Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 4, The n’s Changes


    The Bloodridge Continent. Indigo Prefecture. The Skyrite Mountains.


    The Patriarch of the Azure Dragon n, Gison, was seated in his estate’s living room. Gison was currently apanying a skinny bald elder. They were chatting andughing.


    “Gison, why be modest? Haha, back when we were in the Chaotic Sea, when you, me, and those several other fellows took on that Fiend mission to go kill that Valentine [Wa’lun’ding]. Me and the others, we were just there to serve as props. It was you, Gison, who released your might and unleashed that innate divine ability of your Azure Dragon n, as well as that supremely powerful material attack to y Valentine in one blow. That memory has always stayed with me.” The bald elder said with augh.


    “Haha, Bagleaf [Bai’ge’lei’fu], that was so many years ago.” Gison said modestly, but his face was still covered with a smile.


    “Yes, it was long ago. Still, you were so incredible all those years ago; I imagine that by now, Gison, your strength is so great that I am no match for it.” The bald elder’s words clearly contained ttery within them.


    However, ttery depended on the speaker.


    If an ordinary Highgod were to say such things, Gison would be annoyed just listening to it. But the current speaker was a supreme expert whose power was no less than Gison’s, and one of Gison’s older friends. ttery from a person like this naturally made Gison feel quite happy.


    “Haha, don’t say that.” Gison grinned widely.


    The bald elder, Bagleaf, said with a sigh, “This time, I’vee to visit you, old friend, partially because I want to visit that Paragon your Azure Dragon n produced. It seems my luck is quite poor.”


    Gison, hearing this, immediatelyughed. “Bagleaf, the nar Wars concluded just a century ago. Linley probably hasn’t returned from the Netherworld yet. Don’t worry. After Linley returns, when youe visit, I will definitely introduce you to Linley. Linley...although he is a true genius of our Azure Dragon n, he is quite a decent fellow and likes to make friends.” As he spoke, Gison let out a sigh of approval.


    The bald elder stood up, thenughed. “Fine, then I’ll wait for next time. I’ve disturbed you for so long...I should return as well. In the future, when I have time, I’ll definitely seek you out and we can reminisce together.”


    “You are always wee.” Gison stood up as well, then escorted the bald elder away.


    “No need to escort me away.” The bald elder smiled and nodded. Gison stood there at the door to the hall, watching as the bald elder flew away.


    Momentster, someone entered from outside. It was Elder Garvey.


    “Patriarch, Commander Bagleaf left?” Garveyughed as he walked in.


    “Right.” Gison smiled back.


    Garvey couldn’t help butugh. “Patriarch, this seems to be the ninth supreme expert who hase to visit in the past few decades.”


    Soon after the nar Wars concluded,mander-level experts began toe to the Four Divine Beasts n to pay their respects. The person these experts truly wished to see was Linley. Even if they weren’t able to meet Linley, however, they still worked to improve their rtionships with the four n leaders of the Four Divine Beasts n. The current Four Divine Beasts n...now had a different status, in the eyes of thesemanders.


    “Hmph.” Gison snickered. “Nine of them! Thesemanders all saw that our Four Divine Beasts n produced a Paragon, and so all of them came to express their friendliness towards us. But when our Four Divine Beasts n was in such dire straits and forced to flee and hide by the eight great ns, aside from Mr. Beirut, none of them came to help us!”


    “That Bagleaf, just now.” Gison snorted. “In the past, we had a good rtionship, when our ancestor was alive. He would oftene to visit. But after our n fell, and when our Four Divine Beasts n was forced by those eight great ns to the point of annihtion...I didn’t see Bagleaf appear. But now, he wants to talk about our past friendship?”


    There were few who woulde to send coal in the snow, but many who would add flowers to a wreath.


    Now that the Four Divine Beasts n had a Paragon, its status naturally was different.


    Paragons represented true supremacy amongst Deities! For example, the eight great ns that had been attacking the Four Divine Beasts n; although they were powerful, a Highgod Paragon was more than enough to ughter all of the experts within their n.


    “This is understandable.” Garveyughed. “Only...I still find it unbelievable that Linley has be a Paragon.”


    Hearing this, Gison’s eyes lit up as well, and heughed loudly. “You aren’t the only one. I find it inconceivable as well! Almost no one in our Four Divine Beasts n dares to believe this news. When Linley left the n, he was nothing more than a fairly powerful Seven Star Fiend, close tomander-level. But who would have imagined that a thousand yearster, he would be a Paragon? If it hadn’t been for the fact that so many people came and said the same thing, and that they were all supreme experts who couldn’t possibly be lying, even I probably wouldn’t believe it.”


    “A Paragon.” Garvey let out a sigh of amazement.


    Ever since the news that Linley was a Paragon had spread, the variousmander-level experts began to discuss this amongst themselves, and so quite a few hade to pay their respects to the Four Divine Beasts n.


    This naturally caused the members of the Four Divine Beasts n to feel as though the status of their n was rising!


    They had given birth to a Paragon! The status of the Four Divine Beasts n was now far greater than before. Aside from Sovereigns, nobody would dare to offend the Four Divine Beasts n. As for Sovereigns...how could they possibly lower themselves to go deal against a n?


    “Garvey.” Gison suddenly said.


    “Patriarch?” Garvey looked towards him, puzzled.


    Gison said hurriedly, “Have themunications teams been assigned to the borders of the mountains?”


    “They have all been assigned.” Garveyughed. “Patriarch, don’t worry. If Linley returns from the Netherworld, as long as he reaches the borders of these mountains, the news will quickly bemunicated to you and the other three n leaders. All of the arrangements for Linley’s return have been made as well, including the construction of his mansion.”


    “Very good.” Gisonughed and nodded. “Nothing can go amiss! Linley came from the Yn ne, and so he never had an extremely strong sense of belonging here in the n. After those things happened with Forhan and his son...although Linley still treats the n quite well because of Baruch’s group, we still need to make up for the past!”


    “I understand.” Garvey nodded.


    As far as Gison and the Grand Elder were concerned, the current Paragon-level Linley was even more important to them than Beirut!


    Beirut was powerful, but he was still an outsider. If the n were to face a crisis, Beirut might not necessarily intervene.


    But Linley was one of their own!


    Although in the past, there were some misunderstandings, in the end, he was still a member of the Azure Dragon n. What needed to be done now...was to remove those misunderstandings in Linley’s heart and let Linley feel a true sense of belonging, here within the Four Divine Beasts n.


    Indigo Prefecture. An enormous dragon-shaped metallic lifeform was flying at high speed in the air above the mountains and forests.


    Within the metallic lifeform was a rowdy scene of joy.


    “Grandpa!”


    “Great Grandpa!”


    A group of youths surrounded Hogg, constantly discussing various matters. Hogg looked at his grandchildren, his face wreathed in smiles.


    “Big Bro, look at how happily Father has beenughing.” Wharton and Linley were at the edges of the central room of this metallic lifeform. The two brothers were chatting amongst each other.


    Linley nced at his father, who was smiling calmly while apanying his descendants, then nodded. “In the past, when we were young, our Baruch n had already sunk to a very low point. In Father’s entire life, aside from Mother and the two of us, the only thing he cared about was the n! Father cared deeply about the ability of the n to thrive. Now that more generations have appeared in the n...of course Father is happy.”


    Right at this moment, three people walked over.


    “Third Bro!”


    Yale, George, and Reynolds walked over. Reynolds had hurried over from the Yn continent as well.


    “Boss Yale, Second Bro, Fourth Bro. Come, sit over here.” Linleyughed as he pointed. Yale and the other two all sat down. Reynolds chortled, ncing outside the window and sighing in praise. “The Infernal Realm, one of the Higher Realms. This is my first time here. Indeed...the density of the elemental aura here is very great. Only, it is filled with constant ughter.”


    From within the metallic lifeform, they were able to see the constant battles going on below.


    “That’s what the Infernal Realm is like.” Linley said with a calmugh.


    “It is the same in the Undead Realm. Experts live, experts die. Fourth Bro, I’m impressive, aren’t I? I survived in the Undead Realm for so many years.” Yale raised a smug eyebrow.


    Seeing the look on Yale’s face, Reynolds, George, and Linley all felt very happy. This was the real Yale. After killing Odin, Yale no longer felt as heartsick as he previously had.


    In the entire central room, there were more than a hundred people scattered about, idly chatting.


    Seeing this scene, Linley couldn’t help but smile slightly.


    Linley enjoyed this happy, content feeling.


    “This world...in many cases, it is power which speaks loudest!” Linley looked at the warm scene, and he spoke softly to himself. “I worked hard to train. Only because my power reached a certain level is my father, my friends, and family able to reunite once more. I’m able to bring the entire n over from the material ne!”


    By now, Linley finally had the feeling...


    That the bitter efforts he had put into his training over these years had been rewarded.


    After flying for a period of time.


    “We are about to arrive at the Four Divine Beasts n.” Bebe was within the main room inside the metallic lifeform, and he spoke out in a clear,ughing voice. “Everyone, make your preparations. Right, Uncle.” Bebe looked at Hogg. “The ancestors of your Baruch n are there, Uncle. Baruch, Ryan, the others...”


    “The ancestors of the Baruch n...” Hogg stood up, rather excited. He walked to the sides of the windows, staring through the translucent metal ‘windows’ to the outside.


    He could already vaguely make out the Skyrite Mountains.


    “The ancestors of the n!”


    Taylor, Sasha, and the other members of the n all began to chatter about this. Ever since they were young, they were always, repeatedly reminded that they were members of the ‘Baruch n’. They were filled with great veneration towards the legendary figures of the n, but didn’t actually feel much towards the Four Divine Beasts n.


    “It’s right up ahead.” Linley said with a calmugh.


    The metallic lifeform instantly vanished, while Linley and more than a hundred people hovered there in midair, flying towards the Azure Dragon n’s location within the Skyrite Mountains.


    “What a long carving. I can’t even see the end of it.” The sturdy Arnold sighed in praise.


    Linleyughed. “That’s not a carving. That’s Dragon Avenue! It passes through almost a fourth of the Skyrite Mountains and is more than ten thousand kilometers long. It is the primary avenue which the soldiers of the n guard.”


    Linley’s group of more than a hundred flew over. The soldiers below naturally saw it, and themunications personnel, prepared long ago for this eventuality, were overjoyed. “Elder Linley is returning!” Thesemunications personnel had divine clones stationed elsewhere, and many of them instantly relied on their divine clones to provide this news to various locations within the Four Divine Beasts n.


    “Patriarch, Elder Linley has returned.”


    “Oh, Linley returned?” Gison instantly flew out.


    Not just Gison; the other three n leaders, along with many other Elders, who had received this news hurried over as well.


    Linley and his group of more than a hundred flew over, and as they did, the warriors of the n all saluted.


    “Elder Linley.” The warriors were very respectful.


    Linley smiled and nodded, then led his group towards the Dragon Avenue of the Skyrite Mountains. At the same time, he introduced the ce to Wharton and the others. “The rules of the n are fairly strict. You have just arrived. In a bit, I’ll acquire identity badges for you all. Eh?” Linley suddenly frowned, staring into the distant.


    “What’s going on?” Bebe nced at him.


    Delia, Nisse, Yale, and the others all looked into the distance. From afar, arge, impressive group of people was flying, with the leader being Gison, the ck Tortoise Patriarch, and the other two. Behind them was the Grand Elder and other figures.


    “Why are all the high level, important members of the ning?” Linley was startled. “Even the Vermillion Bird Matriarch ising. If they flew over from their residences, it should take quite a while. How were they so fast?”


    The reaction time of the n was simply too fast.


    As soon as he had arrived, and just as he had reached Dragon Avenue, thisrge group had arrived as well. Even when Beirut came, only the n leaders and the Grand Elder would go wee him.


    “Haha, Linley!” Gisonughed loudly as he flew over.


    “Patriarch.” Although Linley was somewhat confused, he still went to greet him.


    Linley swept the group with his gaze. The ck Tortoise Patriarch, Vermillion Bird Matriarch, and others, including even the Grand Elder who held a grudge for him...their faces were all smiles. They seemed so warm and friendly.


    “Although we are in Indigo Prefecture, we’ve heard long ago of your exploits in the nar Battlefield. Haha...our Four Divine Beasts n has produced a Paragon. This is worth us organizing a banquet, to celebrate this joyous event.” Gison seemed quite pleased and excited. “The banquet is already prepared. We’ve been waiting for you. Haha, Bebe...and oh, these must be Linley’s friends. Come, all of you you! Haha.”