Chapter 27: The Yulan Empire’s Special Envoy
The cute big bear chuckled, “That’s right, that’s right. Delia knows, so she immediately found a way to come.”
“Ah Huang, you’re asking for it.” Delia pinched the big bear’s small ear.
“Doesn’t hurt, hehe, doesn’t hurt.” The big bear said smugly.
“Hmph.” Delia wrinkled her nose and snorted, “Ah Huang, you’re tough, aren’t you? I know you’re an Earth Bear, with thick fur. You’re not afraid of me pinching your ears.” With that, she turned and walked over to the middle-aged man, ignoring the big bear.
The big bear rubbed his head and said naively, “Delia, don’t be angry. It was my fault, alright?”
Delia looked at him and laughed.
“Harton, Delia was just playing with you. Would she get angry that easily?” The middle-aged man said with a faint smile. Suddenly, he looked up at the sky. “Pare’s back.”
In the sky, an eagle with a wingspan of five to six meters was flying rapidly toward the ship. The eagle was extremely fast, like lightning, with bluish-green feathers on its forehead and golden eyes. It was very majestic.
It was a ninth-level magical beast—the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle.
The soldiers on the ship didn’t block it, clearly recognizing this Thunderstorm Wind Eagle. The eagle folded its wings and landed beside Delia.
“Xiao Feng, back from hunting?” Delia affectionately stroked the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle’s head.
When the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle stood with its wings folded, it was only about two meters tall. At that moment, the eagle was enjoying Delia’s touch, even closing its eyes.
“Pare, go over there.” The big bear said discontentedly.
The Thunderstorm Wind Eagle glanced at the big bear and obediently moved aside. The Earth Bear was a Saint-level magical beast, and even among Saint-levels, it was considered extremely powerful.
In truth, both the Earth Bear and the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle were the magical beasts of that middle-aged man, the Yulan Empire’s Saint-level Archmage, Master Lorrens.
Master Lorrens was a wind-element Saint-level Archmage.
A wind-element Saint-level Archmage was terrifying. Back then, Lorrens had taken the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle into the Sunset Mountains and used a Dimensional Blade to seriously injure the Earth Bear.
The attack of a Dimensional Blade was too fearsome—it directly cut through space.
Such attack power could probably even split the Saint-level peak powerhouse ‘Hederson’ in two. Especially since a wind-element Saint-level Archmage had incredible control over the wind and was extremely fast.
It could be said that, given enough time, a Saint-level Archmage could easily defeat a Saint-level warrior. Of course, Saint-level warriors weren’t fools either. So, Saint-level Archmages usually tried to obtain a Saint-level magical beast.
Unfortunately, capturing a Saint-level magical beast was extremely difficult.
…
Delia stood at the end of the deck, her hand resting on the chain as she gazed eastward. The breeze blew, stirring her hair, making her as captivating as a goddess of beauty. Even the nearby guards couldn’t help but be moved.
Delia was very famous in the Yulan Empire’s capital. At just twenty-two years old, she had become a seventh-level mage—a prodigy. She came from a powerful family and had been taken as a disciple by the Saint-level Archmage Master Lorrens. In terms of appearance, she ranked among the top ten in the capital. Naturally, such an extraordinary woman had many suitors.
Unfortunately, Delia rejected everyone.
Due to her family background, Delia also held an important position in the empire. She was exceptionally skilled in diplomacy and negotiation. After news of Linley and Olivier’s battle reached the Yulan Empire, Delia found a way to persuade the empire’s emperor to send a special envoy to the O’Brien Empire.
Of course, before departing, they had notified the O’Brien Empire, which had agreed.
“Blazing City…” Delia murmured.
In that place that haunted her dreams, there was also someone she had always been thinking about.
The river flowed swiftly. On the front deck, the Earth Bear and the Thunderstorm Wind Eagle stood behind Delia. The massive ship sailed straight toward the capital.
Soon, the ship disappeared into the distance along the Blazing River.
******
The news that the Yulan Empire’s special envoy was about to arrive in the capital had already spread among the capital’s royalty and nobility. But for the capital, what they cared about were two major battles.
One was the recent battle between the ‘Prodigy Sword Saint’ Olivier and the ‘Rock Sword Saint’ Hederson. The other was the battle between the ‘Dragonblood Warrior’ Linley and the ‘Rock Sword Saint’ Hederson, scheduled for three months later.
Would Linley follow in Olivier’s footsteps?
No one knew.
However, most of the capital’s citizens believed that the number one Saint-level powerhouse, ‘Hederson’, would emerge victorious.
…
On Fushi Road, inside the Earl’s mansion.
“For the next three months, no one is to disturb Lord Linley unless it’s absolutely necessary!” This order had spread throughout the entire Earl’s mansion ever since that rainy night.
The atmosphere in the Earl’s mansion had become tense.
In the backyard training ground, Wharton practiced for a while before losing interest. He set aside the warblade ‘Slaughter’ and sat down, feeling restless.
“That Hederson is really going too far,” Wharton cursed. Thinking about Linley, he felt anxious. “If that Hederson had any decency, he’d wait another ten years, until my big brother reaches the Saint-level in human form, before challenging him! What’s the point of fighting now?”
“Damn it, he’s not just going too far—he’s downright malicious!”
Gates also walked over, complaining, “There are plenty of Saint-level powerhouses in the empire. The War God’s Temple has many. Why doesn’t Hederson challenge them? Why does he have to target the boss? The boss is only twenty-seven now. That Hederson is several hundred years old.”
“Cursing won’t help.”
Barker walked over, leaning his giant axe against a nearby rockery. “The boss has already agreed to fight Hederson. Now, all we can do is hope he wins.”
“The boss will definitely win.”
Gates waved his fist indignantly. “I refuse to believe it. That Hederson’s external defense is strong, and his internal defense is strong too. But the boss recently comprehended some kind of technique—it seems pretty mysterious and must be quite impressive.”
The power of the Pulsating Defense was something Gates and the others didn’t fully understand.
…
In Linley’s private courtyard, Linley was sitting cross-legged under a large tree, continuously practicing the ‘Dragonblood Secret Code’. Linley’s current level of understanding was very high; what he lacked was battle qi.
Whenever Linley had time, he would cultivate, trying his best to absorb the energy of the Dragonblood Warrior bloodline and reach the Saint-level. It no longer required much mental effort—he just needed to follow the fixed method and keep practicing. At the same time, Linley was also thinking about other issues.
“Last time, when I met the War God’s Temple’s senior disciple ‘Farn’ and the War God himself, they could both use soul attacks. Olivier also comprehended this technique. I’m sure there are plenty of people who can use it. Can I also achieve soul attacks… Even if I can’t, how should I defend against them?”
While cultivating his battle qi, Linley pondered this question.
What was the principle behind soul attacks?
And how could one defend against them?
While Linley was thinking and cultivating, Hei Lu was lying on the ground, and Bebe was curled up on Hei Lu’s back, squinting comfortably.
“Bebe, do you think the boss will win against that Hederson?” Hei Lu asked in a low voice.
“Of course,” Bebe said confidently, opening his eyes.
But then, Bebe lowered his voice and added, “Of course, that Hederson seems pretty tough too. But whatever—if the boss is in danger during the fight, I’ll jump in myself. Hmph, the other night, those people watched Olivier get beaten half to death, and he still hasn’t woken up. I won’t let the boss end up like that.”
“Wouldn’t that break the rules?” Hei Lu asked doubtfully.
In a duel between two people, outsiders weren’t allowed to interfere until the outcome was decided.
“Rules, my ass! Nothing is more important than my boss’s life,” Bebe said proudly. “Besides, what if I do interfere? The boss is also a mage, you know. When a mage fights a warrior, they usually bring their magical beasts. So I wouldn’t be breaking the rules either.” Bebe felt very pleased with his reasoning and smiled smugly.
******
The eastern gate of the capital was wide open. On the road from the imperial palace to the moat at the eastern gate, it was completely guarded by the empire’s soldiers. Two neat rows of soldiers stood on either side of the street.
The knights of the imperial palace lined up in orderly columns, following behind the empire’s emperor’s carriage. At the same time, a large number of nobles accompanied them.
The War God’s Temple’s Saint-level powerhouses, Kenyon and Lanco, also accompanied the emperor.
They knew that the Yulan Empire’s delegation included a Saint-level Archmage. If they didn’t have one of their own, how could they match their presence?
“Why haven’t they arrived yet?” Emperor Joan said discontentedly to the palace attendant beside him.
“Your Majesty, the Yulan Empire’s special envoy’s ship has already entered the moat’s channel. It should arrive shortly,” the palace attendant replied respectfully.
Emperor Joan nodded.
Across the entire Yulan continent, the two most powerful nations were undoubtedly the O’Brien Empire and the Yulan Empire. Emperor Joan wanted his O’Brien Empire to outshine the other.
But the Yulan Empire also had its pride.
The Yulan Empire had been established for over ten thousand years, making it the most ancient empire. Moreover, the Yulan Empire was a birthplace of mages. If the O’Brien Empire had many Saint-level warriors, the Yulan Empire had many Saint-level Archmages.
It was well known that the deterrent power of a Saint-level Archmage far exceeded that of a Saint-level warrior. For example, the wind-element Saint-level Archmage Lorrens—even Hederson wouldn’t dare claim he could definitely win against him. After all, if given just a little time, the other party could split you in two with a Dimensional Blade.
“They’re here!”
The people of the O’Brien Empire all saw the massive ship approaching. When they spotted a cute big bear and an eagle on the deck, those with knowledge were shocked.
“An Earth Bear and a Thunderstorm Wind Eagle?”
Kenyon and Lanco exchanged glances, horrified. Even against just the Saint-level magical beast ‘Earth Bear’, the two of them together probably wouldn’t be confident of winning.
Delia, wearing an elegant robe, walked down the ship side by side with the wind-element Saint-level Archmage ‘Lorrens’. Behind them, the two magical beasts, along with the ship’s soldiers and other magical beasts, followed.
“Clang!”
The empire’s knights formed two rows, all raising their lances. These knights were the best selected from the imperial palace knights, all seventh-level warriors, with an eighth-level warrior as their leader.
“Teacher, the O’Brien Empire’s warriors are indeed stronger than those in our empire. Their aura is different. Our capital is too shabby,” Delia said quietly to her teacher, as if no one else was around.
Lorrens nodded slightly.
The Yulan Empire’s capital, as the most ancient city, had its old families competing with each other, focusing all their energy on pleasure. In contrast, the O’Brien Empire was a nation of warriors, each one more competitive than the last. No wonder it was the number one military power.
Emperor Joan, accompanied by Lanco, Kenyon, and palace attendants, stepped forward to greet them.
“Delia Ryan, right? Haha…” Emperor Joan laughed heartily.
Delia bowed gracefully and said, “The Yulan Empire’s special envoy ‘Delia’ pays respects to the great O’Brien Empire’s Emperor Joan, and also conveys the sincerest greetings from our Yulan Empire’s emperor to Your Majesty.”
“Your Majesty Joan, this is my teacher, the Saint-level Archmage Master Lorrens,” Delia introduced with a smile.
Emperor Joan looked at Master Lorrens: “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Lorrens.”
“It’s an honor to meet you as well, Your Majesty Joan,” Master Lorrens said with a smile.
Delia discreetly scanned the surrounding nobles, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. She didn’t see the person she wanted to see. Then she said to Emperor Joan, “Your Majesty Joan, these two gentlemen must be the great Saint-level powerhouses, right? Could you introduce them to me?”
In truth, Delia had gathered plenty of information before coming. She had already seen portraits of Kenyon and Lanco.
…
The Yulan Empire’s special envoy Delia and the wind-element Saint-level Archmage ‘Lorrens’ and their party, under the grand reception of the O’Brien Empire, entered the capital, Blazing City.