Chapter 4: The Sovereign ‘Linley’
“One of the candidates…”
So everything he had done while roaming the Infernal Realm, all of it had been observed and evaluated by Beirut.
“Although I have become a Sovereign, I am still like any ordinary mortal, hoping to bestow the Sovereign spark upon those close to me. My three children and Bebe clearly have no hope of achieving anything in the aspects of Earth, Fire, or Water. Because of Bebe, I naturally held hope for you as well. But I understand that among Sovereigns of the same rank, if the gap in comprehended Laws and Mysteries is too great, it won’t work. Linley, your comprehension of the Laws and Mysteries back then was far too low.” Beirut sighed. “After all, among Sovereigns, the lowest have fused five Mysteries! I belong to that lowest tier. Of course, those who have fused five Mysteries make up the vast majority!”
“The lowest have fused five?” Linley was somewhat shocked.
“Grandpa.” Bebe exclaimed in surprise, “You once said that many Sovereigns were among the first batch of Highgods born after the countless planes were created, and later obtained Sovereign sparks by chance. Their talent and aptitude weren’t necessarily that high, so how could they all have fused five Mysteries?”
One must understand that for many experts, fusing three or even four Mysteries was already their limit, with no way to break through further.
“Haha…” Beirut laughed, then looked mysteriously at Linley. “As for Sovereigns, even if their talent is somewhat low, they can still fuse five Mysteries. Once you become a Sovereign, you’ll understand.”
“Become a Sovereign soon?” Linley’s heart trembled.
“Although after becoming a Sovereign, your future achievements might be high. However…” Beirut shook his head. “After all, the higher your achievements before becoming a Sovereign, the better. And you, back then, had only fused three Mysteries. It was only by relying on the Soul Stone and the formidable body of the Azure Dragon bloodline that you were able to defeat ordinary Seven Star Fiends.”
“The candidates I evaluated generally had fused at least five Mysteries.” Beirut shook his head. “For example, Azurefire. He was the strongest among them, to the point of reaching the final bottleneck, just a step away from Paragon.”
Linley felt ashamed.
If Beirut had evaluated a group of people with absolute fairness, he wouldn’t have even qualified as a candidate back then.
“Of course, because of Bebe, I still hoped you would become a Sovereign.” Beirut smiled.
This was only human nature. Who wouldn’t want to give benefits to relatives and friends whenever possible?
“But your rate of progress was indeed very fast. The journey to the Netherworld… I focused my evaluation on you even more.” Beirut said with a smile. “I even had Azurefire’s main body, along with his Earth-type divine clone, secretly follow you all the way, while also protecting you.”
“Secretly following?” Linley and Bebe looked at Azurefire in surprise.
Azurefire had been following them, and they hadn’t noticed at all.
“Linley. I was very surprised. Because on the Planar Battlefield, you actually managed to fuse four Mysteries! And you created the ultimate technique, ‘Cun Di Chi Tian’.” Beirut laughed. “That technique of yours, especially combined with the unique method of using Violet Crystal Space from the Violet Crystal Sovereign, allowed your techniques to surpass those of experts who had fused five Mysteries.”
“In just over two thousand years, you fused four Mysteries. That speed, even looking across countless planes, is definitely that of a genius.” Beirut laughed happily. “I dare say, if you continued cultivating like that, you had a sure chance of fusing five Mysteries.”
“At that time, I decided that you would be the candidate for the new Earth Sovereign.” Beirut said.
Linley sighed inwardly.
“No wonder.” Bebe muttered. “No wonder Mr. Raylin appeared back then.”
“Right. My mission was essentially complete by then.” Azurefire laughed. Then he looked at Linley. “That Lowgod who once received my guidance at Copper Gong Mountain, in just over two thousand years, reached such a height. Later, he was even going to become my comrade, the Earth Sovereign. Truly astonishing. But who would have thought… not long after, a truly major event occurred. I was shocked at the time, after all, my Sovereign clone couldn’t leave the Yulan Plane, and even if my main body wanted to rush over to save you, it was too late. I was truly worried that you would be killed by Magnus just like that.”
Beirut also sighed: “Azurefire told me that you were attacked by Magnus and were on the verge of life and death. I was also worried at the time, afraid that you would die.”
“But who would have thought, this would actually become an opportunity for your transformation!” Beirut’s eyes lit up. “Having four clones and succeeding in soul mutation, that made you a super expert surpassing Paragons! Haha… Linley, after your soul mutation, your conditions are even better than mine or Azurefire’s!”
“Not to mention your relationship with Bebe, even if you weren’t related, just the fact that you are a citizen of the Yulan Plane would be enough for me to make you a Sovereign.” Beirut seemed very excited.
The stronger one’s personal strength, the stronger they would naturally become after becoming a Sovereign!
“Linley, look——” Beirut flipped his hand, and a black stone box appeared in his palm.
Linley recognized it at once. This black stone box was the one that had been sealed in the Yulan Plane.
“You should be able to guess what’s inside.” Beirut smiled as he opened the stone box. As the lid was lifted, two-colored rays of light shot out in all directions. The heart-palpitating aura emanated from the source of the light. Linley and Bebe couldn’t help but focus their gaze.
Inside the stone box lay two crystals that resembled divine sparks.
These crystals were a translucent gray, like glass, and at first glance, looked like some kind of crystal diamond. The light emitted by the two crystals was, respectively, a heavy earthy yellow and a gentle verdant green. The aura of power they contained made even Linley and Bebe’s hearts tremble.
“These are Sovereign sparks!” Linley was absolutely certain.
Beirut sighed with emotion: “These two Sovereign sparks were respectively taken from the Water-type Sovereign spark inside the Azure Dragon’s corpse and the Earth-type Sovereign spark inside the Black Tortoise’s corpse! I have kept these two Sovereign sparks for over ten thousand years. My greatest fear was that if I had to leave the Yulan Plane for some necessary matter and was killed by the Light Sovereign, Augusta, what would happen to the Sovereign sparks! At the time, I decided that even if I died, I couldn’t let Augusta obtain these Sovereign sparks. That’s why I created that seal.”
Linley nodded inwardly.
A seal that only a Sovereign could break, left in a material plane. The Light Sovereign indeed had no hope of opening it.
“Ah, if only there were a Darkness-type Sovereign spark.” Bebe smacked his lips and muttered.
Beirut glanced at Bebe with a smile: “Do you think Sovereign sparks are so easy to obtain? Alright, Linley. I’ll tell you. If you want to become a Sovereign, there is no other way, only one path—refining a Sovereign spark! These Sovereign sparks are the 77 Sovereign sparks that naturally descended after the countless planes were created. Only by cultivating to the level of a Highgod through one’s own ability can one refine a Sovereign spark.”
Linley nodded slightly.
Becoming a Sovereign was indeed not something that could be achieved through mere hard work and cultivation.
“The reason Sovereigns are so powerful is precisely because of the Sovereign spark. Paragon Highgods, including you with your soul mutation, all have their Willpower fused into their souls, right?” Beirut laughed.
“Right.” Linley nodded.
“But Sovereigns are different. Almost all of the Willpower resides in the Sovereign spark.” Beirut said. “When refining a Sovereign spark, the boundless Willpower contained within the Sovereign spark will transform the soul. Because the souls of all clones are one, the souls of the other clones will also receive a partial enhancement. But that is secondary. Compared to the Willpower in the Sovereign spark, the Willpower distributed to the soul is less than one ten-thousandth of it.”
Linley nodded slightly.
“Lord Beirut.” Linley asked in confusion, “Sovereign sparks are divided into High, Middle, and Low ranks. If one becomes a Low Sovereign and later obtains a Middle Sovereign spark of the same element, can it still be refined?”
“No.” Beirut answered without hesitation.
“Once you become a Low Sovereign, you will be a Low Sovereign for life.” Beirut said. “Of course… it is possible for a person to have two clones refine different Sovereign sparks. The legendary Lightning Sovereign, for example, also has a Sovereign clone that is an Earth Sovereign.”
Linley was stunned.
One person holding two Sovereign positions?
“Haha, Linley, not to mention the Lightning Sovereign, even you will have two Sovereign clones.” Beirut suddenly said.
“What!” Linley was startled.
“Grandpa, what are you saying?” Bebe exclaimed. “You want Boss to…”
Beirut’s eyes shone. He laughed heartily: “If Linley were just an ordinary Paragon, I wouldn’t have let him refine two Sovereign sparks at the same time. But he is a soul mutant! His divine power can be fused! I’m thinking, what will Linley’s strength be like when he simultaneously possesses an Earth Sovereign clone and a Water Sovereign clone!”
The Azurefire beside him also seemed very excited: “Back then, Beirut only planned to make you the Earth Sovereign. But after your successful soul mutation, Beirut changed his plan! He prepared to let you have two Sovereign clones!”
“I never dared to think that one day I could walk out of the Yulan Plane openly and honestly. Because I had no confidence in dealing with Augusta.” Beirut’s gaze was sharp. “But Linley, your soul mutation gave me hope! Since the creation of the planes, there have been only so many Sovereigns. The conditions for soul mutation are far too harsh. Not a single Sovereign is a soul mutant.”
“Although there are people who have two Sovereign clones, because their abilities cannot be fused, their strength naturally cannot increase much! But you, Linley, are different!”
Beirut stared at Linley: “You are a soul mutant. I really want to know, after fusing the abilities of two different Sovereigns, what level of strength will you reach!”
“I even believe that you have the hope to lead us out of the Yulan Plane, without fear of the Light Sovereign, Augusta.” Beirut’s gaze was sharp.
It was precisely because he saw the hope of leaving the Yulan Plane in Linley that Beirut had been so excited and so out of character back then.
A fused Sovereign?
This was absolutely unprecedented.
“Heaven has been kind to us. My greatest fear was that Augusta had a Highgod Artifact. But now, haha, you also have a Highgod Artifact.” Beirut was extremely excited. “Everything is going so smoothly. I have a feeling, Linley, that you, this unprecedented fused Sovereign, will definitely not disappoint me!”
Linley couldn’t help but feel his blood boil.
Indeed…
Even if other Sovereigns had two Sovereign clones, they weren’t soul mutants, so their Sovereign power couldn’t be fused. Only Linley—he would be a true fused Sovereign.
“Linley, refine it.” Beirut handed the stone box to Linley.
Linley looked at the two glass-like Sovereign sparks in the stone box, then at Beirut, Azurefire, and Bebe. There was anticipation in all their eyes.
“Refining a Sovereign spark…” Although his blood was boiling, Linley still tried to calm himself. “Refine one first, then refine the other.” Step by step, Linley thought this would be much safer.
“Drip!”
A drop of blood seeped out from Linley’s finger and fell onto the surface of the Earth Sovereign spark. Immediately, the Earth Sovereign spark floated up, and a heavy, earthy yellow light began to radiate outward. Linley willed it, and his body transformed. His Earth-type divine clone manifested externally, while his other three clones and main body remained within the soul sea.
His earthy yellow hair fluttering, Linley gazed at the Earth Sovereign spark before him.
“Rumble…”
The eighteenth level of the Necropolis of the Gods was originally a cyan earth beneath a cyan sky. But at this moment—
The heavens and earth changed color in an instant. A dense, terrifying amount of earthy yellow elemental essence filled the entire space. A vast amount of earthy yellow liquid appeared around Linley, swirling around him. This earthy yellow liquid was liquefied Earth Sovereign power, and the Earth Sovereign spark slowly sank into the center of Linley’s brow.
“A new Sovereign has been born.” A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Beirut’s mouth. The birth of a new Sovereign gave Beirut a sense of satisfaction, but also some trepidation. “What will this unprecedented fused Sovereign be like?”