Chapter 8: A Gathering of Powers
“Think?” Crimson Rock Lord suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze shooting toward Linley.
“He—” The steward beside him, ‘Gan Molei,’ also stared at Linley in shock. Just now, Crimson Rock Lord had already displayed his formidable strength. This mysterious ‘Lei’ still had the audacity to challenge him. Was this foolishness or courage? Gan Molei carefully re-examined the Linley before him.
“Of course, I could also choose not to challenge,” Linley suddenly changed his tone.
“Oh?” Crimson Rock Lord looked at Linley.
“Boss…” Bebe was getting a bit anxious.
Linley said with a faint smile, “Crimson Rock Lord, the reason I challenge you this time is twofold. First, I seek the pinnacle of cultivation. Becoming a Nine Nether Lord would be an affirmation of my training. Second, it’s to enter the planar battlefield! If you, Crimson Rock Lord, are willing to take my brother and me into the planar battlefield, and within it, act according to my wishes and guide us as I direct, then I can choose not to challenge.”
Linley’s original goal was to enter the planar battlefield.
If this Crimson Rock Lord could take him and Bebe in and follow his orders, wouldn’t that save a lot of trouble?
“Planar battlefield?” Crimson Rock Lord glanced coldly at the two of them. “The two of you dare to go to the planar battlefield just for the Sovereign’s power. That courage alone is worthy of my respect.” Linley understood upon hearing this. The military merits on the planar battlefield could be exchanged for treasures, not just Sovereign artifacts but also Sovereign’s power.
“What a way to seek death,” Gan Molei muttered softly.
“Whether it’s seeking death or not is none of your concern,” Bebe snorted.
“This request, I cannot agree to,” Crimson Rock Lord said indifferently.
“Then I will proceed with the challenge,” Linley replied bluntly.
Crimson Rock Lord’s vertical purple pupils locked onto Linley, and he said in a low voice, “Kid, you’re asking for death!”
“Hey, until the fight starts, nothing is certain,” Bebe said, lifting his head. Linley also smiled calmly, “Crimson Rock Lord, you are a noble Nine Nether Lord. I have trained for many years and dream of one day sitting in that position. I trust the Lord won’t be afraid of my challenge.”
“Boss, I think he’s scared,” Bebe added quickly.
Crimson Rock Lord glanced at Bebe but showed no anger, merely ordering indifferently, “Gan Molei, send them off.”
“Yes, my lord.” Gan Molei bowed, then said to Linley and Bebe, “This way, please, both of you.”
Linley and Bebe were momentarily stunned. At the same time, Linley noticed that Crimson Rock Lord had turned and was walking away into the distance. Linley felt a pang of urgency: “What is this Crimson Rock Lord trying to do? Isn’t he going to fight?” The fact that he had been invited here today already felt off to Linley.
“Crimson Rock Lord, are you afraid?” Linley called out loudly. But Crimson Rock Lord’s figure had already turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
Just as Linley and Bebe were growing anxious and puzzled, a cold voice rang out— “One month from now, on the Eastern Wilderness outside the city. Since you seek death, I’ll grant your wish.”
Hearing this, Linley and Bebe both broke into smiles.
“Mr. Lei, you really are…” The steward ‘Gan Molei’ shook his head and sighed. “I admire your spirit, but challenging the Lord is utterly hopeless. Your gravity space is impressive, but the Lord is a master of the Laws of the Earth. You can’t affect him. In my view, you are completely at his mercy.”
Linley smiled faintly at this.
Generally, those who cultivate the same laws, the stronger one can suppress the weaker. But there is an exception—when one side has a divine ability.
Linley’s ‘Blackstone Space’ was essentially Resheng’s divine ability. Crimson Rock Lord knew nothing about it.
“Let’s go, both of you.”
Gan Molei led the way, speaking as he walked. “The Lord was in a good mood today. Seeing you as a talent, he summoned you here intending to take you as a subordinate! Then you could become his right-hand man in Crimson Rock Territory, second only to the Lord himself. But you… sigh, why must it be this way!”
Linley and Bebe exchanged a glance and laughed.
“Boss, the Lord wanted to recruit you as a subordinate,” Bebe chuckled.
Linley now understood why the Lord had specifically invited him. But clearly, his reaction had greatly angered Crimson Rock Lord, who left without even mentioning the recruitment.
“My apologies for disappointing Crimson Rock Lord,” Linley said sarcastically.
Gan Molei just shook his head at Linley’s response.
In his view, Linley was the type of extremely battle-hungry warrior who pursued the peak. From Linley’s desire to enter the planar battlefield, Gan Molei saw him as a madman. Without enough courage and an adventurous spirit, no one would dare enter the planar battlefield.
Linley and Bebe were walking down the street, chatting idly. Having just gained fame in Crimson Rock Territory, Linley found that whenever he appeared in public, he drew attention. So he changed his appearance, swapping his robe for a brownish-yellow one, which at least gave him some peace.
“Good thing we were efficient this time,” Linley said with a smile.
“Yeah. According to the intelligence, challenges usually drag on for years, even centuries or millennia,” Bebe nodded. This time, it was only a month, which was considered short.
But suddenly—
“Everyone!” A loud voice came from behind. “Big news, great news!!! Word from the Lord’s mansion: The Lord and Lord Lei will have an official duel one month from now on the Eastern Wilderness outside the city! This is the Lord’s first public battle in millions of years!”
Linley and Bebe turned to look.
In the distance, in the middle of the street, a golden-robed man was shouting loudly. Instantly, almost everyone on the street erupted into excitement, crowding around him.
“What? One month from now? On the Eastern Wilderness? Are you sure?”
“One month from now? The Lord and Lord Lei?”
A buzz of discussion filled the air.
In the Nine Nether Domain, any Nine Nether Lord was the pinnacle figure. Every public battle between a Lord and a challenger was the most frenzied gathering in the territory. Over ninety percent of the people within the territory would rush to watch the fight.
“Hey, if you don’t believe it, go check outside the Lord’s mansion. The news is carved on a stone tablet placed right next to it!” the golden-robed man insisted.
“It’s true! I saw it too!”
“Let’s go to the Lord’s mansion and see!”
Most of the people on the street surged toward the Lord’s mansion. As gods with nearly eternal lives, the emergence of a hundred-battle victor could capture their attention and excitement. A battle challenging a Lord, which happened only once every tens of millions of years, was a festival for the entire territory!
Inside a restaurant.
Linley, having changed his appearance, sat with Bebe in a corner, drinking.
“These people have gone crazy,” Bebe muttered.
Linley glanced at the other patrons in the restaurant. Every single one of them was talking about the upcoming battle between Linley and Crimson Rock Lord. Many were flushed with excitement, and some were recounting Crimson Rock Lord’s past achievements.
“Boss, this shows how charismatic you are,” Bebe joked.
“They’re not focused on this battle because of me, but because of Crimson Rock Lord,” Linley said with a smile. The two were talking in a corner, using a divine domain to block sound.
“Crimson Rock Lord, high and mighty. His public battle naturally excites and thrills people, just like when Saint-level duels on the Yulan Continent drove ordinary folks wild,” Linley said calmly. As he prepared for the battle with Crimson Rock Lord, listening to these gods’ chatter, he couldn’t help but think back to his own duels with Olivier and Hayderson, which had also drawn countless spectators.
“Yeah, if Grandpa ever had a public duel, I’d be super excited to watch too,” Bebe giggled.
“Not many dare to challenge Beirut,” Linley sighed.
If he could possess Beirut’s strength, he wouldn’t have to work so hard picking opponents. He could find one he could suppress, like Beirut did, and easily win.
Time flowed like water, passing swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. The streets, restaurants, and other places in Crimson Rock City were nearly empty. Unless they had urgent business, almost everyone within Crimson Rock Territory had rushed to the Eastern Wilderness outside the city, waiting for the impending epic duel.
The Eastern Wilderness.
As the name suggested, this area was desolate, without even weeds, only scattered rocks on the ground. Normally, no one came here. But today, it was packed with people.
“Look, that’s the challenger, Lord Lei!”
“Even if I can’t match Crimson Rock Lord, if I could one day be as strong as Lord Lei, I’d die content.” A group of men and women in blue robes were talking. The young man’s eyes held a glimmer of longing. “I also dream of one day, under the gaze of billions of gods, dueling a Nine Nether Lord! If I could do that, even if I died, I’d have no regrets.”
“Stop dreaming,” the woman beside him said, deflating his hopes.
The Eastern Wilderness was packed with people on the ground, but in the air, there was only one person—Linley! None of the watching gods flew into the sky; they all stayed on the ground, showing respect to Linley and Crimson Rock Lord.
“So many people,” Linley murmured, scanning the crowd below. “Within a hundred miles, it’s all people. At least a hundred million, maybe more.”
“Boss,” Bebe’s voice suddenly echoed in Linley’s mind. “It’s not just people from Crimson Rock Territory who made it here today. Those from nearby territories who could make it in time have also come. Boss, with so many watching, you’ve got to win in style.”
Linley smiled.
Suddenly, Linley’s gaze turned westward.
A blurry yellow figure shot toward him from afar at incredible speed. Linley’s heart trembled at the sight: “So fast! Just this flight speed is several times faster than mine, and this isn’t even combat speed.”
The murmuring crowd fell silent as if by some signal. Within three seconds, the Eastern Wilderness, packed with over a hundred million gods, became utterly quiet, leaving only the howling wind. Everyone looked up at the two figures suspended in the air—
Linley and Crimson Rock Lord!
“Swoosh!” The blurry yellow figure suddenly halted, revealing Crimson Rock Lord’s form.
Seemingly small yet awe-inspiring, he stood in the air, dressed in simple short sleeves and trousers. His eerie purple eyes coldly fixed on Linley, he sneered, “You came early. Even if you’re eager to die, there’s no need to be so impatient.”
“Who dies is still too early to say,” Linley replied with a faint smile.
Thus, under the gaze of billions of gods, Linley and Crimson Rock Lord conversed casually.
“Hmph.”
Crimson Rock Lord snorted, his voice suddenly turning sharp and loud. “No need to stall. The battle begins now. I’ll give you a chance—make the first move!” This statement was deliberately loud, spreading across a hundred miles. The gods below, with their excellent hearing, caught every word.
“The battle has begun!”
All the gods held their breath, staring at the two figures above. Everyone was thinking—
Would this epic duel end like the others, with the challenger dying and Crimson Rock Lord victorious? Or would a new Crimson Rock Lord be born?