Chapter 31: The Death Sovereign
Linley could clearly discern from the aura that the silver-robed, black-eyed woman before him was none other than the silver nine-headed serpent. The others were her husband and nine children, transformed into human form.
"Arthus, has the master returned?" the silver serpent, Inawei, said.
Arthus shook his head and replied, "Not yet. Boleire obtained the Netherworld Fruit and is also waiting for the Sovereign. But the Sovereign should know that Boleire has the Netherworld Fruit by now, and will probably arrive soon." Upon hearing this, Linley and Bebe had no choice but to suppress their anxiety and wait on the sidelines.
"Linley," Boleire said, walking over and lowering his voice. "You two should leave quickly."
"Hmm?" Linley looked up at him.
"Boleire, if he doesn't want to leave, why are you meddling?" the silver serpent Inawei sneered.
But Boleire ignored the silver serpent and continued, "Linley, this Inawei is the Sovereign's closest confidante, and when the Sovereign wants to kill someone... they kill without hesitation. No one can defy the Sovereign's will." Boleire had clearly learned quite a bit about the Death Sovereign from Arthus.
Linley frowned and glanced at the silver serpent Inawei.
A woman in a green robe sneered, "Feeling anxious now? Let me tell you, it's too late for you to flee! The Sovereign will return soon... and as long as you're within the boundaries of the Underworld, the Sovereign can find you and kill you in no time! You dared to kill my eldest sister... Hmph." These nine siblings of the green serpent were filled with resentment. But they had all experienced Linley and Bebe's strength firsthand.
"What are you so smug about?" Bebe muttered a curse under his breath.
"Bebe, ignore them. Let's wait over there," Linley said via soul transmission. He and Bebe then moved to a secluded corner of the flower-and-grass plain to wait for the Sovereign's return.
Linley glanced into the distance. The silver serpent couple and their nine children were whispering among themselves, occasionally glancing this way. Boleire and Arthus could only remain silent. Clearly, Linley and Bebe wouldn't listen to their advice... so now all they could do was wait quietly for the Sovereign's return.
Two or three hours passed in the blink of an eye.
"The Sovereign still hasn't come," Bebe transmitted, growing anxious. "What is the Sovereign doing?"
"The thoughts of a Sovereign are beyond our understanding," Linley replied. During these two or three hours of waiting, he had been enduring torment. "Bebe, judging by the silver serpent Inawei's tone, she seems to have a really close relationship with the Sovereign. Do you think... the Sovereign might refuse to help me because of this?"
Bebe looked at Linley.
In Bebe's memory, Linley rarely had moments of such uncertainty. But now, Bebe could fully sense Linley's turmoil.
"Boss, the Sovereign will definitely help. Definitely," Bebe transmitted.
Linley took a deep breath, feeling slightly better.
"Linley!" A voice suddenly rang out. Linley turned to see Arthus flying over. He looked at Linley and shook his head inwardly. Then he said solemnly, "The Sovereign just transmitted to me, telling me to bring Boleire and you two to the Sovereign's palace. The Sovereign should have returned by now."
Linley's eyes lit up instantly.
"The Sovereign is back?" Linley felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
"Follow me inside," Arthus said, his tone serious. "Remember this: the Sovereign has a very bad temper. If the Sovereign takes a liking to you, they might treat you well. But if they don't... they might kill you on a whim. So you and Bebe must not show the slightest disrespect."
Linley nodded quickly. "Understood."
"I won't anger the Sovereign," Bebe also said hastily. Bebe knew very well that at this point, not a single mistake could be made.
From Arthus's words, Linley deduced that the Death Sovereign was likely the type to be moody and unpredictable, possibly killing without reason. Dealing with such a person was the hardest. Sometimes... you could be killed without even knowing why.
Arthus glanced at Linley and Bebe and sighed inwardly.
Arthus knew very well how close the silver serpent Inawei was to the Sovereign. If Inawei started crying and complaining, it was very possible that the Sovereign wouldn't even give Linley a chance to speak before killing them both.
"Let's go." Arthus took the lead and flew ahead. Linley and Bebe quickly followed. Boleire was waiting in midair. The four of them gathered and flew toward the palace suspended above the peak of Netherworld Mountain. The palace gates were wide open, and the golden serpent and the silver nine-headed serpent's family had already entered.
The palace was made entirely of a single material—a dark purple-black. At the same time, a bone-chilling cold aura slowly emanated from within.
"Stay behind me and don't disobey in the slightest," Arthus said in a low voice.
"Understood," Linley replied.
"Don't worry," Boleire said, also looking nervous. It was his first time meeting the Death Sovereign as well.
Thus, Linley, Bebe, and Boleire, led by Arthus, stepped over the palace steps and entered the great hall. Linley, Bebe, and Boleire didn't even dare to look up directly, afraid of angering the Death Sovereign.
"Boss, this hall is freezing," Bebe transmitted through his soul.
At that moment, Arthus knelt down. "I pay my respects to the Sovereign!"
"I pay my respects to the Sovereign!" Linley, Bebe, and Boleire also knelt. After entering the hall, they didn't dare to raise their heads without the Sovereign's command. Strictly speaking... looking directly at a Sovereign without permission was a great offense. Linley naturally wouldn't dare to do so now.
Just then—
"Master!" A sorrowful voice rang out. "Tina is dead! Killed by that one called Bebe! It was him who directly killed her! This Bebe even tried to kill me! If not for the Life Sovereign's intervention, I might never have seen you again, Master! You must avenge Tina!"
Linley's heart trembled.
This silver serpent had indeed come to lodge a complaint.
"Dammit, I really want to kill her!" Bebe transmitted. "Boss, that silver nine-headed serpent is utterly disgusting."
"Bebe, listen to what the Sovereign has to say," Linley said, still kneeling.
"Ina!" An icy voice came from above. "I will make a decision on this matter."
Linley and Bebe were startled.
The Death Sovereign was female?
"You three, raise your heads." The icy voice echoed through the hall. Only then did Linley, Bebe, and Boleire dare to look up. Linley now saw that the palace interior was very spacious, with not a single pillar. His gaze followed the steps upward until it reached the Death Sovereign seated on the throne.
A pure black throne.
On the throne sat a woman in a purple robe. The purple robe was embroidered with patterns of vines, branches, and silver serpents. This Death Sovereign had blood-red hair and a delicate face. Her eyes, in particular, seemed to carry a bolt of lightning that struck directly into Linley's heart.
The moment Linley saw the Death Sovereign's face, he was stunned.
Bebe was also dumbfounded.
Boleire was frozen as well.
"You—" Bebe didn't know what to say.
"What? Surprised?" The icy voice came again. Linley, Boleire, and Bebe were all silent for a moment. This Death Sovereign... her appearance was exactly the same as the boss of the Netherworld Hotel at the foot of Netherworld Mountain—that red-haired, pretty young girl! Even her eyes were the same! Linley and the others immediately recognized... this Sovereign was that hotel owner!
"The Death Sovereign is the hotel owner?" Linley felt his mind go blank.
A Sovereign running a hotel?
"Hahaha..." The Death Sovereign let out a delighted laugh. "Seeing your expressions is truly delightful! Over these countless years, I've been at that Netherworld Hotel, watching you all enter Netherworld Mountain in search of the Netherworld Fruit. Watching you all fight desperately and die—it's been quite entertaining. But the real joy... is now! Yes, that expression! Hahaha!"
Linley and the others were completely dumbfounded.
So this was what the Death Sovereign was like?
She deliberately created the matter of the Netherworld Fruit, luring countless beings from the Underworld to challenge it, while she ran a hotel as its owner, cheerfully watching people go in to die.
"The Death Sovereign really is bored," Linley thought to himself.
But indeed, the Death Sovereign possessed an endless, eternal life. This Netherworld Fruit affair was probably nothing more than a game for her. And for the Death Sovereign... receiving those who finally obtained the Netherworld Fruit and came to pay homage, especially seeing the dumbfounded expressions on their faces when they saw her, was the greatest joy!
Arthus, standing nearby, didn't dare to say a word.
Back then, he too had been the same. When he looked up and saw the great Death Sovereign was that hotel owner, he was equally stunned. Arthus could only think to himself, "This is the hobby of the Death Sovereign... the most powerful, invincible existence."
"Boleire! Wait over there for now." The Death Sovereign looked at Linley and Bebe with interest. "Truly surprising. You two actually managed to survive Ina and Jin's trial. Linley, being able to withstand Jin's attack doesn't surprise me. But Ina's strength is far greater than Jin's. Bebe, being able to withstand Ina's attack—that's what truly amazes me."
Bebe felt a bit proud but didn't dare to be presumptuous. He could only force a smile.
"Don't get cocky. Your ability to withstand it should be because of that Beirut," the Death Sovereign said with a sigh. "I have to admit, that kid Beirut really does care about you..."
Linley was inwardly puzzled.
"Bebe?" Linley transmitted.
"Boss, I don't know either. I just relied on myself to withstand it," Bebe transmitted back.
"Linley, I heard that you came here to find the undead souls formed from your family and brothers, and to restore their memories, correct?" the Death Sovereign said.
Linley looked up at the Sovereign, his eyes full of hope. "Yes, Sovereign. I beg the Sovereign to help me."
"According to the rules I set myself, since you two fought your way from the foot of Netherworld Mountain all the way here, I should grant you one request," the Death Sovereign said. Linley and Bebe stared at her intently. The Death Sovereign continued, "However, you killed Tina. By rights, I should kill you to avenge her!"
Linley and Bebe were stunned.
"You passed the trial, so I should reward you. You killed Tina, so I should punish you! Thus... reward and punishment cancel out! I will not grant your request. But I will not kill you either. You two, leave now. Thinking about your expressions just now... hahaha..." The Death Sovereign couldn't help but laugh again.
Refuse?
"Sovereign!" Linley and Bebe cried out.
"Sovereign!" Inawei also shouted urgently.
Neither side was willing to accept this.
"What? You have objections?" The Death Sovereign's smiling face suddenly turned cold. Her gaze swept over the three of them. Just that one glance made Linley and Bebe feel their souls tremble. Even Inawei was too frightened to speak. She knew the Death Sovereign's temper very well.
One moment she might be laughing joyfully, and the next, she might deliver a cold punishment.
Inawei dared not speak, but Linley couldn't give up.
"Sovereign!" Linley shouted, and at the same time, a token appeared in his hand—the token of the Bloodpeak Sovereign. Linley knelt again and pleaded, "Sovereign, please, for the sake of the Bloodpeak Sovereign, give me a chance. Let me save my father and my brothers. I only need one chance!"
"Ridiculous!" A cold voice came from above.
Linley looked up.
Beside him, Inawei sneered, "Linley, what is the Bloodpeak Sovereign? Do you know... my master is the strongest Sovereign of the Underworld—the Death Sovereign! Across countless planes, only the other three Sovereigns of the Higher Planes can compare to my master! You mention the Bloodpeak Sovereign? Even if you mentioned the Violetflame Sovereign, it would be useless."