Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “What?” Gislason, who had just sat down, couldn’t help but stand in shock. “Linley, you say you are going to go to the Divine Light Plane to visit the Chief Sovereign?”

  “Right.” Linley laughed calmly. “I’m just coming to let you know that this trip of mine will take at least ten years and perhaps up to a hundred. All I can do is to go beg the Chief Sovereign of Light.”

  Gislason hesitated, then said, “Linley, based on what I learned from Father in the past, the Chief Sovereign of Light isn’t a very amiable person. The Chief Sovereign of Light is extremely arrogant, and extremely domineering. If you go beg him…the chance for success truly is very low. In addition, I’m worried that if you say a single word not to his liking, he will kill you.”

  “Arrogant and domineering?” Linley frowned.

  Gislason nodded. “Right. The countless planes of the universe have a total of eleven Chief Sovereigns. The strongest are, of course, the Chief Sovereigns of the four Edicts! As for the other seven, the Chief Sovereign of Light is the strongest.”

  Linley understood. The Chief Sovereigns of the Edicts were indeed mighty.

  But he hadn’t expected…that of the Chief Sovereigns of the seven Elemental Laws, the Chief Sovereign of Light was the mightiest.

  “Why is the Chief Sovereign of Light more powerful than the other Elemental Chief Sovereigns?” Linley asked, puzzled.

  Gislason was the son of the Azure Dragon, after all. He knew many secrets. He laughed and said, “This involves a certain treasure…an Overgod artifact!”

  “Overgod artifact?” Linley’s eyes instantly lit up.

  Just from the term alone, Linley understood what it represented. Divine artifacts. Sovereign artifacts. Overgod artifacts! Clearly, there were three levels of artifacts.

  “Overgod artifacts are created by the Overgods themselves! Because there are only four Overgods, the Overgods of Fate, Destruction, Death, and Life, there are also only four kinds of Overgod artifacts. The four most powerful Sovereigns are the Chief Sovereigns of Destruction, Death, Fate, and Life. They all have Overgod artifacts. This is why they are the most powerful Chief Sovereigns!”

  Linley nodded slightly.

  No wonder those four Chief Sovereigns were powerful. So it was because they had Overgod artifacts.

  “Eleven Chief Sovereigns…five of them have Overgod artifacts. Aside from the four Chief Sovereigns I just mentioned, the last one is the Chief Sovereign of Light! Although the Chief Sovereign of Light has an Overgod artifact, it isn’t a match for him, and so he’s unable to use all of its power. Thus, he is weaker than the four Chief Sovereigns of the Edicts, but more powerful than the other six Chief Sovereigns of the Laws!”

  Linley sighed to himself.

  The power of Overgod artifacts must truly be tremendous. There were only four Overgods to begin with, and they were the personifications of the Edicts to begin with. It was only natural that the Chief Sovereign of Light wouldn’t be suited to handling an Overgod artifact. It was only reasonable that he would thus be weaker than the four Chief Sovereigns of the Edicts.

  “Overgod artifacts…where do they come from, and how did these five Chief Sovereigns acquire them?” Linley asked.

  “I’m uncertain.” Gislason shook his head. “This happened long, long ago. Even my father and the other three didn’t know the details, much less me. The Chief Sovereign of Light’s is arrogant and domineering, but he has the power to be domineering. After all, he has an Overgod artifact!”

  “Overgod artifact…” Linley let out a sigh. “Can it be that despite the passage of so many years, there hasn’t been a second Overgod artifact?”

  “No. If there was one, wouldn’t the Chief Sovereigns and Sovereigns go wild over it and fight for it? The Chief Sovereign of Light has one, but the Chief Sovereigns of the other six elements do not. I imagine that in their hearts, those six Chief Sovereigns of the Laws feel very unhappy about this. If they had any chance to acquire one, would they give it up?” Gislason laughed as he spoke.

  Linley couldn’t help but laugh. “I wonder what an Overgod artifact looks like. I probably wouldn’t recognize one even if I saw one.”

  “Overgod artifacts? Only someone at the level of a Sovereign can make use of them. There’s no point in us acquiring them; in fact, acquiring them would only invite disaster upon ourselves.” Gislason changed the topic. “Enough about Overgod artifacts. That’s a very distant topic. Linley, you say that you wish to go to the Divine Light Plane, but I urge you not to go. Truly, don’t go!”

  Linley chuckled. “He might be powerful, but he is still a Sovereign. Would he lower himself to act against me?”

  Gislason let out a low sigh, then suddenly spoke through divine sense. “Linley, I will tell you a secret.”

  Linley was stunned!

  The two were chatting in the hall, but Gislason actually used divine sense to speak? Could the secretly be so great?

  “Patriarch, what is the secret?” Linley was puzzled.

  “Linley.” Gislason’s expression was solemn. “I’ve always suspected something about the deaths of the four ancestors of our clan!”

  “Suspected something?” Linley didn’t understand.

  “I suspect…that the killer was the Chief Sovereign of Light!” Gislason sent.

  Linley was badly shocked. Gislason continued to speak through divine sense. “Although the four ancestors of our clan were merely Lesser Sovereigns, their innate divine abilities were very strange; their four divine abilities could actually combine into one, with their four types of divine ability energy able to fuse as well and result in an exceedingly powerful supreme technique. Even High Sovereigns such as the Chief Sovereigns were quite apprehensive.”

  Combine four innate divine abilities into one?

  Linley knew that the divine abilities of the Four Divine Beasts clan were rather unusual, but he had no way of understanding what they would be like when used by the four ancestors. There was one thing he did know; without question, it would have been far more powerful than when Linley and his peers used them. After all, Linley and the others only carried the lineage of the divine beasts in their veins; they weren’t true divine beasts.

  “You say…that you suspect the killer was the Chief Sovereign of Light? Why would it be him?” Linley asked.

  “First of all, very few people were capable of killing the four ancestors! The four Chief Sovereigns of the Edicts…the Chief Sovereign of Fate doesn’t get involved in worldly affairs. The Chief Sovereign of Destruction was on excellent terms with our ancestors. The Chief Sovereign of Death…as long as someone doesn’t offend her, she wouldn’t do anything to them. The Chief Sovereign of Life is said to be quite kind-hearted and rarely kills mortals, much less Sovereigns. In addition, our four ancestors didn’t have any conflicts or opposing interests with the Chief Sovereign of Life. Thus…the only one left is the Chief Sovereign of Light!” Gislason sent mentally.

  Linley frowned.

  “The Chief Sovereign of Light has an Overgod artifact. He has enough power to resist the combined innate divine ability of the four ancestors.” Gislason’s eyes held anger and hatred within them. Although there were eleven Chief Sovereigns, since the other six didn’t have Overgod artifacts, there was no way they would be able to kill the four ancestors when they were fighting together.”

  “Did he have conflicting interests with our four ancestors?” Linley asked mentally.

  “Not a conflicting interest per se, but…back then, our Four Divine Beasts clan was spread throughout the planes of the universe. We were extremely powerful, and there were quite a few people who believed that our Four Divine Beasts clan was the number one clan of the planes of the universe. But the Augusta clan…there were also many who believed that they were the number one clan. If there was a conflict…I imagine the only conflict was one of conflicting reputations.” Gislason couldn’t find anything else either.

  After all, the four ancestors wouldn’t have gone out of their way to
go offend the Chief Sovereign of Light either.

  “Fighting over the title of the ‘number one clan’? That can’t be right.” Linley couldn’t believe it. “The so-called struggle over the title of ‘number one clan’ was a reputational struggle. The Chief Sovereign of Light would kill our four ancestors because of it? This reason doesn’t make much sense.”

  “I…I’m not sure either. But logically speaking, he’s the only possible culprit.” Gislason clearly also felt that his reason wasn’t very convincing. “Linley, if he really was the one who killed them, then he definitely has malicious feelings towards the Four Divine Beasts clan. He didn’t kill us because he didn’t care about us, but now that you are a Paragon…I’m afraid that he would…”

  “Patriarch, he might very well be the killer, but he also might not be.” Linley sent. “Also, you said that the other Chief Sovereigns wouldn’t be able to kill the four ancestors when they joined forces. But what if they were killed one by one? If someone truly intended to kill them, it’s possible that they didn’t give our four ancestors a chance to join forces.”

  Gislason was startled. He immediately sent back, “The four ancestors were extremely close to each other. They rarely separated.”

  “Rarely separated? That doesn’t mean they were always together.” Linley sent back. “Don’t worry, Patriarch. Even if the Chief Sovereign of Light was the killer, would he act against me, a Deity? Even if he was nervous, he wouldn’t be nervous of me, a Paragon. After all, a Paragon is still just a Deity.”

  Gislason, hearing this, let out a bitter laugh. “Linley, it seems you have set your mind on going.”

  “Right. If I don’t make the trip, I won’t be satisfied.” Linley nodded.

  After all, this involved his mother!

  Both he and Wharton wanted to meet the mother who had given birth to them! As for his father, his father had always been thinking about his mother.

  “If you want to go, you should at least let Lord Beirut know. Lord Beirut is on fairly close terms with the Bloodridge Sovereign, and he knows many things. It would be good for you to ask him his opinion.” Gislason didn’t want Linley to go, but clearly, he wasn’t able to convince Linley. All he could do was entrust his hopes to Beirut.

  Linley, upon hearing this, had to admit that this was a good idea.

  “Then, Patriarch, please help me make some inquiries. I know that our clan should have a method to communicate with Lord Beirut, right?” Linley laughed.

  “Right. In the past, my clone was there. However, now that the crisis is over, my clone has returned. Still, we still have intelligence agents there.” Gislason nodded. “I will make the arrangements. I imagine that in a little while, Beirut’s response will arrive.”

  Linley nodded slightly. He couldn’t go wrong listening to Beirut.

  “Then I’ll go back now.” Linley laughed. He planned to leave tomorrow.

  “Patriarch.” Right at this moment, a guard from outside the door ran in.

  Linley and Gislason both turned to look. The guard bowed, then reported, “Patriarch, Elder Linley, someone has arrived asking to meet with Elder Linley.” Gislason frowned. “Ordinary guests can be instructed to leave.” Very many people wished to meet with Linley.

  Linley wouldn’t meet with any commander-level experts, but Gislason would.

  For those who were too weak, however, they would be refused entry outside the mountain.

  “But, Patriarch, this person says that he is Linley’s old friend. His name is…Olivier!” The guard said hurriedly.

  “Olivier?” Linley was rather surprised. “Come, I’ll go with you.”

  Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 7, Olivier

  Linley traversed Dragon Avenue, flying downwards and quickly arriving outside the Skykrite Mountains. He saw Olivier there, floating in the air outside the mountain range.

  Next to the location where Olivier was hovering, there was also a flourishing ironbark tree. Its lustrous, knife-like metallic leaves, under the light of the Blood Sun, seemed terrifying. As for Olivier, his black and white hair was tousled and rather mussed. His face was ashen. He seemed quite dispirited. In front of him was a black-haired youth.

  “What happened to Olivier?” Linley, seeing this, couldn’t help but frown. “He seems quite depressed.”

  In Linley’s mind, Olivier was an expert who always strove to reach the peak and who wasn’t afraid of loneliness. Even when in the most dire of situations, Olivier shouldn’t be the sort of person to grow depressed and give up. Thus, the scene in front of Linley puzzled him.

  “Elder Linley, that’s the person who claims to be your friend, ‘Olivier.’” The warriors of his clan reported respectfully.

  “He is indeed my friend.” Linley smiled then flew towards Olivier.

  Olivier had noticed Linley as well, and he couldn’t help but fly towards Linley while squeezing out a smile. It was still quite a stroke of karmic luck for two people of a similar age from the same homeland to meet each other here in the Infernal Realm.

  “Linley.” Olivier forced a smile.

  “Haha, Olivier…after the last time we parted, a thousand years has passed without us meeting again.” Linley said with a laugh, and then looked towards the youth next to Olivier. “Oh, Olivier, the youth next to you is…?” Linley realized that there seemed to be a rather baleful aura coming from the youth’s forehead, and he seemed quite cold and emotionless.

  Olivier took the youth’s hand, then turned and glanced sideways at Linley. “This is my son. Deia [Dai’ya].”

  “Son?” Linley was slightly startled.

  Olivier had actually gotten married? Olivier had always pursued perfection, and he had never had a wife.

  “Uncle Linley.” The cold youth, ‘Deia’, bowed fractionally as he spoke.

  “Excellent.” Linley laughed and nodded, then said to the nearby Olivier, “Olivier, don’t just stand there. Come, come to my place. Let’s chat slowly once we get back. Haha, it has been so many years since I have seen you. You even have a son…and you’ve become a Highgod. Excellent.”

  Linley laughed as he spoke, then flew alongside Olivier back to his own residence.

  Moments later, they arrived at Linley’s residence.

  “Elder!” The guards in front of the residence’s gates all saluted respectfully, their eyes filled with a hint of veneration. There were many warriors who were willing to be a guard for Linley’s residence. To be a guard for a Highgod Paragon? This was something one could feel very proud of.

  “Deia, come in.” Linley laughed as he spoke to the cold youth.

  Seeing how Deia acted, Linley sighed in his heart. “In the past, Olivier was quite cold as well. I didn’t expect that his son would be even colder than him, with such a strong, baleful aura, as though he is about to kill someone.” Still, Linley understood that it wasn’t that Deia was being disrespectful to him; it was that Deia had been like this ever since he was born, and so it was only natural that he had become like this at all times now.

  After entering the residence.

  “Heeey…Olivier?!” A large group of people was in the grassy courtyard, and Bebe, who was chatting loudly with everyone else, called out in surprise as he saw Olivier.

  “Olivier. Long time no see.” Reynolds laughed as he walked over to greet him.

  “Olivier.” Wharton and the others who were on friendly terms with Olivier all walked over. In the past, Olivier had stayed at Dragonblood Castle for quite a long period of time, and he was quite familiar with many of the people who lived there. “You all came?” Olivier was very surprised as well. All he could do was continue to force a smile as he greeted these people.

  A large group of people immediately surrounded Olivier and Deia.

  Linley watched this calmly, musing to himself, “Olivier seems to be rather…off.”

  Surrounded by so many people, Olivier had no choice but to chat with them.

  “Father.” Deia tugged at Olivier’s hand slightly, cl
early not accustomed to being surrounded by so many people.

  “Enough, everyone, let’s break it up. There will be plenty of opportunities to see Olivier in the future. Olivier just returned. Let him rest a bit.” Linley said with a laugh. Immediately, the group slowly broke apart, and Linley then walked to stand next to Olivier. He asked softly, “Olivier, is there something on your mind?”

  Olivier glanced at Linley, then shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Olivier clearly didn’t want to discuss it!

  Seeing the response, Linley didn’t pursue this line of questioning. Laughing, he said, “Then stay here at my place. We have many people here…it will be more lively.”

  “Fine.” Olivier laughed and nodded.

  And then, Linley left as well.

  Within a large, empty courtyard. Deia was seated at the corner of a stone table. The stone table was covered with fruit and food, and Deia was silently eating some of it, not chatting with the others at all.

  Wharton, Reynolds, and Olivier were all seated together.

  “That’s the way Deia is. He likes the quiet.” Olivier explained.

  “This is a problem with your child raising methods.” Wharton chortled.

  Olivier forced out a laugh, but didn’t discuss this any further. He suddenly looked around, then said, puzzled, “Wharton, Reynolds…when I originally came to the Four Divine Beasts clan, didn’t Linley’s group live in that large gorge? But on this visit, I can tell that Linley’s estate is now incredibly luxurious and takes up a large space. It is quite eye-catching. What’s going on?”

  A person’s residence would be commensurate to their status.

  Naturally, Olivier would be puzzled as to why someone would have such a large residence within the Four Divine Beasts clan.

  “You haven’t met with my Third Bro in over a thousand years. The past thousand years, however, Third Bro has gained strength faster than ever before.” Reynolds laughed.

  “Oh?” Olivier was very surprised.

  “I’ll tell you.” Reynolds laughed, then began to explain. “Let’s start from when the Four Divine Beasts clan escaped their crisis. The eight great clans were pressing down upon the Four Divine Beasts clan from right outside the mountains…” Reynolds explained everything, including the events in the Netherworld, the events in Tartarus, and even what Linley had done in the Planar Battlefield. He explained it all in one go.