“Wielding something light as though it were heavy.”
Linley hacked out with the Bloodviolet Godsword. The nearly invisible, diaphanous sword let out a thunder-like sound as out of nowhere, a tornado suddenly appeared.
“The wind-style single-combat spell, ‘Dimensional Edge’, is an extremely powerful one-on-one magical attack spell. The power of the Dimensional Edge spell is so great that it can hack apart the dimensional walls itself. Then…would it be possible to duplicate the effects of the Dimensional Edge through sword techniques?”
Linley considered this question.
The correct roads would all lead to the same destination, despite the path. The level above ‘impose’, when using the adamantine heavy sword, was achieved by Linley through using his insights regarding the Laws of the Earth.
As Linley saw it, with regards to the Bloodviolet Godsword, to surpass the ‘impose’ level, he would have to utilize his understanding of the ‘Laws of the Wind’.
Only by selecting the correct avenue of training would one not be led astray.
Right now, Linley was quietly considering which avenue of training he should embark on. But the fundamental Laws of the universe were very profound and very abstruse. To understand them was very difficult. Fortunately, Linley has exceptional elemental affinity for both wind elemental essence as well as earth elemental essence, and thus was able to reach a very high level of attunement with nature.
But despite that, without multiple years of training and time, it would be virtually impossible to make much progress.
“Swish.”
A blur slashed through the air, then landed behind Linley.
“Lord Cesar.” Linley turned his head, then immediately paid his respects.
Cesar laughed and nodded. “Where are Barker and his brothers?”
“They are training in the empty space behind their room. Lord Cesar, please follow me.” Smiling, Linley headed towards the area behind the room, but as he did, Cesar suddenly stared at Linley’s feet in astonishment.
Although on the surface, Linley appeared to be no different from normal people, but…
What sort of person was Cesar? How could he not tell?
He could clearly sense that Linley was walking in an extremely rhythmic manner, seeming to carry with each step a certain vibration. In truth, what had happened was that Linley had immersed himself in his silent training for so long that even when he walked, his steps would also embody the throbbing pulse of the earth.
“He truly is talented.” Cesar praised in his heart.
After walking for a short distance, Cesar saw Barker and his siblings. The five of them were in an area filled with countless giant boulders the size of houses, which they were using as part of their weight training. The entire area was suffused with an earth-colored layer of light.
“Haaaargh!”
The muscles on the bodies of the Barker brothers were rippling and gleaming, with the veins sticking out like snakes on their bodies, making them look extremely powerful and mighty.
“Lord Cesar.” Upon seeing Cesar, Barker and his siblings immediately stopped their training.
“You five fellows really do train hard, eh?” Cesar quirked his lips in a grin. “What sort of effectiveness are you seeing from your training?”
The fourth of the five siblings, Boone, said excitedly, “In the past, when we were training, we didn’t sense much improvement. But now that we are training in this Supergravity Field, both our muscles as well as our internal organs are strengthening and improving.”
The area under the effects of a Supergravity Field would see the local gravity increase dramatically.
Higher gravity could benefit the muscles, the organs, and the entire body.
“Excellent. I made a long round trip, and brought back with me the secret manual I had copied by hand all those years ago.” With a flip of his hand, a rather thin book appeared in front of Cesar.
Barker and his brothers stared at this manual, their eyes shining.
“This is the Secret Undying Manual?” The fifth brother, Gates, stared at it with wide, hungry eyes.
“Take it.” Cesar began to laugh.
The fifth brother, Gates, snatched it over, his hand moving like a blur. He immediately opened the manual and began to read, with the other four squeezed together like five giant bears, craning their necks over and staring at it with eyes as big and wide as ox-eyes.
This spectacle was actually quite funny.
“Haha.” Cesar began to laugh, while a hint of a smile was on Linley’s lips as well. Cesar looked at Linley. In a low voice, he warned, “Linley, I can tell that these five brothers are just like their ancestors. They are rather boorish and unrefined. If they are to travel alone, most likely they will be easily duped and cheated by others. I hope you can lead and guide them.”
“Lord Cesar, don’t worry.” Linley assented.
During this period of association with the five Barker brothers, Linley had discovered that these five men clearly differentiated between enmity and benevolence. They were very straightforward and didn’t play any mind games. They’d curse out whoever they wanted to curse and wouldn’t hide any of their thoughts.
Linley actually rather liked this sort of temperament. It was genuine!
“The five of them, upon training in accordance with the Secret Undying Manual, will improve at a very rapid speed. It won’t be difficult at all for them to reach the ninth rank within a few years.” Cesar sighed to himself.
Turning his head, he glanced at Linley. “This Linley is most likely worthy of my trust.”
As far as Cesar was concerned, Linley couldn’t even come close to comparing with the five Barker brothers in terms of importance. After all, these five were the descendants of the closest friend Cesar had ever made. As for Linley, he was nothing more than a sculptor whom Cesar, a statue aficionado, rather liked.
Towards Linley, he only felt appreciation.
But towards the five brothers, he felt the sort of doting love one might feel towards one’s grandchildren.
Soon after, Cesar left again. After about half a year had passed, the manor was completed, and Linley and his team took up residence within, beginning a long period of quiet training.
Aside from Cesar, perhaps the only person who knew that Linley was living there was Yale.
Yale had long ago set up a system of sending someone each month to provide news regarding the Radiant Church, basic news regarding the Yulan continent as a whole, as well as information about Wharton.
Although they were living in this village, Linley thus was still kept very well informed about the affairs of the Yulan continent.
Within a forest on the west side of Cloudpeaks Village, Linley was training by himself.
Three years.
They had spent three full years within the quiet Cloudpeaks Village. During these three years, the Radiant Church’s forces had been searching fruitlessly for them. As for Linley, he had totally immersed himself within his training, and had advanced quite rapidly as well.
The wind rose, blowing the dead leaves to the ground.
Linley raised his head to look at the sky. Very high up above him, a Bluewind Hawk was flying with wings spread. A hint of a smile appeared on Linley’s lips, and he suddenly thrust his adamantine heavy sword into the air.
“Boom!”
Originating from Linley’s adamantine heavy sword, a series of faint cracks in space itself could be seen as a vibrational wave burst forward up into the sky at an incredibly high speed.
In the blink of an eye, the vibrating waves had traversed nearly a thousand meters.
“Boom!”
The body of the Bluewind Hawk, a magical beast of the fifth rank, shuddered, then begin to collapse from the skies.
“I’ve finally reached the level of the ‘Hundred Layered Waves’.” Linley’s eyes were filled with a hint of confidence. “If today, that Stehle were to be struck by me again, he most likely wouldn’t get
off with just a light wound this time.”
Profound Truths of the Earth – Triple Layered Waves!
Profound Truths of the Earth – Ten Layered Waves!
Profound Truths of the Earth – Hundred Layered Waves!
After spending three years, Linley had already reached an extremely high level of understanding with regards to the Profound Truths of the Earth, and his attack power was now much more terrifying as well.
Within a thousand meters distance, he could kill a magical beast of the fifth rank
Most likely, even an early-stage Saint-level combatant would be hard pressed to accomplish such a task. After all, battle-qi, when being transmitted through the air, would slowly be weakened by air resistance. When the distance reached a certain length, the power of the attack would be almost negligibly weak as well.
Compared to battle-qi, these ‘vibrational waves’ would still be weakened when passing through the air, but much, much less than battle-qi would be.
When using the Triple Layered Waves technique in the past, Linley could only kill a magical beast of the fifth rank at a distance of roughly ten meters. Any farther away, and the waves wouldn’t be powerful enough to kill fifth-ranked magical beasts.
But upon reaching the Ten Layered Waves stage of the technique, Linley could kill a fifth-ranked magical beast within a hundred meters.
But the Hundred Layered Waves was even more powerful. Even three thousand meters wouldn’t prove a problem, much less a thousand.
This was the true ace in Linley’s sleeve. Unless he was in a dangerous situation, Linley wouldn’t willingly use this technique.
“But how to break past the barrier for the Profound Truths of the Wind?” With a flip of his hand, Linley returned the adamantine heavy sword to its sheath, then drew out the Bloodviolet Godsword.
Over the past three years, Linley had gained some insight regarding the fourth level of using the Bloodviolet, the Profound Truths of the Wind. But his insights were only limited to the simplest level; the ‘Rippling Wind’ technique.
“This shouldn’t be the case. Wind magic isn’t just fast and flexible. It should also have extremely powerful one-on-one attack abilities. How, then, can one execute the ‘Dimensional Edge’ through sword attacks?”
Linley had a certain feeling that the effects of the ‘Dimensional Edge’ spell absolutely could be displayed through the Bloodviolet Godsword. But it was as though the road to that level was covered by a dense fog, leading Linley to have no idea where he should try to make the breakthrough.
“Big brother Linley, big brother Linley!” Rebecca’s clear voice rang out from outside the forest.
Linley grabbed the Bluewind Hawk by the neck and headed out of the forest with the hawk in his hands. This hawk would serve as part of dinner.
“Big brother Linley, your letter just came.” Rebecca smiled radiantly at Linley.
“Oh?”
Each month, a new letter would come. Linley tossed the Bluewind Hawk over. “Rebecca, our dinner tonight will be this Bluewind Hawk.” As he spoke, Linley accepted the letter and tore it open.
129
Undying Warrior Transformation
Reading the information in this letter regarding Wharton, Linley couldn’t help but start to frown.
“Wharton has registered for next year’s selection process to become an honorary disciple of the War God’s College?” Linley was rather puzzled and also rather dissatisfied. “Why does he want to enter the War God’s College? Even the personally taught disciples of the War God at most reach the Saint level. What, a Dragonblood Warrior can’t reach the Saint level on his own?”
Linley knew very well that entering the War God’s College wouldn’t have much of an impact on their development.
After all, Dragonblood Warriors were absolutely guaranteed to eventually become peak-stage Saint-level combatants. The Supreme Warriors were nothing to trifle with.
As for the Deity-level…
Despite the passage of so many years since the War God O’Brien had founded the Empire, not a single one of his honorary disciples or personally taught disciples had reached the Deity level, right? The Deity-level wasn’t something that could simply be taught by a Deity-level combatant.
“How could one’s understanding of the Laws and principles of the world be taught? Everyone has their own insights. The road others have taken might not be suited to one’s self.”
Linley was somewhat unhappy with his younger brother’s decision to register and attempt to become an honorary disciple of the War God’s College.
However, his younger brother had grown up.
“I can’t blame Wharton for making his own choices,” Linley continued to read. At the very end, a hint of laughter appeared on Linley’s face. “Haha, so this kid, Wharton… haha…”
The letter Yale had ordered to be delivered explained in detail the reason why Wharton had registered for the chance to be selected as an honorary disciple of the War God’s College. The primary reason was because of the Seventh Princess of the Empire.
“I hope that Wharton will have a perfect, unbroken love life. At the very least, it must not be like mine was.” Linley blessed his younger brother silently.
Indeed, the reason Wharton wanted to become an honorary disciple of the War God’s College was because of her. Given that the master of the War God’s College was the founding Emperor of the O’Brien Empire, War God O’Brien, upon entering the War God’s College, it would be much easier for Wharton to wed an imperial princess.
After reading the letter, a flame emerged from Linley’s hands.
“Crackle.” The letter was reduced to ash.
Alongside Rebecca, Linley made his way back to their manor.
His days of peaceful training continued. Linley continued to keep an eye out for Wharton’s affairs. According to the reports in the letters, the Seventh Princess of the Empire was an extremely beautiful girl, and she was also very adorable and kind. She was also doted on by her imperial father, which was why she had many pursuers.
Several of them had higher social statuses and rankings than Wharton.
However…
The Seventh Princess of the Empire was on very good relations with Wharton. She would often go out to play and joke around with him.
The next year, the competition to join the War God’s College began. This was also the fourth year for Linley and his squad here at Cloudpeak Village.
“Big brother Linley, here’s your letter.”
Rebecca once more delivered a letter to him. Linley immediately opened it and began to read. Based on the timing of events, this letter should have information regarding the grand competition.
Given his younger brother’s ability, he should be able to succeed.
“Oh? He failed?” Reading the contents of the letter, Linley frowned.
The competition to become an honorary disciple of the War God’s College had resulted in a young man named Blumer capturing that position. This sort of competition wasn’t the type of competition where the last man standing would be given the position.
It was a series of competitions resulting in a total of ten finalists. From within these ten finalists, either the War God himself, or one of his personally taught disciples, would select the next honorary disciple.
Wharton had indeed become one of the ten finalists, but in the end, the War God’s College had selected Blumer.
“Yet another genius?” Linley was very surprised.
Blumer was currently 32 years old, yet had just entered the ninth rank as a warrior. This astonishing natural talent was indeed quite incredible.
“But in terms of talent, Wharton should still be somewhat superior to him. This year, Wharton should be twenty-one years old, but he has already entered the eighth rank as a warrior.” Linley had learned just a month ago that Wharton had entered the eighth rank as a warrior.
A twenty-one-year-old warrior of the eighth rank was very astonishing as well.
“Hrm?
” Reading Blumer’s background information, something caught Linley’s eye.
“Blumer’s older brother is actually the Prodigy Sword Saint, Olivier?” Linley was quite surprised. Olivier was that genius who, immediately upon entering the Saint level, defeated the Stellar Sword Saint, Dillon.
It wasn’t impossible for an early-stage Saint-level to defeat a Saint-level who had entered the Saint level many years ago.
What it required was a higher level of understanding and insight.
For example, Linley. Right now, his level of understanding and insight was already at the peak of the Saint level. Only, because his physical strength and battle-qi was too low, it was impossible for him to enter the Saint level at this time.
As soon as he reached the required amount of strength and battle-qi, he would enter the Saint level.
This was why Linley now spent a large majority of his time training his battle-qi. He wanted to break through to the ninth rank as quickly as possible.
“I wonder how Wharton is currently feeling.” Linley wondered to himself. That buck-toothed, chubby-cheeked kid from years ago was now an adult.
Linley was truly filled with love and affection towards Wharton.
“The Emperor of the O’Brien Empire, if this letter is accurate, should already know that Wharton is the descendant of the Dragonblood Warrior clan. Given Wharton’s power, he clearly is capable of Dragonforming. As a Dragonblood Warrior, the imperial clan would not be disgraced by Wharton marrying the Emperor’s daughter.”
Actually, Linley didn’t really feel much respect or fear towards the so-called royal clans or imperial clans.
The only thing he feared and respected was truly powerful experts, such as the War God, the High Priest, the King of Killers, and the two Kings of the Forest of Darkness and the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts. The people who stood at the pinnacle of the world.
Understanding and insight was important. Physical strength was important as well! To Linley at his current level in particular, improving his battle-qi and physical strength was something he desperately needed.
Dragonblood: Book 2 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 101
