Edita Bell

"Saint-level powerhouse!"

"A Saint-level powerhouse has arrived!"

At the Morduo Mountain mining site, countless slaves spotted Fang Yun flying above the mountain and cried out one after another.

In ordinary people's minds, only Saint-level powerhouses could fly.

The slaves weren't the only ones shouting in confusion. Even the black-clad guards grew agitated. After all, they were no different from ordinary people in the face of a Saint-level powerhouse.

Deep beneath the mine.

Under the Divine Domain, the gray-robed man trembled with fear.

A Deity!

Having spent years in the Plane Prison, he knew all too well the difference between Saint-level and Deity-level.

No matter how many Saint-level powerhouses there were, they would be utterly helpless against a Deity—even the weakest one!

How could there be a Deity here?

After leaving the Plane Prison, he had asked around about the Yulan Continent. There were two human Deities: the High Priest of the Yulan Empire and the War God of the O'Brien Empire. To avoid provoking a Deity, he had steered clear of both places and come to the Rhine Empire.

Why was there still a Deity here? Could it be the High Priest?

Everyone else had suddenly been immobilized. Their eyes were filled with fear and confusion; clearly, they had no idea what was happening.

Even Edita was shocked and couldn't make sense of the situation.

Fang Yun paid no attention to the slaves below. He casually waved a hand.

Rumble!

A thunderous boom rang out as the area around the underground mine began to shake. Countless cracks appeared.

Everyone at the mining site stared at Morduo Mountain in terror.

They watched as the enormous mountain soared through the air under some terrifying force and crashed down in the distance.

Boom!

A cloud of dust and countless rocks shot into the air. The ground began to tremble violently. Everyone in the valley below, whether slave or black-clad guard, staggered and fell about.

Even the black-robed man inside the stone house in the valley was shaken. "What's happening?!"

He swung his arms, knocking away the boulders falling from the stone house, then hurried outside.

"Lord Kuli! There's a powerhouse! A Saint-level powerhouse!"

The seventh-rank guard outside the stone house spoke with a trembling voice.

"A Saint-level powerhouse?"

Kuli, the black-robed man, looked puzzled, then turned his gaze skyward.

When he saw that the spot where Morduo Mountain had stood was now a massive crater, even he was momentarily stunned. "This..."

"A D-Deity..."

As the laborers watched Fang Yun casually wave his hand and send the enormous Morduo Mountain flying, their faces went deathly pale. In a panic, they fell to their knees and kowtowed repeatedly.

In their minds, Saint-level powerhouses could overturn heaven and earth. They knew nothing of the realm beyond Saint-level. Seeing a mountain several thousand meters tall hurled away with their own eyes, they instinctively blurted out, "Deity."

The people in the underground mine were even more astonished. Morduo Mountain had been right above their heads, yet it seemed as though some terrifying being had simply chopped it away!

They watched as the rock above them flew off, revealing the sky outside.

What had happened?!

Fang Yun landed in the middle of the mining site, still holding the ninth-rank powerhouse he had captured earlier in his Divine Domain.

As Fang Yun descended, the Divine Domain dissipated, and everyone regained the ability to move. Even the ninth-rank powerhouse he had restrained was free again, though his whole body trembled.

The others weren't trembling, but no one dared move.

After all, being immobilized and then seeing Morduo Mountain suddenly disappear had been far too shocking.

Everyone focused their gaze on Fang Yun.

Edita's eyes widened.

He was the "ninth-rank powerhouse" she had been searching for!

Though she had never encountered a Divine Domain before, she could naturally guess what had happened just now.

This person... this person was a Deity?!

But it was hard to believe.

How could it be possible...

Had another Deity appeared on the continent?

"Heh, we meet again."

Fang Yun looked at Edita and smiled casually. "You look quite amusing like that."

Edita had a very distinctive air about her. Dressed this way, she looked rather strange.

Seeing that the Deity who had suddenly appeared actually knew those two ninth-rank fellows, the gray-robed man's heart sank.

Even so, he didn't dare run. He could only wait cautiously for the other man to finish speaking. That was the power of a Deity's presence.

Edita cast a Water Element spell, "Cleanse," on herself, revealing her true appearance. Though she still looked quite different from before, at least she was clean and presentable.

Her air was clearly different from everyone else's, something that seemed to flow from her very bones.

"Edita Bell greets you, sir."

Edita gave a noble's greeting. "I never expected to meet you here."

Edita remained composed, but her companion was trembling inside, feeling both awe and excitement.

Edita knew a Deity?!

A Deity! There were only two human Deities on the Yulan Continent!

The Bell Family was sure to rise to prominence!

The black-faced man's heart burned with excitement.

"Edita..."

Fang Yun nodded, openly praising her. "I didn't expect you to reach the ninth rank at your age. You're the most impressive genius I've met so far."

He wasn't exaggerating. There were many geniuses in the Coiling Dragon World, but so far, Edita truly was the most gifted he had encountered.

Even Linley and Dixie, as they were now, didn't measure up to Edita.

"You flatter me, sir. Compared to you, I'm far behind."

Edita smiled.

She had once believed she might become the youngest Saint-level powerhouse on the Yulan Continent. But after meeting Fang Yun, even the trace of pride deep in her heart had been crushed.

From the ninth rank to Deity-level in less than ten years?

That was the greatest genius on the Yulan Continent.

"May I ask your name?"

Edita's sky-blue eyes fixed on Fang Yun, and a spark of determination stirred deep within her.

She would make Fang Yun her goal.

Fang Yun smiled and made no attempt to conceal it. "Fang Yun."

He was also curious about this genius who had never been mentioned in the original story. This world was, after all, the Coiling Dragon World described in the original story. That meant Edita must have existed, even if she had never been mentioned.

It was just unclear why such a genius had gone unnoticed.

Even when the Necropolis of the Gods opened, and the powerful cultivators who had been in seclusion emerged, Edita hadn't been among them.

Either she had gone to a Divine Plane by then, or she had died.

"Fang Yun?"

Edita froze, then blurted out, "Fang Yun of the South Sea!"

Fang Yun of the South Sea was currently the most famous Saint-level powerhouse on the Yulan Continent.

When she had searched for Fang Yun, she had always thought he was a ninth-rank powerhouse. After all, he looked so young that she had never dared imagine he was Saint-level.

No wonder she had never found him.

She had even wondered whether Fang Yun had failed to come to the Holy Union.

Now it seemed the problem had been with her all along. Fang Yun hadn't been a ninth-rank powerhouse back then—he had been Saint-level! If she had gathered information about Fang Yun from the start, she might have found him long ago.

Edita quietly let out a breath. There were too many geniuses on the Yulan Continent.

"Motuoer greets you, sir."

Seeing Fang Yun turn his attention to him, the gray-robed man hurriedly bowed. Although he didn't know Fang Yun, the other man was a Deity, so he had to show respect.

"Motuoer..."

Fang Yun looked at the gray-robed man. With a surge of divine power, the three early Saint-level Skeleton Kings Motuoer had summoned fell apart.

"My lord! My teacher is a Deity, too!"

Seeing what Fang Yun had done, Motuoer's face changed. He hurriedly spoke up.

Whatever trump cards he had, they were useless against a Deity. If he wanted to stay alive, all he could do was invoke his teacher.

"Hmm?"

Fang Yun glanced at Motuoer. "A Deity?"

Someone willing to take a Saint-level necromancer as a disciple was probably cultivating the Edict of Death as well.

Very few powerhouses cultivated the Four Edicts. In the original story's account of the Plane Prison, only the Grand Wizard had any renown.

Could this man be the Grand Wizard's disciple?

Seeing that Fang Yun hadn't killed him outright, Motuoer seized his chance and quickly said, "My lord, I come from the Gebada Plane Prison, which is part of the Yulan Continent's plane. There are many Deities there. My teacher is one of the most powerful Deities in the Plane Prison. Everyone respectfully calls him the Grand Wizard!"

Even Lowgods had to live cautiously in the Plane Prison. Though his teacher, the Grand Wizard, cultivated the Edict of Death, his status wasn't particularly high. But to save his own life, Motuoer naturally made him sound more formidable.

"So you really are the Grand Wizard's disciple."

Fang Yun chuckled. In the original story, the Grand Wizard had escaped through a spatial rift in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, only to be killed by Linley in the end.

As for Motuoer, he hadn't been mentioned. He had probably failed to escape, or else had hidden himself after getting out. After all, once the Grand Wizard died, the Yulan Continent entered the age of the Deities. The limits of Saint-level power no longer meant much.

He hadn't expected his arrival to bring the Grand Wizard's disciple out ahead of time.

Hearing that Fang Yun seemed to know the Grand Wizard, Motuoer looked delighted and prepared to continue.

But before Motuoer could say anything more, Fang Yun simply raised his divine power and instantly immobilized and killed him.

Forget the Grand Wizard. For the sake of World Power, Fang Yun wouldn't back down even if the Five Great Kings of the Plane Prison came out.

Motuoer's eyes bulged. He couldn't understand why Fang Yun had suddenly killed him.

Didn't he fear the other Deities at all...

Motuoer's sudden death made everyone's hearts tremble. The black-clad guards were especially shaken, their legs trembling.

After all, they had heard Edita and Fang Yun talking. The powerhouse before them was Fang Yun, whom many now recognized as the greatest Saint-level powerhouse!

They weren't powerful enough to know about the Divine Domain.

So to them, Fang Yun was simply the most powerful Saint-level powerhouse.

Seeing Motuoer killed just like that, Edita's expression grew complicated. So this was what it meant to be a Deity.

Motuoer had been a terrifying Saint-level powerhouse capable of destroying a country all by himself, yet he had been utterly helpless before a Deity...

"Edita."

Fang Yun suddenly looked at her. "I heard the Bell Family is one of the most powerful families in the Rhine Empire."

Edita didn't know why Fang Yun had suddenly asked, but she didn't deny it. "Is there anything the Bell Family can help you with, Mr. Fang Yun?"

"Heh..."

Fang Yun smiled and spoke casually. "Help... You could say that."

"Please, tell me what you need, Mr. Fang Yun."

Edita answered at once.

Now that she knew Fang Yun was a Deity, she had given up hope of getting the Ring of Feilan back.

If Fang Yun had been a ninth-rank powerhouse, she might still have tried. But he was a Deity, a true ruler of the Yulan Continent...

Even if he hadn't been a Deity, even if he had only been the Saint-level powerhouse he'd seemed to be before, she wouldn't have been confident she could trade for it.

The empire wouldn't want to fall out with another Saint-level powerhouse without good reason.

"Have you heard of the Kawent Institute?"

Fang Yun asked.

Edita nodded. "I've learned a little about it. It's an institute recently founded by Lord Kawent, the High Priest's disciple."

It had been big news when the High Priest took Kawent as her disciple.

As for the Kawent Institute, Edita had come across it while investigating the missing-person cases. It was quite an unusual institute.

Fang Yun nodded and said no more than necessary. "I hope the Rhine Empire will support the Kawent Institute's development in every way."

Ever since the Kawent Institute was founded, Fang Yun had gained an increasingly clear understanding of how World Power increased in the early stages.

For example, the development of Blue Star's magic system, its first Saint-level Magus, its first independent Lowgod, and so on...

The Kawent Institute was the foundation of a complete magic system on Blue Star.

His Highgod Sovereign Clone also planned to spread magic across Blue Star once the Kawent Institute was on track. By combining it with the institute's teachings, he would complete Blue Star's magic system.

"Support the Kawent Institute's development?"

Edita was puzzled.

Kawent was the High Priest of the Yulan Empire's disciple. The High Priest was a god-level expert, as was Fang Yun. Had the two of them joined forces?

If that was true, who could stand against the Yulan Empire?

"I wouldn't mind establishing an empire to support the Kawent Institute..."

Before Edita could think it through, Fang Yun added. He didn't know what she was thinking, but even if he had, he wouldn't have explained further.

At Fang Yun's words, Edita's eyes narrowed. Establish an empire?!

She had no doubts about what a god-level expert could accomplish. If Fang Yun wanted, the Rhine Empire could become the Fang Yun Empire that very day.

Edita's tone grew more formal. "I'll discuss this personally with His Majesty, the emperor of the Rhine Empire. I'm sure we won't disappoint you, Mr. Fang Yun."

She knew that the emperor of the Rhine Empire wouldn't refuse—and wouldn't dare refuse—the request of a god-level expert.

Besides, this might not be a bad thing for the Rhine Empire.

After all, it would mean establishing ties with a god-level expert.

Among the four great empires, the Rhine Empire and the Luo'ao Empire had no god-level experts. They were at a considerable disadvantage against the Yulan Empire and the O'Brien Empire.

Soon, Edita and her companions split up.

Her companions took some powerful fighters to oversee the slaves and black-clad warriors at Morduo Mountain while they awaited the empire's orders.

Edita, meanwhile, returned to Rhine City to relay Fang Yun's request to the emperor of the Rhine Empire.

Once Edita had left, Fang Yun departed as well.

If he hadn't been curious about Edita, this "genius," he would have gone to see the emperor of the Rhine Empire himself.

Of course, his curiosity wasn't the only reason. A talented and powerful fighter like Edita might be a great help to the Kawent Institute.

After all, the Kawent Institute was little more than an empty shell at present. To truly develop it—and eventually establish it on Blue Star—the more powerful fighters, the better. Perhaps they could even recruit other Saint-level experts in the future...

The Holy Union,

the Fenlai Kingdom.

The Ernst Institute, Huali Hotel.

In a luxurious private room.

After Linley applied to graduate, the seventeen-year-old Level Seven Mage shocked the entire Ernst Institute. Even the Radiant Church took a keen interest in him, sending Cardinal Gilmer to invite him to join.

Linley had declined for the time being.

After the powerful experts from the Radiant Church had left, Linley turned to Yale with a serious expression. "Boss Yale, there's something I need to ask you to do for me."