Chapter 9: Spiritual Enlightenment
The sea roared, and there was no one else around.
The twelve survivors had varied expressions.
Seeing Bebe searching for the hidden strong expert, the bearded man ‘Bates’ cursed inwardly: *He clearly knows, yet he’s deliberately doing this.*
He immediately laughed and said, “Bebe, if that strong expert doesn’t willingly reveal himself, how could you possibly know who it is? Right?”
“Mm, right.” Bebe nodded.
The bald young man ‘Pofi’ had an indifferent expression. His Highgod clone had died, leaving only this Demigod clone. He said coldly, “No need to search. Perhaps that expert isn’t even among us. It’s not impossible for a strong expert to lurk nearby, help us, and then leave.”
A Seven Star Fiend or Asura-level expert could indeed evade the bandits’ attention, sneak in to help, and then leave. But under normal circumstances, would an Asura-level expert be so bored?
Unless there was someone they cared about among the group.
“That’s very likely.” Aiqie said with a full smile, “Let’s not waste time here. We should set off.” Aiqie was tactful. Since the strong expert, whether part of their group or not, didn’t want to reveal themselves, he naturally wouldn’t keep searching and risk displeasing them.
Aiqie was secretly overjoyed.
Having such a strong expert in their group, what was there to fear on this journey?
“Ah!” Aiqie suddenly smiled bitterly.
“What’s wrong?” The others looked at him.
Aiqie explained with a wry smile, “My last metal lifeform was destroyed earlier. But we’ve barely traveled a tenth of the way. What should we do?” He looked around. “Does anyone have a metal lifeform to lend? I can buy it, or I’ll cover the divine crystals consumed along the way.”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Metal lifeforms were considered high-end items. Most Demigod Fiends couldn’t afford them.
“Even preparing multiple metal lifeforms is too much trouble.” The bearded man ‘Bates’ sneered. He waved his hand, and a metal lifeform floated on the sea surface, transforming into a boat shape. “Aiqie, there are no divine crystals stored in this metal lifeform. You’ll have to store them yourself.”
“Hmph, and he calls himself an expert. Can’t even spare that much,” Bebe muttered.
The bearded man ‘Bates’ immediately turned his head, glared, but then glanced at Linley and smiled. He sent a divine sense message: “Hey, Linley… you’re an expert from the Four Divine Beasts clan. Are you a Six Star Fiend or a Seven Star Fiend? Why are you hiding your identity?”
Six Star Fiend? Seven Star Fiend?
“I’m a One Star Fiend,” Linley replied via divine sense.
“One Star Fiend?” Bates rolled his eyes and immediately flew toward the metal lifeform. “Hey, everyone, hurry up and get in. We’re setting off.”
Linley transformed back into his normal human form.
“I told the truth, and he doesn’t believe me,” Linley thought with a wry shake of his head. Then he couldn’t help but marvel, “The power of the Blackstone Prison is truly formidable. The fusion of profound mysteries is one thing, but the application technique is another. How can there be such an incredible application technique?”
Linley didn’t understand.
A mere special application could increase the gravity limit a hundredfold. Even fusing another profound mystery probably wouldn’t produce such an exaggerated effect.
“And even if I tried to deduce it, it would take billions of years and still might not work,” Linley thought. He was well aware of the complexity of the deduction. After all, who would have thought to use 108 strands of divine power in a specific arrangement? And there were countless ways to arrange 108 strands of divine power. Under normal circumstances, the amplification was very weak.
Who knew that a specific arrangement could produce such an effect?
Before Linley, this technique was only known to the violet young beast. And as a ‘Divine Beast,’ this was his innate special move! When he used it, the power was even more exaggerated than when Linley used it.
“Whoosh, whoosh…”
The metal lifeform cut through the waves.
Inside the metal lifeform, everyone drank and chatted casually. Occasionally, someone would deliberately observe others, wondering who the hidden supreme expert might be.
“Who is that strong expert?” The green-haired giant ‘Taimu’ was very curious. He looked at each survivor with burning eyes. When he saw the silver-haired man ‘Weierbien,’ he shook his head slightly. If Weierbien were that expert, he probably wouldn’t have let his brother die.
Taimu looked at each person one by one.
“No, I know these few.” Taimu then glanced at the bearded man ‘Bates,’ who glared back: “What are you looking at?”
Taimu immediately smiled sheepishly.
But Taimu also knew that Bates cultivated the Laws of Darkness, so he wasn’t that expert.
“Could it be them?” Taimu then glanced at Linley and the other three. When he saw Linley, he paused slightly. “No, I saw him use that violet longsword. It seemed to be the Laws of Wind. Not him either!”
God-level experts, even if they cultivated more than one elemental law, usually used their strongest profound mysteries in battle. Since they had seen Linley use a wind-element profound mystery, they assumed he was a wind-type god-level expert and didn’t think otherwise.
“Linley.”
A voice sounded in his mind. Linley was at the edge of the hall, looking out at the sea through the transparent metal. Hearing the voice, he replied via divine sense: “Bates, why have you been looking for me to chat so much these past few days?”
“Tch, ever since I revealed my strength that day, those guys have been so careful when talking to me. It’s so boring,” the bearded man ‘Bates’ said.
Linley smiled. Bates was the type who enjoyed lively company.
“Hey, look at that Weierbien kid. He’s been sulking all these days, looking so dejected. I didn’t expect his short elder brother to mean so much to him,” Bates sent another divine sense message.
Linley turned to look at Weierbien. This Weierbien was also a sentimental person. If one of himself or Wharton died, the other would probably be very sad too.
“Wharton. It was the right decision not to bring him to the Infernal Realm back then,” Linley sighed inwardly.
The danger level of the Infernal Realm was even higher than he had imagined. But after more than six hundred years of cultivation in the Amethyst Mountains, he now had the ability to protect himself. Neither the ‘Misty Sea Riot’ nor the Scimitar Seahorse bandits posed a threat to him.
Night. The sea wind howled.
Linley walked out of the cabin and came to the bow. Even though the metal lifeform was moving extremely fast, Linley walked steadily on it.
“Hm?” Linley was surprised to see someone at the edge of the bow. “There’s someone here!” Tonight, besides himself, someone else had already been at the bow for a long time. It was the silver-haired young man ‘Weierbien,’ sitting against the railing.
Linley was shocked to discover—
Weierbien’s face was streaked with tears. He was quietly staring at the distant seawater, lost in thought.
“Weierbien.” Linley also sat down.
Weierbien was startled. The tears on his face instantly evaporated, and he resumed his cold expression.
“Thinking about your brother?” Linley looked at the dark, surging waves ahead and spoke directly.
Weierbien’s face seemed to twitch slightly upon hearing this.
“You have a brother, and I have a younger brother too,” Linley sighed. “His name is Wharton! But when I came to the Infernal Realm this time, I didn’t bring him with me… Nearly seven hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. I don’t know how my brother is doing now.”
Nearly seven hundred years.
Linley had become a legend in the Yulan Continent in just a few decades. But in the Infernal Realm, nearly seven hundred years had passed. Seven hundred years—many things could happen. Linley didn’t know how his loved ones in the distant Yulan Continent were doing.
“My brother and I have been in the Infernal Realm for tens of thousands of years,” Weierbien suddenly spoke.
Linley was a bit surprised. Weierbien had actually spoken.
But Linley listened attentively. Weierbien had been grieving for so long; it would indeed do him good to talk about it.
“My brother cared about me very much. I remember back in our homeland, in the material plane,” Weierbien said, his gaze distant as he recalled the past. “My brother was simple and honest, while I was aloof. When I was young, because of my aloof temper, I had no friends. Only my brother always cared for me.”
“Later, when I grew up, I had a conflict with my brother over something!” Weierbien said bitterly. “I killed my brother’s fiancée!”
Linley was stunned.
Seeing Weierbien’s expression, Linley could imagine that the situation back then must have been very complicated. Otherwise, given Weierbien’s feelings for his brother, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.
“From then on, my brother refused to see me. And I became even more arrogant. Because of some very complicated matters, I flew into a rage and attacked the imperial palace, killing the detestable Crown Prince and even the Emperor! That night, blood flowed like a river…”
“But the palace’s forces were strong. There were eight Saint-level experts! I killed five of them, but I was also severely wounded and on the verge of death.”
“I had given up. After all, I had killed the Crown Prince and that damn Emperor. I was satisfied. But then, my brother appeared. He saved me! By doing so, he completely opposed the empire!” Weierbien recalled those years.
Weierbien shook his head bitterly. “Actually, back then, after accidentally killing my sister-in-law, I always felt guilty toward my brother…”
“Killing the Emperor caused a huge problem. The old president of the empire’s Magic Guild usually didn’t meddle in worldly affairs, but once he found out about this, he would definitely act.”
Weierbien sighed. “We immediately fled, then found the plane guardian and came to the Infernal Realm!”
“You came here as Saint-levels?” Linley was shocked.
Weierbien nodded. “When we arrived, we realized how dangerous it was. Being a Saint-level in the Infernal Realm was a nightmare…” As he spoke, Weierbien fell silent, tears silently streaming down again.
“Enough,” Weierbien shook his head. “After coming to the Infernal Realm and witnessing its dangers, my brother and I understood that death could come at any time. I always hoped that if one of us had to die, let it be me first. I didn’t want my brother to die… because in this life, he was my only family and friend!”
Linley looked at Weierbien and sighed inwardly.
But Linley wasn’t too saddened. Having experienced so much in the Infernal Realm, he had seen this often. Of the thousand people who went for the Fiend trials, only a few dozen survived. Who among those who came to the Infernal Realm was ordinary?
Linley sat quietly at the bow.
At some point, Weierbien returned to the cabin. Linley continued to gaze at the ocean.
Tonight, the violet moon was just a thin sliver. The Starfall Misty Sea was so dark. The surging seawater was like an enormous, monstrous beast.
“The Infernal Realm is like this Starfall Misty Sea—vast and boundless, devouring one life after another. Only true strong experts can reach the pinnacle here. The weak die, and the stronger survive!” As Linley looked at the dark, boundless seawater, he felt a tremor in his heart for some reason.
The dark seawater stretched endlessly.
The boundless darkness seemed to swallow him whole.
Linley sat quietly at the bow, silently staring at the endless ocean, his eyes devoid of any light. Perhaps a long time passed, or perhaps just an instant.
Linley’s eyes lit up.
In his mind, virtual strands of divine power began to simulate. Strand after strand of divine power formed the ‘Blackstone Prison.’ ‘Earth Pulse,’ ‘Gravity Space,’ ‘Earth Element’—all the profound mysteries merged into his heart.
Daybreak came.
Linley stood up, looked into the distance at the blurry blood-red sun shrouded in mist, and a smile appeared on his face.