Chapter 21: Senior Brother
The wind howled as Linley and Casro walked along the mountain path, only two or three steps apart.
"Eight senior brothers live on Green Thunder Peak. Senior Brother's residence is at the very top of the peak," Casro said with emotion.
In his heart, Casro was imagining the battle between Hise and that senior brother over a thousand years ago.
"Casro, do you know the circumstances of the battle between Hise and your senior brother?" Linley asked.
Casro said enviously, "I hadn't even joined the War God's Hall back when that great battle happened. But I've heard other senior brothers talk about it. Hise's strength was terrifying, and his speed was incredibly fast. Senior Brother's speed is the fastest among all of us brothers, and he could only barely match Hise."
"How fast is that?" Linley was also skilled in speed.
Casro smiled faintly. "I don't know, since I didn't see it myself. But I'd estimate... it's probably much faster than you or Olivia."
Linley understood. In his current normal human form, he hadn't yet entered the Saint realm. His strength still had plenty of room for improvement. It was normal that he couldn't compare to them now.
At the peak of Green Thunder Peak.
The summit was about several dozen meters in circumference. Some low, gnarled old trees and weeds grew there, and beside one of the old trees stood two stone houses.
At the edge of the peak, a person stood there, looking down below.
Linley carefully observed this person. He wore a very simple green robe, his figure was somewhat lean but stood as straight as a flagpole. His hair was cropped short, about three inches long, and also green. Just from his back, he gave off an extremely fierce and resolute feeling.
"Senior Brother," Casro said respectfully.
The man with the short green hair turned his head to look over. When his gaze fell on Linley, and Linley met his eyes, Linley felt his very soul tremble.
What kind of attack was this?
Linley was shocked inwardly. He was certain that if it were an ordinary warrior, this Senior Brother's gaze alone could cause their soul to scatter. Fortunately, he himself possessed the spiritual energy of a rank 9 Grand Magus.
"Not bad." This Senior Brother smiled and nodded. "You're Linley?"
"Yes," Linley simply nodded.
"My name is Fain." Senior Brother smiled faintly. "Teacher asked me to receive you first. You can transform because you drank dragon's blood, right? You're not a pure Dragonblood Warrior?"
"Hm?" Linley frowned.
"I guessed as much when I heard about your transformation form. I've also seen the Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch clan." Senior Brother Fain said with a faint smile.
"Yes, so what?" Linley pressed on.
Senior Brother Fain sighed with emotion. "As far as I know, the pure Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch clan have greater potential. The variant Dragonblood Warriors born from drinking dragon's blood have slightly weaker potential. If you were a pure Dragonblood Warrior, once you reached your peak strength, you should be able to fight me."
"Even as a variant Dragonblood Warrior, my potential should still be greater than yours," Linley said, dissatisfied with this Senior Brother's tone.
Senior Brother Fain frowned.
What status did he have?
Even the so-called number one Saint-level expert, the Adamantite Sword Saint Hedderson, was merely a junior in Fain's eyes. He couldn't be bothered with him. Linley's defiance now truly displeased him.
But thinking of the War God's instructions, Fain smiled faintly and let go of his anger.
"Indeed, ultimate warriors, even if not pure, have far greater potential than normal humans." Fain smiled faintly, then glanced at Casro beside him. "Junior Brother, you can go back now. I'll take care of Linley for now."
"Yes, Senior Brother." Casro said respectfully, then shot Linley a meaningful look, telling him not to be too arrogant, before heading down the mountain.
Linley took a deep breath. He understood that it was better to be humble in the War God's Hall.
"Linley, let's sit and chat." Senior Brother Fain waved his hand, and two wooden stools from a distance flew directly over, landing in front of Linley and himself.
Linley was puzzled by this. What technique had Fain used? Linley hadn't sensed any battle qi at all.
"I heard you refused Lord Hodan?" Fain said with a smile. Even Fain was very respectful to Hodan, after all, Hodan was a Deity-level expert.
"Yes," Linley nodded.
"Smart." Fain said cheerfully. "Linley, we should be grateful to have been born in the Yulan continent."
"Oh?" Linley was a bit confused.
Fain continued, "Many Saint-level experts have been famous for centuries. They've enjoyed everything there is to enjoy, and most of their loved ones have aged and died. With nothing left to hold them, these Saint-level experts mostly go to the higher planes."
Linley nodded. He understood this.
Material pleasures, even if enjoyed for a long time, eventually become tiresome. After centuries, loved ones who haven't reached the Saint realm naturally pass away. With nothing left to tie them down, going to the higher planes was normal.
"But those people don't know that many experts in the higher planes want to come to the Yulan continent plane." A hint of a smile played at the corner of Fain's mouth. "Linley, do you know about the incident over five thousand years ago when experts from other planes descended?"
"I've heard of it," Linley nodded.
"I didn't expect you to know about that." Fain nodded. "Why did so many experts come to the Yulan continent? Naturally, because the Yulan continent plane has something that attracts them."
Fain shook his head and sighed. "Many Saint-level experts instead run off to the higher planes, which are teeming with experts. They're looking far while neglecting what's right in front of them."
"Linley, I'm just telling you, don't be in a hurry to go to the higher planes. Stay here, and you'll know the benefits later. As for what secrets the Yulan continent holds, I can't tell you for now." Fain said with a smile.
Linley looked at Fain in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"
Many Saint-level experts didn't even know about this. Why was Fain telling him?
"This was Teacher's instruction," Fain said.
"The War God?" Linley was deeply puzzled.
This was already the second time the War God had helped him. The first time was directly making Emperor Qiao'an choose Wharton. And this time, he was telling him this.
Fain suddenly said, "Linley, I heard you're quite strong. How about we spar a bit?"
Linley's eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded.
Sparring with an expert of Fain's level would definitely be beneficial to him. Linley flipped his hand and took out the violet soft sword, then leaped backward, and at the same time, black scales covered his entire body, and vicious spikes emerged.
Looking at Linley's cold, dark golden pupils, Fain praised, "Your variant Dragonblood Warrior transformation seems very special. Come on, are you ready?"
Linley was still silently chanting 'Wind Shadow Technique'.
"Ready," Linley nodded.
Fain looked at the Linley before him, thought of his teacher's instructions, and couldn't help but sigh helplessly. Him taking the initiative to spar with Linley was actually also the War God's request.
According to the War God, Linley needed to know the true strength of the experts on this continent.
"Linley, my speed is very fast. You need to be careful," Fain said with a smile. Linley, knowing that Fain was fast, had specifically taken out the violet soft sword.
When using the violet soft sword, one's speed was astonishing.
"Let's begin." Fain's eyes lit up.
"Crackle~~" Green lightning began to flow over Fain's body, even making crackling sounds at the tips of his hair.
Fain moved.
Linley only saw a flash of green lightning strike directly at him, at least twice as fast as Olivia. Faced with such terrifying speed, Linley had no time to dodge.
"How terrifying!"
Linley tapped his foot, and at the same time, the violet soft sword in his hand transformed into a whirlwind, countless violet sword tips stabbing directly toward the green lightning ahead.
Wind Essence – Wind Ripple!
Linley didn't dare use any other techniques. He estimated that using 'Earth's Rhythm' wouldn't even let him touch the opponent. Only this move could barely serve as defense.
"Boom!" A terrifying impact force slammed into the tip of the violet soft sword.
Then Linley clearly saw the green lightning travel directly along the violet soft sword, reaching him in an instant, and smashing directly into his black scales.
"Boom!"
It was like a heavy punch slamming into Linley's soul. Linley was sent flying before landing on the ground. His entire body trembled, and green lightning still flowed over his body.
A numbing sensation swept through his entire body. Linley felt his muscles go completely limp. Even his consciousness was hazy.
After a long while, Linley fully woke up, and the strength gradually returned to his limbs. He stood up, looking at Fain in disbelief.
Back when he fought Olivia, Linley thought he was at the Saint-level peak, and that there weren't many on the continent who could defeat him.
But after this simple spar with Fain, he realized... the gap between him and Fain was enormous.
Fain's speed was twice his. Although twice didn't sound like much, in a battle of speed, even a slight advantage was decisive. Twice... it was an insurmountable gap.
He simply couldn't resist.
Moreover, that lightning attack had actually shaken his soul. Fain had held back and hadn't truly hurt him.
"What's wrong? Can't believe it?" Senior Brother Fain sat on the wooden stool and said with a smile.
Linley's mind was still in turmoil. "Although I knew you were very strong, Mr. Fain, I didn't expect... that I would be completely powerless to fight back. Mr. Fain, have you reached the Deity level?"
"No, I'm still at the Saint-level peak," Fain shook his head.
"I'm also at the Saint-level peak, but..." Linley couldn't understand.
Fain looked at Linley with a smile and sighed, "Linley, don't be fooled by the words 'Saint-level peak'. In the eyes of experts like us, we don't talk about Saint-level peak or not. We look at the understanding of the laws."
"Understanding the mere surface of the laws is what ordinary people call the Saint-level peak," Fain said dismissively.
Linley was stunned.
Yes.
That was indeed the case. The third level of his swordsmanship, 'Momentum', was merely borrowing the power of heaven and earth. It wasn't even the surface of the laws.
And the Wind Essence – Wind Ripple, Earth's Rhythm, and the Earth Essence were all just Linley's understanding of a tiny bit of the surface of those two laws.
Indeed, it was only the surface.
"According to Teacher, the elemental laws are as vast as the ocean. If you understand a single drop of water, you're at the Saint-level peak. If you understand a hundred drops of water, you're still at the Saint-level peak. But the gap between the two is enormous!"
A hint of loneliness appeared on Fain's face. "The elemental laws are truly vast. It's said that only by understanding one percent can one reach the Demigod level."
"And you and Olivia have understood less than one ten-thousandth." Fain glanced at Linley with a smile. "So you see, although you've understood a little, how can you compare to someone like me, who has been understanding for thousands of years?"
Linley understood in his heart.
No matter how talented he was, he had only been understanding for less than ten years.
And the other person? He had been understanding for thousands of years. Even if his talent wasn't as good as Linley's, how could the things he had understood be less?
"Linley, the famous Saint-level experts on the continent today, like the Adamantite Sword Saint Hedderson, are all people who became famous within the last thousand years. But the true experts who have been in seclusion for thousands of years have long since stopped caring about worldly fame and fortune. They are all in seclusion, cultivating."
Linley was stunned.
The Adamantite Sword Saint was even called the number one Saint-level expert on the continent.
"Those rankings on the continent are just based on the experts people know about. They don't know about the others. Do you know how strong those people are? The experts who survived that battle over five thousand years ago are all hiding away one by one. I don't believe those old fellows would be willing to leave the Yulan continent plane." A hint of a smile played at the corner of Fain's mouth.