Chapter 14: The Duel Challenge
Linley crashed into the corridor outside, blood smeared at the corners of his mouth.
He immediately stomped hard against the ground, transforming into a streak of light as he dashed toward the main hall. Linley sneered inwardly. "This Emanuel still wants to kill me? But unless necessary, I won't rush to reveal my strength." While fleeing, he shouted loudly, "Elder Gavin, save me!"
The explosion of the secret chamber door and Linley's piercing voice—how could an upper-tier god's hearing fail to catch that?
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" ...
Several figures shot over from the distance, led by the handsome youth, Gavin.
"Don't think you can escape!" A furious roar rang out as Emanuel's figure shot after Linley like an arrow.
Seeing Gavin and several black-robed figures, Linley quickly darted behind them before saying, "Elder Gavin, Elder Emanuel wants to kill me!" Gavin's handsome face twisted with anger upon hearing this.
"Emanuel, what are you doing!" Gavin barked.
The bald Emanuel halted, glaring at Linley, then turned to Gavin. "Gavin, step aside."
"Linley is one of our clan. Why do you want to kill him?" Gavin demanded, deeply dissatisfied. "So, when you said you wanted to talk to Linley alone, it was to kill him."
"No."
Emanuel quickly denied. Seeing Gavin appear, he knew things had gotten troublesome—this was exactly the scenario he had feared most. Yet he was also shocked: "That palm strike of mine didn't kill Linley. The Sovereign artifact is indeed formidable; its life-preserving power is effective."
Linley's mouth was still stained with blood, his face pale.
Emanuel believed that his palm strike had failed to kill Linley because of the Coiling Dragon Ring's protection.
But he didn't know...
The blood at Linley's mouth and his pale face were all deliberately faked by Linley.
"That palm strike, given my defenses, couldn't harm me at all," Linley sneered inwardly. "But there's no need to reveal my strength yet." Upon arriving at the Four Divine Beasts clan, Linley had decided to quietly accompany his family first, only going to battle after training to become an upper-tier god.
Moreover, once he reached the upper-tier god level, he could play a greater role.
For now, he couldn't expose his power. If he did, his peaceful days would likely vanish.
"Linley, tell me what happened," Gavin said, looking at him.
"Elder Gavin, I didn't provoke Elder Emanuel at all. But he tried to kill me for no reason," Linley said. The matter of the Coiling Dragon Ring absolutely could not be exposed. At this moment, Linley had also changed the ring's appearance.
If divine artifacts could change form, a Sovereign artifact naturally could too.
Linley regretted not having altered the Coiling Dragon Ring's appearance earlier. First, no one had ever discovered it, so he had let his guard down. Second, as his strength grew, he gained confidence—who would have thought he'd encounter such a situation?
"Emanuel?" Gavin turned to him.
"Gavin, do you believe me or him?" Emanuel's anger surged, his face turning extremely ugly. "This Linley offended me. Today, I must kill him. Gavin, step aside."
The black-robed figures in the corridor were astonished—Emanuel was far too agitated.
"Emanuel!" Gavin shouted coldly. "This is the Heavenly Sacrifice Mountain Range! The clan has rules against wanton killing. What do you think you're doing?"
"Elder Emanuel, I too would like to know why you want to kill me," Linley said, staring at Emanuel.
"Yes, why do you want to kill him?" Gavin also looked at him.
Emanuel glared at Linley, his eyes blazing with fury. He was enraged—enraged that Linley was being so ungrateful: "I even offered a drop of Sovereign power, and he still refused. He's forcing my hand." Emanuel made a decision.
"Elder Emanuel, why are you so angry? Shouldn't I be the one angry?" Linley sneered. "If it comes to it, we'll both lose everything!"
Emanuel's heart jolted.
What did he fear most now?
Not Gavin's interference, but Linley publicly revealing the matter of the Azure Dragon Ring. Once exposed... even if the clan confiscated it, Emanuel wouldn't get it.
"Fine, Linley." Emanuel sneered. "You're ruthless."
"I'm ruthless? You're the one pushing too hard," Linley retorted.
Gavin and the other black-robed figures were baffled, having no idea what Linley and Emanuel were discussing.
"Elder Emanuel, as a junior, I'll offer you a piece of advice," Linley said, looking at Emanuel with a faint smile. "Sometimes, don't be too greedy. Greed can cost you your life. What's yours is yours; what's not yours will never be."
Emanuel laughed in fury.
"Kid, I'll return that advice to you," Emanuel snarled. "Don't be too greedy. Greed can cost you your life!"
"Oh? Cost me my life?" Linley chuckled. "Honorable elder, you're a formidable Seven Star Demon, and I'm just a mid-tier god. I admit I'm no match for you. It wouldn't be hard for you to take my life, but you can't bully me too much."
"What are you two talking about!" Gavin roared.
"Emanuel," Gavin continued, "if Linley truly did something excessive, report it to the Elder Council. They'll punish him."
Emanuel took a deep breath and slowly said, "Linley, your offense is unforgivable. Here and now, I challenge you to a life-or-death duel!"
"A life-or-death duel?"
Gavin and the black-robed figures in the corridor were stunned. Gavin stared at Emanuel in shock, sending a divine sense message: "Emanuel, what are you doing? He's just a mid-tier god. If you want to kill him, go through the Elder Council. Why a life-or-death duel?"
Gavin had no idea that Emanuel wanted to kill Linley himself to seize the Azure Dragon Ring.
The black-robed figures all looked at Linley, their eyes tinged with pity.
"May I ask, what is a life-or-death duel?" Linley's voice rang out.
Gavin and the others were taken aback. Linley didn't even know what a life-or-death duel was.
Gavin sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for Linley. He explained, "Linley, within the clan, with so many people, conflicts are inevitable. When a conflict escalates to the point of no return, it becomes irreconcilable. Even if the clan forbids members from killing each other, if the hatred is too deep, mediation is useless."
"At that point, only a 'life-or-death duel' can settle it!"
Gavin continued solemnly, "A life-or-death duel is the most brutal form of combat within our clan. Both participants fight until one dies. Of course, if the victor chooses to spare the loser's life, that's allowed. But generally, participants in such duels are irreconcilable."
Linley understood now.
Anger surged within him: "This Emanuel truly leaves me no room to breathe."
"If he challenges me, must I accept?" Linley asked.
"You can refuse," Gavin said. "But even if you refuse, the other party can apply to the Elder Council. Once the Council approves, even if you refuse... you must still participate."
"Ha ha..." Linley laughed. "The Elder Council?"
Emanuel was a member of the Elder Council. Would his application for a life-or-death duel be rejected?
"Linley, it's not too late to regret," Emanuel sneered. "My terms remain unchanged. I'll spare your life." Emanuel's terms were to exchange the Coiling Dragon Ring for a drop of Sovereign power.
Linley stared at him coldly.
"It's not too late to regret?" Linley's face twisted into a mocking smile.
"Yes," Emanuel nodded.
"Emanuel, let me tell you," Linley scoffed. "I refuse this life-or-death duel!"
"Refusing is useless," Emanuel said.
Linley sneered. "I refuse now. Whether the Elder Council approves your application or not, I don't care. And let me tell you this, Emanuel—it's not too late for you to regret now. Later, regret will be useless."
With that, Linley turned and walked away, his face turning cold.
Linley was truly stirred to kill!
"Originally, I wanted to continue living peacefully until I became an upper-tier god. Emanuel, you forced my hand!" Linley no longer held back. If he truly had to participate in the life-or-death duel, he would definitely kill Emanuel!
Watching Linley's retreating figure, Emanuel sneered.
"Refuse? What good does refusing do?" Emanuel scoffed. "When the time comes, regret won't help you." He turned and left without acknowledging Gavin.
Gavin sighed.
"Such a pity—a genius about to die." Gavin didn't believe Linley could survive. Emanuel was a fourth-generation member of the clan; his father was third-generation, and his grandmother was second-generation.
In the entire Azure Dragon clan, there were only two second-generation members—a brother and sister. One was the clan leader, the son of the ancestor 'Azure Dragon,' and the other was the leader's younger sister.
Within the clan, Emanuel wasn't the highest in status, but his influence was considerable.
As for Gavin? He was countless generations removed. Though also a Seven Star Demon, his influence paled in comparison.
Night. The violet moon hung high.
Linley flew alone along the Dragon Path, remembering the way back clearly.
"This Coiling Dragon Ring." He glanced down, memories of his life from childhood to now flooding his mind.
Because of the Coiling Dragon Ring, he had met Grandpa Doehring.
Because of Grandpa Doehring, he had grown into a strong warrior.
Throughout his journey, the Coiling Dragon Ring had compensated for his soul's weakness compared to upper-tier gods. It was his reliance when fighting Seven Star Demons. Unknowingly...
His entire life had become intertwined with the Coiling Dragon Ring.
"No one will take this Coiling Dragon Ring," Linley murmured to himself.
"If I truly must participate in the life-or-death duel," Linley's gaze turned icy, "I will kill Emanuel. Right now, only he knows about the Coiling Dragon Ring. He won't be foolish enough to spread the news. Killing him will keep it secret."
That same day, Emanuel returned and immediately sought out the three elders in charge of 'life-or-death duels.'
For ordinary battles, three elders could make the decision.
"Emanuel, why the rush to summon us?" Two men and one woman—all three wore cyan armor trimmed with gold patterns and cloaks adorned with complex magical runes.
Three elders.
"A mid-tier god offended me, showing no respect at all," Emanuel fumed. "I want to kill him. I'm applying for a life-or-death duel. Help me out—approve the application." He handed over a piece of paper.
The three elders glanced at the paper and exchanged looks.
Was this a joke?
An elder applying for a life-or-death duel to kill a mid-tier god?
The golden-haired woman among them chuckled, "Emanuel, you're an elder. Why bother with a mid-tier god?"
"I must kill him," Emanuel insisted.
A silver-haired elder laughed, "Emanuel, if you really want to kill him, just tell us how he offended you. We'll have him arrested on the clan's behalf for offending an elder and execute him directly. Why go through the trouble of a life-or-death duel? An elder dueling a mid-tier god—isn't that ridiculous?"
"Three of you, consider it a favor from me, Emanuel. Agreed?" Emanuel said.
The three exchanged glances.
"Fine, we'll agree." The three elders each produced a feathered pen and signed their names on the paper.
Seeing this, Emanuel smiled, thinking to himself, "Linley, now it's too late for you to regret."