Lord of the Mists: Book 8 of the Coiling Dragon Saga

by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi

  “You can leave now,” Clementine said calmly.

  “Yes.” The silver-haired youth bowed, then left, leaving behind just Clementine himself within the courtyard.

  Linley wasn’t the only one pondering. Clementine was pondering as well. “That paper only had three words; ‘Lion Heart City’. No other words. What do those words mean?” Clementine’s gaze flashed, and he immediately activated his Sovereign’s Might!

  A powerful divine sense swept out, passing out from the Beastgod continent and stretching deep through the ocean until it encapsulated the entire Fogdeep continent as well.

  “Do you know what the meaning of the three words on that paper, ‘Lion Heart City’, refer to?” Clementine sent.

  Far away in the distant Fogdeep continent, within the Radiant Temple, the Radiant Goddess felt her heart tremble, and she immediately responded, “Milord, the three words, ‘Lion Heart City’… I am unclear as to the true meaning of those words.”

  “How many Lionheart Cities exist in this continent?” Clementine asked.

  “Just that imperial capital of the Snowlion Empire of the Beastgod continent,” the Radiant Goddess was completely certain.

  “Just one?” Clementine truly did not understand. If there were other Lionheart Cities, perhaps he might go search those places. But now, what was he supposed to do with those three words, ‘Lion Heart City’?

  “When Bordie gave that paper to you, did he say anything? Have you told me everything he said in detail?” Clementine said.

  “Thirty years ago, when Brodie descended upon the Okerlund Plane, he came with his wife. He once came to my Radiant Sacred Island. Although we were both Gods, he easily defeated me. He lived with me for a time, and when he left, he gave me a gift! He said if many Deities descended on the Okerlund Empire in search of some treasure, I was to hand it to a powerful expert… he said that after the powerful expert acquired the treasure, I would then be rewarded.”

  The Radiant Goddess felt extremely resigned.

  She had thought that after handing over the paper, she would be praised and rewarded.

  But who would have imagined that not only did Clementine not reward her, he even gave her attitude.

  Actually, even Brodie himself had no idea… that the ‘red caltrop diamond’ would attract the descent of so many experts, to the point where even eight Paragons and a Paragon-equivalent, Linley, would come! With so many experts, even if she offered up the ‘paper’, the others would notice as well.

  If the others hadn’t noticed, perhaps Clementine would have been overjoyed and truly have rewarded the Radiant Goddess.

  “After the expert found the treasure, you would thus be rewarded?” Clementine frowned.

  From these words, Clementine could deduce… that the red caltrop diamond should truly be in the Okerlund Plane.

  “Whoosh.” Clementine withdrew his divine sense from the Fogdeep continent, then gave the order, “Marquis Winter, come over here.”

  Marquis Winter was the owner of this estate. However, when Clementine’s group came, all they had to do was show off the high-level talisman from the Radiant Temple for Marquis Winter to immediately become extremely respectful.

  “Milord.” An old man with a head full of silvery white hair, but whose eyes were blue and flashing with life walked over. He saluted respectfully.

  “Come with me for a stroll about Lionheart City,” Clementine gave the order. “Take me to some of the interesting areas of Lionheart City.”

  “Yes, milord. I know every single special, historical area or building that exists within Lionheart City.” Marquis Winter didn’t know Clementine’s true status; he thought that Clementine was a high-level member of the Radiant Temple. But that was already enough for him to be extremely respectful.

  The various experts all had their own thoughts. Linley chose to go to the libraries in search of information regarding Lionheart City, while Clementine let this person lead him to view some of the unique sights of Lionheart City. Although his divine sense was able to cover Lionheart City, with no one to explain for him, even if he found a ‘rock’ that had existed for countless ages, he wouldn’t know that there was any special meaning to that rock.

  Under the guidance of Marquis Winter, Clementine learned quite a bit about the classical history of Lionheart City.

  At this moment, Clementine and Marquis Winter were located within a history museum. This museum’s exhibition hall walls had enormous relief sculptures on them. These relief sculptures were almost all at the same height on the wall. The wide halls only had a few dozen figures located sparsely within them.

  “Milord, look.” Marquis Winter laughed as he pointed at a relief sculpture up ahead. “The nineteen people in this sculpture are our Snowlion Empire’s Founding Emperor, ‘Venna’, and his most loyal eighteen knights. Even the weakest of these eighteen knights had reached the ninth level, while our Founding Emperor, Wenna, was a Saint-level expert.”

  Clementine just nodded slightly.

  Ninth rank? Saint? To a supreme Deity like Clementine, there was no difference.

  “Milord, look at this carving,” Marquis Winter said as he pointed to a giant carving next to them. This carving was of an enormous, mono-horned lion-type magical beast. In the carving, this enormous lion-type magical beast had a large wound on its lower body. A person was currently flying out from this wound, and that figure was holding something in its hands.

  The sculpture had captured that moment.

  “Oh, rather interesting.” Clementine, upon seeing this sculpture, couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Milord, this sculpture describes the greatest danger our Founding Emperor Venna faced; this was also the battle that led to Emperor Venna’s rise to fame!” Marquis Winter said hurriedly, “And this battle occurred at the old location of Lionheart City. It was precisely because he wanted to commemorate that battle that Emperor Venna ordered this imperial capital and named it ‘Lionheart City’. This is where Lionheart City came from.”

  “Where Lionheart City came from?” Clementine’s eyes lit up. “Explain in detail!”

  Marquis Winter had never seen this ‘high-level member of the Radiant Temple’ show so much excitement. He couldn’t help but say hurriedly, “That year, Emperor Venna had just reached the Saint level. But he encountered the Saint-level magical beast, ‘Silverhorn Snowlion’. That year, Lionheart City was nothing more than a desolate region. Emperor Venna engaged in a fierce battle with the Silverhorn Snowlion! Back then, Emperor Venna was just an early-stage Saint, while generally speaking, magical beasts who reach the Saint level are comparable to late-stage human Saints.”

  Clementine nodded slightly.

  “Emperor Venna was at a definite disadvantage and close to the point of death. But at the critical moment, with life and death hanging from a thread, Emperor Venna managed to find life from death; he charged straight into the mouth of the Silverhorn Snowlion. He entered the Silverhorn Snowlion’s stomach. None of us know exactly what happened, but what we do know… was that Emperor Venna cut through the Silverhorn Snowlion’s stomach when he escaped. And, in his hand, he was clutching part of the Silverhorn Snowlion’s heart when he emerged. Clearly, he had already shattered the Silverhorn Snowlion’s heart… but of course, the Silverhorn Snowlion died as well,” Marquis Winter explained in detail. “That battle resulted in Emperor Venna growing much more powerful. He became the most powerful Saint of the entire Beastgod continent.”

  Clementine’s eyes flashed with a complicated look.

  “Lionheart City… no wonder it is named Lionheart City.” Clementine had a smile on his face, and in his heart, he murmured, “He broke out of the Silverhorn Snowlion’s stomach, grabbed its heart, then emerged.”

  “Let’s go back now.” Clementine maintained his calm.

  “Go back?” Marquis Winter was startled.

  Clementine paid him no mind. He pretended as though nothing had happened as he once more returned to Marquis Winter’s estate. Only,
just an hour after returning to the estate, Clementine himself silently slipped away from Lionheart City!

  40

  THE RED CALTROP DIAMOND EMERGES!

  Moving as fast as lightning, he instantly pierced through the skies.

  Clementine’s eyes were filled with wild joy. “Haha, I didn’t expect that I would be the first of the nine Paragons to discover it! Lionheart City. So those three words were pointing to a story. Pointing to the fact that the red caltrop diamond was hidden within the body of a Silverhorn Snowlion.” Clementine was currently completely certain.

  Just then, Clementine had stretched his divine sense out to search all of the Silverhorn Snowlions of the entire plane.

  In the Okerlund Plane, there were a total of twelve Silverhorn Snowlions. Aside from two which lived together, the other ten were scattered about. It was naturally easy for him to search those twelve magical beasts. Clementine only needed a moment to completely search the bodies of those twelve Silverhorn Snowlions.

  Indeed!

  There were three Silverhorn Snowlions who lived in the ‘Snowy Icecliff Region’ in the northern part of the Beastgod continent. The most powerful and largest of the Silverhorn Snowlions had an interspatial ring in its body!

  If he had immediately left upon returning to his estate, the other Paragons would have immediately had questions about where he had just gone. Thus, Clementine had waited an hour. Although this made it so that the other Paragons might notice as well, Clementine was impatient now. In addition, he was completely confident.

  “Hmph. By the time those eight react, I should have already arrived at the Snowy Icecliff Region. In addition, in terms of speed, I rank at the front of those nine. I’m the first one to arrive; they won’t catch up in time. Once that red caltrop diamond falls into my hands, they can forget about taking it back.” Clementine was completely confident.

  Paragons of Light specialized in speed!

  A ray of light shot straight towards the Snowy Icecliff Region of the Beastgod continent.

  Snowlion Empire. Lionheart City. Lionheart Magus Institute. The library.

  Tens of thick, heavy tomes were placed on the table. These tens of tomes all described various places and events of Lionheart City. As the imperial capital, there were many, many stories regarding Lionheart City! Some of these books talked about the various heroic figures who had emerged in the countless years of the city’s history, as well as some of the legendary secret histories of the imperial palace. They introduced some of the magus institutes and the Founding Emperor…

  There was simply too much.

  Linley and Bebe had no idea what special meaning was contained within those three simple words, ‘Lion Heart City’. Thus, they had no choice but to read through these books. They hoped that while reading one story in particular, they might have a sudden insight and be able to think through the secret.

  “Eh?” Linley frowned, and Bebe couldn’t help but look towards Linley.

  “Why has Clementine left Lionheart City?” Linley muttered.

  “Clementine left Lionheart City?” Bebe stared. “Boss, Lionheart City is linked with the red caltrop diamond. Why has Clementine left?”

  “Logically speaking, he shouldn’t,” Linley said with furrowed brows. “Unless…”

  “Unless he knows the true secret of the three words, ‘Lion Heart City’. He knows that the red caltrop diamond isn’t within Lionheart City!” Bebe said hurriedly.

  “Right. That’s the only explanation.” Linley nodded.

  “Boss, are we going to chase after him? If he acquires the red caltrop diamond, what are we to do?” Bebe said frantically.

  Linley shook his head and laughed. “Calm down. This isn’t the time to grow impatient yet.”

  “This isn’t the time?” Bebe stared.

  “Tell me; if we chase after him, even if we catch him, what will Clementine do? He doesn’t have the red caltrop diamond yet. How will we know where to go to acquire it, then?” Linley said.

  Bebe was startled.

  This was indeed true. They didn’t know where the red caltrop diamond was. How would chasing after Clementine change that?

  “In addition, Clementine is going north! Even if he acquires the red caltrop diamond, he has to hurry to the Fogdeep continent’s teleportation array. He’ll have to go a long distance. We can intercept him midway,” Linley said. “Clementine doesn’t know my real power. Paragons are believed to be invincible amongst Deities! This is the iron rule… of the past. After acquiring the red caltrop diamond, he will probably head off by himself and take it to the teleportation array.”

  If Linley was an ordinary Paragon, then Clementine probably really would have nothing to fear.

  “Then we…?” Bebe was startled.

  “Sit here and read these books,” Linley said calmly.

  “Oh.” Bebe had no choice but to suppress his heart, calming himself.

  “Clementine…” Linley’s gaze was dark and icy, with a cold light flashing every so often. Although he looked very calm, how could Linley truly be calm? Doehring Cowart had taught Linley since he was young; he could be said to be Linley’s teacher, but also Linley’s ‘grandfather’. Although his father was important, Linley’s father, ‘Hogg’, hadn’t been with Linley for too long, after all.

  But Grandpa Doehring had always accompanied Linley and guided Linley… in Linley’s heart, Grandpa Doehring’s status was definitely comparable to his father’s.

  Grandpa Doehring’s death, in particular, was a wound that lingered, deep in Linley’s soul.

  Forget about sacrificing one or two divine clones; even at the risk of true death, Linley would want to bring Grandpa Doehring back to life. From this, one could imagine how deeply Linley valued the red caltrop diamond.

  “At all costs, I must find the red caltrop diamond…” Linley locked his divine sense onto the distant, flying Clementine. Clementine himself didn’t notice, but he did notice the other seven Paragons paying attention to him. For the sake of avoiding Clementine’s suspicion, Linley would occasionally use Sovereign’s Might to search him as well.

  He wanted these Paragons to think that Linley was only occasionally searching.

  “Boss, Boss,” Bebe suddenly called out in surprised delight.

  “What is it?” Linley was startled.

  “Boss, look at this story, quick.” Bebe, excited and surprised, handed over a flipped open book in his hands to Linley. The two pages that were on display even had an inserted image that was of a Silverhorn Snowlion that had its stomach torn open by a human.

  Linley swept it with his gaze, instantly reading the complete story.

  “Silverhorn Snowlion. Snatching the already shattered heart, then bursting out from the stomach? This is the origin of Lionheart City?” Linley seemed to have been struck by thunder.

  Linley’s group had been pondering about which lifeform was hiding the red caltrop diamond within its body. If they searched them all one by one, it would be like searching for a needle in the sea; how long would it take?

  But upon seeing this story, most likely quite a few of the Paragons would understand.

  Linley and Bebe were shocked as well.

  “Silverhorn Snowlions!” Linley’s divine sense instantly spread out to all of the Silverhorn Snowlions in the northern region. Silverhorn Snowlions liked frigid environments, and the northern part of the Beastgod continent, the ‘Snowy Icecliff Region’, had three right there. In an instant, Linley searched the three Silverhorn Snowlions.

  One of them had an interspatial ring within its body.

  “That’s it!”

  Linley rose to his feet, his eyes blazing like fire. “Bebe, let’s go!”

  “Let’s go.” Bebe, after seeing the story, could guess at the secret now.

  Linley and Bebe immediately disappeared from the library of the magus institute. And then, Linley and Bebe transformed into a ray of green light, rapidly advancing towards the north.

  “Linley’s head
ing out as well? Can it be that they’ve all discovered the secret?”

  The Paragon of Wind, Bayer, instantly flew out of Lionheart City as well.

  Not just him; the other six Paragons no longer hesitated, immediately flying out of Lionheart City and towards Linley and Clementine.

  The three words, ‘Lion Heart City’, involved the secret of the red caltrop diamond. Logically speaking, they shouldn’t be leaving Lionheart City. But after being here just a single day, Clementine had left! This had already aroused the suspicions of the other Paragons. But a short while later, Linley had actually left Lionheart City as well.

  Two people had left in succession. This had a major impact on the other seven Paragons.

  Thus, everyone hurried to leave.

  Linley and Bebe flew at high speed in the air above the Beastgod continent.

  “Boss, why aren’t you flying over at top speed?” Bebe said frantically. Linley, even now, was just using wind-type Sovereign power. He didn’t use his fused divine power. Linley’s speed with wind-type Sovereign power was comparable to the speed of the other Paragons.

  This was because Linley was hiding his power! But even now, Linley still wanted to hide?

  “If my speed increases several times over, they will definitely be surprised and confused. By then, problems will occur,” Linley sent back. “More importantly, Clementine started flying much earlier than I did. He’s already reached the Snowy Icecliff Region. Even if my speed increases several times over, there’s no way I can get there before him and reach that Silverhorn Snowlion first.”

  Since he wasn’t able to catch up at maximum speed, it would be best for him to temporarily continue to hide his power.

  Linley didn’t expose his power, and so Clementine would definitely continue to believe the myth that ‘Paragons were invincible amongst Deities’. When the time came, Linley would definitely have an opportunity.

  If Clementine knew how powerful Linley was, he would definitely be prepared. By then, Linley’s chances of acquiring the red caltrop diamond would be even lower.