Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

“Bang!”

  Space itself trembled as Linley’s speed increased explosively!

  His speed had increased by roughly 30%.

  Actually, by relying on the ‘fused divine power’ that was ten times more effective than Sovereign power, Linley’s speed could increase several times over. But Linley understood something. “If I were to suddenly increase my speed several times over, Clementine would probably be so terrified that he wouldn’t dare do battle. He would go straight into chaotic space. That would be terrible. I’ve only increased my speed by 30% or so. He wouldn’t actually be frightened…and this speed is enough to catch him.”

  Linley’s original speed was already quite terrifying. After a 30% increase?

  To make a difference of a hundred thousand kilometers after a 30% increase in speed was simply too easy.

  “Catch me? In their dreams?” Clementine, fleeing in the distance with a smug feeling, suddenly had a changed look on his face. His divine sense had realized that Linley had suddenly broken away from the other seven Paragons and was advancing towards him at high speed. “How can this be? How can he be so fast? Can it be that he had been hiding his power?”

  The other seven Paragons were shocked as well.

  “How can this Linley be so fast?” Dunnington stared, stupefied.

  “This speed…it is even close to thirty percent faster than mine.” The Paragon of Lightning, Nanessa, had a stunned look in her eyes as well.

  “He just increased in speed by that much! There is still a distance of more than a hundred million kilometers from here to the Fogdeep continent’s teleportation array. They are only a hundred thousand kilometers away from each other. He’ll catch up in an instant.” Bayer frowned as well. Linley’s speed had stunned him.

  This group of Paragons had no idea that Linley had only revealed a hint of his true power. This was because Linley didn’t want to scare Clementine into fleeing into chaotic space.

  “So what if he is just a bit faster? By himself, he won’t be able to stop me.” Clementine then calmed down.

  He had a defensive Sovereign artifact. As he saw it, Linley’s material attacks shouldn’t be able to harm him.

  As for soul attacks?

  Generally speaking, unless the difference was large, it wouldn’t be able to kill an enemy.

  “His soul attacks definitely aren’t as strong as mine. Even if they were slightly stronger, he wouldn’t be able to harm me; he’s just a bit faster. It makes sense. He is a member of the Four Divine Beasts clan; it only makes sense that he’s a bit special.” Clementine felt very confident. Just now, he had suffered two soul attacks from Paragons, yet endured it; why would he fear Linley?”

  Unless it was necessary, he wouldn’t choose to enter chaotic space.

  If he did, he would have to suffer for some time as well.

  “Clementine, you won’t be able to escape.” Linley had already caught up, and he could now see Clementine within his field of vision.

  “Linley, I admit that you are quite fast, but do you think that by yourself, you will be able to stop me?” Clementine chuckled.

  Linley just stared silently at Clementine as he drew closer and closer to Clementine. A thousand meters. Five hundred meters. A hundred meters…

  Suddenly…

  “Bang!”

  In that instant, Linley’s speed suddenly tripled! On top of the earlier 30% increase in speed, it increased threefold more!

  Threefold!!!

  “Impossible!” The seven Paragons were watching this from afar through divine sense. Five of them even cried out involuntarily in shock, while the other two just stared with looks of amazement in their wide eyes! It had been countless years since something was capable of causing these Highgod Paragons to feel amazed.

  But Linley’s speed had increased threefold more. This was on a completely different level from Paragons!

  To be moving at such high speed definitely required that a person’s energy and body were both far stronger than a Paragon’s!

  From ancient days till now, everyone believed that Paragons were the highest level of existence amongst Highgods. But Linley was definitely on a level stronger than even Paragons. What was this about?!

  “Impossible!!!” Clementine’s eyes were filled with amazement as well.

  Right at this moment…

  “BANG!” He wasn’t able to react at all before a fist came smashing towards his face!

  Clementine’s defensive Sovereign artifact trembled violently. It wasn’t damaged, but Clementine’s skull was actually fractured, and the flesh on his face was split open, causing fresh blood to flow out. Clementine just felt his head grow dizzy. In this instant, he was completely dazed!

  Not just him; the seven Paragons watching from afar were dazed as well!

  To be able to harm him even through a defensive Sovereign artifact…what sort of an attack was this?

  In the past, in the Indigo Prefecture of the Infernal Realm, when the eight great clans had attacked the Four Divine Beasts clan, Beirut had appeared and, wielding his Sovereign longstaff, devastated the experts of the eight great clans. The Patriarchs of the eight great clans had defensive Sovereign artifacts, but were still heavily injured by Beirut’s staff blows, to the point of vomiting blood.

  Having a defensive Sovereign artifact didn’t symbolize that someone would be invincible!

  Imagine a child holding a steel shield, while an adult wielding an iron mace smashed hard against the shield. Even though the shield wouldn’t be damaged at all, and although the shield would ablate most of the force, the remainder of the force would still cause the child to be injured.

  It was the same principle!

  If there was a twofold, threefold, or even fourfold difference in strength, there were no problems at all if one relied on a defensive Sovereign artifact.

  But of course, there was a prerequisite.

  That was that the attacker also had a powerful weapon. For example, Beirut; when he injured the Patriarchs of the eight great clans, he was able to do so because he had a Sovereign weapon! He had a Sovereign weapon, and given how strong he himself was, he was definitely more than ten times as strong as his enemies, which was why he was able to badly injure them. If Beirut used all of his strength, he would’ve even been able to kill them!

  But if he hadn’t had a Sovereign weapon, things would have been troublesome.

  Although his attack power was great, if his weapon was ordinary, given the powerful collision that would’ve resulted, his weapon would’ve been destroyed.

  However, after undergoing the transformation from the four fused divine powers, Linley’s fists and kicks were comparable to Sovereign weapons!

  “How…how can this be?” Clementine’s eyes were filled with shock. And then, he stared hard at Linley. “You…you…how can…?”

  “Hmph, Clementine, just now, I didn’t use full force.” Linley said coldly. And then, his body suddenly began to sprout inky jade draconic scales. Those inky jade spikes emerged as well. Linley instantly went into full Dragonform, then stared hard at Clementine. “Just now, I was able to heavily wound you through the Sovereign artifact. But now, I am able to kill you! You should understand by now.”

  For the current Linley, even without Dragonforming, he vastly surpassed his former strength in Dragonform, prior to fusing the four divine powers.

  Using his fused divine power was more than ten times more effective than using Sovereign power.

  This made it so that the even non-Dragonformed Linley was more than ten times as powerful as an ordinary Paragon.

  But now, Linley was in Dragonform! His strength once more skyrocketed. His punches contained the power of Will; they were absolutely on the Sovereign weapon level!

  “No…how can this be?” Clementine was stupefied.

  The other spectating Paragons were completely stunned as well.

  How could the world have an expert who was vastly stronger than a Paragon? Paragons were invincible amongst Deities. Thi
s was an iron rule!

  Unfortunately, they didn’t realize…that this so-called iron rule was only true in the past. A hitherto unseen quadruple soul mutation had been successful, which had changed everything! A Soul Mutate who had four divine clones had never been seen before. After succeeding, Linley’s Will became far more powerful than that of the Will of a Paragon.

  This symbolized…that Linley would definitely be stronger than Paragons!

  For him to have a powerful Will was one thing, but what was even more terrifying was that after the four types of divine power fused, they actually changed Linley’s body, making it so that it, too, reached the Sovereign weapon level. This terrifying body, combined with his terrifying Will, and the fused divine power that vastly oustripped Sovereign power…

  All these things guaranteed that Linley would vastly outstrip any Highgod Paragon!

  Prior to fusing four types of divine power, Linley was comparable to Highgod Paragons. After fusing them…Linley was far beyond them!

  “My body has divine clones hiding within it, so I admit that yes, after Dragonforming, you have the power to kill me. But that’s just my original body. I can use my divine clones to shatter this interspatial ring.” Clementine said hurriedly. “If you kill me, you’ll acquire neither the interspatial ring nor the red caltrop diamond.”

  “That is precisely why, just now, I didn’t try to kill you.” Linley said calmly.

  His true power was tens of times greater than that of his opponent, and his body was comparable to a Sovereign weapon. Linley was able to kill his opponent, even through a Sovereign artifact. At most, though, he would be able to kill the original body; the divine clone hidden within it wouldn’t die instantly. The divine clone absolutely could crush the interspatial ring.

  “Clementine, it is just a red caltrop diamond. I imagine that you wouldn’t be willing to give up your life for the sake of a red caltrop diamond.” Linley said calmly. “Even if we acquire the red caltrop diamond, we’ll simply offer it to a Sovereign and at most gain some Sovereign’s Might. It isn’t that useful.”

  Clementine nodded.

  “Your life. Your everything. Compared to a red caltrop diamond that can only be used to trade for some Sovereign’s Might. Which one is more valuable? I imagine that you know what choice to make.” Linley laughed calmly. “Also. Don’t even think about entering chaotic space. Even if you charge in, I’ll follow you in and instantly kill you.”

  Earlier, Linley said that he had a 90% confidence because…

  Linley believed that unless Clementine went mad, he wouldn’t be willing to, for the sake of a red caltrop diamond that he would simply exchange for some Sovereign’s Might, give up his Paragon clone!

  “Fine, you win.” Clementine let out a sour laugh. “I’m not going to give up my life for this bauble. Only, I want to ask you. Are you…a Highgod Paragon?”

  Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 43, Utterly Exasperated

  “Are you…a Highgod Paragon?”

  This question was something which puzzled not only Clementine. Even the seven distant Highgod Paragons who were flying over were filled with shock and disbelief! Linley, even without Dragonforming, had actually been able to harm Clementine through a Sovereign artifact.

  What sort of power was this?

  It was definitely a power gap of more than ten times! To be more than ten times more powerful than a Paragon? Aside from Sovereigns, could someone else be capable of this? In addition, this was when he wasn’t in Dragonform. If he did Dragonform, how much stronger would Linley be, compared to a Paragon? Linley’s very existence was completely inconceivable.

  “Paragon?” Linley raised an eyebrow.

  “Can it be…that you’ve made another breakthrough? Can it be that after we become Paragons, we can make further breakthroughs?” Clementine asked hurriedly. The Overgod talismans weren’t that enticing to Paragons; after becoming a Paragon, they had lost all motivation, as they believed that they had reached the very pinnacle. Some lived leisurely lives, others secluded themselves, while still others controlled a side of their own.

  But upon seeing Linley, these Paragons discovered that apparently it was possible to continue to increase in strength!

  Instantly, their hearts began to blaze once more!

  “No. Can it be that just because I’m also a Paragon, I can’t possibly be tens of times or a hundred times stronger than you?” Linley laughed calmly.

  “Uh…” Clementine was stunned. “You…is it because of your body?”

  “Yes. I am a Paragon, but my body is far more powerful than yours! My body is comparable to a Sovereign artifact.” Linley smiled. Even now, Linley wasn’t prepared to publicize his secret.

  “This…a body comparable to a Sovereign artifact? That’s completely…how can that be?!”

  Clementine now completely understood!

  Paragons who both used Sovereign power should, logically speaking, be equivalent. But Linley’s body was comparable to a Sovereign artifact in power; such a physically powerful body made it so that Linley’s attacks were tens of times, or nearly a hundred times, more powerful than an ordinary Paragon’s!

  “Why can’t it be possible? Hemmers, even though he isn’t a Paragon, is too naturally talented. His material attacks are already comparable to a Paragon’s. You tell me; if he became a Paragon and possessed the power of Will, wouldn’t his material attacks vastly surpass yours?” Linley laughed calmly.

  Given how powerful Hemmers was before becoming a Paragon, if he became a Paragon, Hemmers would definitely surpass the others.

  “I understand now.” Clementine let out a long sigh.

  “Linley, you are now the most powerful person who has ever existed, aside from the Sovereigns.” Clementine looked at Linley with a complicated look in his eyes.

  Clementine understood what Linley was saying. Not one of the other Paragons had a body comparable to a Sovereign artifact.

  It must be understood that in all of history, throughout all the planes of the universe, there were less than ten people whose bodies were comparable to Sovereign artifacts in strength! Hemmers could just barely be considered one, while Beirut was another…there were less than ten in the entire universe. For one of those rare, blessed individuals to also become a Paragon? Was that likely?

  The number of living creatures of various races that had existed throughout all of the planes and all of history was an astronomical, unthinkable number. And yet, only twenty-plus Paragons had ever emerged.

  The chances were simply too low! It could be said that the chances were virtually nil.

  There were less than ten or so figures like Hemmers or Beirut. For one of them to become a Paragon wasn’t very practical.

  Actually, according to the way the natural laws of the universe worked, for those who were too innately gifted, it would be extremely difficult for them to train. Forget about Beirut and Hemmers; not even the ancestors of the Four Divine Beasts clan had become Paragons.

  The heavens were just!

  If Linley had developed normally, there was no way he could have become this powerful, nor could he have acquired a body comparable to a Sovereign artifact!

  However, despite having four divine clones, his soul mutation had been a success!

  Linley’s tough, powerful body wasn’t given to him at birth; it was created by that fused divine power!

  Ever since his four-way soul mutation had been a success, it was virtually guaranteed that a miracle would take place!

  Linley had ‘fused divine power’ and ‘Will’, both of which vastly surpassed that which was available to a Highgod. This made up for Linley’s deficiencies in the mysteries, making him comparable to a Paragon. But his body, as strong as a Sovereign artifact, made him vastly surpass them.

  “Clementine, you’ve asked your questions. Now, give me the red caltrop diamond.” Linley stared at Clementine.

  “I wanted to offer it to the Chief Sovereign. Forget it.” Clementine waved his hand,
and a red caltrop diamond appeared within it. Holding the red caltrop diamond, Clementine laughed as he looked at Linley. “This red caltrop diamond does indeed have a type of unique energy that nourishes the soul. However, to us Paragons, it is useless.”

  Clementine casually tossed the red caltrop diamond towards Linley.

  A treasure had varying levels of effects on varying levels of people.

  If a ordinary mortal were to hold the red caltrop diamond, it would probably cause his soul to quickly become as powerful as the soul of a Saint.

  If a God held it, he would also feel his soul change, and he, a God, would even be able to kill an ordinary Highgod. But if a Highgod were to hold it, the soul would no longer strength.

  The true was same for its released power. The more powerful a person was, the less effective it would be.

  The red caltrop diamond was only a talisman, after all. It wasn’t an Overgod artifact. Although it had unusual effects, it wasn’t an invincible treasure.

  Brodie, when holding it, could kill Six Star Fiends.

  But Morde, when in possession of the nine soul pearls, was nearly finished when facing a Linley who had yet to make his four-way fusion of divine power.

  To him, the increase in strength was already quite limited.

  To Paragons, in terms of both body and soul, after they acquired the power of Will, they had already reached a limit amongst Deities. Even if they held the red caltrop diamond or the nine soul pearls, it would at most increase their power by ten or twenty percent. Their regenerative power might increase twofold or threefold, but against someone who was tens of times stronger, it was useless.

  “The regenerative effect, as far as Paragons are concerned, is negligible.” Linley stretched his hand out and accepted the tossed red caltrop diamond. A surge of warm energy filled Linley’s body and soul. It was a feeling akin to the feeling he had when he held the nine soul pearls. This sort of nurturing power, to a soul as strong as Linley’s, had no effect at all.

  On the surface, Linley looked calm. But in his heart, he was so excited that he was quivering.

  “The red caltrop diamond. This is definitely the red caltrop diamond!” Linley wildly celebrated mentally. “Three talismans. I finally have them all!”