Baruch Rising_Book 3 of the Coiling Dragon Saga

by Wo Chi Xi Hong Shi

  He even wanted to have a private chat with that white-haired old man named Hodan.

  Clearly, this Hodan person knew many things about the affairs of the past.

  After dinner, the various nobles in the main hall were chatting idly. At this time, Linley, who had grown frantic with impatience, suddenly heard a sentence that was as beautiful as music from the heavens.

  “Linley, come with me. I have something to discuss with you.”

  Hodan actually reached out to Linley and actively asked to speak to him privately.

  Wharton looked at his older brother, and Linley instructed, “Wharton, you stay here. Afterwards, go spend some time with Nina. As for Mr. Hodan, I’ll speak with him.” As he spoke, Linley followed Hodan out of the main hall.

  Haydson, Castro, and Lanke all glanced at each other.

  “I wonder what Linley will decide.” Haydson sighed with emotion.

  Hodan and Linley left the main hall. While walking, Hodan said, “Linley, where are those two Saint-level magical beast experts of yours? Call them over as well.”

  Linley was startled.

  How did this Hodan know everything?

  Hodan knew the names of Wharton and Nina, and he also knew that Linley had two magical beasts. He even knew that Bebe was a Saint-level magical beast.

  Linley didn’t try to deny anything. He immediately spiritually contacted Bebe and Haeru, calling them over. Since there were Saint-level experts present today, Linley hadn’t allowed Bebe or Haeru to go to the main hall.

  “Let’s go to the training grounds behind the manor. There’s nobody there.” Hodan chuckled.

  “Grooooowl.”

  Haeru and Bebe arrived by Linley’s side.

  “Squeaaaak!” Bebe continued to pretend.

  “Little fellow, I know that you are a Saint-level magical beast. Stop squeaking.” Hodan laughed as he reached out to rub Bebe on the head. Bebe wanted to move aside, but to his astonishment, he found that it was impossible for him to move. He had no choice but to allow Hodan to rub his head.

  Linley was secretly shocked.

  Without question, Hodan was a Deity-level expert.

  “He really is a Deity. How many Deities does the continent have?” Linley thought to himself, while at the same time, he followed Hodan to the training grounds.

  “Boss, who is that old fellow? How is he so powerful?” Bebe didn’t dare to be too playful right now, appearing very obedient.

  Haeru obediently followed by Linley’s side as well.

  “Close the door first. Without my orders, no one is to be permitted entry,” Linley instructed the servants, and then Hodan headed directly to a stone bench and sat down.

  “You can sit as well.” Hodan pointed to another seat opposite from him.

  Linley sat down obediently, then said humbly, “Mr. Hodan, I am totally lost right now. Can you please provide me with guidance?”

  “The reason I came today is primarily for the sake of your two magical beasts.” Hodan smiled. “Of course, you and those three other Undying Warriors who possess the Saint level of power can also just barely be considered qualified to be worthy of being considered my targets.”

  “Hrm?” Linley looked at Hodan with confusion.

  Hodan smiled. “Linley, in the countless years of the Yulan continent’s history, there have been countless geniuses as well. Even if there is only one every century, in a hundred thousand years, that means there have been a thousand. But right now, how many Saint-level experts exist in the Yulan continent? Each Empire only has a few dozen.”

  “Saint-level experts can live for over a hundred thousand years?” Linley said in shock.

  “Saint-level experts, so long as they aren’t killed, can easily live a hundred thousand years.” Hodan laughed calmly. “Upon reaching the Saint level, you are virtually immortal and immune to aging. However, you can still be killed, of course.”

  Linley was also puzzled.

  If this was the case, why were there so few Saint-level experts? After all, the Yulan continent definitely saw a new Saint-level expert every century.

  “Then what is the reason?” Linley asked.

  “The reason is… they’ve gone to other planes.” Hodan smiled.

  “Other planes?” Linley started.

  But then, Linley suddenly understood, and he hurriedly asked, “Could it be that the ancestors of the Baruch clan have also gone to other planes?”

  “Right. Those dozens of Dragonblood Warriors have all gone to the ‘Infernal Realm’, one of the Four Higher Planes. In the past, I even visited your ancestor, Baruch, in the Infernal Realm and drank with him.” Hodan laughed heartily.

  “The Infernal Realm. Mr. Hodan, you come from the Infernal Realm?” Linley felt as though the secrets of the universe were unfolding before his very eyes.

  Hodan nodded. “Right. Linley, let me put it to you like this… in the ordinary, material world, once a life form has reached the Saint level, they will be qualified to enter the Four Higher Planes, or perhaps the Seven Divine Planes. They will be permitted to train and live there.”

  “In the history of the Yulan continent, many Saint-level experts have already left the Yulan continent and chosen to enter the Four Higher Planes or the Seven Divine Planes.” Hodan smiled.

  Linley nodded to show he understood.

  “Technically speaking, you and those other three Undying Warriors, despite possessing Saint-level power, aren’t yet at the Saint level in your human forms. There was actually no need for me to hurry over here to speak to you. My primary targets were those two Saint-level magical beasts of yours. They have both reached the Saint level. They are allowed to choose… to continue to live here at the Yulan continent, or to enter the other planes.”

  Hodan quickly said with a hint of enticement, “The Four Higher Planes are much better than the Seven Divine Planes. In the ‘Infernal Realm’, for example, experts as are common as the clouds, and Saint-level experts are nothing more than ordinary people. In that place you will have excellent training opportunities, and treasures such as interspatial rings are as common as water. There’s a terrifyingly large amount of treasures there.”

  Linley understood.

  Only upon reaching the Saint level was one qualified to enter the Higher Planes. Naturally, the Four Higher Planes would have experts everywhere, with Saint-level experts being nothing more than commoners.

  “I’m not going. I’m staying with the Boss.” Bebe shook his head.

  “I’m not going either. I’m staying with my master,” Haeru said.

  Hodan looked at Linley. Laughing, he said, “Linley, your real power has already reached the peak-stage of the Saint level. You are completely qualified to enter the Higher Planes. Do you wish to go?”

  Linley didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at Hodan. “Mr. Hodan, who are you, exactly?”

  “Me? Oh. I forgot to tell you.” Hodan smiled at Linley. “I am the Planar Overseer for the Yulan continent.”

  19

  A Choice

  “Planar Overseer?”

  Hearing this title, Linley somewhat understood. The term ‘overseer’ contained elements of both ‘watching over’ and ‘protecting’. No wonder this Hodan possessed such astonishing strength.

  “Linley, you haven’t answered me yet. Are you willing to go to the other planes?” Hodan urged.

  It was up to each individual Saint-level as to whether or not they wished to go to the higher planes. The Planar Overseer was only responsible for telling them about this choice.

  Linley remained very calm.

  “Mr. Hodan, honestly speaking, I don’t know anything about the other planes. Can you perhaps enlighten me a bit?” Linley asked humbly.

  Doehring Cowart actually knew about the existence of the Planar Overseer, but at the time, Linley was far too weak, and so Doehring Cowart didn’t see a need to tell Linley right away. But Doehring Cowart had explained a little bit about the Four Higher Planes.

  “There are m
any material planes such as the Yulan continent. These material planes are all about the same. In some, magical beasts are the primary power, while in others, other races are in power. In some, humans are in power. These planes are essentially the same.” Hodan began explaining some of the most basic information regarding the Higher Planes.

  “Above these material planes are the Four Higher Planes and the Seven Divine Planes.” Hodan laughed. “The Seven Divine Planes were created by the seven principal Sovereigns of the seven elements. As for the Four Higher Planes, they were created by the four Overgods.”

  Linley nodded.

  “The Seven Divine Planes and the Four Higher Planes… what are the differences between them?” Linley asked.

  Hodan laughed. “The Seven Divine Planes are planes of earth, fire, water, wind, lightning, light, and darkness. For example, you are someone who is training in the Laws of the Earth. If you were to enter the Divine Plane of Earth, you would find that you trained twice as fast using half the effort.”

  “However, the Seven Divine Planes are inferior to the Four Higher Planes. It’s best if you enter the Higher Realms,” Hodan said enticingly. “Linley, you must understand, the Higher Planes were created by the Overgods. The four Overgods far outstrip the power of the Sovereigns.”

  “Overgods? Can anyone reach the level of Overgod through training?” Linley suddenly asked.

  Hodan stared at Linley in astonishment.

  “Haha…” Hodan began to roar with laughter, as though he had heard the funniest joke ever.

  Linley looked at Hodan in confusion.

  “Linley, it seems you really know nothing.” Hodan laughed. “You have no idea. The Overgods aren’t people who reached that level through training. Let me explain to you. Every single race has the chance to become a Sovereign through training; the chance is just extremely, extremely low…”

  “How low?” Linley asked.

  “Let me give an example. In a hundred million ordinary Deities, it would be rare for a single Sovereign to appear.” Hodan laughed. “For example, in the Divine Realm of Light, there are countless Demigods, Gods, and Highgods. But in ten million years, you might not see a single Sovereign appear from their ranks.”

  Linley was silent.

  “Demigods, Gods, and Highgods?” Linley frowned as he looked at Hodan in confusion.

  In the past, Grandpa Doehring had only discussed the existence of ‘Gods’. He didn’t explain further.

  “The ‘divine spark’ of Deities are of different levels as well,” Hodan said calmly. “Once you reach a certain level of mastery with regards to the Laws, the Laws will themselves grant you their recognition and descend into you a ‘divine spark’, allowing you to become a Deity. But when you begin, you’ll only be a Demigod. As you continue to understand more… at a certain level, you will become a God.”

  Only now did Linley understood.

  “What level of Deity is the War God?” Linley asked with curiosity.

  Hodan glanced at Linley with irritation, then laughed. “For the sake of your ancestors, I’ll tell you. The War God… is only a Demigod.”

  “A Demigod?” Linley blinked twice.

  Good heavens. The War God had become a Deity over five thousand years ago. Given his talent, he should be much more powerful now than before. How could he still just be a Demigod?

  “Haha, Linley, do you think it is easy to advance from being a Demigod to a God?” Hodan shook his head.

  “But the War God was a Demigod five thousand years ago,” Linley immediately said.

  “At that time, he was indeed a Demigod. But there are differences amongst Demigods as well. For example, let’s say that to become a Demigod, one must master 1% of a Law, while to become a God, one must master 10% of a Law. Someone who only mastered 9% of a Law is only a Demigod… but is he on the same level of power as someone who mastered 1% of a Law? Even though they are both Demigods?” Hodan explained in a simplified way.

  Linley now understood.

  “Linley, don’t be too greedy. On the road to becoming a Deity, every single step is extremely arduous. There have been countless Demigods in the Four Higher Planes who have spent hundreds of millions of years, or even billions of years, without being able to break through from the Demigod-level to the God-level.”

  “But what about the Overgods?” Linley immediately said.

  “The Overgods?” Hodan laughed again. “You were asking me earlier if it was possible for humans to reach the Overgod-level, right? Let me explain…”

  “The Overgods…” Hodan continued to snicker at Linley. “Linley, the Overgods aren’t people, nor do they have genders. They don’t even have bodies.”

  “Uh?” Linley stared at Hodan in surprise.

  “The four Overgods are manifestations of the Four Prime Laws. They are nothing more than the very embodiment of the Laws that flow through the countless planes! The Overgod of Death is the embodiment of the Laws of Death. The Overgod of Destruction is the incarnation of the Laws of Destruction. The Overgod of Life is the avatar of the Laws of Life. And the Overgod of Fate is the personification of the Laws of Fate!”

  Hodan laughed as he looked at Linley. “You tell me. Can you become an Overgod through training?”

  Linley understood.

  The four Overgods were a natural part of the infinite planes of the universe. They were the heavens, they were the earth… they were part of the souls of every living creature.

  They were the Laws themselves!

  “The Overgods are beings of pure Law. They know nothing of love, hate, friendship, grudges, or other such emotions. They are cold. If you cursed an Overgod, they would ignore you. If you flattered them, they will not reward you. However…if you were to damage the planes themselves, then the Overgods would punish you.”

  Linley laughed.

  Although the Overgods existed, they were the personification of the Laws of the universe. There was no need to pay them any heed or attention at all.

  “Curse an Overgod? Someone would dare to curse an Overgod?” Linley asked, laughing.

  Hodan stared at him, then laughingly berated Linley, “I was just giving an example. In all my years in the Netherworld, I’ve never heard of an Overgod manifesting in person. As far as you should be concerned, the most invincible power in the world is the power of the Sovereigns. The will of the Sovereigns is not to be disobeyed!”

  Linley nodded, signifying understanding.

  “Linley, the Seven Divine Planes are extremely beneficial for someone training in a particular Law. But the Four Higher Planes are different. No matter what sort of Law you are studying, the speed at which you train in the Four Higher Planes will be as fast as if you were training in the relevant Law in one of the Seven Divine Planes,” Hodan said persuasively. “Thus, the Four Higher Planes are the best choices.”

  The Four Higher Planes – the Celestial Realm, the Netherworld, the Infernal Realm, and the Life Realm.

  “Linley. The ancestors of your clan are all in the Infernal Realm. Why don’t you go there as well?” Hodan continued.

  Go?

  Linley had already made up his mind.

  The Infernal Realm only had the ancestors he had never met. There wasn’t much point going there. By contrast, in the Yulan continent, he had his younger brother Wharton, and his dear bros, Yale, Reynolds, and George. He also had many friends such as Barker, his brothers, Jenne, and the others.

  In addition…

  He also had a goal that was unfinished. The utter destruction of the Radiant Church.

  Seeing Linley’s hesitation, Hodan continued to speak persuasively. “Linley, the Infernal Realm has countless races and all sorts of powerful species of creatures, which have all sorts of attacks. In the Infernal Realm, training is extremely exciting.”

  “No need.”

  Linley shook his head and laughed. “Mr. Hodan, thank you for telling me so much. However, I am still young, and I haven’t even gotten married. I’m in no rush to go there.�
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  Hearing Linley say this, Hodan could only nod with resignation.

  As the Planar Overseer, he was forbidden from forcing people to leave this plane. If others were unwilling to leave, they could remain in their own plane as long as they liked, even to the point of becoming a Highgod.

  “Mr. Hodan, I wish to ask you, if one goes to a Higher Plane, can one return?” Linley suddenly asked.

  Hodan shook his head. “It is virtually impossible. Out of hundred thousand people who enter a Higher Plane, there usually isn’t even a single person who can come back to his homeland. This is because returning home carries an extremely high price.”

  Linley understood.

  No wonder the War God and the High Priest were unwilling to go to the Higher Planes. For even Deity-level experts to be unwilling to go, one could imagine how difficult returning was.

  Not even one out of a hundred thousand would be able to return.

  This probability was simply too low.

  “Mr. Hodan, I’m so sorry to have wasted your time,” Linley said humbly.

  “Since that’s the case, I’ll leave now.” Hodan stood up. “Linley, if one day you wish to leave this plane, you can come to the Arctic Icecap at the end of the North Sea to find me. I live atop a glacier in the Arctic Icecap.”

  Linley felt surprised.

  “The Arctic Icecap?” This was the first time Linley had heard that at the end of the North Sea, there was an ‘Arctic Icecap’.

  “Mr. Hodan, what about at the end of the South Sea?” Linley was curious.

  “The South Sea is far larger than the North Sea, and is virtually boundless. But at the end of it… at the end of it is the end of the Yulan plane. You’ll find nothing there but chaotic space.

  Linley now understood.

  After speaking, Hodan immediately flew into the air and left, heading north and quickly disappearing. Linley stood there, not moving for a long time.

  This discussion with Hodan had a major impact on Linley.

  “Boss, I’m actually pretty curious about the Higher Planes. Wow. All sorts of amazing species, and Saint-levels are just ordinary people there. That place must be awesome.” Bebe’s eyes were gleaming.