Chapter 56: The Power of Life
Dylia was accompanying Wudy, but she noticed that Linley was standing there motionless, his eyes even closed. "What's wrong with Linley? Could it be..." Seeing Linley's current state, Dylia naturally thought of one thing—
Enlightenment, breakthrough!
Indeed, at this moment, Linley had finally stepped through the threshold of the profound mystery of the Power of Life. Cultivating a single profound mystery involves two major hurdles: the first is entry, and the second is breaking through the bottleneck to mastery. Although there might be some obstacles along the way, with effort, they can all be overcome.
But entry and breaking through the bottleneck to mastery cannot be achieved by effort alone. They require talent, opportunity, and a momentary flash of enlightenment.
At the very beginning of enlightenment, the speed of comprehension is astonishing, advancing like a whirlwind. However, after a short while, Linley's rate of progress sharply decreased. After all, enlightenment only clarifies the entry part; as for what comes after, hard training is still needed.
Linley opened his eyes and saw Dylia looking at him from in front.
"Breakthrough?" Dylia asked softly.
Linley smiled and nodded. "The profound mystery of the Power of Life, I've finally entered its threshold... Indeed, comprehending these profound mysteries is not so simple. After experiencing so much, with my state of mind changing... I accumulated enough, and only then could I seize that instant of inspiration and achieve enlightenment."
A smile naturally appeared on Dylia's face.
"Linley, didn't you say that after reaching the Highgod level, the difficulty of fusion increases greatly?" Dylia couldn't help but ask.
When it comes to the profound mysteries of the laws, the difficulty of fusion is lower during the initial stages of comprehension. It's like a big tree: if you make it bend while it's still young, and continue doing so as it grows, it will naturally become a bent tree when fully grown. But if the tree has already matured, trying to make it bend naturally becomes difficult.
"Fusion is even harder than entering a single profound mystery," Linley said, shaking his head. "Otherwise, over countless years, Paragons among Highgods wouldn't be so rare."
"The further you go, the harder fusion becomes," Linley sighed. "Look at me. Fusing three profound mysteries took less than a thousand years. But fusing a fourth... now over six hundred years have passed, and I've only managed to fuse the profound mystery of Strength with the Pulse of the Earth. There's been no further progress at all."
No progress at all—was he just wasting time?
Looking at the cultivation processes of others in history, if they wanted to fuse four profound mysteries, even the most talented would need at least ten thousand years.
"But once I reach the Highgod level, my power will increase more than tenfold," Linley said confidently. "At that point, even if I face an Asura, I'll at least be confident in preserving my life."
His soul would be elevated, and by absorbing more Amethyst, he would reach a new height.
At the same time, Linley's Blackstone Space had previously been powered by Midgod earth divine power, but after reaching Highgod, he would use Highgod earth divine power to execute it. The power of the Blackstone Space would increase once more!
The Gravity Space used by Reyes, the commander of the Abyssal Prison, was powered by Highgod earth divine power.
Once Linley reached Highgod, the soul-confusion effect of his Blackstone Space would increase more than tenfold! The gravitational pull would also see a terrifying increase. By then, even Seven Star Fiends would find it difficult to move freely within the Blackstone Space.
At that time...
Linley's Blackstone Space would be almost comparable to that of Reyes, the commander of the Abyssal Prison.
"Moreover, only after reaching Highgod will there be hope of repairing the Coiling Dragon Ring," Linley sighed. "Although spiritual energy can repair it, it is, after all, a soul-defense Sovereign artifact. My spiritual energy is still too weak now. Once I reach Highgod and rely on the Amethyst to push my soul to the limit of a Highgod, even if I can't perfectly repair it, I can restore it to a few tenths of its power."
Greed knows no bounds, and the consequences of overreaching are predictable.
At this point, once Linley broke through to Highgod, his power would be terrifying enough. It would be better to reach Highgod as soon as possible.
Time flowed like water, silently slipping away. Linley trained quietly in the great canyon, steadily improving. Wudy also grew to adulthood, and when the hundred-year mark arrived, Wudy went to undergo the clan baptism.
Linley couldn't help but sigh...
He himself had become a god through many hardships, breaking through step by step. But Wudy, after the clan baptism, directly became a water-type god.
"Wudy's strength is still too weak. In the Infernal Realm, the power of a Demigod is not enough to roam recklessly," Linley thought. Although he wanted Wudy to experience some setbacks, he didn't want to send him out to die.
Wudy usually sparred with other Demigods in the Gebados Mountain Range.
The incident of Fohlhan being killed had passed over a hundred years. But the high-ranking members of the Four Divine Beasts clan all felt a sense of oppression! Because the enemy's eight great clans were becoming increasingly frenzied, and their own Elders had suffered too many losses.
At the residence of Patriarch Galesreign.
"Patriarch!" Garvey said urgently, "We can't go on like this. If this continues for another thousand years, our Azure Dragon clan might not even have a few Seven Star Fiend Elders left."
Galesreign stood with his back to him, silent.
"Patriarch!" Garvey called out urgently.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Galesreign said in a low voice.
Garvey hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Patriarch, recall all the clan members. Ignore the eight great clans' people shouting on the fixed routes... Let's just rest and recuperate within the Gebados Mountain Range!"
Galesreign fell silent.
The Four Divine Beasts clan had once been so glorious, their reputation spreading across the Higher Planes and Divine Planes. No other clan dared to look down on them. The life of an ordinary clan's patriarch wasn't even worth as much as the life of an ordinary member of the Four Divine Beasts clan.
The clan's glory could not be violated.
For countless years, the members of the Four Divine Beasts clan had never bowed their heads, even in death. Because they all understood that even if they died, the clan would avenge them! The members of the Four Divine Beasts clan were all proud!
"You want me, the Four Divine Beasts clan, to yield? To cower within the mountains and not go out?" Galesreign said in a low voice. "Garvey, do you know what they'll say outside? They'll say... that our Four Divine Beasts clan has been beaten by the eight great clans into cowering and not daring to come out, that we're a bunch of cowards! I'm sure the eight great clans will do their utmost to spread this news, throughout the Infernal Realm, throughout the four Higher Planes!"
To ordinary people, Galesreign's thoughts might seem ridiculous.
That's because ordinary people have never reached Galesreign's level. Even in material planes, ordinary people would sacrifice their lives for the glory of their family. Even more so for divine-level experts, who have eternal life—family glory is even more important to them.
"Garvey, you may go back," Galesreign said with a low sigh.
"Patriarch," Garvey said, growing anxious.
"I told you to go back!"
Galesreign said in a low voice. Garvey was stunned, then had no choice but to leave in frustration. The hall was left with only Galesreign alone. His brow was deeply furrowed, his heart filled with endless worry.
He had never imagined that the unshakable mountain behind him—the ancestors—would all die.
With the ancestors dead, all the pressure fell on him.
Linley, Dylia, and Wudy, a family of three, were eating together. Of course, Wudy was now a handsome young man, slightly taller than Linley, though a bit thinner.
"Linley!" A voice suddenly rang out.
Linley looked up and saw Garvey's figure descending from midair. Seeing Linley's happy family, Garvey sighed, "Linley, your life is really leisurely, carefree."
"Sit down," Linley said, pointing to the seat across from him. "What, are the clan's affairs troubling you?"
"En!" Garvey sat down.
"Uncle Garvey," Wudy called out.
Garvey smiled and nodded. "Time flies. Linley, do you remember over a hundred years ago, when you carried Wudy and rushed back with Dylia? That commotion was really something."
Linley smiled and nodded. "By the way, Garvey, has something happened in the clan again?"
Mentioning this, Garvey said bitterly, "Today, one of our clan's Elders lost his strongest divine clone! Now... our Azure Dragon clan, counting you, Linley, only has seventeen members with true Seven Star Fiend strength."
"Seventeen?" Linley was stunned.
He remembered that when he became an Elder, there were still over thirty Elders. Now there were only seventeen left.
"When I learned this news, I thought for a long time and went to see the Patriarch. I suggested that the Elders stop going out to fight and all return to the Gebados Mountain Range," Garvey said, feeling pained even as he made this suggestion.
After all, he also valued the clan's glory.
"What did the Patriarch say?" Linley asked.
"He didn't agree," Garvey said, raising his head to drink another cup of wine. "Every ten years, sometimes just a few years, one of our Four Divine Beasts clan's Elders falls. If this continues for a few hundred years, how many Elders will our Four Divine Beasts clan have left?"
Linley also felt powerless.
In this kind of clan war, his individual strength was utterly insignificant.
"Come, enough talk. Let's drink," Garvey said, raising his cup.
"Let's drink," Linley responded.
Dylia and Wudy left the table after a while, leaving only Linley and Garvey, chatting and drinking.
"Hmm?" Linley looked up, a hint of a smile on his lips. "He's finally back."
"Boss!" A figure descended from the sky, wearing a straw hat. It was Bebe. Since leaving with Beirut that day, Bebe hadn't returned for over a hundred years.
Linley stood up.
"Boss, I missed you so much," Bebe said, immediately giving Linley a bear hug.
Linley and Bebe were as close as blood brothers. After being apart for so long, they were naturally overjoyed to see each other now.
"Bebe, long time no see," Garvey greeted as well. After the incident over a hundred years ago, all the Elders in the Gebados Mountain Range knew that Bebe was the grandson of the Prefect of the Indigo Prefecture.
"Elder Garvey," Bebe greeted back.
"What have you been doing for over a hundred years?" Linley asked with a smile. Bebe rubbed his nose and said smugly, "This past hundred years, I've traveled all over the Indigo Prefecture and visited many hidden places. The Indigo Prefecture is really big; even after a hundred years, I've only managed to see all the important spots."
"Oh, why didn't you keep playing?" Linley said.
Bebe curled his lip and said nonchalantly, "Got bored, didn't want to play anymore." He seemed carefree, but Linley could sense a hint of desolation.
Just then, Dylia and Wudy walked over from a distance. Dylia called out from afar with a smile, "Bebe, you've been away for so long! Look at who's next to me—do you recognize him?"
"Who's next to you?" Bebe was startled.
"Wudy," Dylia said with a smile. "Remember now?"
"Ah, that little guy?" Bebe immediately burst out laughing.
Linley watched Bebe and Wudy chatting enthusiastically, but he could still feel Bebe's inner state. "Bebe is too lonely! Once the clan's matters are resolved, I'll immediately accompany Bebe to the Blue Prefecture Continent to find Nini."
In the Infernal Realm, Blue Prefecture Continent, Liang'an Prefecture, Bebe City.
On the streets of Bebe City, a man and a woman were walking side by side.
"Nini, big brother specially came out to accompany you today. Smile a little, okay?" The man and woman were Salomon and his sister, Nisse. Ever since the volcano giant incident, Nisse believed that Bebe had died in that golden magma lake.
Bebe's death had hit Nisse hard.
It also caused Nisse's attitude toward her brother to change.
"Hmm," Nisse responded faintly.
Passersby nearby were talking.
"That projection was really exciting! I haven't seen a battle between such super experts in years. Wow, over ten Seven Star Fiends, six of them using Sovereign power! And that Linley, an Elder of the Azure Dragon clan, killed five Seven Star Fiends by himself—too terrifying!"
Back then, when Linley was ambushed by the eight Elders, many people had recorded the projection of that battle. Such a grand battle projection naturally spread widely, especially after Linley's name was confirmed, it spread even further.
After over a hundred years, it had finally traveled from the Blood Peak Continent to this Blue Prefecture Continent.
Hearing this discussion, Salomon and Nisse both froze.
"Linley?" Nisse was stunned. She had always believed that Linley and Bebe were both dead. "Is it a namesake?"
"Linley? Six using Sovereign power?" Salomon was also shocked.