Famous Across the Continent

The Yulan Empire, the Temple of Life.

Kawent had never expected the High Priest to take him as her disciple. After all, Saint-level experts were not uncommon in the Temple of Life, and they were all exceptionally talented. He was only considered average among them.

After joining the Temple of Life, Kawent began devoting himself to the study of magic.

Although he had already begun studying the Mysteries, he still couldn't stop thinking about magic below the Saint-level. To him, magic was incredibly wondrous.

Warriors only needed to cultivate battle-qi and strengthen their bodies. Their attacks also consumed the battle-qi within them. Mages, however, needed spiritual energy and mana to communicate with the magic elements around them and form powerful attacks.

A warrior was like a person with immense strength who could simply lift a boulder and use it to attack. A mage was more like someone who had built a complicated tool and could lift the boulder simply by operating its handle.

As the Sacred Land in the eyes of mages across the Yulan Continent, the Temple of Life naturally safeguarded countless advanced magic incantations.

The Temple of Life's disciples were free to study these incantations. Since joining, Kawent had spent most of his time in the hall of magic incantations.

"Junior Brother Kawent."

Hasya suddenly came to find him.

Kawent bowed slightly. "Senior Sister Hasya."

Hasya looked to be only in her thirties, but she was actually much older than he was—over six thousand years old. It was said that she had lived through the era when the gods descended.

Hasya smiled warmly. "Junior Brother Kawent, Teacher wants you to come see her at the temple."

"Teacher wants to see me?"

Kawent paused, then nodded. "All right. I'll go now."

Since joining the Temple of Life, he hadn't seen the High Priest outside of lessons, let alone been summoned by her alone.

Soon, Kawent followed Hasya to the main hall of the Temple of Life.

"Teacher, Junior Brother Kawent is here."

Hasya bowed slightly as she spoke.

As soon as she finished, the doors to the main hall opened by themselves. The High Priest's gentle voice sounded from within. "Come in."

Hasya and Kawent then entered together.

A special vitality filled the hall. Even the plants growing inside seemed more vibrant than those outside.

As they stepped inside, their minds seemed to clear.

"Greetings, Teacher."

Hasya and Kawent bowed together.

"Rise."

The High Priest's voice was as soothing as a spring breeze.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Hasya and Kawent stood respectfully to one side.

"Kawent."

The High Priest looked at Kawent.

"Your disciple is here."

Kawent answered.

"You come from Blue Star. Do you know a man named Fang Yun?"

The High Priest asked directly.

Kawent had never hidden where he came from, so the experts who had appeared in the South Sea were actually from Blue Star. Among the most powerful experts on the Yulan Continent, this was no longer a particularly well-kept secret. The High Priest had even personally visited the Magic Teleportation Array in the South Sea to take a look.

Seeing the array had only confirmed her belief that it was Lord Beirut's handiwork, since the Gatekeeper of the Necropolis of the Gods was guarding it.

She was familiar with Teleportation Arrays and other planes. However, she only knew of the four Supreme Planes and the seven elemental planes. The Teleportation Arrays to all eleven planes were on the Arctic Ice Plain, where Hodan kept watch.

As for Blue Star, perhaps only Lord Beirut knew anything about it.

Lord Beirut had chosen not to say more, so they could only explore it themselves. In her view, Blue Star might be a place like the Necropolis of the Gods or the Gebada Plane Prison.

She simply didn't know what purpose Blue Star served.

Lord Beirut was the true master of all these places.

"Fang Yun?"

Kawent furrowed his brow slightly and thought for a moment before shaking his head. "The name sounds like someone from the Yanhua Empire on Blue Star, but this disciple hasn't heard of him."

After a pause, Kawent continued, "But I can say for certain that there's no Saint-level expert named Fang Yun. He might be an eighth- or ninth-rank warrior, though."

"An eighth- or ninth-rank warrior?"

The High Priest frowned.

The Fang Yun on the Yulan Continent wasn't an eighth- or ninth-rank warrior. He was at the Saint-level limit. Less than a year had passed since Kawent and the others arrived. Could someone have gone from the eighth or ninth rank to the Saint-level limit in such a short time?

Impossible.

"Teacher, has something happened?"

Kawent asked.

Hasya spoke up. "Junior Brother Kawent, you've been focused on magic, so you may not have heard. A remarkably powerful Saint-level expert has appeared on the Yulan Continent. He's reached the Saint-level limit. Some time ago, he easily defeated four Saint-level experts from the Dark Church at once. This man came from the South Sea. His name is Fang Yun."

A Saint-level expert at the limit?

Kawent froze when he heard this.

By now, Kawent had already learned how power was divided at the Saint-level. The Saint-level limit could be said to be just one step away from godhood. Could Blue Star really have an expert like that?

"Teacher, could this Fang Yun be a reclusive expert from the Yulan Continent?"

Kawent asked cautiously.

He also didn't believe that someone could advance from the eighth or ninth rank to the Saint-level limit in less than a year.

"Perhaps."

Seeing that Kawent didn't know anything, the High Priest said no more and changed the subject. "Kawent, I called you here because I have something for you to do."

"Please tell me, Teacher."

Kawent immediately straightened up.

"There's a boy named Dixie Ryan in the Ryan Family of the Yulan Empire. I intend to take him as my disciple."

The High Priest spoke calmly.

Kawent couldn't help feeling surprised. A boy who had caught his teacher's attention must have extraordinarily frightening talent. Otherwise, she rarely paid attention to anyone below the Saint-level.

"He's studying at the Ernst Institute right now. I originally planned to wait until he reached the sixth rank before making my move. With Dixie's talent and the Ernst Institute's instruction, it shouldn't take him more than a few years to reach the sixth rank."

The High Priest continued, "But now, many powerful experts have appeared on the Yulan Continent, and conflict is inevitable. Go to the Ernst Institute and protect Dixie in secret. Once he reaches the sixth rank, bring him back to the Temple of Life."

"Yes."

Kawent sighed inwardly. Dixie was incredibly lucky. He hadn't even reached the sixth rank, and the High Priest had already chosen him.

It was extraordinary good fortune. Every mage on the Yulan Continent wanted to become the High Priest's disciple, but very few were ever accepted.

"However, unless his life is in danger, you needn't reveal yourself. Make your own arrangements, and you can also travel around the Holy Union. While you're at it, look into Fang Yun's origins. Remember, don't antagonize him."

The High Priest gave this final instruction.

"Yes, this disciple understands."

Kawent didn't know why the High Priest wanted him to investigate Fang Yun, but he wouldn't question her reasons. After all, she was a Deity-level expert and the most powerful being on the Yulan Continent.

"Good. Get ready and set out as soon as you can."

The High Priest spoke casually.

"Yes. This disciple will take his leave."

Kawent then departed.

After he had left, Hasya asked cautiously, "Teacher, if Junior Brother Kawent protects Dixie, could that interfere with his growth?"

She knew her teacher had taken an interest in Dixie, but no one could say whether he would discover his own potential. If he neglected his studies in the future, he wouldn't qualify to join the Temple of Life.

Normally, her teacher wouldn't pay special attention to Dixie so soon. But now... why had she suddenly made this decision?

And her teacher seemed to take Fang Yun very seriously. This was the first time Hasya had ever heard her instruct a disciple not to antagonize another Saint-level expert.

In her view, Saint-level experts had no business making her teacher act this way. Even a Saint-level expert at the limit was no exception.

The High Priest didn't answer Hasya's question. Instead, she continued giving instructions. "Tell the other disciples that they mustn't antagonize Fang Yun if they encounter him either."

"Uh... yes."

Hasya was even more shocked. She had just been about to ask a question when the High Priest's voice turned cold. "Just do as I say."

"Yes."

Hasya didn't dare ask anything more. She decided to warn her junior brothers and sisters as soon as she left.

"Enough. You may go."

The High Priest spoke.

"This disciple will take her leave."

Hasya bowed and left.

Only after Hasya had departed did the High Priest let out a quiet sigh.

After learning how Fang Yun had defeated the four Saint-level experts from the Dark Church, she realized that this man who had suddenly appeared might already have one foot in the Deity-level.

The Saint-level limit wasn't a clearly defined realm. It was merely a stage within the Saint-level peak, distinguished by how deeply one had comprehended the Mysteries. It was the very pinnacle of the Saint-level peak.

Very few experts ever reached that stage.

Likewise, ninety-nine percent of Saint-level experts who reached it became stuck there, unable to find the opportunity to advance to the Deity-level.

But once they found that opportunity, becoming Deity-level was almost inevitable.

A Saint-level expert who had found the opportunity was still at the Saint-level limit, but their actual strength had already surpassed it.

In the High Priest's view, Fang Yun had already reached that stage. Otherwise, even if he could defeat four Saint-level experts working together, he shouldn't have done so as effortlessly as the reports described.

In other words, Fang Yun was already a quasi-Deity-level expert. His ascension to godhood was all but certain.

She didn't care about other Saint-level experts, no matter how talented or powerful they were. But a Deity-level expert was different. The appearance of even one could change the balance of power on the Yulan Continent.

Protecting Dixie was only an excuse for sending Kawent. The real reason was to try to make contact with Fang Yun. Fang Yun hadn't gone out of his way to conceal his movements, and a little attention was enough to guess that he might be heading for the Holy Union next. Although Kawent had never heard of him, Fang Yun had said he came from the South Sea, so there was a good chance he was from Blue Star.

After all, there might have been more than one group of beings who had descended onto the Yulan Continent.

The Holy Union, within the borders of the Fenlai Kingdom.

Getulu Town was a small town near the Fenlai Kingdom's border, situated beside one of the Yulan River's smaller tributaries.

A small tavern was bustling with activity.

"That battle was so fierce it blotted out the sky and darkened the earth. They even smashed the Six Saint Mountain, which stood thousands of meters tall, until it was little more than a hill... One of the Dark Church's experts sliced off the mountaintop with a single sword strike..."

"..."

"The four Saint-level experts were incredibly powerful. But guess what happened next?"

"Come on, tell us!"

"Hurry up and tell us!"

"Haha, don't rush me. In the end, even the four Saint-level experts working together couldn't do anything to Lord Fang Yun. After that battle, Lord Fang Yun became famous across the Yulan Continent. The Dark Church trembled at the very mention of his name! Even the Dark Church's Pope personally apologized to Lord Fang Yun!"

A young man with a scholarly air stood on a makeshift platform in the tavern, speaking so animatedly that his words stirred the crowd. He described the whole scene with such flair.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he'd witnessed it all himself.

"Good!"

"Lord Fang Yun is amazing!"

"Hey, brother, tell me something. Is Lord Fang Yun a big shot in the Radiant Church?"

For a moment, quite a few people spoke up excitedly.

In the Holy Union, even though there were some unsavory things about the Radiant Church, most ordinary people never encountered them. To most of the people in the Holy Union, the Radiant Church had a pretty good reputation. It was thanks to the Radiant Church that the Holy Union could rival the Four Great Empires.

"Haha, he definitely is!"

The scholarly young man laughed as well.

"That scholar really does say anything."

Doham laughed when he heard this.

Dohar laughed too.

"Hmph. The Radiant Church is no good. They sure know how to flatter themselves."

Prequet, who had shrunk down to the size of a gecko and was perched on Doham's cuff, said scornfully.

Prequet had no fondness for the Radiant Church. Then again, it wasn't fond of most humans.

Fang Yun, on the other hand, merely smiled. He didn't care much about what the scholar was saying. Whether it was the details or the outcome, the story was just being embellished to make it more entertaining.

Still, he hadn't expected the news to spread so quickly.

He hadn't hurried on his way to the Holy Union, but he hadn't been particularly slow, either. Yet it seemed that the battle had already spread across the entire Yulan Continent.

The people of the Yulan Continent, where war was a constant presence, admired powerful experts more than Fang Yun had imagined.

Every Saint-level expert was practically a legend, with stories about them spreading across the land. Some of the most extraordinary tales were still told thousands of years later. The legends of the Four Ultimate Warriors, for example, were still known after five thousand years.

But even the Four Ultimate Warriors' most famous battles paled in comparison to Fang Yun's record. The Ultimate Warriors were powerful, but none of them had ever fought four opponents at once and won.

So at this point, Fang Yun's reputation even surpassed that of the Ultimate Warriors at the height of their fame.

"My lord, where are we going next?"

Doham asked.

Dohar and Prequet also looked toward Fang Yun.

After listening to the scholar's "story," Fang Yun let out a breath and looked in a certain direction, his eyes filled with anticipation. "The Ernst Institute is the Holy Union's most famous place. Let's go take a look."

Linley should be a second-rank mage by now, right...