Chapter 16: Not Guilty
"Augusta is helping me?" Linley couldn't help but be shocked, even with his composure.
But immediately afterward, Linley figured out the reason and sneered inwardly: "Helping me? I'm afraid he's worried that I'll be judged guilty and killed by the four Sovereigns of the Edicts. Then, my Overgod artifact would be disposed of by them, and it wouldn't be his turn!"
Just as Augusta's words faded.
"Sovereign." Another fire-type Sovereign with hair like tangled straw spoke up, "Back then in the Infernal Realm, that Tersia indeed once made things difficult for Linley, threatening him to hand over the nine spirit beads and the Overgod talisman. In the end, it was Bloodpeak Sovereign Parsh who stepped in to protect Linley. I can testify to this."
Linley glanced at the fire-type Sovereign in confusion: "He's a low-level fire-type Sovereign. I have no connection with him at all, and he's not qualified to vie for the Overgod artifact. Why is he helping me too?"
With two Sovereigns having spoken, the four Sovereigns of the Edicts exchanged glances and secretly conferred through divine sense.
"Since I intervened back then, of course I can testify." Bloodpeak Sovereign Parsh himself said with a smile.
"In that case, then..." The Life Sovereign was about to announce the verdict.
But at that moment—
"Your Excellency, what Tersia did back then—but at that time, Tersia was a Sovereign, and Linley was merely a Highgod." The Wind Sovereign Deya interjected coldly with dissatisfaction, "What's so significant about a Sovereign using some means against a Highgod? Besides, Linley didn't die, did he? What, are we Sovereigns supposed to show reverence to gods? If there's some offense, do gods have the right to retaliate?"
"Even if a Sovereign is in the wrong toward a god, it's only natural." Deya's words carried weight.
The many Sovereigns fell silent for a moment.
They had to admit that this reasoning was also valid. In the eyes of Sovereigns, gods were indeed like ants. Even if a Sovereign stooped to kill a god, it could only be said that the Sovereign lost face, not that the Sovereign was wrong.
"After Linley became a Sovereign, Tersia didn't offend him again, did he?" The Wind Sovereign Deya snorted coldly. "Since that's the case, Linley has no reason to kill Tersia."
Deya understood that his chances of obtaining the Overgod artifact were extremely low.
So, he wanted Linley to die sooner—better yet, at the hands of the four Sovereigns of the Edicts!
"Haha..." Linley stood up, looking directly at Deya, and sneered, "Deya, what kind of logic is that? A Sovereign killing a god is not wrong? Your judgment is only from the perspective of a Sovereign. But in the eyes of a god? When an exalted Sovereign wants to kill them, wouldn't they resent it, hate it? It's not that gods don't retaliate—it's that they lack the ability to do so!"
"Hmph, even a beast with the lowest intelligence will bite back when about to be killed. Let alone a god?"
Linley declared solemnly, "When a god lacks the ability to retaliate, they naturally die unwillingly. But once they gain the ability to retaliate, they absolutely will!"
"Moreover, the agreement among the four Sovereigns of the Edicts is about whether there is enmity between the two parties. Let me ask you: is there enmity between Tersia and me?" Linley countered.
Deya fell silent.
"Enough." An aged, gentle voice sounded, belonging to the Fate Sovereign. "Deya's reasoning is flawed. Enmity is enmity. Does it distinguish by time or level? If one suffers humiliation when young and weak, can they not retaliate when they become strong? Let's end this here. The facts of the matter are already very clear. I believe Linley has not violated the agreement. Not guilty!"
Once the Fate Sovereign spoke, the other Sovereigns present no longer argued.
"I also believe he is not guilty. What about everyone else?" The Life Sovereign smiled as she looked around.
"Not guilty!" The Light Sovereign Augusta said with a smile.
"Not guilty!" A black-haired, black-robed man also spoke.
"Not guilty!" ...
Of the eleven Sovereigns, aside from Deya, the other ten unanimously declared Linley not guilty! In general, it was enough for the four Sovereigns of the Edicts to determine Linley's innocence, but for the sake of face, they still gave the other Sovereigns the right to speak.
A crisp laugh rang out, coming from the Death Sovereign in her purple robe. She swept her gaze around and said cheerfully, "Since everyone says so, the matter of Linley killing Tersia is settled. Linley did not violate the Sovereign agreement. Not guilty! The matter is concluded. Everyone may leave."
At this point, Linley also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Linley, this process was faster than I imagined. Today, the four Sovereigns of the Edicts didn't make things difficult for you. Aside from Deya, the other six Sovereigns didn't trouble you either. There was hardly any dissenting voice." Beirut transmitted to him. "You have the four Sovereigns of the Edicts to thank for getting through this so easily."
"I understand." Linley nodded.
In such matters, the judgment of guilt or innocence essentially depended on the four Sovereigns of the Edicts. Today, it was clear that although their voices occasionally sounded stern, they were actually biased in Linley's favor. They bid each other farewell, and then, either alone or in small groups, they left one after another. However, one thing was strange—none of the eleven Sovereigns seemed in a hurry to leave.
Deya was the Wind Sovereign, so it made sense for him to stay in the Wind Divine Plane.
But why weren't the other Sovereigns leaving either?
"I wonder where Linley is going. I'll follow him, see which teleportation array he uses, and tail him." Although Augusta had this plan, he still felt uneasy. "But the other Sovereigns, including the four Sovereigns of the Edicts, are all still here. None of them are in a hurry to leave. Could it be that the Sovereigns of the Edicts also want to seize the Overgod artifact?"
Among the four Sovereigns of the Edicts, the Life Sovereign, Death Sovereign, and Destruction Sovereign all possessed material attack Overgod artifacts. Only the Fate Sovereign had a soul defense Overgod artifact.
On the deck of the ship, the Violet Thorn Sovereign flew over and quietly transmitted: "Linley, Parsh and I will take our leave first. Staying here won't help much. But it seems... most of the Sovereigns remaining here likely have greedy intentions toward your Overgod artifact. So, you need to be careful."
"I know, thank you." Linley transmitted back.
"For what? I can't help you much either. Among these Sovereigns, with your strength, you can handle most of them. The ones you need to be most wary of are the Light Sovereign, the Lightning Sovereign, and the Fate Sovereign! Among the Sovereigns of the Edicts, the other three all have attack Overgod artifacts and don't need to seize another. However, the Fate Sovereign rarely acts and rarely provokes others. He might not make a move. Instead, you should focus on the other two."
"Understood." Linley also understood this reasoning.
"Beirut, Qinghuo, Linley. We'll be off then." The Violet Thorn Sovereign and Bloodpeak Sovereign bid farewell to Linley and the others, then departed.
Linley, Beirut, and Qinghuo looked at each other.
"Linley, what's your choice?" Beirut transmitted.
"At this point, would I back down?" Linley transmitted back. "Grandpa Beirut, Qinghuo, let's set off now. Head to the teleportation array first. You two return to the Yulan Plane just in case. Once I kill Augusta, I'll notify you."
Beirut and Qinghuo exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. They understood that staying here would only hinder Linley.
"Alright, but Linley, your true strength indeed surpasses the seven Sovereigns of the Edicts. However, you must be careful. The four Sovereigns of the Edicts are truly too powerful. They're still here, and I'm worried there might be something else going on. So, even if you act to kill Augusta, you must stay vigilant. If the four Sovereigns of the Edicts show intent to kill you, escape as soon as possible." Beirut transmitted.
Neither Beirut nor Qinghuo wanted to see Linley killed by a Sovereign of the Edicts.
After all, Linley was the pillar of their Yulan lineage of three Sovereigns.
"Don't worry." Linley smiled. "Let's go. Head to the teleportation array."
With that, Linley and his two companions set off, flying toward the location of the teleportation array.
"Linley is moving." The group of Sovereigns remaining at the scene hesitated briefly, then two of them rose and followed Linley's trio.
Augusta deliberately delayed a moment before flying toward the teleportation array: "With Linley's trio's flying speed, it's less than a tenth of mine." Although confident, Augusta didn't dare underestimate the other Sovereigns of the Edicts—each of them had their own trump cards.
"Among the seven Sovereigns of the Edicts, I'm the fastest! I also have the best chance of seizing the Overgod artifact." The Lightning Sovereign glanced back at the four Sovereigns of the Edicts. "The three of them have attack Overgod artifacts, so they probably won't act. As for the Fate Sovereign, given his personality, he shouldn't stoop to treasure-grabbing."
The Lightning Sovereign also rose and followed Linley's group.
One by one, the Sovereigns took off, and even the Wind Sovereign Deya flew toward his own lair.
Only the four Sovereigns of the Edicts remained!
They still hadn't left, and at that moment, they were secretly conversing through divine sense.
"Utreyd, are you that confident?" The Death Sovereign chuckled as she looked at the Destruction Sovereign.
"Ove, will you agree or not?" The Destruction Sovereign looked at the white-robed, white-haired Fate Sovereign, then said coldly with a smile, "If you're afraid and won't agree, then forget it."
"Haha, since you put it that way, and the terms are so good, how could I refuse?" The Fate Sovereign still wore a smile.
"Very well." The Destruction Sovereign nodded slightly.
"Sister, it looks like we're in for a good show." The Life Sovereign's face lit up with a smile.
While the four Sovereigns of the Edicts were negotiating, Linley's trio had already flown a great distance, nearing Flowing Wind Mountain, where the teleportation array was located.
"Ahead is Flowing Wind Mountain. Grandpa Beirut, Qinghuo, let's part ways here." Linley hovered in midair.
"Be careful yourself." Beirut and Qinghuo both felt tense for Linley. Then, they flew toward Flowing Wind Mountain and returned to the Yulan Plane through the teleportation channel. They had no place in the upcoming battle, because those who would intervene were all at the Sovereign level.
"Hmph, those six have all followed." Linley's divine sense easily detected six Sovereigns trailing behind him. "Fortunately, the four Sovereigns of the Edicts didn't follow." Linley breathed a sigh of relief; he feared them the most.
A moment later—
The first to arrive was the Lightning Sovereign.
"Linley." The Lightning Sovereign flew over with a smile and greeted him warmly.
"Oh, as expected of the Lightning Sovereign, truly fast. I have matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you." Linley smiled and actually turned back, flying past the Lightning Sovereign. The Lightning Sovereign's expression shifted slightly.
Linley, however, turned and headed straight for the Light Sovereign, who had arrived second.
"Linley." Augusta frowned. Linley's initiative to approach him made him suspicious, but he quickly thought, "Hmph, whatever he's up to, Linley's strength is just so-so. Even if he's stronger than I expected, he can't threaten me."
"Augusta." Linley smiled as he approached.
"What business do you have, Linley?" Augusta remained very warm.
"Thank you for your help earlier, Augusta." Linley said with a slight smile.
"It's only right." Augusta smiled.
"Augusta, I have an important matter to attend to in the Light Divine Plane, and I might need your help. Would you be willing to lend a hand?" Linley asked with a smile.
Augusta's heart skipped a beat.
"Come with me to the Light Divine Plane?" Augusta was utterly confused. "Could it be that Linley thinks his meager strength is enough to threaten me? Hmph, that's right—he didn't even use his divine ability when fighting Deya. Since Linley is asking for death, I can't blame him."
Augusta quickly laughed and said, "Haha, of course I can."
"Then let's go together." Linley said with a faint smile.