Book 9, His Fame Shakes the World – Chapter 18, Experts of Other nes


    Linley, Emperor Johann, and the others were all puzzled. Who in the world was this mysterious white-haired old man? Even the number one Saint-level expert, Haydson, was incredibly deferential to him.


    “Could it be the War God?” Linley secretly wondered.


    Most likely, only a Deity could make Haydson be this deferential. And clearly, both Castro and Lanke recognized this person as well. He was most likely the War God.


    “Add a chair.” Housekeeper Hiri instructed a nearby servant.


    Linley took a step forward. Smiling, he said, “Sir, we two brothers feel extremely honored to have you attend my younger brother’s engagement ceremony. Might I know your name, sir?”


    “Me?” The white-haired old man nced smilingly at Linley. “My name is Hodan [Huo’dan].”


    “Hodan?” Linley quicklybed through his memory, but he definitely didn’t recall an expert by the name of Hodan.


    “Linley, no need to ask anything else. It is wonderful that Lord Hodan is able to attend today. Let’s all sit down first.” The Monolithic Sword Saint, Haydson, said with augh.


    Although Linley and Emperor Johann and the others were mystified, they all sat down.


    “Milord, let us offer you a toast, milord.” Castro and Lanke both raised their cups.


    Milord?


    A few things suddenly came to Linley’s awareness.


    First of all, most likely only a Deity was capable of making a Saint-level expert address them as ‘milord’. At the same time...if Castro and Lanke addressed him as ‘milord’ and not as ‘Master’, then this person was most likely not the War God.


    The continent had five prominent Deities. Linley had already met Dylin and Cesar, while he had yet to meet the High Priest, the War God, and the King of the Forest of Darkness. The white-haired old man should therefore be one of those three.


    He was now certain that this man was not the War God.


    So this person should be either the High Priest or the King of the Forest of Darkness.


    “However, it has been countless years since those two Deities showed themselves. How could Haydson, Castro, and Lanke all recognize him?” Linley refused to believe it.


    A Deity-level expert didn’t make appearances so easily.


    “Linley.” The white-haired old man named ‘Hodan’ raised his cup. “Come, let us toast each other.”


    Linley hurriedly raised his cup.


    “When I see you, Linley, I think about the past affairs of your Baruch n and those several Dragonblood Warriors. Haha...unexpectedly, several thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye.” Hodanughed merrily.


    These words caused Linley’s heart to twitch, hard.


    “Those several Dragonblood Warriors of the Baruch n? Thousands of years ago?” Linley looked at Hodan with confusion.


    In his own n’s history books, there had been three generations of Dragonblood Warriors, butter on a thousand years would pass between each generation of Dragonblood Warriors.


    But this Hodan was saying that thousands of years ago, he had met several Dragonblood Warriors?


    “I didn’t know that Elder Hodan knew the ancestors of my n.” Linleyughed.


    “Of course. Your n leader, Baruch, really is a formidable fellow.” Hodan said with feeling. “But your Baruch n has really decayed. In the past, when you had dozens of Dragonblood Warriors, who would dare offend you? Such a pity, such a pity...”


    Linley stared.


    “Dozens of Dragonblood Warriors?” Linley and Wharton both looked at Hodan in shock.


    “What, is that surprising?” Hodan looked at Linley and Wharton.


    Haydson hurriedly said, “Milord, it would be best if you discuss this somewhere else. There are too many people here.” It was best if they didn’t reveal these secrets to the ordinary nobles.


    “It is fine. Only the people at this table can hear us. As for the people outside of it, no matter how loudly we speak, they won’t be able to overhear anything.” Hodan chortled.


    There were eight people at this table. Aside from Wharton, Emperor Johann, and Monroe Dawson, the others all possessed at least Saint-level power, with the white-haired old man’s power being immeasurably deeper.


    “Dozens of Dragonblood Warriors?”


    Linley and Wharton could hardly dare to believe it.


    Their ancestral records were very clear; the first three generations of their n produced three Dragonblood Warriors, after which a thousand years would pass between Dragonblood Warriors. In total, there had been only five. How could there have been dozens of Dragonblood Warriors a few thousand years back?”


    “The Four Supreme Warrior ns...s. All have decayed to a sorry state. In the past, the Four Supreme Warrior ns were quite glorious.” Hodan said with emotion.


    Linley suddenly thought of something.


    He remembered how in the ‘Secret Dragonblood Manual’, there were instructions on the second way by which one could be a Dragonblood Warrior; drinking live dragon’s blood. But based on that manual, all three Dragonblood Warriors were natural-born Dragonblood Warriors.


    If the second method had never been used sessfully, why would the Secret Dragonblood Manual record it?


    In the past, both Linley and Doehring Cowart had suspected that the manual had been altered. His n’s history should probably have included examples of Dragonblood Warriors who were produced via drinking live dragon’s blood.


    “But I didn’t expect there were dozens!” Both Linley and Wharton felt extremely shocked internally.


    “Oh, that little girl named Nina ising over.” The white-haired old man, Hodan, beamed, causing Linley and the other shocked participants to turn and look.


    Linley and the others all stood up, and Wharton immediately went over to wee Nina.


    Holding hands, Wharton and Nina went from table to table, toasting the guests. But right now, both Wharton and Linley, who remained at his seat, felt their minds to be in a state of utter confusion.


    Their n’s history clearly wasn’t as simple as they had imagined.


    In addition...


    Saint-level experts had extremely long lifespans. How could it be that not a single Dragonblood Warrior in their n was remaining? And not just their n; even the Undying Warrior n, the Violetme Warrior n, and the Tigerstripe Warrior n had seen the same thing. All of the Four Supreme Warrior ns had bizarrely copsed.


    “Secret...” Linley understood that the history of the continent definitely contained many hidden secrets that were different from the official ounts.


    For example, the King of Killers, Cesar, had once told Linley that five thousand years ago, many experts from other nes of existence had descended to the ne of the Yn continent. But in the history books, there was no such thing.


    Linley found himself somewhat mentally disengaged as the engagement ceremony continued. He kept on thinking about these things.


    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,e 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 nced 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 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.” Hodanughed 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 yful 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 Yn 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 Yn 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.” Hodanughed 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 Yn 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 nes.” Hodan smiled.


    “Other nes?” Linley started.


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


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


    “The Infernal Realm. Mr. Hodan, youe 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 nes, or perhaps the Seven Divine nes. They will be permitted to train and live there.”


    “In the history of the Yn continent, many Saint-level experts have already left the Yn continent and chosen to enter the Four Higher nes or the Seven Divine nes.” 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 Yn continent, or to enter the other nes.”


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


    Linley understood.


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


    “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 arepletely qualified to enter the Higher nes. 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 nar Overseer for the Yn continent.”