A cold light flashed through Belsize’s eyes.
“Delia, quick, leave!” Linley was utterly beside himself with panic, shooting towards Belsize at maximum speed.
But Linley was behind Belsize, and he was slower than Belsize to begin with. How could he possibly catch up?
“Shkreeeeeeeeeee!!!”
Suddenly, a heaven-shaking, high-pitched shriek rang out, and a black shadow charged forward from behind Delia. Ignoring everything, it charged straight towards Belsize with explosive fury, transforming into eight shadows, all of which revealed cold, sharp fangs and fierce claws. It was Bebe!
Linley was instantly stunned.
“Bebe, quick, flee!” Linley was about to go insane.
Bebe, block Belsize? How could he possibly hold!
“A little mouse?” A look of contempt flashed through Belsize’s eyes. The speed of the rat-type magical beast in front of him was lower than Linley. How could Belsize be bothered by it? As for this Shadowshape Doppelganger Technique, Belsize could tell at one glance where Bebe’s true body was.
The spear in Belsize’s hand swept out.
“Slash!” The spear pierced directly into Bebe’s body. But even then, Bebe still opened his maw, wanting to bite down at Belsize, his two eyes filled with a hint of insanity.
“Boss, quick, run, run!!!!” Bebe’s voice rang in Linley’s mind.
Bebe stared forcefully at Linley with his two eyes.
It was as though in this last moment of his life, he wanted to take one more look at Linley.
“Boss, run for it!” Bebe’s little eyes were filled with unshed tears.
“Bebe!” Linley felt his mind go blank. Seeing Bebe spitted on that spear, Linley’s tears began to fall out uncontrollably. He felt so powerless. He wanted to save Bebe, but he didn’t have the ability to do so! Linley’s entire body began to shudder from his agony.
“Huh?” Belsize’s eyes suddenly opened wide with astonishment and rage.
After his spear had just penetrated partway through Bebe, he wasn’t able to push any further. Suddenly, a surge of black light instantly erupted forth from Bebe’s body, directly attacking Belsize’s mind, destroying that linked thread of awareness. As it did so, an ice-cold voice rang out in his mind.
“Belsize, how dare you! When I have some free time, I will pay a personal visit to your Lord Plaker!”
Belsize’s body instantly crumbled away and dissipated.
“Boss, Boss!” Bebe instantly scurried towards Linley.
Surprised and delighted, Delia flew over as well. Linley was standing there in mid-air, utterly stupefied. What had happened?
Just moments ago, he had been filled with utter despair and regret. But now, the incomparably powerful Belsize had suddenly dissipated, and Bebe hadn’t died.
“Bebe isn’t dead!” Linley’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Bebe.” Linley immediately grabbed Bebe, pulling him in for a tight hug.
“Boss.” Bebe rubbed his little head comfortably against Linley’s chest.
“Delia.” Linley reached out to embrace Delia as well. Just moments ago, he had been in the grip of a nightmare, but now… he felt as though he truly understood what ‘happiness’ meant.
Within the shattered remnants of the Radiant Temple, in a room, there was a tall, three-eyed man with a pair of goose-like wings on his back. The man was staring out the window. He had watched the entire battle, from start to finish. “Even the specter of Lord Belsize was destroyed. How is that possible? That ‘Linley’ fellow’s power is on par with mine, but there’s no way he could possibly destroy the shadow of Lord Belsize.”
The three-eyed man considered his options.
“Best to simply leave. As for that Heidens… leave him to his fate.”
The tall, muscular man leapt out from within a window in the Radiant Temple. His wings trembled gently, and then he transformed into a line of light, disappearing into the horizon. His speed was incredibly fast, on par with Linley.
Heidens’ face seemed ancient and decrepit. His eyes were dim.
The execution of the ‘Deity’s Descent’ technique which was only taught to each Holy Emperor was something that had caused great harm to Heidens. Not just in terms of mageforce; his spiritual energy had been entirely used up, and even his soul had been badly damaged. There was no way he could possibly recover without spending a century in rest.
“He lost?” Seeing Belsize’s form dissipate, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Your Holiness, what should we do?” The Church members behind him were all terror-stricken. Just then, they had been celebrating their impending victory, but now…
Heidens stood up, turning and roaring with anger, “Where is Lord Chiquitas? Why hasn’t Lord Chiquitas come? Go find him!!!” At this point in time, their one and only hope was Lord Chiquitas. Heidens had personally witnessed Lord Chiquitas’ power before.
He should be able to deal with Linley.
“Heidens, what are you shouting about?”
Heidens turned his head. Linley, with Bebe in one arm and holding Delia’s hand with the other, walked into the main hall of the Radiant Temple.
“Linley…” Heidens, after having utilized the ‘Deity’s Descent’ technique, was unable to fight back any longer. “Linley, don’t be so smug. The Radiant Church will never be destroyed, and the glory of the Lord will forever illuminate the endless reaches of the world,” Heidens growled with fury.
Right at this moment, a white-robed priestess came running over.
Heidens noticed the white-robed priestess. This was the one he had sent to go find Lord Chiquitas. Heidens suddenly felt a hint of hope. “Lord Chiquitas?”
The white-robed priestess was so panicked, she was crying. “Your Holiness, Lord Chiquitas is no longer here. He’s left. I can’t find him. I looked everywhere, but I can’t find him!” The white-robed priestess also sensed what the situation was.
“No…” Heidens seemed to have been struck by a bolt of lightning. He was utterly stunned.
Heidens instantly understood everything. Given how major this battle had been, if Chiquitas had been planning to get involved, he would have done so long ago, but he did not… clearly, Chiquitas didn’t want to get involved, and had fled long ago.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!” Heidens let out a furious, unrepentant howl.
Looking at Heidens, who was in such agony that he seemed about to go insane, as well as those other terrified high-level members of the Church, Linley felt his heart become peaceful. He spoke. “The Radiant Church… will never exist again.”
50
One Night
“Boom!”
The remnants of the Sacred Isle began to tremble violently, as though there were thousands of enormous beasts beneath it that were shaking it. One enormous crack after another appeared in the Sacred Isle, and endless amounts of seawater poured in, covering the entire Sacred Isle.
The Radiant Temple, already collapsed, no longer had the protection of the ‘Glory of the Radiant Sovereign’. It was now no different from any ordinary building, and these massive vibrations caused the collapsed Radiant Temple to break down even more. On the remnants of the island, many enormous boulders were raining down from the skies, and the few remaining survivors of the Radiant Church fled in terror into the seas, hoping to avoid those countless boulders and prevent them from smashing down on them.
Earth-style, forbidden-level magic – Heaven Collapses, Earth Shatters!
Linley stood in mid-air, with Bebe on his shoulders and Delia’s hand in his own. He stared from afar at the collapsing, distant Sacred Isle. Soon, the entire Sacred Isle disappeared into the ocean without a trace. Where the Sacred Isle had previously been, there was now nothing besides rolling waves and a few corpses that occasionally rose to the surface of the sea.
Linley quietly watched this scene.
Delia, conscientiously, didn’t make a sound. After a long time…
“Let’s go.” Linley let out a long s
igh.
Holding Linley’s hand in her own, Delia smiled. “What are you thinking about?”
“The past,” Linley said.
“Boss, the past? Do you have some profound thoughts about the past?” Bebe smirked from his position on Linley’s shoulders.
Linley laughed, glancing at Bebe. “What sort of profound thoughts can I have? Enough, let’s go home!”
“Right. Go home!”
Delia and Bebe both felt their hearts tremble. Just then, the three of them had nearly died, but now, all of them were going home safely. These sorts of sudden changes in fortune naturally had mentally affected them.
The ocean wind continued to blow. In mid-air, Linley, Delia, and Bebe flew at high speed towards the eastern horizon.
Staring into the boundless eastern skies, Linley suddenly felt as though he were staring at everything he had encountered during this part of his life.
“Father. Mother. The Radiant Church has finally been destroyed.” A hint of a smile appeared on Linley’s face.
“Father, do you still remember what you told me that year? The two greatest desires you had was for me to bring back the ancestral heirloom of our clan, the warblade ‘Slaughterer’… and for the clan to be restored to its former glory.”
“The warblade ‘Slaughterer’ is back now, and the Baruch Empire has been founded. Our Baruch clan is now one of the most powerful clans in the entire Yulan continent.”
“Grandpa Doehring, when I was young, I did everything for my father and for the goals of the clan. I took on the hopes of the clan onto myself. If I had been forced to rely on myself for everything, it would have been very hard to accomplish all these things. But because I had you, Grandpa Doehring… you changed my life. Training magic… the Straight Chisel School of sculpting… your help, your tutelage, allowed me to grow one step at a time. It was you who helped me this entire time.”
“When you died, I swore an oath to destroy and uproot the Radiant Church in its entirety. How many years has it been? I’ve never dared to forget that oath.”
“Now… I’ve succeeded.”
“Grandpa Doehring, I feel so relaxed now. Truly. I feel relaxed in my heart. Right now, I’m holding hands with my beloved wife, and by my side is Bebe, who has braved life and death along my side. Grandpa Doehring, if you were still alive, you would definitely feel very happy for me.”
“No matter how much time passes, I, Linley, will forever remember your tutelage for me in my youth. Grandpa Doehring… thank you…”
Soaring above the seas and facing the east, Linley’s eyes were so very bright!
From his childhood years until now, Linley had always been carrying many burdens. His mind had always been under great pressure, but today, Linley was finally at ease!
He could finally live a carefree, happy, wonderful life!
The Holy Emperor Heidens, Lehman, and Fallen Leaf had all died in battle. The thirty-plus other Saints had all fallen as well. Even the Sacred Isle and the Radiant Temple had turned to rubble and disappeared within the vast sea. Although the Holy Union still had many Church members in it, without any Saints to serve as their foundation, the Radiant Church was destined to never be able to flourish again.
Dragonblood Castle.
Because of the complete destruction of the Radiant Church, Linley and the others managing to escape with their lives from near-certain death, as well as Linley finally being able to lay down his burdens, Linley felt extremely happy on this day. All of the Saints thus convened at Dragonblood Castle and had a jubilant celebratory feast.
This celebratory banquet was such a major affair that even the Emperor of the Baruch Empire, Cena Baruch, hurried over to attend.
“Big bro, I really was so worried… but fortunately, you made it back, big bro. Come, big bro, let me toast you.” Wharton’s emotions were very complicated right now.
“Come, cheers.” Linley immediately laughed and raised his cup.
“Wharton, where’s Desri and the others?”
As this banquet proceeded, Linley felt helplessness in his heart. “Wharton, Barker and his brothers, and the others… although they had fled during the battle at the Sacred Isle when that Belsize had appeared, I truly don’t blame them at all.”
Linley understood how Wharton, Barker, his brothers, and the others were currently feeling.
When Belsize had appeared, Linley had ordered them to flee. Desri, Tulily, and the others, including even Wharton, who had been Emperor for a while, knew that staying behind would have been a very foolish idea.
They had immediately fled.
Logically speaking, this was the right decision, and the decision that Delia and Bebe had made to stay was a decision that should have resulted in their meaningless deaths.
However, from an emotional standpoint, Desri, Wharton, and the others still felt a bit guilty.
Naturally, during this celebratory banquet, they worked hard to act cheerfully and worked hard to chat, laugh, and drink with Linley, wanting Linley to be happy. Actually, Linley hadn’t been angry at them at all. But Desri, Wharton, and the others themselves felt nervous inside.
“Cena, after this banquet concludes, go to the study. There’s something I need to discuss with you,” Linley said to Cena.
“Yes, Uncle,” Cena said respectfully.
Cena had grown into an elegant, refined looking man. It was hard to imagine that the massive Wharton would have a son like him. Cena, already twenty-four years of age, had taken on the responsibilities of being Emperor years ago. Both in terms of personal ability as well as in Imperial management skills, Linley was very satisfied with Cena.
After the banquet concluded, it was late at night.
Dragonblood Castle. Within Linley’s personal, private study. Although Linley almost never used this study, someone would come here every single day to clean it. Naturally, it was very tidy. Today, Linley was making a rare visit to his study.
“I wonder why Uncle has asked me to come here?” Cena looked at the nearby, peaceful study, his heart filled with questions.
The study was shining with lamp light. Late at night, the lamp light was quite eye-catching.
Cena was currently the Emperor of the Baruch Empire, and he had an exalted status. But when Cena arrived at Dragonblood Castle, he didn’t dare to put on any ‘Imperial’ airs at all, because the many experts that Dragonblood Castle contained were all the most important, supportive pillars of the Baruch Empire.
Especially his uncle!
Linley was to the Baruch Empire what the War God was to the O’Brien Empire or the High Priest was to the Yulan Empire.
Empires could lack for Emperors, but they couldn’t lack for those three.
“Knock!” “Knock!” “Knock!” Cena, somewhat nervous, rapped on the door to the study. Ever since he was young, Cena had only seen Linley a few times. Towards Linley, Cena felt a combination of fear as well as worship.
“Come in.”
Taking a deep breath, Cena pushed the door open. He immediately saw Linley seated before a reading table, currently flipping through a book.
“Oh, Cena. Come, sit.” Linley smiled in a very friendly manner, pointing to a nearby chair.
“Yes, Uncle.” Cena immediately shut the door, then sat down.
Linley looked at Cena. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Cena, it’s quite odd now that I think of it. Your father, when he was young, was a handful and a troublemaker, but you’ve always been very clever and well-behaved. In my opinion, you take after your mother, Nina, much more.” Linley rather liked Cena.
“Boys usually take after their mother.” Cena grinned as well.
“Good point. Taylor is quite a handful as well, and Delia herself was quite fierce when she was young.” Linley paused for a moment, then went straight to the main topic. “Cena, the reason I asked you to come was because I want to tell you something. You have to listen carefully,” Linley said with a laugh.
Cena immediately focused his attention.
> “The High Priest of the Yulan Empire and the War God of the O’Brien Empire have spoken with me. Their two empires, as well as our Baruch Empire, will join forces and together take over the entire Yulan continent. Our three empires will split the world evenly!” Linley said very casually.
But Cena, listening, was utterly stunned.
As the Emperor of an Empire, this sort of news was simply too shocking to him.
“Uncle, this… this division of the world…” Cena didn’t quite dare to believe it. “Represents that we are going to destroy the Rohault Empire, the Rhine Empire, the great plains of the far east, the Dark Alliance, the Holy Union… this would take decades, if not centuries.”
Linley shook his head.
“Cena, during the banquet, you should have learned that just now, we went to destroy the Sacred Isle of the Radiant Church,” Linley said.
“Right.” Cena nodded, but then his eyes lit up. “Uncle, are you saying that…” Cena suddenly understood.
“It wasn’t just the headquarters of the Radiant Church. The headquarters of the Cult of Shadows should also have been destroyed over the course of the next day or two. Once the wars truly begin… think about it. If the enemy has no Saints, but we send Saints to do battle… will the wars take so long?”
Cena felt his throat turn dry and his back turn sweaty. His heart was shaking. “Uncle and the others are simply too terrifying. They directly annihilated all of the enemy’s Saints. There is now no way for them to fight back during this war.”
Even the Holy Emperor himself had died.
This meant that the Holy Union now had no leader. Once war descended upon them, most likely the kingdoms and duchies of the Holy Union would instantly surrender.
“I just wanted to give you a heads up.” Linley didn’t really care much about this battle.
After all, to him, size of territory and population ruled meant little. The most important thing was for him to walk further along the path of training and become a Deity as soon as possible.
Gods of Yulan: Book 4 of the Coiling Dragon Saga Page 40
