Chapter 30: Hei Lu
The peaceful and comfortable days passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, half a year had gone by.
The golden liquid formed from the condensed soul essence had been completely refined and absorbed by Linley. The sword-shaped soul was now only slightly larger in size, but its essence had undergone a fundamental transformation.
"No wonder that Deity-level expert had to collect so many souls to refine," Linley couldn't help but smile.
Unfortunately, the Great Warlock had exhausted countless schemes, only to end up working for someone else's benefit.
Having completely refined the soul essence, Linley emerged from the underground secret chamber, intending to stroll around Dragonblood Castle. As he walked along a path paved with cobblestones through a flower garden, Linley saw a dark shadow flying directly toward him from the distant sky.
"Master." The dark shadow landed directly in front of Linley. It was the Blackstriped Cloud Leopard, 'Hei Lu'.
"Hei Lu, been to the Dark Forest again?" Linley said with a smile.
Hei Lu nodded his large head.
Linley knew that Hei Lu, along with the three Saint-level dragons, weren't accustomed to always staying with humans. Hei Lu and the three dragons only occasionally lingered at Dragonblood Castle; most of the time, they flew to the Dark Forest, the Magical Beast Mountain Range, or the Sunset Mountain Range.
That was their home.
"Hmm?" Linley suddenly had a thought.
"Hei Lu, you have the Darkness and Wind attributes, right?" Linley asked.
"Yes, Master. What's wrong?" Hei Lu was a bit puzzled. Why would Linley suddenly ask this?
Linley smiled and said, "Nothing." He continued walking forward. Hei Lu watched Linley's retreating figure with some confusion, but since he couldn't figure it out, he didn't dwell on it. He immediately dashed off to find his good friends—the three Saint-level dragons.
Walking to the training ground in front of Dragonblood Castle, Linley saw Wharton and a few others training there.
"Wind attribute. Choosing Hei Lu wouldn't be bad." Linley had been thinking about who to give the Wind-type divine spark to among his own people.
Gates and the others had no affinity for the Wind Elemental Laws. Although any Saint could refine a divine spark, it was best if the person was naturally suited to it. For example, Delia had refined a Wind-type divine spark, Barker had refined an Earth-type divine spark, and Sesslar had refined a Death-type divine spark.
Now Linley had discovered a new option—Hei Lu.
Hei Lu had both Darkness and Wind attributes. If he refined this divine spark, it would indeed be twice as effective with half the effort.
"Brother Linley." A familiar voice sounded.
Linley looked up and saw Jenny.
"Jenny." A smile appeared on Linley's face. Jenny was wearing a water-blue magic robe. Time had left no trace on her face. Back in the day, Jenny was a famous female powerhouse in the political circles of the Baruch Empire. Now, however, Jenny had become a magic teacher at a magic academy.
Jenny had always been very diligent in her magical training. She had been practicing magic for over thirty years.
She had now reached the level of a seventh-grade magician, more than enough to be a magic teacher.
"Haha, Jenny's back. Ever since you became a magic teacher, you come back less and less often," Wharton said as he walked over.
In truth, everyone in Dragonblood Castle knew about Jenny's feelings for Linley. But they all knew Linley's personality, and Jenny herself understood... They never spoke of it, and Jenny didn't force being with Linley. In Jenny's view, occasionally seeing the person she liked and doing what she enjoyed made life already very happy and fulfilling. She enjoyed this kind of tranquil, fulfilling life.
"Nothing I can do about it. The academy only has two holidays a year," Jenny said with a smile. "Wharton, where's Anno?"
"Anno is playing with the maids in the back garden," Wharton replied with a laugh.
Jenny glanced at Linley. "Brother Linley, I'll go find Anno first." Linley smiled and nodded. Everyone in the castle knew that Jenny doted on Anno very much.
Inside the secret chamber of the micro-plane.
Outside the membrane, space ripples of various colors surged and flowed, with spatial tears appearing everywhere. Linley and his wife Delia were both cultivating quietly. Linley's divine clone and his main body were respectively training in the 'Profound Mystery of Speed' and the 'Profound Mystery of the Earth'.
"Whew." Linley stopped his training.
"Delia." Linley called out.
"What's wrong?" Delia opened her eyes and looked at Linley with confusion. "Is there something?"
"Delia, there's still one divine spark left. I'm planning to let Hei Lu refine it. What do you think?" Linley wanted to get Delia's opinion. Delia's eyes lit up. "Hei Lu? If it's Hei Lu... that would actually be quite good. He's your magical beast, and over the years, he and the three Saint-level dragons have handled all the trivial matters related to the empire's wars."
Delia also thought highly of Hei Lu.
Hei Lu wasn't particularly prominent in Dragonblood Castle, but when it came to trivial matters that others didn't want to handle, Hei Lu never complained.
"Then it's settled." Linley made up his mind.
Having reached the Deity level, Linley didn't feel much pressure. He usually had his divine clone focus entirely on cultivation, while he himself would occasionally stroll around Dragonblood Castle. After all, life wasn't just about training.
In the main hall of Dragonblood Castle.
Dozens of people were seated on both sides of a long table over ten meters in length, dining together. Linley sat at the head of the table.
"Buzz~"
A peculiar fluctuation came from the south. The others in the hall didn't notice anything, but Linley looked up in shock toward the south. "Someone else has become a god!"
Having experienced the fluctuations of the Heavenly Laws himself, Linley was very familiar with that kind of fluctuation.
Although the fluctuation from afar had become very weak by the time it reached here, Linley could still clearly sense it. It was the unique fluctuation of the Heavenly Laws that descended at the moment of becoming a god. "Someone in the south has become a god. Who is it?" Linley wondered inwardly.
To be precise, Tulily and Desri were both south of Linley. Besides the people he knew, there were also some Saint-level powerhouses who had emerged in recent years, such as the two in the O'Brien Empire. Any one of them could potentially reach the Deity level.
Who was it?
"You all continue eating. I'm going out for a bit." Linley stood up.
Wharton, Gates, and the others looked at Linley with confusion but didn't ask. Linley walked out of the main hall and flew directly into the sky.
Standing in mid-air, Linley carefully sensed the location of the fluctuation. "It's due south. It shouldn't be Tulily." Linley didn't think further and directly released his spiritual energy. At the Deity level, spiritual energy was also called divine sense.
Linley's divine sense instantly extended outward. If he hadn't absorbed the essence of those twenty million souls, Linley's divine sense would have only covered a thousand miles or so.
But now... Linley's divine sense could cover an area of ten thousand miles. Of course, this was on the Yulan Continent plane. In higher-level planes, the coverage range of divine sense would be greatly reduced.
His divine sense spread out like water ripples, quickly reaching the mountain range where Desri was located.
"It's here." Linley clearly sensed the powerful fluctuation of the Heavenly Laws here. Linley didn't dare to extend his divine sense further and waited instead. After all, the process of bestowing a divine spark and condensing a divine body was relatively brief. Sure enough—
After a while, the fluctuation of the Heavenly Laws disappeared.
Linley extended his divine sense again, instantly covering the person who had become a god.
"It's Desri." A smile appeared on Linley's face.
At this moment, Desri was in a secret chamber deep within a mountain range. Many people were gathered around him, including Iceceline, Higginson, and Renault. They were all excitedly watching Desri become a god. Desri had also chosen the second method—splitting his soul!
"Desri, congratulations." Linley's voice entered Desri's mind.
"Haha, Linley. I'm half a year slower than you." Desri said modestly, but he was very happy inside. He had been stuck at the Saint-level limit for too long, and today he had finally broken through, and by his own ability.
The two Deity-level experts, separated by thousands of miles, communicated via soul transmission.
"Desri, why did you choose to split your soul?" Linley asked curiously. "Don't you only cultivate the Laws of Light?"
"Linley, although splitting the soul causes great damage to the soul, over time, the soul can still grow. Now, with two bodies, at least in future battles, if one body falls, I still have another. It's like having an extra life. Most importantly... I'm only cultivating the Laws of Light now. Can't I cultivate other laws in the future?"
Linley smiled.
In fact, most people who achieved godhood independently, if they knew the difference between the two methods, would choose the second one.
Splitting the soul only temporarily harmed the soul, but in reality, it gave an extra life and more possibilities for cultivation! After all, after becoming a god, one had infinite time and could cultivate other elemental laws.
For example, Linley, if he had enough time, could continue to cultivate the Laws of Fire, or even the Path of Destruction.
"Desri, you've just become a god, so you probably have a lot to deal with. I won't disturb you. Come visit me when you have time," Linley said with a laugh.
"Definitely." Desri replied.
Desri also felt that the situation on the Yulan Continent was becoming unpredictable. He and Linley joining forces was also for better self-preservation. After all, those who achieved godhood independently were generally much stronger than those who did so by refining a divine spark. Refining a divine spark was like reading a book to understand the laws contained within.
Achieving godhood independently was like writing a book. The writer naturally understood the content of the book more thoroughly than the reader and could apply it more easily.
Linley withdrew his divine sense.
Standing in mid-air, Linley directly summoned his magical beast. "Hei Lu, come here quickly." At this moment, Hei Lu was still in the Dark Forest. Hearing Linley's command, he immediately sped back. However, Hei Lu's location was thousands of miles away from Dragonblood Castle.
Linley waited in the back garden for Hei Lu.
"Swoosh." Hei Lu landed on the ground.
"Master." Hei Lu looked at Linley with confusion. Linley had never called him back so urgently before. After all, his strength was considered mid-to-low in Dragonblood Castle. There weren't many weaker than him.
"Hei Lu, do you want to become a god?" A smile appeared on Linley's face.
Hei Lu's eyes suddenly bulged wide, and all the fur on his body stood on end. He stared at Linley in shock. "M-Master? You mean...?" Hei Lu, living in Dragonblood Castle, knew that Barker and Sesslar had received divine sparks.
Could it be...
Was luck also falling on me, Hei Lu?
Hei Lu felt a bit dazed. He thought of himself as a small fry in Dragonblood Castle, an insignificant character.
"Yes, a divine spark." Linley's smile was very bright.
With a flip of his hand, a black divine spark emitting a faint cyan glow appeared in Linley's hand. Hei Lu stared at the divine spark, his breathing stopping. All his attention was instantly drawn to it. The world of magical beasts was one where the strong ruled.
The friends Hei Lu had made were mostly Saint-level magical beasts.
In the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the Sunset Mountain Range, and the Dark Forest... Hei Lu knew no less than fifty Saint-level magical beasts, if not a hundred. The Saint-level magical beasts they admired most were Lord Beirut and Lord Dylin. Because Lord Beirut and Lord Dylin were magical beasts who had cultivated human form and become gods!
These Saint-level magical beasts all secretly hoped to one day reach the Deity level!
Deity-level magical beasts stood at the pinnacle of all magical beasts.
"I... I, Hei Lu... become a god?" Hei Lu felt his mind go sluggish.
Hei Lu had always been content. After all, the Blackstriped Cloud Leopard was a ninth-grade magical beast. He was satisfied just reaching the Saint level. He was also very grateful to Linley. It was the Saint-level magic core Linley had given him back then that had allowed him to finally break through. So, whenever Linley and the others arranged tasks, Hei Lu never complained.
"What, you don't want it?" Linley teased.
"I do!" This time, Hei Lu reacted very quickly.
Linley laughed and tossed the divine spark. The sparkling divine spark flew through the sunlight.
Hei Lu watched the divine spark, his mind racing with thoughts. How could he have imagined that a mere ninth-grade magical beast like him could not only become a Saint-level magical beast, but now... it seemed he could also become a Deity-level magical beast, the kind most admired by Saint-level magical beasts!
"I, Hei Lu, am going to become... Lord Hei Lu?" At that moment, Hei Lu imagined countless magical beasts respectfully calling him 'Lord Hei Lu'. "Hmm? How about this? I'll choose the Sunset Mountain Range in the future and become its king. I, Hei Lu, the king of the Sunset Mountain Range."
Hei Lu had never been this happy before.