Chapter 27: The Sovereign’s Emissary
Because they had killed the serpent spirit, the Netherworld Fruit Tree now bore hostility toward them?
Linley and Bebe exchanged a look, unsure of what to say.
“Haha,” Berler said with a laugh. “Of course, this is just my speculation! Otherwise, I can’t understand why the Netherworld Fruit Tree treated you two that way, yet acted so differently toward me. But regardless… this matter is over. I was able to obtain the Netherworld Fruit this time, and I have you two to thank for it.”
Linley smiled faintly.
He still felt a trace of goodwill toward this Berler. For one thing, Berler had been willing to tell him about the Netherworld Fruit’s emergence. If Berler hadn’t wanted him to get it… he simply wouldn’t have said a word. Moreover, Berler had spent who knows how many billions of years for this Netherworld Fruit. Such perseverance made him worthy of obtaining that supreme treasure.
“Isn’t it said that whoever gets the Netherworld Fruit will receive an audience with a Sovereign and become a Sovereign’s emissary?” Bebe blurted out. “Where’s the Sovereign?”
Linley’s eyes lit up, and he immediately scanned the surroundings carefully.
If a Sovereign appeared now, his goal would be achieved.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Because the Netherworld Fruit Tree had left, the gray mist once again began to fill the area. Suddenly, a blurry figure emerged in the gray mist not far away. This made Linley and Bebe’s eyes brighten. “Could it be the Sovereign has arrived?” Linley and Bebe were both filled with anticipation.
In an instant, the figure arrived. The newcomer was very thin but tall, with flowing silver hair. His eyes, sharp as an eagle’s, swept over Linley and the others before finally settling on Berler. He said with a faint smile, “Berler. Congratulations on obtaining the Netherworld Fruit! Come with me now to the Sovereign’s palace and await the Sovereign’s summons.”
“It’s you!” Berler’s face showed surprise. “Aseth!”
“Yes.”
The silver-haired, eagle-eyed man smiled faintly. “After all these years, you still remember me. I’ve known all along that you’ve been staying on Netherworld Mountain all this time. I must say, I’m amazed… enduring countless years of solitude, such a long wait. You actually managed to hold out. I have to offer my admiration!”
Berler laughed heartily. “Back then, we entered Netherworld Mountain together. Before stepping into the mountain, I made an oath! I, Berler, would either die on Netherworld Mountain or leave as a Sovereign’s emissary!”
Linley and Bebe now fully understood.
So this newcomer was not a Sovereign. He was the one who had obtained the Netherworld Fruit during Berler’s first visit to Netherworld Mountain. “So this person is a Sovereign’s emissary,” Linley thought. “Since he stays on Netherworld Mountain, he must be close to the Sovereign. If I can get through him…”
Linley’s purpose in coming to Netherworld Mountain was to have an audience with a Sovereign.
“Big brother, congratulations.” The violet-haired youth, Bronson, said sincerely from the bottom of his heart.
Berler looked at his younger brother with a warm smile. “Berler, let’s go. Come with me to the Sovereign’s palace.” Aseth urged.
“Aseth,” Berler said quickly. “Let me first send my brother out of this misty area, then I’ll go with you.”
“No rush,” Aseth said with a faint smile. “Walk with me, and bring your brother along. Let him wait at the border between the gray mist area and the purple mist area for a day or so. After you see the Sovereign and receive your assignment, you can send him out then. Your brother can wait that long, can’t he?”
“Big brother. It’s just an extra day or so,” Bronson said excitedly. “When we meet again, you’ll be a Sovereign’s emissary.”
“Actually, after eating the Netherworld Fruit, your brother’s strength is already comparable to an ordinary Sovereign’s emissary,” Aseth said calmly. “But the reason your brother’s power has grown so much is also due to the Netherworld Fruit. Having obtained it, he naturally becomes the emissary of the Netherworld Sovereign.”
Berler nodded with a smile. “Then, Aseth, let’s go.”
“Wait a moment,” Linley finally spoke up.
“Hmm?” Aseth and Berler both looked over. Berler quickly introduced, “Aseth, this is Linley, who came with me. They’re said to be from the Infernal Realm, and their strength is formidable.”
“The two of them, even without the Netherworld Fruit, are strong enough,” Aseth said with an indifferent expression. “I’m fully aware of the battle you had here. Linley, what’s your relationship with him?” Bebe asked.
Bronson said, “Aseth told me that the Netherworld Fruit Tree usually stays in the purple mist area. It only goes to the gray mist area once in countless years! Those upper-tier gods still have a chance to get the Netherworld Fruit in the gray mist area, but going to the purple mist area is impossible. Since you killed the serpent spirit, it’s best if you don’t go to the purple mist area.”
Linley and Bebe exchanged glances.
A sense of unease crept over them.
So the Netherworld Fruit Tree had been staying in the purple mist area for countless years.
“Thank you for the warning, but we still want to give it a try,” Linley said.
“Of course we’re going. What’s there to fear from that Netherworld Fruit Tree?” Bebe said nonchalantly. But despite his words, Bebe felt a bit uncertain. Earlier, when he used his innate divine ability against the Netherworld Fruit Tree, he hadn’t detected any divine spark in it.
Seeing that they wouldn’t listen, Bronson could only drop the matter.
Linley and Bebe then flew directly into the purple mist area. Bronson watched them go and sighed inwardly, “I hope you two can make it out alive.” During this trip to Netherworld Mountain, Linley had helped him, and he had also seen his brother. Bronson still had a good impression of Linley and Bebe.
“Huh, this feels nice.” Bebe looked around in confusion, while Linley stayed on high alert. Surrounding them was an endless expanse of purple mist. This purple mist had a completely different effect from the white and gray mists. Within the purple mist area, not only were there no negative effects, but it actually made one feel refreshed.
It was like—
The refreshing sensation when smelling the Netherworld Fruit.
“It’s so quiet in the purple mist area!” Bebe transmitted mentally. “Boss, it doesn’t seem dangerous here.”
“Don’t let your guard down. Move carefully,” Linley said with a frown, advancing step by step.
Three colored zones: from the white mist area to the gray mist area, then to the purple mist area! Linley didn’t believe the purple mist area would be as peaceful as it appeared on the surface. And Aseth had repeatedly warned him, clearly indicating that the purple mist area would be extremely dangerous!
Low trees and dense vegetation covered the ground.
There was no sign of life.
Linley and Bebe dared not relax for a moment, but after advancing for a while, there was still no movement.
“Could it be that we’ll just walk out like this?” Bebe muttered.
Linley suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring ahead.
“What’s that!” Bebe exclaimed.
Ahead, a vast expanse of leaves and branches spread out, incredibly dense. The visibility in the purple mist was much greater, and within the nearly thousand meters they could see, everything was covered by these thickly piled leaves.
“Let’s get closer and take a look,” Linley said in a low voice.
Linley and Bebe advanced step by step. When they got close to the leaves and branches, Linley was shocked to realize: “This… these branches, they’re from the Netherworld Fruit Tree!” Linley recognized them at once. The Netherworld Fruit Tree was no ordinary tree, and its branches were very distinctive.
Thick branches, several meters in diameter, stretched out horizontally. There were many such thick branches!
Countless branches twisted together, extending into smaller ones.
“This is a canopy! A canopy of staggering proportions!”
Linley’s heart trembled.
The Netherworld Fruit Tree they had seen in the gray mist area had a spread of only a few hundred meters, with a trunk just two or three meters thick. But here, the same material formed branches several meters thick. The area they could see was just the canopy. They hadn’t even seen the trunk yet. Just how massive was this tree?
“Could there be more than one Netherworld Fruit Tree?” Linley held his breath.