Chapter 15: Life-and-Death Duel
The morning sun rose. Blood-colored light scattered through the thin mist into the grand canyon. Linley also walked out from the house.
“Nice weather.” Linley took a deep breath, fresh air filling his lungs.
“Whoosh!” A figure leaped down from above. “Boss seems in a good mood.” Bebe said with a laugh. Bebe lived on the second floor of this small building.
“Not bad. It’s been eighty years since I came to the Sacred Mountain Range, and I haven’t had a good fight. Haven’t killed anyone. Soon I’ll be killing, fighting. Of course I’m in a good mood.” Linley said with a smile.
Bebe was puzzled. “Boss, what do you mean by that?”
“No rush. You’ll find out soon enough.” Linley said.
Seeing Linley acting mysterious, Bebe couldn’t help but pout. Just then, Delia also walked out of the room. Bebe immediately went over to her. “Delia, Boss said he’s about to fight and kill someone. Do you know what’s going on?”
“Is that so?” Delia looked at Linley with confusion.
Linley smiled. Suddenly he heard the sound of wind. He looked up.
Several figures flew down from the sky, all wearing the standard battle armor of the Azure Dragon clan. Linley said calmly, “They’re here!” Bebe and Delia also looked up in confusion. Three azure-armored warriors flew over.
“Linley!” The leader recognized Linley at a glance. Clearly, the Elders’ Council had passed down orders, even describing Linley’s appearance in detail.
“Gentlemen, what business do you have?” Linley asked.
The leading azure-armored warrior sighed inwardly. He didn’t understand how a mid-level god could have offended the lofty elders. But he still spoke. “Linley, Lord Emmanuel has issued a life-and-death duel against you. The Elders’ Council has approved it. Come with us.”
“Right now?” Linley was somewhat surprised.
That the Elders’ Council would approve this application had long been within Linley’s expectations. But going to fight immediately was unexpected.
“The life-and-death duel will be held at noon today. For now, we’re just taking you there in advance.” The azure-armored warrior said. In his heart, he still felt some sympathy for Linley. After all, in his view…
Linley was at the bottom of the clan, much like them, the patrolling warriors.
But sympathy was sympathy; they couldn’t help.
“Boss, what’s going on?” Bebe asked urgently.
“Linley, what is this life-and-death duel?” Delia also asked anxiously.
Linley smiled at them. “There’s an elder in the clan named Emmanuel who insists on killing me. Fortunately, Elder Garvey was present at the time, but he still issued a life-and-death duel against me. Until one of us dies.”
“An elder?” Delia was worried.
“Boss, do you have confidence?” Bebe asked.
They all knew Linley’s strength. But the opponent was a clan elder after all. In the eighty years they’d been here, they’d learned about the clan’s Elders’ Council. To enter the Elders’ Council, one had to first reach the Seven Star Demon level.
Linley sent a divine sense message. “Delia, Bebe, don’t worry. Before the ancestral hall baptism, I wasn’t completely sure. But after going through it, I have confidence.”
Delia immediately felt relieved. She trusted Linley.
“Linley, does he want to kill you because of the Coiling Dragon Ring?” Delia sent via divine sense.
Linley nodded. He replied via divine sense, “I only found out now that the Coiling Dragon Ring, this Sovereign artifact, actually belonged to our Azure Dragon clan’s ancestor. Emmanuel recognized it at a glance.”
Bebe and Delia both understood now.
The temptation of a soul-protecting Sovereign artifact was clear to them. No wonder Emmanuel was so determined.
“Linley, can we go now?” The azure-armored warrior said.
In truth, the azure-armored warrior wasn’t in a hurry. The life-and-death duel wasn’t until noon. Lord Emmanuel, for instance, was at his own residence and would only go when the time came. But Linley, being of lower status, had to go early.
“It doesn’t start until noon, so what’s the rush?” Bebe said discontentedly.
“You three, what’s this about?” Several figures flew over rapidly. It was Baruch and a few other clan members. Seeing the azure-armored warriors, they grew worried. The arrival of these warriors meant something important.
“Lord Emmanuel has issued a life-and-death duel against Linley. The Elders’ Council has approved it.” The azure-armored warrior said coldly.
Baruch and the others were stunned. Their eyes were full of disbelief.
“An elder and Linley?” They couldn’t accept it.
“How can a dignified elder have a life-and-death duel with Linley?” Hazzard said angrily. Since Linley’s return, their Yulan branch’s status had risen considerably, and he had grown fond of this younger generation member.
An elder fighting a mid-level god—it was too unfair!
“The Elders’ Council has approved it. It cannot be changed.” The leading azure-armored warrior said coldly. “Unless you ask the Patriarch to stop it.”
The highest authority in the Azure Dragon clan was undoubtedly the Patriarch. As the son of the ancestor, the Azure Dragon, the ancestor had naturally invested great effort in raising his son during his lifetime. His strength was unimaginable.
In the clan, his word was law.
“Linley, what’s wrong?” Talos, Diling, and others also flew over. Someone immediately explained the situation to them. Talos and the others were also shocked. A clan elder was going to have a life-and-death duel with Linley.
“Everyone, don’t worry.” Linley said calmly, then looked at the azure-armored warriors. “Let’s go.”
The leading azure-armored warrior nodded.
“Can we watch?” Delia quickly asked.
The leading azure-armored warrior glanced at the crowd and nodded. “Since this is likely Linley’s last battle, you can come and watch if you want.” With that, the three azure-armored warriors and Linley flew up together.
Delia, Bebe, Baruch, and even Talos, Diling, and others immediately followed.
The news that a clan elder and a mid-level god were going to have a life-and-death duel spread quickly among the clan’s lower ranks, but it spread even faster among the upper echelons, especially among the elders.
“Emmanuel, that fellow, is going to have a life-and-death duel with a junior in the clan? Am I hearing this right?” A burly man with short blue hair frowned.
“Uncle, absolutely right. Emmanuel really is going to have a life-and-death duel with a mid-level god.” Another tall, brown-haired man said. Both were wearing azure armor embroidered with golden patterns and cloaks dyed with special magical runes.
Both were clan elders.
“Let’s go. Let’s have a look.” The blue-haired man said.
“Quite a few people are going to watch today.” The brown-haired man laughed.
“Is the Patriarch going?”
“The Patriarch probably doesn’t know yet. I heard he was with the envoys from the Netherworld yesterday. This time, the Netherworld envoys came for something fairly important.” The brown-haired man said with some confusion.
“Important? It wouldn’t be about going to war with the Eight Great Clans, would it?” The blue-haired man said with some worry.
“Not sure. We’ll know when the Patriarch returns.” The brown-haired man shook his head.
As they talked, they flew toward the Valley of Death, the place specially used by the Azure Dragon clan for life-and-death duels.
There were quite a few people at the Valley of Death today. Besides the clan’s upper echelons and Linley’s group, there were also many patrolling warriors who had heard about the matter and came to watch out of boredom.
A clan elder versus a mid-level god!
Such a thing was a rare sight in the clan, happening once in a hundred million years.
“That Emmanuel sure has a big ego.” Bebe said discontentedly. “We’re already here, but he still hasn’t shown up. Maybe, like the azure-armored warrior said, he’ll only appear at noon.”
Linley stood calmly at the edge of the Valley of Death. “Bebe, don’t rush.”
“Linley, you’re full of confidence.” Talos laughed.
“Returning to the Azure Dragon clan, I originally wanted a quiet life. It seems that’s impossible.” Linley’s gaze swept across the Valley of Death. Several clan elders had already arrived, but most were azure-armored warriors.
There were thousands of azure-armored warriors, all talking among themselves.
“I heard the mid-level god being challenged by an elder today is named Linley. Which one of those people is Linley?”
“That one, with the brown hair. Next to him is a youth wearing a straw hat.” Someone immediately pointed him out. This challenge had spread quickly among the patrolling warriors.
“What a pity. A mid-level god is going to die today.”
“I wonder why Lord Emmanuel wants to kill a mid-level god. He could have just done it without all this trouble.”
“The elder went too far. But Linley’s got guts to show up.”
Sympathy for the weak was human nature. The patrolling warriors, like Linley, were at the bottom of the clan. Deep down, they were already somewhat afraid of the lofty elders, so naturally they sympathized with Linley and sided with him.
Of course, they could only side with him in their hearts. They wouldn’t dare do anything openly.
“Lord Emmanuel is here!” Someone suddenly shouted.
Everyone looked up. Linley and his group also looked up at the commotion. In midair, the bald elder Emmanuel, dressed in elder’s attire, flew down with several other elders.
“Finally here.” Linley looked at him.
Emmanuel also looked at Linley. “At least you have some courage.” A hint of a smile played at the corner of Emmanuel’s mouth. His gaze also caught a flash of color from the ring on Linley’s finger. His heart stirred with excitement.
He knew—that was a Sovereign artifact!
“Good thing he didn’t run away last night.” Emmanuel had ordered strict surveillance over the canyon yesterday, just to prevent Linley from escaping.
“According to our clan’s rules, when an irreconcilable conflict arises, a life-and-death duel is held. No regrets even in death! Today’s life-and-death duel is between Emmanuel and Linley!” An elder floated in midair and announced loudly.
The entire Valley of Death fell silent. No one spoke.
“Both of you, prepare yourselves.” The elder said coldly.
Emmanuel floated gracefully into the center of the Valley of Death, then looked down at Linley with a haughty expression.
“Boss, go for it. Kill that elder.” Bebe sent via divine sense.
“Linley, be careful.” Delia said.
Linley, however, smiled calmly and flew directly to the center of the Valley of Death, facing Emmanuel in midair from a distance. Everyone in the Valley of Death, whether watching elders or patrolling warriors, fell silent.
“Begin.” The elder shouted.
Linley’s expression immediately turned serious.
“Linley, if you admit defeat, I’ll spare your life.” Emmanuel said condescendingly with a faint smile, as if he held Linley’s life in his hands.
“Admit defeat?”
Linley smiled coldly. “This is a life-and-death duel today. Either you die, or I die.”
A wave of murmurs spread. Both the elders and the patrolling warriors were surprised. In their view, Linley was doomed. Emmanuel’s offer to spare him was already merciful. Yet Linley had refused.
“Hmph. Then you’re asking for death.” Emmanuel’s face immediately turned cold.
Suddenly, Emmanuel frowned slightly. He glanced at Delia, Bebe, Xisai, and a few others standing at the edge of the Valley of Death. “These people look familiar. Where have I seen them before?” The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. This was a critical battle; he couldn’t afford to be distracted.
“Boom!” Energy exploded.
Linley’s entire body was immediately covered in a large number of dragon scales. Blue-gold dragon scales covered his body, and vicious spikes emerged from his back and forehead. A metallic-sheened dragon tail swayed slightly.
“Come on!” Linley’s cold, dark-gold eyes stared at his opponent.
“It’s him?” Elder Garvey was greatly shocked.
“It’s him!” Nearly ten elders watching from a distance changed expression.
The floating image from the Netherworld Island had been seen by the Azure Dragon clan’s upper echelons. They knew that in the Infernal Realm, there was an expert of the Azure Dragon clan who underwent a dragon transformation with vicious spikes protruding from his body.
This kind of transformation had never been seen among clan members. After all, under normal circumstances, why would a member of the Four Divine Beasts clan drink the blood of a rank nine magical beast, the Spiked-Back Iron-Armored Dragon, to activate their bloodline?
Emmanuel, who had been confident, immediately changed expression.
“It’s him! The one who appeared on the Netherworld Island, the hidden powerful clansman!” Emmanuel’s mind was in turmoil. Then he glanced at Delia, Bebe, and the others watching. “Right, I remember where I saw them before—on that floating image! When that giant cube was cut apart, those people were right next to that clansman!”