Chapter 8: The Upper Echelons of the Yulan Continent
In the private meeting room of the Deli Hotel, two seventh-rank Temple Knights stood on either side of one of the room's large doors, while Linley and his three companions entered through an inner door. Their footsteps echoed crisply and forcefully against the smooth, mirror-like marble floor.
As Linley, Yale, and the others stepped inside, the seven people seated in the meeting room all turned to look at them.
"A Red Archbishop, three White Priests, and three Temple Knights," Linley identified their identities. He could also sense that these seven individuals were extremely powerful. Based on the information Linley knew—
Within the Church, the Red Archbishop was second only to the Holy Emperor. To become a Red Archbishop, one needed not only sufficient prestige but also a minimum strength of a rank-nine Grand Magus.
"A rank-nine Grand Magus?" Linley couldn't help but carefully observe this Red Archbishop.
The Red Archbishop before him appeared to be a middle-aged man with curly brown hair, a high-bridged nose, and a perpetual hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth, giving him an approachable demeanor.
"Greetings, Linley. And little Yale," the Red Archbishop said with a smile as he stood up. "Let me give you a brief introduction. These three White Priests are my deputies, and these three Temple Knights are the commander of our Glory Knight Order, Marcus, and his two deputy commanders. As for me… you may address me as 'Guillermo'."
Red Archbishop 'Guillermo'.
Linley had also heard that the Holy Union had eight elite knight orders, one of which was the Glory Knight Order. Each of these eight elite orders was extremely powerful, possessing formidable offensive capabilities.
"Lord Guillermo, Lord Marcus. And all you lords. May I ask what business you have?" Linley said humbly, while also paying some attention to Marcus.
Marcus was an extremely robust, bald-headed warrior. Just sitting there, he gave the impression of an immovable boulder, difficult to budge. Among these seven people from the Church, only Guillermo and Marcus held the highest status. As the commander of one of the eight elite knight orders, Marcus's strength was likely not much weaker than Guillermo's, and his status was comparable.
Marcus grinned, his deep, rumbling voice sounding: "I heard from Guillermo that our Holy Union has produced an extraordinary genius. A seventeen-year-old rank-seven dual-element magus. I've been curious about what this genius looks like. Seeing you today, haha, I like you."
With Marcus's discerning eye, he could naturally tell at a glance that Linley was also a warrior.
"Kid, what level has your warrior rank reached?" Marcus asked directly.
Guillermo sat there like a kindly old man, not at all displeased by Marcus's interruption.
Linley replied humbly, "I just reached the rank-six warrior level this year."
"Oh." Marcus's eyes lit up. "A seventeen-year-old rank-six warrior is already quite remarkable. I, Marcus, rarely admire anyone, but I have to admit you're truly a genius. Not only have you cultivated magic to this level, but you're also a decent warrior."
Linley smiled modestly.
The two deputy commanders beside Marcus also looked astonished.
Guillermo chuckled. "Alright, Marcus. It's good that Linley is a rank-six warrior, but a seventeen-year-old rank-six warrior can be found in any warrior academy. His most valuable asset is still his magical talent."
The difficulty of training as a warrior was inherently lower than that of a magus. Those who trained their bodies and built strength from a young age, and if they came from a good family and cultivated battle qi from childhood, becoming a rank-six warrior by seventeen wasn't too difficult.
"Linley, as a member of our Holy Union, achieving such remarkable results fills me, as a Red Archbishop of the Church, with pride. I'd like to ask you—are you interested in joining our Holy Union? I believe that with your talent and potential, if you join, I can guarantee right now that you'll become a White Priest of our Church. In the future, becoming a Red Archbishop won't be a problem." Guillermo cut straight to the chase, throwing out the bait.
The second-greatest super-genius in history. Such a genius had a ninety percent chance of becoming a Saint-level magus. The remaining ten percent might be due to some setback causing him to lose the will to cultivate. A future Saint-level powerhouse. Even without hard work, he'd at least be a rank-nine Grand Magus. Talent like this absolutely had to be recruited.
"Lord Guillermo, this news is really too sudden for me," Linley said, a hint of humble shyness on his face. "I'm only seventeen this year. I haven't thought too much about those things yet. High positions and great power also mean heavy responsibilities. I don't yet have the courage to shoulder that burden. I wonder… could we wait a few years?"
Linley declined.
Guillermo frowned slightly.
The second-greatest super-genius in the entire history of the Yulan Continent—such a person had a ninety percent chance of becoming a Saint-level powerhouse. If he couldn't be used by his own side, he couldn't be allowed to fall into enemy hands either.
"Linley, I know you're very young, but you are a member of our Holy Union, and you are a genius. As a genius, you should adapt to the heavy burdens that come with your dazzling brilliance, not retreat from them," Guillermo said persuasively.
"Furthermore, you can simply become a White Priest under my command. I can also guarantee that you can do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't violate the interests of the Church. I absolutely won't interfere with your freedom. What do you think of that?"
"Moreover, you can join any kingdom under the Holy Union's banner. We can even grant you the title of Duke." Guillermo's attitude was undeniably sincere.
Linley fell into thought.
The three White Priests beside Guillermo frowned slightly, but Guillermo himself continued to smile, looking at Linley with expectation. Just being gazed at with such a look made it hard to refuse.
Linley's companions, Yale, Reynolds, and George, remained silent on the sidelines. Even Yale didn't dare speak recklessly at this moment. What kind of person was a Red Archbishop?
One of the few at the very top of the Holy Union's pyramid. His power surpassed that of a king, and even Yale's father couldn't compare. What right did a merchant's son have to interrupt?
Linley's mind raced with thoughts, and Dylin Cowart had already warned him before entering this meeting room.
The power struggles among the four empires and two alliances were bound to be brutal. "If not for me, don't let them be for the enemy" was a common principle.
"Lord Guillermo," Linley finally spoke.
Guillermo's eyes lit up, and he smiled at Linley. "Made a decision?"
Linley nodded. "Lord Guillermo, I have lived in the Kingdom of Fenlai since childhood, so naturally I am a member of the Holy Union. I can assure you that as long as the Holy Union does not actively abandon me, I will never betray the Holy Union. No matter which other side it is, I will absolutely not join them."
"Your meaning is?" Guillermo looked at Linley, puzzled.
Linley continued, "My meaning is that I'd rather not rush into a decision for now. Please allow me to discuss this with my father first, and then I'll inform you of my choice. What I can guarantee is… I will absolutely not join the other four empires or the Dark Alliance."
Guillermo smiled and nodded. "Yes, such an important matter, you should indeed discuss it with your father. Very well, I will await your reply."
With that, Guillermo stood up. The three White Priests beside him, along with Marcus and his two deputies, also rose. "Since that's settled, I won't disturb you any longer. The Radiant Church has sincerity and enough patience. I just hope you won't keep me waiting for ten or twenty years, haha…" Guillermo laughed as he spoke.
Linley and his three companions also stood up, watching Guillermo and his party leave.
Only after the Radiant Church delegation had departed did Linley and his brothers finally relax.
"Whew, I was so nervous just now I didn't dare breathe," Reynolds said, letting out a long sigh of relief.
George nodded as well. "That Red Archbishop was very friendly to us, but I still felt uneasy inside."
Yale laughed. "Of course, after all, he's a Red Archbishop, one of the few people wielding power in the entire Holy Union. Hey, Third Bro, what exactly are you thinking? The Radiant Church isn't easy to deal with. After all, we're in Holy Union territory, under their control."
"Don't rush, don't rush," Linley said with a smile. "You see their strength, but you also need to see our advantage. Although I'm not as powerful as them, as long as I don't defect to the other five factions, the Radiant Church won't touch me. Besides, I said I need to discuss it with my father. As long as I temporarily avoid meeting him, can't I drag things out a bit longer?"
With that, Linley turned to Yale. "Yale, I need to ask you for a favor."
"Speak," Yale said, looking at Linley.
Linley sighed softly. "It's a bit embarrassing to say, but our Baruch family has a heirloom treasure. It was the personal weapon of our family's first patriarch, a warblade named 'Slaughterer'. Right now, this warblade 'Slaughterer' should be in the hands of a high-ranking noble in the Kingdom of Fenlai. I hope you can help me find out exactly who possesses this warblade 'Slaughterer'."
"A family heirloom treasure? Of course, we need to find it. Third Bro, do you want me to help you get it back directly?" Yale said straightforwardly.
Linley smiled. "Yale, it's enough if you can help me investigate. Besides, I'm not short on gold coins right now." Deep down, Linley didn't like owing people favors.
*******
Two days later, in the early morning.
The floor of Linley's room was covered in a layer of earthy yellow light. The area this light covered wasn't large, only about three meters in diameter. Anyone stepping into this area would feel an astonishing gravitational force.
Earth magic—Gravity Spell!
After reaching the rank-seven magus level, Linley's Gravity Spell was now far more effective than before. The ground's gravity was four times normal. Under four times gravity, it wasn't just the body; even the internal blood and meridians had to bear the increased force.
Linley himself didn't use earth magic to counteract this gravity. Instead, he endured it with his bare body. At this moment, he was doing a handstand, supporting himself on just two fingers of each hand, continuously training his finger strength and arm strength.
"...seven hundred twenty-five, seven hundred twenty-six."
"Drip, drip!" Sweat dripped from Linley's temples onto the floor.
The door to the room suddenly opened, and Yale rushed in excitedly. "Hey, Third Bro, I got news about that warblade 'Slaughterer' you asked me to look into." As he spoke, Yale accidentally stepped into the gravity zone.
"Yale!" Linley pushed off with both hands, shooting up rapidly, and pulled Yale out of the gravity zone in one swift motion.
"Pant, pant." Yale breathed heavily, staring at Linley in surprise. "Third Bro, you set up a Gravity Spell in your room? I walked right into it. That feeling just now was terrible. It felt like my heart had stopped."
If it had been any longer, given Yale's physical condition, it really could have caused problems.
"By the way, Yale, didn't you say you had news about the warblade 'Slaughterer'?" Linley's mind was on his family's ancestral treasure. His father's greatest lifelong wish was to retrieve this heirloom, which had been passed down for over five thousand years, and bring it back to the family.
Yale nodded slightly. "Oh, I just received word. That warblade 'Slaughterer' of your family is in the hands of a major family in Fenlai City. That family is called, called…" Yale frowned, momentarily forgetting the family's name.
"Hey, Third Bro, Yale, that Head Instructor Maia is here again in person," Reynolds's voice came from outside the door.