Chapter 11: One Night
"Nie!"
The remaining sacred island trembled violently, as if countless giant beasts were churning beneath its surface. Deep fissures split the land, and endless seawater surged through the ravines, cutting across the entire remnant of the island.
The once-collapsed Temple of Light, now stripped of the 'Glory of the Lord of Light,' was no different from any ordinary ruined building. Amid the violent tremors, the fallen temple crumbled further, breaking apart completely. Above the remaining island, a torrent of meteors still rained down like a storm. A few surviving members of the Holy See desperately leaped into the ocean, trying to escape the barrage of massive stones crashing onto them.
Forbidden Magic—Heaven and Earth Collapse!
In midair, Linley stood with Bebe perched on his shoulder, holding Delia's hand. They watched from afar as the last remnants of the sacred island collapsed and sank into the sea. Eventually, the entire island vanished without a trace. Where it once stood, only rolling waves remained, occasionally carrying floating corpses and broken timber.
Linley watched silently.
Delia stayed quietly by his side, not making a sound. After a long while...
"Let's go," Linley said with a long sigh.
Delia, holding Linley's hand, smiled gently. "What are you thinking about?"
"About the past," Linley replied.
"Boss, thinking about the past? Any big insights?" Bebe chirped playfully from Linley's shoulder.
Linley glanced at Bebe with a smirk. "What insights could there be? Alright. Let's go home." "Yeah, home!"
Delia and Bebe both felt a ripple in their hearts. Just moments ago, the three of them had been on the brink of death, yet now they could return home safely. Such a dramatic shift naturally stirred their emotions.
The sea breeze blew. Above the boundless ocean, Linley, Delia, and Bebe flew eastward at incredible speed.
Gazing at the endless eastern sky, Linley seemed to see the entire journey of his past life.
"Father, Mother, the Holy See has now been destroyed!" A smile spread across Linley's face.
"Father, do you remember what you told me back then? Your lifelong wish was to reclaim the family heirloom, the War God's Sword, and to hope that our clan could rise again."
"Now, the War God's Sword has returned. The Baruch Empire stands tall. Our Baruch family has become one of the pinnacle families of the Yulan continent."
"Grandpa Doehring, when I was young, I worked to fulfill my father's and the family's goals. I carried the family's hopes. On my own, achieving all this would have been incredibly difficult. But because of you, Grandpa Doehring, you changed me. Practicing magic, learning the Flat Blade Style of carving... with your help and guidance, I succeeded step by step. It was you who always supported me."
"You died, and I swore to uproot this scourge, the Holy See. For so many years, I never dared to forget."
"Now, I've succeeded."
"Grandpa Doehring, I feel so light now, truly at ease. I'm holding the hand of the woman I love most, and beside me is Bebe, who has shared life and death with me. Grandpa Doehring, if you were still alive, you'd surely be happy for me."
"No matter when, I will always be that young man under your guidance. Grandpa Doehring, thank you..."
Crossing the vast sea, facing the east, Linley's eyes shone brighter than ever!
From his youth to the present, Linley had always carried a burden, a weight in his heart. But today, he was truly free!
He could finally live more freely, more joyfully, more brilliantly!
The Pope, Heith, Lei Ming, and Luo Ye had all fallen in battle. Over thirty other Saint-level experts of the Holy See had also perished. The sacred island and the Temple of Light had turned to ash, vanishing into the boundless sea. Though many members of the Holy See remained in the Holy Alliance, without Saint-level experts as their foundation, the Holy See was doomed to never rise again.
In Dragonblood Castle.
Having completely destroyed the Holy See's sacred island, especially after their narrow escape, and with Linley himself unburdened, everyone was in high spirits. A grand celebration feast began in Dragonblood Castle, attended by a group of Saint-level experts.
Even the emperor of the Baruch Empire, Sini Baruch, had rushed over.
"Brother, I was so worried... But you're back. Come, brother, let me toast you." Wharton's emotions were complicated.
"Alright, cheers." Linley raised his glass with a smile.
"Wharton, Desri, and the others..."
As the feast wound down, Linley felt a wave of emotion. "Wharton, Barker and his five brothers... that group of them. In the battle at the Holy See's sacred island, when they encountered Balzecer, they fled. But I truly don't blame them."
Linley understood well the feelings of Wharton, Barker's five brothers, and the others at that moment.
When they had faced Balzecer, Linley had ordered them all to escape. Desri, Tully, and even Wharton, who had once been an emperor, all knew that staying would have been unwise.
They had all fled immediately.
Logically, they had done the right thing. In contrast, Delia and Bebe staying behind could have led to a meaningless death.
But emotionally, Desri, Wharton, and the others all felt a trace of guilt.
Naturally, during the celebration, they tried their best to appear cheerful, laughing and drinking with Linley to lift his spirits. In truth, Linley wasn't angry. It was just that Desri, Wharton, and the others had their own inner conflicts.
"Sini, after the feast ends, come to my study. I have something to discuss with you," Linley said to Sini.
"Yes, Uncle." Sini replied respectfully.
Sini looked refined and elegant. It was hard to imagine that Wharton had such a son. Now twenty-four years old, Sini had served as the empire's emperor for several years. Linley was satisfied with both his personal strength and his governance of the nation.
After the feast, it was already late at night.
In Dragonblood Castle, Linley's private study was rarely used, but it was cleaned daily and remained spotless. Tonight, however, Linley entered it for the first time in a while.
"What does Uncle want me for?" Sini wondered, looking at the quiet study not far away.
A lamp was lit inside, its glow conspicuous in the darkness.
Sini, now the emperor of the Baruch Empire, held a lofty position. But in Dragonblood Castle, he dared not put on airs, for the many experts here were the pillars of the empire.
Especially his uncle!
Linley was to the Baruch Empire what the War God was to the O'Brien Empire and the High Priest was to the Yulan Empire.
An empire could survive without an emperor, but not without them.
"Knock, knock, knock!" Sini nervously knocked on the study door. Growing up, he had rarely met Linley. What he felt for Linley was a mix of awe and admiration.
"Come in."
Taking a deep breath, Sini pushed open the door. He immediately saw Linley sitting at the desk, reading a book.
"Sini, come, sit." Linley smiled warmly, pointing to a nearby chair.
"Yes, Uncle." Sini closed the door and sat down.
Linley looked at Sini and chuckled. "Sini, it's strange. Your father was a rough-and-tumble kid when he was young, but you've always been obedient and well-behaved. I think you take after your mother, Nina." Linley genuinely liked Sini.
"Boys often resemble their mothers," Sini replied with a smile.
"True. Taylor is a rough-and-tumble type, and Delia was quite formidable in her youth too." Linley paused, then got straight to the point. "Sini, I called you here to tell you something. Listen carefully." Linley spoke casually.
Sini immediately focused.
"The High Priest of the Yulan Empire and the War God of the O'Brien Empire have both spoken with me. Our three empires—the Baruch Empire included—will join forces to unify the entire Yulan continent. The three empires will divide the world!" Linley said nonchalantly.
Sini was stunned.
As an emperor, this news was earth-shattering to him.
"Uncle, divide the world?" Sini couldn't believe it. "To conquer the Roland Empire, the Rhine Empire, the Far East Prairie, the Dark Alliance, the Holy Alliance... that would take decades or even centuries, wouldn't it?"
Linley shook his head.
"Sini, you learned at the feast that we destroyed the Holy See's sacred island this time," Linley said.
"Yes." Sini nodded, then his eyes lit up with realization. "Uncle, you mean..." A sudden clarity dawned on him.
"Not just the Holy See's headquarters. The Dark Church's headquarters will likely be destroyed in the next couple of days. Once war truly begins, if the enemy has no Saint-level experts and we deploy ours... do you think the war will drag on for long?"
Sini felt his throat go dry, sweat forming on his back. His heart trembled. "Uncle and the others are terrifying, aren't they? Wiping out all the enemy's Saint-level experts in one go. The enemy can't even fight back."
With the Pope and others dead, the Holy Alliance had lost its leadership. Once war broke out, some kingdoms and duchies within the Holy Alliance might even surrender outright.
"I'm just letting you know." Linley didn't care much about the war.
To him, territory and population were meaningless. What mattered most was walking the path of understanding the laws and becoming a god as soon as possible!
A god!
Becoming a god meant a complete transformation of one's life form. Possessing a divine spark, a divine domain, and the ability to absorb faith—this was entirely beyond the mortal world.
"Uncle, how will the three empires divide the world?" Sini pressed, most concerned about this.
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention." Linley smiled. "Here's how it works: the Holy Alliance and the territory of the eighteen northern duchies will go to the O'Brien Empire. The Rhine Empire and the Dark Alliance will go to the Yulan Empire. As for the Roland Empire and the Far East Prairie, they'll belong to our Baruch Empire."
Sini's eyes lit up.
The Roland Empire was roughly the same size as the Baruch Empire. But more importantly—the Far East Prairie!
The Far East Prairie was vast, nearly as large as the O'Brien Empire. Because it was grassland with a sparse population, it only had three kingdoms. But don't underestimate them. Those three kingdoms had held their own against both the Roland and Rhine Empires for years, proving their strength. After all, the people of the steppes were naturally fierce.
"Alright, Sini, it's getting late. Go rest," Linley said.
"Yes, Uncle." Sini respectfully withdrew.
After Sini left, Linley turned to look at a chair by the study wall. Where Sini had just sat, a middle-aged man now lounged. Loose robes, a lazy smile—it was the God-level expert, the Assassin King—Hiser.
"Lord Hiser, you're heading to the Necropolis of the Gods tomorrow. Why come to see me tonight?" Linley asked with a curious smile.
Hearing this, Hiser paused, then shrugged helplessly. "Yeah, heading to the Necropolis of the Gods tomorrow. Honestly, I didn't want to go this time, but those guys forced me to come along. Really!"
"Can you be forced to go to the Necropolis of the Gods? Isn't it voluntary?" Linley frowned in confusion.
"Forget it. Thinking about it pisses me off."
Hiser stood up, walked to Linley's desk, and looked him in the eye. "Linley, I came today to ask you for a favor."