Baruch Clan

The ground was covered in snow, and snowflakes were still drifting down from the sky.

A figure walked along the streets of the town.

"January 1, 4600, Yulan Calendar—the Magnolia Festival!" Kolan murmured as he looked at the town decked out in festive decorations and the children dressed in new clothes.

The first town he had reached after leaving the Magical Beast Mountain Range was Wushan Town. And today was January 1, 4600, Yulan Calendar—the Magnolia Festival.

The Magnolia Festival was the biggest holiday on the entire Yulan Continent. It was on this very day that the High Priest had founded the Yulan Empire. The whole continent had been renamed the Yulan Continent, and the calendar had been changed to the Yulan Calendar, with that day designated as January 1 of Year One!

From then on, the entire continent celebrated the arrival of the Magnolia Festival each year. It was the biggest holiday of all.

The Four Great Empires, the Holy Union, the Dark Alliance, and the various kingdoms and duchies all celebrated the Magnolia Festival in their own ways.

Wushan Town was no exception.

Moreover, Wushan Town had another reason to celebrate: Baruch, the first Dragonblood Warrior on the Yulan Continent, was going to establish the Baruch Clan here.

"That fellow Baruch is famous throughout the land now, the Dragonblood Warrior among the Four Ultimate Warriors!" A burly man appeared in Kolan's mind, and a smile came to his face.

He and Baruch were acquainted, and had fought side by side.

Since Baruch was establishing his clan, Kolan decided to pay him a visit and offer his congratulations. He might as well enjoy a celebratory drink while he was at it.

He headed for the Baruch Clan's estate.

Before long, the Baruch Clan's estate came into view.

The estate occupied an enormous area. It had clearly been completed only recently, and looked imposing. The place was decked out in festive decorations, with burly men standing at the entrance.

Prominent figures from the Radiant Church and the Holy Union had all come.

Even members of the imperial families of various empires, the royal families of kingdoms, and core members of Saint Realm clans had come to offer their congratulations.

"Baruch! An old friend is here. Hurry out and welcome me!" Kolan let his restrained aura unfurl and called out with a laugh.

"I wonder which old friend has come. Baruch has failed to welcome you properly!" A figure quickly appeared at the entrance.

The man wore a sleeveless shirt that showed off his powerful chest muscles. His dark brown hair hung loose, and his eyes gleamed.

"Baruch, do you still recognize me? It's Kolan," Kolan said with a faint smile as he walked over.

"Kolan!? It's you! You're alive! That's wonderful!" Baruch stared at him in surprise, then seemed to realize something and burst out laughing.

Back when they had defended the North Sea coastline against the tide of beasts, Kolan had left a deep impression on him. He could hardly have failed to make one: Kolan was a Saint Realm Necromancer, the only one on the entire Yulan Continent.

If Kolan hadn't held off the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor, even Baruch would have struggled to fight three enemies at once, let alone slay the emperor and quell the beast tide.

But Kolan had fallen into the Yulan River. After slaying the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor, Baruch had searched for him but found no trace. He had assumed Kolan was dead, or had quietly left.

Necromancers were, after all, solitary and eccentric.

"Haha, Baruch, twenty-one years have passed, and you've become famous throughout the land. You're one of the Yulan Continent's most powerful Saint Realm experts!" Kolan said with a laugh.

Twenty-one years had passed since his Soul Mutation!

To Saint Realm experts, time really was worth nothing. A single period of cultivation might last months, or even years.

"Congratulations on establishing your clan today, Baruch!" Kolan said.

"Come on, let's go inside. We'll have a good drink today!" Baruch said.

Baruch then led Kolan to a courtyard. More than a hundred people had gathered there, every one of them a Saint Realm expert.

"This is Bolei, the first Tiger-Striped Warrior. He's incredibly powerful, no weaker than I am!"

"This is Amanda, the first Undying Warrior. Her defense is terrifying, and her strength is monstrous!"

"This is Haide, the first Violet Flame Warrior. He excels at speed and physical attacks, and his recovery is astonishing!"

Kolan looked over the first generation of Ultimate Warriors one by one.

Each had cultivated for roughly three or four hundred years and reached the pinnacle of the Yulan Continent's Saint Realm.

If O'Brien hadn't become a god, this would have been the age of the Four Ultimate Warriors.

Unfortunately, the Four Ultimate Warriors now had two Deity-level experts above them: the High Priest and the War God.

"This is Amanda's good friend, Cesar. He founded the Saber organization and cultivates the Laws of Darkness. He excels at slaughter."

"This is the War God O'Brien's eldest disciple, Fain. He cultivates the Laws of Thunder and Lightning, and is extremely powerful."

"This is Ernst, the founder of the Radiant Church!"

"This is Desri, the leader of the Radiant Church's Ascetics and one of its founders!"

"..."

Baruch introduced them one by one, and every name was familiar to Kolan.

Cesar, Fain, and Desri would all become peak Saint Realm experts in the future.

As for their current strength, even if they weren't already at the peak of the Saint Realm, they were probably at its pinnacle.

"Everyone, this is Kolan, a Saint Realm Necromancer!" Baruch introduced him.

At the introduction, many people looked surprised.

They hadn't expected a Saint Realm Necromancer to appear on the continent.

Ernst and Desri couldn't help showing their dislike and revulsion. As founders of the Radiant Church, both were Light-element Saint Magi and devout believers in the Chief Sovereign of Light. They felt a deep-rooted loathing for Necromancers.

Of all the powers on the Yulan Continent, none hated Necromancers more than the Radiant Church. It was also the force on the whole continent that hunted them down most relentlessly.

"Baruch, how do you know a Necromancer?" Ernst asked unhappily.

"Ernst, who I know is my business!" Baruch warned him. "Today is the day I establish my clan. I won't tolerate anyone causing trouble. Otherwise, don't blame me, Baruch, for refusing to show you any courtesy!"

"Ernst, let's give Baruch the respect he deserves today. If we run into him again in the future, we can deal with him then!" Desri grabbed Ernst's hand and said in a low voice.

Kolan smiled faintly.

He paid no attention to the meaning in their eyes.

Unless they were Deity-level experts, he feared no one—not even peak Saint Realm experts.

He had refrained from acting only out of respect for Baruch.

Kolan also ran into several familiar faces here, all Saint Magi from the Yulan Empire.

For example, Dickeny, the head of Yulan Magic Academy, a Wind-element Saint Magus.

And Natalie, a Water-element Saint Magus and the High Priest's personal disciple at the Temple of Life, as well as Riley, a Thunder-element Saint Magus!

The Yulan Empire produced many magicians. More than half of the Saint Magi on the entire Yulan Continent came from the empire.

As for the Temple of Life, it was the Yulan Empire's greatest power and a sacred place of cultivation, founded by the High Priest. All the High Priest's disciples were magicians; not one of them was a warrior.