Chapter 14: Exchange of Geniuses
A sudden piece of news left Wharton completely stunned.
Wharton truly wanted to marry Nina openly and legitimately in the imperial capital, not elope.
"Kaelan, is this news reliable?" Linley stared at Kaelan, asking urgently once more.
Kaelan nodded solemnly. "Master Linley, although His Majesty has not yet made a public announcement, this information came to my father directly from the emperor. As for its authenticity, I trust Master Linley can judge for himself."
Linley nodded slightly.
The Imperial Left Prime Minister had no reason to deceive his own son. Moreover, with Linley's spiritual energy as a rank 9 Grand Magus, if the other party were lying, Linley's powerful spiritual force would have sensed it.
"Regardless, my brother and I are still grateful for your help, Kaelan," Linley said appreciatively.
By this point, Wharton's chaotic mind had finally cleared completely. He also thanked Kaelan sincerely: "Kaelan, thank you for telling us."
"No need to thank me. I just hope Nina can be happy in the future. Well, I'll be going now." Kaelan gave a slight bow to Linley and Wharton, then left.
Wharton watched Kaelan leave, then suddenly turned to look at Linley: "Big brother, what do we do?" Wharton's mind was indeed in a bit of a mess at this moment.
"What do we do?" Linley said decisively. "First, prepare to have the womenfolk transferred out of the imperial capital."
Linley gazed coldly toward the direction of the imperial palace. "We have no choice left. I'll send someone immediately to have Yale come over. For now, we can only use the Dawson Chamber of Commerce's channels to send Jenny, the sisters Rebecca and Hailey, and Uncle Hillman's family out of the capital first. And... their departure must not be discovered by the emperor."
Actually, even if they were discovered, it wouldn't matter much.
Even if Emperor Johann suspected Linley, so what? Would he dare to offend Linley? After all, he wasn't the War God. And even if he wanted to offend him... among his subordinates, who could possibly be a match for Linley?
******
That same day, Linley invited Yale over and discussed the matter thoroughly with him. Yale immediately patted his chest in assurance: "Third brother, rest assured. It's just a few people, right? Absolutely no problem."
Yale then smiled. "Actually, third brother, even if the emperor finds out about this, he can only pretend it never happened."
Linley smiled faintly.
Having reached the Saint realm, although the imperial emperor held a high status, he no longer posed much of a threat to Linley. The one Linley truly feared was the figure on Mount Wushan.
"Try not to be discovered," Linley instructed.
...
Although Jenny and the sisters Rebecca and Hailey were somewhat reluctant, they knew they would reunite with Linley and the others later, so they obediently followed the Dawson Chamber of Commerce's arrangements and quietly left the imperial capital.
In truth, Linley and Wharton hadn't given up on the last shred of hope.
They hoped that on March fifteenth, in the Martial Hall, Emperor Johann would choose Wharton. Although the probability was low... perhaps the emperor might change his mind.
After all, having Nina elope with Wharton would mean her leaving her family behind. Meanwhile, Wharton, Butler Hiri, Hillman, and the others had grown familiar with the imperial capital. Unless it was the last resort, they didn't want to take that step.
...
Day by day, time passed, and March fifteenth drew closer. Throughout the imperial capital, in every street and alley, every tavern and restaurant, there were discussions about Wharton, Bulumei, and their older brothers.
Everyone was guessing who would ultimately marry the empire's seventh princess.
Amid everyone's anticipation, March fifteenth finally arrived. That morning, a rare thick fog descended. Even when the sun came out around seven or eight o'clock, visibility was still limited to about ten meters.
"Whoosh." Wharton stood at the entrance of the Count's mansion, letting out a long breath.
These past days, the psychological pressure on him had been immense.
"Alright, we'll know the result today. Relax a bit," Linley said with a smile, patting Wharton on the shoulder. Wharton turned to look at his brother, and seeing Linley, he felt as if he had a strong backing, giving him confidence.
"Mm." Wharton nodded heavily.
Linley and Wharton then boarded the carriage and headed straight for the imperial palace. Due to the thick fog, the carriage moved very slowly. Moreover, there were an unusually large number of carriages heading to the palace that day.
At the palace gate.
One carriage after another stopped, and nobles and officials alighted, chatting and laughing with one another.
"Lord Oliver has arrived." When Oliver and Bulumei got off the carriage one after another, the nobles and ministers at the gate enthusiastically greeted them.
As Oliver stepped down from the carriage and saw many ministers and nobles approaching, he couldn't help but frown.
"Second brother, let's go inside." Without even glancing at those nobles, Oliver naturally emitted a wave of energy that pushed back the surrounding nobles and ministers without harming them in the slightest.
The nobles and ministers exchanged glances, stunned.
"My lord, we've arrived," a coachman's voice rang out. Then Linley and Wharton also got off the carriage. This time, the nobles and ministers wisely kept their distance, greeting them from afar.
Linley and Wharton likewise paid little attention to those ministers and headed straight for the palace gate.
"Linley." Oliver stopped instead and turned back to greet Linley.
"Oliver." Linley held a certain respect in his heart for a worthy opponent. To achieve such strength, one could not do so without dedicated, painstaking cultivation.
Linley, Wharton, Oliver, and Bulumei walked side by side, heading toward the Martial Hall.
"Linley, that day at the arena, to be honest, I really wanted to continue our match," Oliver said with a friendly smile.
"Oh? Then why did you give up? I don't believe you were afraid of Haydson," Linley said with a faint smile.
Both Oliver and Linley could sense each other's strength. The reason they had been forced back by Haydson that day was not only because Haydson was genuinely powerful but also because Linley and Oliver hadn't unleashed their full attacks.
"It wasn't fear of Haydson. Rather... challenging Haydson was a goal I set six years ago. Now that my Blackstone Sword is complete, I definitely want to challenge him," Oliver said, his eyes filled with determination. "That battle at the arena made me look forward to fighting you as well. But that fight will definitely have to come after the one with Haydson."
"I don't want Haydson to know the Blackstone Sword technique. If I fought you first, wouldn't that reveal my hand?" A hint of a smile played at the corner of Oliver's mouth. "I really want to see how Haydson, the 'Rock Shield Sword Saint' known for his defense, will handle this move of mine."
Linley nodded.
"In the battle a little over a month from now, who do you think will win, me or the Rock Shield Sword Saint?" Oliver suddenly asked.
Linley pondered for a moment.
That day, when Linley saw the black light flowing on the surface of the Blackstone Sword, he sensed a strange aura. Linley had confidence in his own Blackcloud Heavy Sword, but he wasn't confident in his ability to defend against Oliver's attack.
"You and the Rock Shield Sword Saint both have a chance to win. But I think the Rock Shield Sword Saint 'Haydson' might have a slightly higher chance of victory. After all, for so many years, no Saint-level expert has been able to defeat him. For him to achieve that, he must have some tricks up his sleeve," Linley said fairly.
Oliver nodded. "Yes, I admit that. Six years ago, when I fought Haydson, what he showed was only part of his true strength. Haydson... is unfathomable. But I am also full of confidence in my Blackstone Sword. No matter how strong his defense, I doubt he can withstand it."
Linley smiled.
This Oliver was quite similar to him, wasn't he? He too had full confidence in his Blackcloud Heavy Sword.
"What exactly is the attack of your Blackstone Sword? Why are you so confident?" Linley asked curiously.
Oliver smiled. "The Blackstone Sword?" He looked at Linley, thought for a moment, and then said, "I can tell you. You should know that my Blackstone Sword technique was created by comprehending the laws of darkness elemental magic."
Linley nodded.
"So, aside from its astonishing penetrative power and attack strength, my Blackstone Sword technique also includes an attack on the soul," Oliver said confidently, directly revealing it.
"Soul attack?" Linley was greatly surprised.
Dark magic originally included spells like soul curses, and the laws of darkness elemental magic also contained aspects related to the soul. For Oliver to comprehend a method of attacking the soul through his Blackstone Sword was indeed remarkable.
"The ordinary destructive power of the Blackstone Sword might be simple to defend against. But a direct attack on the soul... ordinary physical defenses are almost useless against it. Let's see how Haydson deals with that!"
As Oliver spoke, Bulumei beside him showed an excited expression.
Linley had to admit...
This Blackstone Sword was indeed terrifying.
"Terrifying—directly attacking the soul." Linley was also shocked by the power of this move.
"So, the stronger one's soul, the better their chance of resisting this move. But warriors generally don't have very strong spiritual energy. Even a Saint-level warrior's spiritual energy is usually inferior to that of a rank 9 Grand Magus," Oliver said confidently.
Warriors, compared to mages of the same level, were far inferior in spiritual energy.
This move precisely targeted the weakness of warriors.
"Linley, what kind of attack is your move?" Oliver also asked.
Bulumei also looked at Linley, a hint of pride in his eyes. He believed that Linley was definitely no match for his brother.
Linley didn't hide it either, and said directly, "My Blackcloud Heavy Sword technique is such that ordinary defenses are almost useless against it, as it directly attacks the internal organs within the body."
"Defenses almost useless?" Oliver's expression changed.
Generally, strong individuals trained their spiritual energy, especially when comprehending the path of the laws, which caused their spiritual energy to increase relatively quickly. For example, Haydson's spiritual energy should be comparable to that of a rank 9 Grand Magus.
But internal organs were different.
Muscles were easy to train, but the heart, lungs, and such were very difficult to cultivate. One could only allow them to absorb elemental energy to make the heart and lungs stronger.
If the internal organs were destroyed, a person would naturally die.
"Physical defenses useless, directly attacking the inside of the body..." Oliver also admired Linley in his heart. This kind of attack was too bizarre, and yet Linley had managed to create it.
Linley also admired Oliver. The Blackstone Sword was actually a direct soul attack.
...
The nobles and ministers behind them, seeing Linley and Oliver chatting like good friends, were quite surprised.
Soon, Linley and the others arrived outside the Martial Hall.
Linley and Oliver exchanged a glance, then each led their younger brother into the Martial Hall. In truth, even though the two had told each other about their ultimate techniques, it would still be very difficult for the other to defend against them.
Whether it was the soul or the internal organs, both were absolute vital points. It was precisely because both geniuses were confident in their own ultimate techniques that they weren't afraid to reveal them.
So what if I tell you? If you have the skill, try to defend against it!
******
Quite a few people had already gathered in the Martial Hall. Just as Linley entered with Wharton, a palace attendant approached: "Lord Linley, His Majesty has already arranged a seat for you. Please sit over there."
Ordinary ministers had to stand, but Linley did not.
Linley sat down calmly. Oliver was also led by a palace attendant to a seat on the other side. The nobles and ministers in the hall looked at Linley and Oliver with reverence.
"Linley, who do you think His Majesty will choose?" Under the gaze of the many nobles and ministers, Oliver conversed with Linley freely.
"Of course, my younger brother Wharton," Linley replied directly.
Oliver glanced at Linley. "I don't think so... Ah, His Majesty is here." Linley and Oliver both looked toward the hall entrance. Accompanied by palace attendants, the empress, consorts, and the seventh princess, Emperor Johann stepped into the hall.