Chapter 28: Freedom
Linley’s understanding of Overgod power had been very shallow in the past. He had only thought of it as a higher level of ‘divine power.’ But now, it seemed completely different. Overgod power could actually be used as soul power.
“There’s another benefit to Overgod power,” Gaisrein said with a laugh. “When you use Overgod power for a short period of time, both your body and soul will undergo some improvement.”
“Oh?” Linley was surprised.
“It’s true,” Gaisrein said with a sigh. “But the improvement isn’t very significant. If you were willing to waste it, using a thousand drops of Overgod power in succession would cause your soul and body to transform to an extremely powerful level.”
“A thousand drops. Who has that many?” Linley laughed.
“Even if someone did, no one would be willing to waste it like that,” Gaisrein said.
“The only advantage our Four Divine Beasts clan has over the eight great clans is that we have a fair amount of Overgod power,” Gaisrein said with a sigh. “Relying on Overgod power, we’ve been able to counterattack even when surrounded. We’ve been able to maintain a one-to-one death ratio.”
Linley nodded. After this experience, Linley realized that the enemy was also very strong.
For example, Mosley’s innate divine ability was terrifying.
“With the ancestor dead, our Overgod power is being used up more and more,” Gaisrein reminded Linley. “Linley, don’t use Overgod power unless absolutely necessary. Wasting it is not worth it.”
“Yes, clan leader,” Linley replied.
Even the Four Divine Beasts clan’s reserves of Overgod power were now running low.
“Alright. You can go back now. For the time being, my sister shouldn’t assign you any tasks. After all, after this incident, the eight great clans will be more cautious of you. It won’t be so easy to kill two Seven Star Demons in the future,” Gaisrein said with a laugh.
Linley nodded and then withdrew.
On the eastern border of the Youlan Prefecture, four of the eight great clans were located, including the Barbary clan, which had migrated from the Water God Plane.
Deep within the cold manor, a giant stood in a garden.
He was three and a half meters tall, his face covered in steel-needle-like green whiskers. He wore a simple, ancient suit of armor, and over his shoulders was draped a long robe patterned with a large black serpent. This man was currently staring at Koro, who stood before him.
“Koro. You didn’t even have time to fight back before you were killed?” The giant frowned.
“Clan leader, I… I didn’t expect it,” Koro said, his stomach churning with anger. “He was clearly a mid-level god, but who would have thought he could conceal his aura, sneak up on me from extremely close range, and launch a surprise attack… I didn’t even have time to retaliate.”
At this moment, Koro only had a wind-type divine clone left.
“Not only me, even Mosley didn’t notice him concealing his aura,” Koro quickly added.
The Barbary clan leader’s brow was deeply furrowed.
“Mosley didn’t notice either. I heard about that. His strongest death-type divine clone was also destroyed this time,” the Barbary clan leader said. “It seems this person must be extremely powerful in terms of soul.”
“Clan leader, according to what my subordinates’ clones told me, the person who killed me didn’t have particularly strong soul defense,” Koro quickly said.
“Oh?”
The Barbary clan leader was puzzled. He immediately looked towards the garden entrance, and a black shadow darted in from outside, standing respectfully to the side.
“Quickly go and investigate. Find out if the Azure Dragon clan has gained a new elder, and whether he is skilled at concealing his true strength,” the Barbary clan leader directly ordered.
“Yes, clan leader.”
The black shadow vanished again.
After completing the previous mission, the Grand Elder wouldn’t let Linley go into battle again for a short time. Linley stayed in the Grand Canyon, together with Bebe, Delia, and Hisset, enjoying a rare period of tranquility.
Two years had passed since the last mission, and nothing had happened. But today, Linley and Delia were eating a meal together.
“Delia seems to have something on her mind,” Linley thought to himself with a secret smile. Today, Delia was distracted even while eating with him, wanting to say something but holding back.
“Linley.” Delia hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
“I’ve been waiting for you to speak for a while now,” Linley said with a smile. “Delia, what’s the matter?”
Delia considered for a moment before speaking. “Linley, we’ve been in this Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range for a long time now, over eighty years, right?”
“Mm,” Linley nodded. “So what?”
“Linley, we’ve fought our way here, to the Youlan Prefecture, into this Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range. Yes, we’ve returned to the clan. But… are we going to stay in this Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range forever?” Delia asked back.
Linley frowned. “Delia, you want to go out? You want to leave the Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range?” Linley felt confused.
“No, that’s not it,” Delia quickly said. “Actually, I was thinking of going with the clan’s group to the city for a visit.”
“No way,” Linley refused firmly. “It’s too dangerous. No.”
“It’s not dangerous,” Delia quickly said. “And besides, it’s not just me. Bebe, Dylin, and many others want to go out for a while. Linley, we’re always stuck in one place, never going out. You’re fine; you can train, you can fight. But me and the others can only stay in the Grand Canyon. After a long time, it gets a bit stifling.”
Linley was stunned.
Linley could understand Delia’s feelings. Staying in one place without contact with the outside world was fine at first. But after a slightly longer period, it became suffocating and uncomfortable. If it went on even longer… one would become accustomed to loneliness and oppression. Once accustomed to that, one’s personality would change.
Especially Delia, who had accompanied Linley on their journey. Her heart was also one that loved freedom and couldn’t stand being restrained.
“Delia, I understand how you feel,” Linley said, nodding.
Back then, when he had entered the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts for three years of training, with only Bebe for company, that loneliness and isolation had indeed been very oppressive. He had almost been unable to persevere. It was only because of his hatred that he had managed to hold on.
“Delia, I’m sorry,” Linley said, reaching out to take her hand.
At this moment, Linley realized.
He had been too selfish!
He had only been thinking about himself. Thinking about returning to the clan, thinking about fighting for the clan in the Bloodbath Valley. But he had never once considered Delia, Bebe, and the others. He could live this kind of exciting life.
But what about them?
Stuck in the Grand Canyon all day, living a comfortable but dull life. Bebe was lively, and Delia loved freedom. He himself craved a life of passion and excitement. No one liked a life of boredom. He had completely failed to think about Delia and Bebe.
Thinking this, Linley couldn’t help but say again, “Delia, I’m truly sorry.”
“Don’t say that,” Delia said, shaking her head with a smile. “It’s nothing. I just want to relax a bit. Once I feel better, it’ll be fine.”
“I want you to relax too. But it really is dangerous,” Linley said urgently.
“Linley, it’s really not dangerous,” Delia quickly said. “Actually, quite a few members of the Azure Dragon clan often go to the nearest city, to look around, to buy things. It’s really not dangerous.”
“Not dangerous?” Linley was puzzled.
“Linley, if you don’t believe me, you can ask the elders,” Delia quickly said.
“Oh?” Linley nodded. “Alright, Delia. You stay here. I’ll go ask another elder. If this matter is truly without danger, I’ll let you go.” Linley didn’t want to keep his wife too confined.
Linley flew along the Dragon Path, his mind still replaying his conversation with Delia. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had wronged Delia and Bebe. They had accompanied him to the Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range.
And what was the result?
They could only stay in that Grand Canyon, not daring to go out. This prison-like life was what he had given Delia and Bebe?
Linley noticed someone flying towards him in the distance. It was an old acquaintance, ‘Elder Gavi.’ He immediately called out, “Elder Gavi.”
Elder Gavi turned his head in confusion, then flew over with a smile. “Linley, what a coincidence.” Linley smiled back. “Elder Gavi, I have something important I’d like to ask you. Come, let’s talk over there.”
Linley and Gavi flew directly to a nearby mountainside.
“Linley, what is it?” Gavi asked curiously.
“Do members of our clan often go to the city?” Linley inquired.
“Oh, yes, they do,” Gavi said with a laugh. “First, our clan needs to purchase some things. Second, many clan members feel trapped in the Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range. Quite a few can’t stand the confinement and want to go out and relax. But the number of people allowed to go out each time is limited.”
“Is it dangerous?” Linley asked.
“Not really dangerous,” Gavi laughed. “In over ten thousand years, nothing has ever happened.”
“Aren’t we at war with the eight great clans? How is it not dangerous for our people to go out?” Linley was puzzled.
“Linley, the Infernal Realm is so vast. Do you think it’s that easy to run into them? Our battles with the eight great clans are intentional. We move along fixed routes, and we rely on intelligence scouts to observe them, which is how we encounter each other.”
Linley nodded.
“But when our clan members travel together in a metallic life form to the city, the route isn’t fixed,” Gavi explained. “The world is vast and boundless. We can take any path. And on the road, even if members of the eight great clans see this metallic life form, they won’t know it belongs to our Azure Dragon clan.”
Linley was beginning to understand.
“Most importantly, they can’t have Seven Star Demon-level experts randomly wandering around outside, can they? Even if intelligence scouts discover the metallic life form our people are riding, the metallic life form will quickly fly far away. Since the route isn’t fixed, the enemy can’t know where the metallic life form is headed,” Gavi laughed.
Linley nodded to himself.
The probability of being encountered and recognized was practically one in a billion.
“And most importantly… every time our people go out together, an elder escorts them,” Gavi laughed. “This is a precaution. If, by some terrible luck, we do run into an enemy Seven Star Demon within a billion-mile radius, we can still fight.”
Linley felt relieved.
The probability of such an encounter was too low, almost impossible. And even if it happened, they would have a Seven Star Demon-level expert protecting them.
“What’s the matter? Do you have friends or family who want to go out and relax?” Gavi inquired.
“Yes,” Linley suddenly remembered the limit on the number of people going out. “How many people can go out each time?”
“Five hundred at most,” Gavi nodded. “Don’t worry. As an elder, it’s very easy for you to arrange for some friends or family to join. And if you’re really too worried, you can escort them yourself. With two elders escorting them, it would be strange if anything went wrong.”
Linley’s eyes lit up.
Going to the city with Delia and the others to look around—Linley wanted to do that too. “In the Bloodbath Valley, the elders take turns accepting missions. I’m just idle here anyway.” Linley immediately flew to the Bloodbath Valley to request an audience with the Grand Elder.
Within the Azure Dragon Palace, the Grand Elder stared at Linley through the eyes of his mask.
“What? You want to go out?” the Grand Elder said coldly.
“Grand Elder, I plan to accompany the clan’s group to the city,” Linley said.
“Not for now,” the Grand Elder shook his head. “Recently, our battles with the eight great clans have been quite intense. I might assign you a task at any moment. Linley, put the clan first. After this thousand-year period ends and you withdraw from the Bloodbath Valley, you can go out as much as you like.”
Linley was stunned.
He knew the battles were intense, but he hadn’t been assigned any tasks for two years. A trip to the city would only take a few months.
“Stay in the Celestial Sacrifice Mountain Range for now. Based on how things are developing, I’ll have a task for you soon,” the Grand Elder said.
“Yes, Grand Elder.”
Linley hadn’t really wanted to go to the city anyway. His reason for going was to better protect Delia.
“A billion-mile-wide area, and a Seven Star Demon would be bored enough to wander around, and by some incredible coincidence recognize that as our clan’s group? And could they even defeat our clan’s elder?” Linley thought it over and felt reassured.
The possibility of something going wrong was practically zero!