Chapter 28: The Legacy of the Great Sorcerer
The moment the Great Sorcerer fell, it wasn’t just Yale who regained his self-awareness. The presidents of the other two major commercial alliances on the Yulan continent, the ‘Snow Island Alliance’ and the ‘Geer Alliance’, also recovered their senses. They all knew exactly what foolish things they had done over the past six years.
“The Great Sorcerer is dead! Haha, he’s finally dead!”
In a desolate wilderness, two silver-robed figures burst into wild, manic laughter.
“How many years has it been? Finally free from that demon’s control.” The two silver-robed men simultaneously tore the robes from their bodies with a loud “Rip~~”, shredding them into countless fluttering scraps of cloth. “Just looking at this silver robe makes me sick.” Both changed into different clothes.
Their bodies trembled slightly with excitement.
These two silver-robed men were one human and one leopard-man.
“Finally free, finally free!” Tears glistened in both their eyes, their excitement barely containable. They remembered every single thing they had done under the Great Sorcerer’s control over all those years.
Unless the Great Sorcerer died, they would never gain freedom.
“Who killed the Great Sorcerer? I really ought to thank him properly.” The leopard-man was still trembling with excitement even now.
“What, Vigen? You actually want to go thank someone?” The human powerhouse sneered.
The leopard-man chuckled and shook his head. “Of course not. I’ve had enough of this long period of being controlled. That person didn’t kill the Great Sorcerer for our sake either. Lagman, what do you plan to do next?”
“This is my homeland.” The human powerhouse looked around the wilderness and sighed deeply. “The Yulan continent. I haven’t been back for eight thousand years. Eight thousand years! Ever since I met the Great Sorcerer in the Gobada Plane Prison and was controlled by him, my strength hasn’t advanced one bit. I plan to wander the continent for a while, then find a place to train seriously.”
“Vigen, are you thinking of going to the Necropolis of the Gods?” The human powerhouse looked at the leopard-man.
“The Necropolis of the Gods? The Yulan continent…”
The leopard-man laughed bitterly. “Back then, I followed my master to the Yulan continent, foolishly hoping to obtain the treasures of the Necropolis of the Gods. I never expected that Purple Blood Demon would be there too. Back then, people died, were buried, or imprisoned. I no longer dare to have high hopes for this Yulan continent.”
“Living without a will of my own, being a puppet obeying others’ orders—I’ve had enough. I plan to find a place and live peacefully for a while first.” The leopard-man gave a self-deprecating smile. “On the Yulan continent now, even with our Saint-level peak strength, it’s better to keep a low profile.”
The human powerhouse nodded.
Then, the two powerhouses parted ways and went into hiding on the Yulan continent.
…
Those who have never been controlled by a ‘Soul Seed’ can hardly imagine the feeling. Once controlled by a Soul Seed, a person becomes utterly loyal to their master from the depths of their soul. The master’s commands become their primary guiding principle. If the master orders them to kill their parents, their loved ones, or their friends, they would not resist in the slightest.
While controlled, they feel nothing.
But once they awaken, the memories of those years of control drive them nearly mad.
“I… what have I done?” Yale’s heart was filled with immense pain.
After being controlled by the Great Sorcerer, Yale had resorted to brutal and bloody methods, sending large numbers of slaves to their deaths to collect souls for the Great Sorcerer. During this process, some high-ranking members of the Dawson Alliance had tried to stop Yale. Those who opposed him, he either suppressed or killed outright with bloody means.
Among them were even members of his own Dawson clan!
These bloody methods, especially with the help of the silver-robed men, had given Yale absolute authority within the Dawson Alliance. This path to power was paved with a ‘bloody blade’.
“Everyone, go back now.” Yale looked at the crowd around him and said.
“President, should we arrange for someone to stay here?” An old man with silver hair beside him asked.
“No need, Uncle Ebots.” Yale said sincerely.
Ebots was stunned. Ever since Yale had turned cold and ruthless six years ago, enforcing an iron-fisted policy within the Dawson Alliance, he had never once called him ‘Uncle Ebots’ again. Hearing this now, Ebots felt dazed, recalling the days of old.
“Uncle Ebots, I’m sorry for these past six years.” Yale said quietly.
“President… Young Master Yale.” Ebots’ face showed barely suppressed excitement. Yale was back! The Yale from six years ago had returned!
“Alright, everyone, go back and rest well.” Ebots shouted loudly to those around him. It was the most spirited and confident his voice had sounded in six years.
“I owe too many people.” Yale knew how many wrongs he had committed over these six years.
“And Third Brother.” Yale looked at Linley, who was now kneeling on the ground in pain.
…
Linley was in a terrible state at that moment. His soul was violently trembling. Normally, a soul subjected to such a shock would simply shatter. As a Deity-level powerhouse, Linley’s soul was naturally quite strong, but it was still extremely uncomfortable. He felt dazed and disoriented.
Linley struggled to open his eyes and looked at Yale.
Seeing the concern in Yale’s eyes, Linley felt a wave of relief.
He had risked his life, and finally, the old Yale, his big brother, was back.
“Third Brother.” Yale knelt before Linley, supporting him. “Third Brother, are you alright?” Yale’s heart was filled with endless guilt.
“Yale, I’m fine. Give me a moment.”
After forcing out these words, Linley sat cross-legged. The ‘golden liquid’ of soul essence from the Coiling Dragon Ring was continuously releasing streams of golden mist into Linley’s soul space, where his soul absorbed it like water, drinking it all in.
The two million soul essences of the Great Sorcerer, the ‘golden liquid’, had suddenly vanished earlier because Linley had used the Coiling Dragon Ring to directly seize them.
For the Great Sorcerer, refining this soul essence ‘golden liquid’ into ‘Soul Gold Pearls’ was necessary for proper absorption.
But Linley, possessing the Coiling Dragon Ring, could easily absorb vast amounts of soul essence directly. As the sword-shaped soul continuously absorbed, its own radiance grew brighter, and its volume increased slightly.
“So comfortable.” Linley felt a pleasant sensation deep within.
The pain from the soul tremor was long gone. Now, the feeling of his soul growing was very soothing. Absorbing soul essence didn’t require focused concentration; Linley could do it while talking to others or even while meditating.
Only then did Linley open his eyes.
“Third Brother. How… how do you feel now?” Yale had been by Linley’s side the whole time, his heart full of fear.
“I’m fine. But Yale, you’re not going to feed me that terrible poisoned wine again, are you?” Linley said with a teasing smile.
Hearing this, Yale felt a wave of relief instead.
“Third Brother, thank you.” There were tears in Yale’s eyes.
He was fully aware of the incident where he had tried to poison Linley with Soul Strand Venom.
Even though it wasn’t his conscious will, he still felt guilty. Now that Linley was saying this, Yale could feel… his brother Linley didn’t hold it against him.
“Thank me for what?” Linley said as he stood up. Yale stood up as well.
“Sorry for making such a mess of your place.” Linley looked at the shattered building in the distance and smiled at Yale. He was in a good mood. Coming here to fight a life-or-death battle with a Deity-level powerhouse, Linley had indeed been prepared to risk everything.
Fortunately, he had succeeded.
“Linley, don’t apologize to me. I can’t bear it.” Yale said solemnly.
Yale felt he owed Linley too much.
“You can’t blame yourself. That Deity-level powerhouse had you under his control.” Linley said with a sigh.
“The Great Sorcerer was a Deity-level powerhouse?” Yale was shocked. Although he had been controlled by the Great Sorcerer, Yale knew the Great Sorcerer was powerful, but he couldn’t tell that he was a Deity-level powerhouse.
“Yes, otherwise, would it have been this hard for me to kill him?” Linley also felt a trace of luck.
If not for that damaged soul defense membrane, if not for…
Linley looked down at the Coiling Dragon Ring. In the past, he hadn’t truly controlled the Coiling Dragon Ring and couldn’t know what was inside it. Now, he understood. At the most dangerous moment, he had clearly sensed that one of the three cyan droplets within the Coiling Dragon Ring had released a stream of energy, causing the cyan light on his soul’s surface to surge.
“So, the times in the past when the cyan light on my soul’s surface flared up were due to these mysterious cyan droplets.” Linley marveled.
“No.”
Linley thought of something else. “According to the records in the Baruch clan’s books, the cyan light on the soul’s surface is unique to Dragonblood Warriors. Ordinary Saint-level powerhouses wouldn’t have it. Why can these cyan droplets make the cyan light on my soul’s surface surge? And that drop of golden blood—why did it cause my Dragonblood Warrior body to transform?”
Linley glanced at the Coiling Dragon Ring, looking at the dragon carving on it. “Could it be… that the earliest owner of the Coiling Dragon Ring had some connection to my Dragonblood Warrior lineage?”
Linley couldn’t help but make this inference.
After all, there were too many coincidences.
“Linley, what are you thinking about?” Yale saw Linley lost in thought and spoke up.
“Nothing.” Linley didn’t dwell on it further.
“Third Brother, I need to congratulate you.” Yale said with a smile.
“Congratulate me for what?” Linley smiled back. Yale widened his eyes. “Third Brother, you just killed a Deity-level powerhouse. I think you’ve reached the Deity level yourself… The Deity level! Such a distant, lofty existence. Third Brother, when we were young and running around together, I never imagined my brother could become a god.”
God!
From human to god—it was an elevation of life’s very essence.
No matter the race—beast, beastman, human, metallic lifeform, plant lifeform, or any other exotic species—once they reached the Deity level, they could possess a divine body and a divine spark. They all shared the same title—God!
Linley had become a god!
On the Yulan continent, in the highest echelons of human society, the supreme beings were the War God and the High Priest.
And now, one more name could be added—Linley!
“Haha…” Linley laughed too. “Who could have imagined this back then? Ah, I almost forgot something important.”
Linley suddenly turned his head, looking at the pitch-black ground in the distance. It was deep in the night, and it was hard to see anything on the ground.
“Third Brother, what are you looking for?” Yale asked, puzzled.
“The treasures the Great Sorcerer left behind.” Linley had only taken the divine spark earlier, forgetting two important items—the Great Sorcerer’s divine artifact and his spatial ring. Linley was curious to see what was inside the Great Sorcerer’s spatial ring.
Extending his spiritual energy, Linley immediately located the black scythe and the spatial ring.
To open the spatial ring, he needed to bond with it using blood. Linley wasn’t in a hurry to open it, so he simply stored the black scythe and spatial ring away.
“Yale, I’m relieved that you’re fine now. I think… these past six years, you’ve done many foolish things. Of course, it wasn’t your fault, but your father and others in the alliance don’t know that, do they? Think it over carefully. I won’t disturb you. To be honest, I need to return to Dragonblood Castle. Delia and my brother are worried. They were afraid that if I came here, I might not make it back.” Linley smiled freely.
Yale felt a surge of emotion.
He knew that Linley had only recently been at the Saint level and was now just entering the Deity level. For Yale’s sake, Linley had charged in without knowing the enemy’s true strength. Such a thing was extremely dangerous, yet Linley had done it. Even though Yale had once tried to poison him.
Yale believed he would never forget this for the rest of his life.
“Thank you.” Yale had no other words.
Linley patted Yale on the shoulder with a smile. “Yale, you’ll always be that Yale, the big brother of Dormitory 1987.” Linley’s face shone with a bright smile. Then, he left directly, because back at Dragonblood Castle, there were people still worrying about him!