Chapter 13: Greed!
Linley was walking toward the door. After undergoing the ancestral shrine baptism, his strength had improved. Naturally, he was delighted.
“Calling me?” Linley heard the shout and felt puzzled.
Nevertheless, Linley turned his head to look behind him. He saw the bald elder’s face flushed red, his eyes bloodshot, his entire demeanor like that of a man-eating wolf. Linley couldn’t help but become wary. At the same time, he spoke: “Elder, do you have any instructions?”
“Immanuel, what’s wrong with you?” the handsome youth also quickly asked.
What’s wrong?
Immanuel snapped out of it with a jolt, his face returning to normal. Looking at Linley before him, Immanuel understood in his heart: “The Ancestor’s Azure Dragon Ring has appeared. This absolutely cannot be spread outside. Even more so, Gavi must not know.”
Immanuel was a member of the Azure Dragon clan’s Elder Council.
He himself was a fourth-generation member of the Azure Dragon clan. No one knew how many years he had lived, but in terms of status within the Azure Dragon clan, there were many higher than Immanuel.
“If the Ancestor’s Azure Dragon Ring is made public, it will definitely not fall into my hands.” Immanuel’s mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant, sneering inwardly. “Fortunately, this Gavi has never seen the Ancestor and doesn’t know what the Azure Dragon Ring looks like.”
The Ancestor, ‘Azure Dragon,’ being a Sovereign, naturally rarely met with his descendants.
In the Azure Dragon clan, only the Azure Dragon’s children, the second generation, were most familiar with him. The third generation had also met the Ancestor a few times. Some members of the fourth generation had seen him, but for those after… only a very few geniuses had been received by the Ancestor.
This Gavi hadn’t even seen the Ancestor, so naturally, he wouldn’t recognize the Coiling Dragon Ring.
After all, joining the Elder Council required strength reaching the Seven Star Demon level; it didn’t mean one was born earlier.
“Immanuel, what are you thinking about?” Gavi said.
“Oh, I have matters to discuss with this Linley,” Immanuel said with a smile.
Linley was puzzled: “I’ve never seen him before. What does he want with me?”
“If you want to talk to Linley, just talk here,” Gavi said with a laugh. Immanuel, however, shook his head and said seriously, “Gavi, I have a very important matter to discuss with Linley alone. Gavi, do me a favor and go back first. Let me talk to Linley alone here.”
“Talk? Alone?” Gavi was a bit curious.
Immanuel couldn’t help but frown.
“Alright, alright.” Gavi smiled. Since Immanuel had spoken, Gavi couldn’t say much more. “Then I’ll go out first. Oh, right, Immanuel, we still need to discuss the matter of visiting the Envoy of Ulan. I’ll wait for you in the main hall outside. Hurry up.”
Immanuel beamed with joy: “Alright, go to the main hall. After I finish talking, I’ll be out soon.”
“Mm.” The handsome youth ‘Gavi’ smiled at the bewildered Linley. “Young man, work hard. I’m looking forward to the day you join the Elder Council too.” With that, he walked out of the secret room and closed the door behind him.
“Heh heh. Now that Gavi is gone… the Ancestor’s ring is mine.” Immanuel couldn’t contain his excitement. In his eyes, Linley was just a mid-level God. A mid-level God with a ‘soul defense Sovereign artifact.’ He could also kill Linley with material attacks, naturally seizing the Sovereign artifact.
“Linley.” Immanuel smiled very warmly.
“Elder.” Linley, however, was full of doubt. What did this person want to discuss with him alone?
As the saying goes, a skilled person is bold. Linley, having fused three profound mysteries and combined with the ‘Blackstone,’ was already formidable. Now, after the ancestral shrine baptism, his only weakness, soul defense, had also been enhanced.
He was unafraid even of a Seven Star Demon, so he naturally faced this Immanuel calmly.
“Ssss～” Immanuel directly activated his ‘God’s Domain,’ enveloping the entire secret room within it.
Linley’s expression changed. “Elder, what are you doing?”
Immanuel, however, smiled and said, “The conversation between you and me is very important. So, activating the God’s Domain is also to prevent others from overhearing.”
“Elder, what important matter do you have to discuss with Linley?” Linley’s attitude remained humble.
“Linley, first take a look at the book I just gave you,” Immanuel said with a smile.
Full of doubts, Linley still opened the book that recounted the history of the Four Divine Beasts clan. In front of Immanuel, Linley flipped through it, feigning shock. But in his heart, Linley was thinking: “That Immanuel let me go earlier, but suddenly called me back to talk alone? What for?”
While flipping through the book, pretending to be shocked, he was also pondering.
Linley now had five soul strands and could focus on five things at once. His disguise at this moment was naturally simple.
“There’s nothing about me that should catch his attention,” Linley couldn’t figure out the reason.
Then Linley closed the book, looked up at the bald man ‘Immanuel,’ and feigned shock: “Elder, our ancestors were Sovereigns? And four Sovereigns all died? How is that possible?”
“It’s the truth,” Immanuel affirmed. “Linley, you now know the dangerous situation our clan is in.”
“Mm, I know.” Linley’s expression was grim.
This wasn’t an act; Linley was indeed worried about the clan’s situation, especially with the eight families eyeing them covetously.
Immanuel said solemnly, “Linley, our Four Divine Beasts clan is facing a huge crisis. Right now, what we need are true experts! True experts, besides their own strength, also need good divine artifacts. Linley, tell me, am I right?”
Linley nodded in agreement. “Divine artifacts are indeed important.”
Immanuel looked at Linley. “Linley, you have a Sovereign artifact, right?”
Sovereign artifact?
These words struck Linley’s mind like a bolt of lightning. His mind buzzed, and his expression involuntarily changed. Only Bebe and Delia knew about his possession of the soul defense Sovereign artifact.
Linley snapped back to his senses in an instant.
“Elder, you must be joking,” Linley said, staring at Immanuel.
Immanuel let out a scornful laugh. “Linley, don’t pretend in front of me. I’ll tell you, I am a fourth-generation member of the Azure Dragon clan. Back then, I personally saw the Ancestor.”
“So what if you saw the Ancestor?” Linley was extremely wary.
Immanuel looked at Linley’s finger. Linley’s expression changed. Immanuel smiled. “Linley, I’ll tell you. The ring on your hand is the Ancestor’s ring from back then. The soul defense Sovereign artifact – the Azure Dragon Ring!”
“The Azure Dragon Ring?”
In an instant, a series of events flashed through Linley’s mind like lightning. In the blink of an eye, Linley understood everything.
“I’ve always suspected that the owner of the Coiling Dragon Ring was a Sovereign. So it was my ancestor. Right, ten thousand years ago, the Ancestor died, and the Coiling Dragon Ring was lost.” Linley understood completely in his heart. “And that drop of blood that transformed my body – it was the Ancestor’s blood.”
To forge a Sovereign artifact, the essence blood used was definitely the essence of the Azure Dragon’s blood.
That single drop had also purified Linley’s bloodline.
“No wonder there were three drops of water-type Sovereign power. The Ancestor was a water-type Sovereign.” Linley understood everything. Looking at Immanuel, Linley thought, “This Immanuel saw the Ancestor and probably saw the Coiling Dragon Ring too. He recognized it at a glance.”
Linley’s mind raced, and his expression returned to normal.
“Oh, the Azure Dragon Ring?” Linley said with a smile. “Elder, since you’ve recognized it, I won’t deny it. This is indeed a soul defense Sovereign artifact, but it was only that in the past. Not anymore! Elder, think about it. If the Ancestor died, and the soul defense Sovereign artifact wasn’t damaged, would he have died?”
Immanuel scoffed. “Hmph. Sovereign artifacts can at most be damaged; they are never completely destroyed. Otherwise, this Azure Dragon Ring would have shattered.”
“Elder, you’ve said so much. What exactly do you want?” Linley said seriously.
Immanuel said solemnly, “Linley, according to our clan’s rules, this Azure Dragon Ring is a treasure of our Azure Dragon clan! It is jointly owned by the clan! If news of you having the Azure Dragon Ring gets out, the clan will definitely confiscate it.”
Linley frowned.
“Confiscate?” Knowing this was the Ancestor ‘Azure Dragon’s’ Sovereign artifact, Linley’s greatest fear was the clan getting involved. The Coiling Dragon Ring wasn’t just a guarantee of his own power; it was also a memento of his longing for Grandpa Doehring.
Linley couldn’t give it to anyone.
“That’s right. Right now, the clan is in crisis. Such a treasure absolutely cannot be buried with you,” Immanuel said seriously. “A good treasure needs to be paired with an expert to fully unleash its power.”
Linley snorted coldly.
Immanuel continued, “If it’s confiscated, this treasure will at least be given to a Seven Star Demon, and the most powerful one at that. The Azure Dragon Ring, in the hands of a top expert… can turn a powerful Seven Star Demon into someone comparable to an Asura.”
Linley naturally understood this principle.
It was precisely because of the Coiling Dragon Ring that he could ignore the soul-level gap between mid-level Gods and high-level Gods.
“So, Linley, for the sake of the clan and for yourself, you should give me this Azure Dragon Ring,” Immanuel said.
“Do you think that’s possible?” Linley scoffed.
Immanuel quickly said, “I understand. You’re reluctant to part with it. That’s only human. How about this… I promise, as long as you give me the Azure Dragon Ring, I can give you a huge fortune. One trillion inkstones. How about that?”
One trillion?
He really thought Linley was a mid-level God who had never seen the world.
“Not needed,” Linley shook his head.
Immanuel’s face darkened. “Linley, you need to know that killing you right now would be as easy as lifting a finger for me.” But in his heart, Immanuel knew that, first, killing one’s own clan members was not allowed within the Azure Dragon clan, and second, he was worried that a single strike might not kill Linley.
Because Linley had a Sovereign artifact, which made him uneasy.
If Linley could escape outside the secret room, it would be troublesome. After all, outside the secret room, there was the elder ‘Gavi’ and other black-robed figures.
“As easy as lifting a finger to kill me? Didn’t you say I have a Sovereign artifact?” Linley scoffed. “I have a Sovereign artifact. Can you kill me with one strike? Besides, the clan rules forbid killing fellow clan members.”
“Hmph.”
Immanuel snorted coldly. “If I, an elder, kill you, who would dare to interfere? Linley, I’ll give you one last chance. I’ll trade a drop of Sovereign power for the Azure Dragon Ring, and I’ll also sign a contract with you not to kill you to silence you. How about that?”
“Sovereign power?” Linley looked at this Immanuel with surprise. “This bald man is really willing to part with it.”
Linley also knew that although Sovereign power was precious, it was far inferior to a Sovereign artifact. Sovereign power was consumable. A mighty Sovereign could easily bestow Sovereign power. To a Sovereign, Sovereign power was available in unlimited quantities!
But a Sovereign artifact was different.
A Sovereign artifact was to a Sovereign what a divine artifact was to a God. Forging a Sovereign artifact required the Sovereign to expend time and energy. It was very troublesome. Sovereign artifacts were far too precious.
“That’s right, Sovereign power,” Immanuel said coldly. “This drop of Sovereign power is my most important treasure. Linley, I hope you don’t force my hand.”
Intimidation?
If it were an ordinary mid-level God, facing this situation, they would probably be terrified into surrendering and handing over the Sovereign artifact. But Linley was different… because even in a direct confrontation, Linley was not afraid of this Immanuel.
“Force your hand? How?” Linley said mockingly.
Immanuel’s gaze instantly turned icy cold. The anger in his heart filled his chest. Enraged, Immanuel roared, “You’re asking for death!” Ignoring everything else, Immanuel raised his hand and slapped directly at Linley.
He intended to slap Linley to death and seize the Sovereign artifact.
“Boom――”
As the slap struck out, Linley felt the world darken.
Linley’s right hand instantly transformed into a dragon’s claw, meeting the palm strike.
“Bang!” Linley was sent flying, crashing heavily into the secret room’s door. The door exploded, and Linley flew straight out. “Help! Elder Gavi, help!” Linley’s voice echoed like thunder throughout the mountain hall.
Immanuel’s face turned extremely ugly. “You’re asking for death!”
“Whoosh!” Immanuel shot out of the secret room.