Chapter 4: Changes in the Clan
On the Blood Peak Continent, in the Youlan Prefecture, lay the Tianji Mountain Range.
In the living room of the manor belonging to Gaisrein, the patriarch of the Azure Dragon clan, Gaisrein was chatting and laughing with a gaunt, bald old man.
"Gaisrein, why are you being so modest? Haha, back in the day when we were in the Chaos Sea, you, I, and a few others took on that demon mission to kill Valentine. The rest of us were just window dressing. It was you, Gaisrein, who turned the tide, unleashing your Azure Dragon clan’s innate divine ability and your overwhelmingly powerful material attack to slay Valentine in one go. I remember it like it was yesterday," the bald old man said with a laugh.
"Haha, Begrave, that was so many years ago," Gaisrein replied modestly, though his face was still full of smiles.
"Yes, it was a long time ago. But if you were that powerful back then, I imagine your strength now is something I can’t even match," the bald old man said, his words clearly laced with flattery and praise.
But flattery like this depended on who was saying it.
If an ordinary Highgod said it, Gaisrein would just find it annoying. But the speaker was a Lord-level powerhouse, no weaker than Gaisrein himself, and an old acquaintance to boot. Hearing such praise from someone like that made Gaisrein’s heart swell with satisfaction.
"Haha, don’t say that," Gaisrein said, grinning widely.
The bald old man, Begrave, sighed and said, "This time, I came to visit you, my old friend, and also hoped to meet that Paragon of your Azure Dragon clan. Looks like I’m out of luck."
Hearing this, Gaisrein immediately laughed and said, "Begrave, the planar war only ended a hundred years ago. Linley probably hasn’t even returned from the Infernal Realm yet. Rest assured, when Linley does come back, and you visit again, I’ll definitely introduce you to him. Linley… though he’s a true genius of our Azure Dragon clan, he’s a good person and enjoys making friends." As he spoke, Gaisrein’s tone was full of admiration.
The bald old man stood up, smiled, and said, "Alright, then I’ll wait for the next opportunity. I’ve troubled you long enough… I should be going. I’ll come find you again sometime to catch up."
"You’re always welcome," Gaisrein said, also standing up to see the bald old man off.
"No need to see me out." The bald old man smiled and nodded, and Gaisrein stood at the threshold of the living room, watching him fly away.
A moment later, someone walked in from outside—it was Garvey, an elder of the Azure Dragon clan.
"Patriarch, has Lord Begrave left?" Garvey asked with a smile as he walked in.
"Yes," Gaisrein replied with a faint smile.
Garvey couldn’t help but chuckle and said, "Patriarch, this seems to be the ninth super powerhouse to visit in the past few decades."
Shortly after the planar war ended, Lord-level figures had started coming to visit the Four Divine Beasts clan. Most of them had the real goal of meeting Linley. When they couldn’t see him, they settled for building good relations with the clan’s patriarchs. Nowadays, the Four Divine Beasts clan… in the eyes of those Lords, had a different status.
"Hmph," Gaisrein sneered. "Nine of them! Aren’t they all just here to curry favor because our Four Divine Beasts clan produced a Paragon? Back when we were in trouble, cornered by the eight great clans, who came to help us besides Lord Beirut?"
"Take that Begrave just now," Gaisrein snorted. "We had a decent friendship back in the day. When the ancestor was still around, he often visited me. But after the clan declined, when we were being pushed to the brink of destruction, Begrave never showed up. Now… he’s here to reminisce about old times."
Few offer charcoal in a snowstorm; many add flowers to brocade.
Now that the Four Divine Beasts clan had a Paragon, their status was naturally different. After all, among gods, a Paragon represented invincibility! For instance, the eight great clans that had once targeted the Four Divine Beasts clan were powerful, but a single Paragon Highgod was enough to kill all their strongest members.
"That’s understandable," Garvey said with a smile. "But Linley… that he reached Paragon still feels unbelievable to me."
Hearing this, Gaisrein’s eyes lit up, and he laughed heartily, "You think it’s unbelievable? So do I! Almost everyone in our Four Divine Beasts clan couldn’t believe the news. When Linley left the clan back then, he was just a relatively powerful Seven-Star Demon, close to a Lord. Who would have thought that in just a thousand years, he’d reach Paragon? If it weren’t for one person after another coming to tell us, and all of them being super powerhouses who wouldn’t lie, I’d still find it hard to believe."
"Paragon," Garvey murmured in admiration.
Ever since the news that Linley was a Paragon spread among Lord-level figures, and especially after many powerhouses came to visit the Four Divine Beasts clan, the clan members naturally felt their status rising.
With a Paragon born, the Four Divine Beasts clan’s standing far surpassed what it had been before. Now, aside from the Sovereigns, no one dared to provoke the clan. And why would a Sovereign lower themselves to bother with a clan?
"Garvey," Gaisrein suddenly said.
"Patriarch?" Garvey looked at him curiously.
Gaisrein quickly asked, "Have the messenger warriors at the edge of the mountain range been arranged?"
"Fully arranged," Garvey replied with a smile. "Rest assured, Patriarch. If Linley returns from the Infernal Realm, as soon as he reaches the edge of the mountain range, the news will be swiftly transmitted to you and the other three patriarchs. All preparations for welcoming Linley, including the newly built manor, are ready."
"Very good," Gaisrein said, nodding with a smile. "We can’t afford any mistakes! Linley comes from the Yulan Continent plane. He never had a strong sense of belonging to the clan, and then there was the incident with Follin and his son. Although Linley has treated the clan decently because of Baruch and the others, we need to make up for all that!"
"Understood," Garvey nodded.
In the eyes of Gaisrein and the Grand Elder, Linley, now a Paragon, was even more important than Beirut!
Beirut was powerful, but he was an outsider. If the clan faced a crisis, Beirut might not get involved.
But Linley was one of their own!
Though there had been some friction in the past, he was still a member of the Azure Dragon clan. What they needed to do now was… erase the rift in Linley’s heart and make him feel a true sense of belonging to the Four Divine Beasts clan.
Within the Youlan Prefecture, a massive metallic lifeform was flying swiftly over the mountains and forests.
Inside, the atmosphere was warm and joyful.
"Grandpa!"
"Great-grandpa…"
A group of young people were gathered around Hogg, chattering about their various affairs. Hogg looked at his descendants, his face beaming with smiles.
"Brother, look how happy Father is," Wharton said to Linley as they sat at the edge of the central hall of the metallic lifeform, chatting and laughing.
Linley glanced at his father, who was surrounded by the clan’s younger generation, and nodded. "When we were kids, the Baruch clan was at its lowest point. Father’s whole life, aside from caring about Mother and us brothers, was all about the clan. Passing on the clan legacy was very important to him. Now that the clan is thriving and continuing… of course, he’s happy."
Just then, three people walked over from a distance.
"Third brother!"
Yale, George, and Reynolds came over. Reynolds had also come from the Yulan Continent.
"Big brother Yale, second brother, fourth brother, sit here," Linley said with a smile, pointing to a spot beside him. The three sat down. Reynolds glanced out the window and sighed in admiration, "The Infernal Realm, a higher plane. This is my first time here. Indeed… the elemental aura is rich, but there’s constant killing."
Through the metallic lifeform, they could see frequent battles happening below.
"That’s the Infernal Realm," Linley said with a faint smile.
"Just like the Necropolis of the Gods. The weak die, and the stronger survive. Fourth brother, look how awesome I am. I survived all the way through the Necropolis," Yale said, raising an eyebrow proudly.
Seeing Yale like this, Reynolds, George, and Linley all felt happy inside. This was the real Yale. Killing Odin had lifted a weight off Yale’s heart, and he was relaxed again.
The entire hall was filled with over a hundred people scattered around, chatting among themselves.
Linley watched this scene, a smile spreading across his face.
He enjoyed this warm, harmonious feeling.
"In this world, strength often speaks," Linley thought silently as he looked at the cozy scene. "I worked hard to train, reached a certain level of power, and now my father and family, my brothers and friends, can gather again. Even a whole group from the material plane came together!"
At that moment, Linley realized…
His years of arduous training had paid off.
"We’re almost at the Four Divine Beasts clan," BeBe announced cheerfully from inside the metallic lifeform. "Everyone, get ready. Oh, and Uncle Hogg," BeBe said, turning to Hogg, "Your Baruch clan ancestors are all there—Baruch, Ryan, and the rest."
"My Baruch clan ancestors…" Hogg stood up excitedly and walked to the window, peering through the transparent pane into the distance.
The Tianji Mountain Range was now faintly visible.
"Clan ancestors!"
Taylor, Sasha, and a large group of clan members began buzzing with excitement. They had been raised to see themselves as part of the Baruch clan, worshipping its legendary figures, and felt little connection to the Four Divine Beasts clan.
"There it is," Linley said with a faint smile.
The metallic lifeform instantly dissipated, and Linley and the others—over a hundred people—hovered in midair, flying toward the Azure Dragon clan’s territory in the Tianji Mountain Range.
"What a long sculpture—can’t see the end of it," the burly Anno remarked in admiration.
Linley laughed and said, "That’s not a sculpture. It’s the Dragon Path. It runs through nearly a quarter of the Tianji Mountain Range, stretching over ten thousand miles. It’s the main road guarded by the clan’s soldiers."
As Linley and the others flew over, the soldiers naturally spotted them. The messenger warriors, who had been prearranged, saw them and were overjoyed: "Elder Linley is back!" Their avatars were stationed at the communication hub, which had many members. Using their avatars, they instantly transmitted the news to various parts of the Four Divine Beasts clan.
"Patriarch, Elder Linley has returned."
"Hmm? Linley’s here?" Gaisrein immediately flew out.
Not just Gaisrein, but the patriarchs of the other three clans and many elders also received the news and hurried out to welcome him.
As Linley and the others flew over, the clan soldiers quickly saluted.
"Elder Linley," the soldiers said respectfully.
Linley smiled and nodded, leading the large group toward the Dragon Path in the Tianji Mountain Range, while introducing the surroundings to Wharton and the others: "The clan has strict management. Since you’re new here, I’ll have someone issue you identity badges shortly. Hmm?" Linley frowned in confusion, looking into the distance.
"What’s wrong?" BeBe widened his eyes.
Dylia, Nisse, Yale, and the others all looked into the distance. There, a large crowd was flying toward them in a grand procession. At the front were Gaisrein, the Basalt Tortoise patriarch, and the other two patriarchs, followed by the Grand Elder and a host of others.
"Why are all the top clan leaders coming?" Linley was startled. "And even the Vermillion Bird patriarch and the others? If they flew from their residences, it should have taken a while. How are they here so fast?"
The clan had reacted too quickly.
He had just returned, barely set foot on the Dragon Path, and a huge crowd was already there. Even if Beirut had come, the clan would have only sent the patriarch and the Grand Elder to greet him.
"Haha, Linley!" Gaisrein called out cheerfully as he flew over.
"Patriarch," Linley said, though puzzled, as he went to meet him.
Linley’s gaze swept over the Basalt Tortoise patriarch, the Vermillion Bird patriarch, and the others, including the Grand Elder, who had once been his enemy. All of them now had smiles on their faces, looking warm and friendly.
"Though we’re in the Youlan Prefecture, we’ve long heard about your deeds in the planar battlefield. Haha… our Four Divine Beasts clan producing a Paragon is a great joy worthy of a clan-wide celebration," Gaisrein said, looking genuinely delighted and excited. "A banquet is already prepared, just waiting for you. Haha, BeBe… oh, and these are all Linley’s friends, right? Come, all of you, come!"