly, this filled his heart with boundless rage. However, Reynolds forced it down, so that he could continue to speak. “The first time Odin attacked, he struck at the imperial capital of the Yulan Empire. With just a flip of his hand…that Odin destroyed half of the imperial capital. In addition, he had a group of subordinates, all of whom were Deities!”

  “Odin issued an order. Everyone within the imperial capital at or above the Saint level was to be killed. No one was to be spared!”

  “Second Bro, ‘George’, was killed there.” Reynolds continued to speak, but as he did, his tears began to fall.

  Although Linley had mentally prepared himself, he still felt his head go dizzy. He still clearly remembered how of the four brothers, George was amiable, good-tempered, and yet always willing to share in the shouldering of any burdens. “Second Bro died, just like that?” Linley couldn’t believe it. George, who had always had such distant, lofty goals, had died?

  How could Linley swallow his rage, after his close friend had been killing like this?

  “Odin…must die.” Linley’s face was like iron.

  “Big Bro.” Wharton said hurriedly.

  “Third Bro.” Reynolds hurriedly called out as well.

  “Reynolds, you, you said…” A trembling voice rang out. Delia, standing next to Linley, stared at Reynolds nervously, her eyes filled with fear and worry. “You said that everyone at or above the Saint level in the imperial capital was killed? What about my elder brother? How is my elder brother?”

  In the Leon clan, aside from Delia, the only person to reach the Saint level was Dixie.

  Over the course of two thousand years, those previous family members of hers had turned to dust long ago.

  Delia truly hoped to see her elder brother, Dixie, on this return. The genius elder brother who had always taken care of her.

  “Dixie?” Reynolds was stunned.

  “Right, my brother! Is my brother still alive?” Delia’s entire body was trembling.

  “Delia…” Linley couldn’t help but take Delia’s hand in his own. He could clearly sense how her hand was shaking.

  “Dixie is dead!” Wharton said. “The ten Saints who were at the imperial capital were all killed, and Dixie was one of them! Odin and his subordinates were too vicious, and he even had Highgods serving him. There was no way such a powerful force could be resisted at all. How could any Saints flee?”

  Delia’s face instantly turned pale.

  “My brother died?” Delia lowered her head, two streams of clear tears falling down her face.

  “Delia..” Linley said hurriedly.

  Delia suddenly opened her eyes, grinding her teeth. “Odin. I must kill him!” Delia turned to look at Linley. “Linley…I must kill him, I must!!!”

  “We must. We must.” Linley felt his own killing intent surge as well.

  “No, don’t.” Taylor was absolutely frantic. “Mother, Father, don’t go! This Odin is truly too powerful. Back then, Odin even attacked Dragonblood Castle. It took Lord Beirut making an appearance to stop him. Lord Beirut said…that even in the Higher Planes, this Odin would be considered a top-tier expert.”

  “Right.” Reynold said frantically as well. “Third Bro, no matter what, don’t put yourself at risk.”

  “I remember Lord Beirut said something about a Seven Star Fiend. That this Odin could be considered a Seven Star Fiend.” Sasha said hurriedly as well.

  It was evident that they clearly remembered the scene of how Lord Beirut had appeared when Odin had attacked. They, too, were filled with the utmost of hatred towards Odin, but Lord Beirut had solemnly warned them of how powerful this Odin was, and that they would die if they fought him.

  “Seven Star Fiend?” Linley’s gaze flashed with cold light.

  The nearby Bebe said angrily, “Even if he is an Asura, he will still die!”

  Reynolds and the others didn’t understand the meaning of this. They didn’t understand what the terms ‘Seven Star fiend’ and ‘Asura’ entailed.

  “Right. Boss Yale?” Linley suddenly thought of Yale.

  Yale was a member of the Dawson Conglomerate. Odin had unified an empire, but what did Yale have to do with that?

  “Third Bro, first calm down. Don’t act rashly out of anger.” Reynolds said hurriedly. As Reynolds and Wharton saw it, their biggest concern was that Linley would go insane and go try and make trouble for Odin. As they saw it…although Linley was a genius, he had only trained for two millennia, while that Odin was someone who was far more monstrously powerful than even the now-deceased Adkins.

  “Fine. I won’t act impetuously. Speak, hurry.” Although Linley said these words, rage was blazing within his chest.

  The death of Second Bro as well as that of Delia’s elder brother…they had to be avenged!

  “Fine. I’ll speak.” Reynolds shut his eyes. He took a deep breath before opening them again, but tears began to uncontrollably appear within them nonetheless. “When Boss Yale was young, he didn’t work hard in his training, and he was also the least talented of us four brothers…and so he became stuck as an eighth rank magus. However, this didn’t prevent his becoming as the Chairman of the Conglomerate.”

  Linley nodded slightly.

  He remembered that Yale had once said that he dreamed of becoming the Chairman of the Dawson Conglomerate and swallowing up the other two trading guilds, becoming the single largest trading guild of the entire Yulan continent.

  “That year, although the Yulan Empire and the O’Brien Empire were restored to power, they had too few experts and were too weak. In the entire Yulan continent…only the Baruch Empire could be considered a powerhouse.” Reynolds said slowly. “With our help, the Dawson Conglomerate naturally expanded nonstop, moving as easily as a fish does in water. The other two trading guilds were squeezed and nibbled down. In the end, they completely collapsed and were swallowed up by the Dawson Conglomerate. Boss Yale accomplished his goal and was extremely happy. Myself and Second Bro, along with Boss Yale, even had a special get together and celebration for this event.”

  A drifting look was in Reynolds eyes.

  “That year, the three of us celebrated together. We even sighed that it was unfortunate that you, Third Bro, weren’t here. Otherwise, the four of us would’ve been able to have a good get-together.”

  Linley couldn’t help but feel a deeply buried part of his heart tremble. It was the deep recesses of his heart, where the love he bore for his brothers lay.

  “When the three of us were together, everything was fine. But…after we separated and went about our own business, not long afterwards the ‘Vile King’ Odin appeared. He first showed off his brutal, domineering, unstoppable power by forcefully uniting the various empires into his ‘Odin Empire’. Reynolds said in a low voice. “But Odin wasn’t satisfied with just that
. He took a fancy to the Dawson Conglomerate! Although the Dawson Conglomerate was just a merchant conglomerate, as the largest one in the continent…it had astonishingly great power secreted throughout the continent.”

  Linley’s face became ugly to behold.

  In the past, when the Dawson Conglomerate was just one of three major trading guilds, it was already very powerful. By the time it swallowed up the other two…Linley could imagine how formidable the hidden power of the Dawson Conglomerate was.

  “One of Odin’s clones trains in the Edicts of Death.” Reynolds said somberly. “He easily took control over several major empires because he was able to spiritually dominate quite a few critical members of the various empires, and so he was able to easily unify the nations. As for Boss Yale…his soul was dominated as well.”

  Linley couldn’t help but feel pain in his heart.

  Boss Yale had been dominated once in the past as well. That time, Linley had rescued Boss Yale, but…this time, he wasn’t there. Nobody was there to rescue him.

  “In a short year, with Boss Yale’s cooperation, the management structure of the Dawson Conglomerate was completely changed and replaced with Odin’s people. It can be said…that aside from Boss Yale, not a single member of the Dawnson clan remained, out of all the important, high-level members of the Dawson Conglomerate. They were all replaced by Odin’s men.” Reynolds’ voice was hoarse.

  Reynolds suddenly stared at Linley, letting out a grief-stricken laugh. “Third Bro, do you know why Odin is known as the Vile King?”

  Linley was stunned.

  “why?” Linley said.

  “Because he truly is vile! Not only does he have all sorts of evil techniques, he himself is an evil, vile person!” Reynolds was unable to control his voice. “After the Dawson Conglomerate fell under his control, that bastard actually controlled Yale and made him personally kill one member of the Dawson clan after another. These people included Boss Yale’s son, his wife, his descendants, his brothers…they all died. And Boss Yale personally killed them all.”

  Linley’s heart grew cold.