Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  And…as soon as he heard that song…

  Linley’s divine clone had immediately, unstintingly, used up a drop of water-type Sovereign’s Might! Linley’s earth-type Sovereign’s Might had been used up long ago, and he only had two drops of water-type Sovereign’s Might. By using up a drop now, he would only have one more remaining.

  Of the group of four, only a single person immediately regained his faculties after being momentarily dazed.

  That was Reisgem!

  His accomplishments in the soul were exceedingly great. Linley, Reihom, and Bebe had all entered a dazed state, but fortunately enough for Linley and Reihom, Bayer didn’t want to kill them, just make them dazed. As for Bebe…just as his soul entered a dazed state, he also began to suffer a strange soul attack.

  Logically speaking…

  In a dazed state, one wouldn’t know to use Sovereign’s Might to resist. Generally speaking, when faced with the soul attack of a Highgod Paragon, the result would be death.

  However…

  “Bayer, enough.” Reisgem growled, launching a soul attack towards Bayer as well.

  “How can this be!” Bayer paused his attack as well.

  Linley, Bebe, and Reihom regained their mental clarity, and Linley felt cold sweat drip down his back. “Even after using Sovereign’s Might, I wasn’t able to resist. However, I didn’t die. It seems he didn’t attack.” Linley understood that without him actively controlling his damaged soul-protecting Sovereign artifact, it definitely wouldn’t be hard for this person to kill him.

  But he hadn’t died. Clearly, Bayer didn’t want to kill him.

  “How can this be? You…you have a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact?!” Bayer looked at Bebe.

  “Uhh….” Bebe shook his head. “I just have a soul-protecting artifact.”

  “Impossible! A soul-protecting artifact capable of blocking my ‘Soul Nirvana’ melody? You…you definitely have a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact!” Bayer wasn’t willing to believe it. Bayer now had finally lost his earlier confidence. He stared at Bebe. “How can you have a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact? You are a Sovereign’s Emissary?”

  Bebe shook his head.

  “Soul-protecting Sovereign artifact? Grandpa told me that it was a soul-protecting artifact.” Bebe didn’t understand it.

  Linley finally relaxed. Whether it was a soul-protecting artifact or a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact…clearly, Bayer wasn’t able to do anything to Bebe. Although Bayer was terrifying, and most likely would be able to easily kill Linley, Reisgem, or Reihom…

  He wasn’t able to kill Bebe!

  Bebe’s material defense and soul defense had both reached monstrous levels.

  “According to legends, the Bloodridge Sovereign bestowed a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact to Beirut. I didn’t expect that he would actually transfer it to you.” Bayer laughed coldly. Everyone knew that Beirut had a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact, but Bayer now believed that Beirut had actually transferred the soul-protecting Sovereign artifact to Bebe.

  “Hey, what else are you going to die? You aren’t able to kill Bebe. Aren’t you going to leave?” Reisgem snorted.

  Bayer took a deep breath, regaining his calm.

  “If I’m not able to kill him, then I…will push him into a region of chaotic space!” Bayer said coldly, while stretching out his hands. He was standing in midair, and suddenly, with him at the center, multiple strands of faint green energy ribbons sprang out from his hands. Those hundred-plus hundred-meter energy ribbons all coiled towards Bebe.

  “Push him into chaotic space?” Linley was stunned as well.

  “ROAAAAAAAAAAR!”

  Reisgem suddenly let out an absolutely enraged growl, and behind Reisgem, the illusion of an enormous monster that was over a hundred meters tall suddenly appeared. This monster had 108 spikes on its back, and was a monster that Linley was very familiar with; it looked just like the ‘juvenile amethyst beast’ Linley had previously seen.

  Instantly, 108 rays of violet light exploded forth from Reisgem’s body, each filled with black-colored Sovereign power.

  With Reisgem at the center, those rays of violet light completely covered and surrounded Linley, Bebe, and Reihom, actually forming a black, spherical cocoon which was covered with violet light.

  “Amethyst Rampart!” Bayer frowned.

  The Amethyst Space was actually just an innate supreme technique of Reisgem’s; in truth, it couldn’t be considered a ‘divine ability’. Divine abilities consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual energy! This ‘Amethyst Rampart’ was Reisgem’s true, innate divine ability! Once this technique appeared, there was no way for Bayer to break through the Amethyst Rampart for now as well.

  Moments later…

  The Amethyst Rampart disappeared. The Amethyst Rampart couldn’t actually be sustained for very long.

  “Reisgem, it seems you insist on protecting this Godeater Rat.” Bayer said coldly. “Fine, then. I admit that with this Godeater Rat having used Sovereign’s Might, I’m unable to kill him. However…once his Sovereign’s Might dissipates, I refuse to believe that he’ll be able to escape my sword again. Given the speed of my sword, I trust that you won’t be able to block at all.”

  Linley frowned.

  Bayer’s words were reasonable. Although Bebe had used a drop of Sovereign’s Might, it was constantly dissipating. Soon, it would be completely gone.

  Bebe’s material defense was indeed strong, but when he used Sovereign’s Might, his defense was still breached. He had to rely on his bones to take the blow head on.

  But if Bebe didn’t have any Sovereign’s Might left, while Bayer was still able to perfectly control his own Sovereign’s Might without wasting it…given that Bayer would be able to use it for a very long time, when Bebe’s ran out, would Bebe be able to block?

  “Boss! I’ve been eating divine sparks for many years, but the number that I’ve eaten isn’t enough yet. My bones aren’t as tough as Grandpa’s yet. If I don’t use Sovereign’s Might, while that Bayer uses both a Sovereign weapon and Sovereign power, my skull probably wouldn’t be able to resist that sword of his.” Bebe sent frantically.

  Linley began to feel nervous as well.

  Bebe’s Sovereign power was constantly dissipating. But Bayer? Not a hint of it was leaking out. How were they supposed to compete against him?

  “Eh?”

  Reisgem stared. “What…you want to compete with ME in seeing who has more Sovereign’s Might?”

  Bayer was startled.

  Reisgem turned towards Linley and Bebe and laughed, “Linley, Bebe, I forgot to tell you something after you two joined my hunting squad. Since you two are members of my squad now, I, as the captain, should treat you without holding anything back.” As he spoke, Reisgem made a tossing motion, and two rays of violet light flew towards Linley and Bebe.

  Linley and Bebe immediately stretched their hands out to receive it.

  Linley lowered his head to look at it. It was a ‘canteen’ that was completely made out of carved amethysts. This sort of canteen, although quite intricately designed, was familiar to Linley. When he had been in the Yulan continent, ordinary soldiers would always carry these types of canteens with them.

  “Is this a water canteen?” Linley was puzzled.

  Linley reached out with his divine sense, passing through the obstruction of the amethysts, to inspect the insides of the canteen. And when he did…he was badly shocked.

  “Gaaah! Destruction-type Sovereign’s Might?! This…an entire canteen?!” Bebe called out in shock as well.

  Linley was similarly stunned.

  He, too, realized that this canteen was actually filled with liquefied Sovereign’s Might. An entire canteen full of it!

  “Take it. The young master gave me a canteen as well.” Reihom said.

  Linley and Bebe stared towards Reisgem, stunned.

  Reisgem snickered, then waved his hand. “Just take it. It’s just Destruction-type Sovereign’s
Might. My mother has plenty of it. She has an entire lake filled with it, so I filled a few canteens with it. I have plenty. You keep it. Those Redbud Army soldiers have a salary. You guys are my squadmates, and this can be considered your salary.” To Reisgem, the only son of a Sovereign, of course this was something that didn’t matter much.

  Sovereigns agreed amongst themselves to only give a single Sovereign artifact to Deities, but there was no limit to the amount of Sovereign’s Might they could bestow.

  “A…canteen?” Linley felt his head grow dizzy.

  Sovereign’s Might was normally measured out by the ‘drop’.

  “A canteen of Sovereign’s Might? How many drops is that?” Linley couldn’t even imagine it.

  Bayer felt a headache as well. Good heavens. He was a Highgod Paragon, true, but although a Sovereign might give him some Sovereign’s Might, the Sovereign naturally wouldn’t treat him as she might treat their her own son, filling an entire lake with Sovereign’s Might and letting her son take as much of it as he wanted. “Compete with the son of a Sovereign in Sovereign’s Might?” Bayer felt resigned.

  Reisgem rubbed his nose. “Bayer, my divine clone had already informed my mother of what is going on here. Although my mother won’t be able to make it here immediately, she can arrange for some people to come. I imagine that as time goes on, my mother will personally come to the Planar Battlefield.”

  Sovereigns generally wouldn’t interfere in the matters of Highgods.

  But it was only natural for a Sovereign to interfere when her own son was in danger.

  And not all Sovereigns were the same; generally speaking, if an ordinary person became a Sovereign, that person might have countless children and so wouldn’t care too much about them. But the Redbud Sovereign was like a divine beast, an exceedingly rare, unique individual. She had only a single son.

  “Whew.” Bayer shook his head and laughed bitterly.

  “This Godeater Rat’s defense is indeed powerful. Although I’m not able to kill him, I don’t consider is as being a loss of face. As least I tried. There’s nothing Occluar will be able to say to me.” Bayer gave Reisgem’s group a final glance, and then his body flickered and disappeared as he left.

  Linley and Bebe each held a canteen, staring as Bayer departed.

  “Ah, he finally left.” Reisgem let out a long breath. “A Highgod Paragon. I was afraid that this fellow would go crazy. Fortunately, I managed to scare him off.” Reisgem was frightened as well. If Bayer really did go crazy and decide to kill them all, Reisgem wouldn’t even have time to cry. At worst, Bayer would just have to hide in a material plane and to never go to the Divine Planes or the Higher Realms again.”

  Book 19, Metamorphosis – Chapter 31, The Number One Clan

  After Bayer left, Linley let out a sigh of relief as well.

  “Compared to a Highgod Paragon, I most likely would only be able to preserve my life if I had a defensive Sovereign artifact and a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact.” Linley had been rendered speechless by Bayer’s attack power, and the constrictive power of it had been able to cause space itself to twist and distort. The disruptive power exceeded even Reisgem’s ‘Amethyst Space’.

  Upon encountering a Paragon, only someone like Bebe whose material defense and soul defense were both at the very peak would be capable of staying alive.

  “Wait. Even if my defenses are powerful, Bayer would probably still be able to throw me into a field of spatial chaos.” When Linley thought of this, he felt all the more terrified by the might of a Paragon. Previously, Linley had seen quite a few experts who had fused five profound mysteries. Linley had thought a Paragon would be powerful, but not ridiculously so.

  But upon encountering one, Linley realized…

  Paragons, just by waving their hands, could easily cause space to twist and distort, and tear the world apart. Between fusing five profound mysteries and becoming a Paragon, there was a massive, qualitative rise in power.

  “Bayer won’t come again, will he?” A low voice rang out.

  Linley turned his head to look. The speaker was the big fellow, ‘Reihom’. Bebe, some dirt and dust on his face, said quickly, “Of course not! He is a Paragon, after all; since he left, how could he come back? Even if he came back, I’m not afraid of him.” Bebe’s words caused Linley, Reisgem, and Reihom to all look at him.

  “You aren’t afraid?” Reisgem had a rather disbelieving tone to his voice.

  Actually, Reisgem himself was afraid. If Bayer truly went insane, he could kill Reisgem, Reihom, and Linley, then drag Bebe into a region of chaotic space. The price would just be that he would face the pursuit and attack of the Redbud Sovereign, and would have to forever hide within a material plane.

  Reisgem was afraid, and Linley and Reihom felt the same way. In front of Bayer, they weren’t able to resist at all.

  Bebe…unafraid?

  Stared at by the other three, Bebe let out an awkward laugh. “Fine, to be honest, of course I’m a bit scared. In front of that Bayer, I feel as though all I can do is stand there and be beaten. I’m not able to resist at all. That strange song of his made me lose consciousness. Enough, he’s left, so this is at an end. I hope in the future, I won’t run into that Bayer again. Unless I’m at Grandpa’s level of power…”

  Linley, hearing this, couldn’t help but laugh. He then looked towards Reisgem. This time, they truly had to thank Reisgem.

  “Fortunately, Reisgem, you used the Sovereign to threaten him.” Linley laughed with a sigh.

  “Hmph. That was all talk. By the time my mother actually made it here, Bayer would’ve fled long ago.” Reisgem pursed his lips. “Fortunately, Bayer wasn’t willing to go all out for the sake of Occluar.”

  Linley nodded slightly as well.

  If Occluar and Bayer had a relationship that was as close as Linley and Bebe’s, most likely, Bayer really would’ve ignored all else to kill them. Fortunately, the two didn’t have a relationship at that level yet.

  “Reisgem, this Sovereign’s Might…” Linley only now thought of the canteen of Sovereign’s Might in his hand.

  Good heavens…a full canteen! What a terrifying fortune this was!

  “Reisgem, just now, you just wanted to shock Bayer and let him know that there was no way he would be able to kill Bebe, which is why you brought out this canteen of Sovereign’s Might. Now that this is at an end, you can take it back.” Linley immediately handed the amethyst canteen back to Reisgem.

  It wasn’t that Linley didn’t want the Sovereign’s Might. If it had only been one or two drops, Linley would’ve accepted it.

  But this was an entire canteen…

  This was too precious, something Linley felt was too hot to hold. While working together with Reisgem, Linley hadn’t made any great contributions, so how could he receive a canteen of Sovereign’s Might? As the saying goes, if no merits were rendered, none should be recorded. To receive a treasure without having accomplished anything? Linley felt uneasy.

  “Eh?” Bebe was startled.

  “Here you go.” Bebe did the same thing.

  “HEY!” Reisgem stared at Linley and Bebe, then said angrily, “Linley, Bebe, what are you two doing? Hmph, if you are going to be so insincere, we might as well just split up the squad. You go your way, and Reihom and I will go ours. You two don’t treat me as bros anyhow. As for the canteen of Sovereign’s Might? I, Reisgem, have never taken back something I gifted out. If you don’t want it, then toss it!”

  Linley felt speechless and resigned.

  “Haha, Boss, Reisgem isn’t the stingy sort.” Bebe snickered, slapping his arm around Reisgem’s shoulders. “Just take it.” Bebe was rather unwilling to part with it to begin with; only, having seen Linley give it up, he had to do the same.

  “Hear that?” Reisgem delightedly raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you just toss this Sovereign’s Might and go your own way, while the three of us go ours. Or…just keep it.”

  Linley wasn’t the overly polite sort to begi
n with; only, this canteen of Sovereign’s Might was simply too valuable, and so he wasn’t able to accept it right away, which is why he had acted in such a manner. But now that Reisgem had responded in such a way, what else could Linley do? All he could do was, with a flip of his hand, store the canteen of Sovereign’s Might into his interspatial ring.

  “That’s more like it.” Reisgem chortled merrily. “To be honest, earlier on, when I just reached the Highgod level and hadn’t fused that many of the profound mysteries, I probably wouldn’t have been willing to be generous, even if you asked me to.”

  “Eh? What’s that about?” Bebe said.

  Linley just laughed while listening. With Bebe and Reisgem standing together, it was like a pair of youths. Their eyes were both so lively and agile; they looked like two siblings.

  The four of them chatted while walking forward.

  “What my mother said is that I needed to be tempered!” Reisgem laughed. “Without me having reached a certain level of power, if she were to give me a large amount of Sovereign’s Might, I would never feel as though I were in any danger, which would make it harder for me to make any breakthroughs. Thus, only after I fused five profound mysteries did my mother stop restricting me in terms of how much Sovereign’s Might I could have.”

  Linley nodded slightly.

  Without a sense of danger, it would be fairly hard to rise in power. Linley could completely understand the actions of the Redbud Sovereign.

  “Oh…you have so much Sovereign’s Might. Boss’s Four Divine Beasts clan rarely hands out even a single drop of Sovereign’s Might.” Bebe said with a sigh.

  Reisgem laughed loudly. “The Four Divine Beasts clan? How can they compare to me? An enormous clan like that has millions of people, scattered throughout the four great planes. The four great Sovereigns did indeed bestow a huge amount of Sovereign’s Might to them! But did the people of the Four Divine Beasts clan learn to treasure it? They did not! Those four clan leaders probably never imagined that their four Sovereigns would perish. When the four Sovereigns died…the time came that they no longer had access to unlimited amounts of Sovereign’s Might! They were completely dumbfounded.”