Linley's Wedding

On April 16, Year 10010 of the Yulan Calendar, Linley established the Baruch Duchy in the Land of Chaos.

Delia excitedly told her father, Deya, the news. Linley was no longer a citizen of the O'Brien Empire, so being with him would not affect the Ryan Clan's development in the Yulan Empire.

However, Deya still believed that Delia should marry the emperor of the empire and become empress. That would benefit the clan more.

Disappointed in her parents, Delia no longer hoped for her family's blessing. She rode a Thunder Gale Eagle out of the Yulan Empire and headed for the Baruch Duchy.

Soon afterward, news came from the Land of Chaos. On July 21, Year 10010 of the Yulan Calendar, Linley and Delia would hold their wedding in Baruch City. The founding ceremony of the Baruch Kingdom would also take place that same day.

Liewen received an invitation and traveled there with Kuhn and Lena. Linley and Delia's wedding was the next witnessing mission, so he naturally would not miss it.

Master Longers was Delia's teacher and was also on the guest list.

Delia's older brother, Dixie, also received orders from the High Priest to join two senior brothers in congratulating Linley on her behalf.

Baruch City on July 21 was extraordinarily lively. Quite a few Saint Realm experts had arrived.

Mackenzie, disciples of the War God Sect, disciples of the High Priest...

Those below the Saint Realm could not afford to be overly conspicuous.

Liewen walked toward an elegant middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white robe.

"Mr. Desri."

"Liewen."

This elegant middle-aged man was Desri, one of the five Saint Realm Limit experts.

Desri had once been the leader of the Radiant Church's ascetics, a figure from the same era as the legendary Pope Ernst. Now, he had left the Radiant Church and devoted himself wholeheartedly to pursuing godhood.

Desri lived in seclusion with his family and friends in a small mountain village in the Land of Chaos. After Linley arrived there, the two became acquainted.

Not long ago, Linley and Delia had suffered an assassination attempt by the Radiant Church. The Radiant Church had dispatched two Saint Realm Second Tier experts—the chief inquisitor Useno and Leiming, commander of the Fanatic Legion—leaving Delia on the brink of death.

At the time, it was Desri who stepped in and saved her.

In the end, under Desri's mediation, Linley and the Radiant Church reached an agreement.

For twenty years, the Radiant Church could not make a move against Linley and could never harm his family or friends. In return, if Linley sought revenge against the Radiant Church, he could only go alone, not even bringing magical beasts with him.

This agreement gave Linley a peaceful period to grow, but it also greatly increased the difficulty of taking revenge on the Radiant Church.

For the sake of protecting his family and friends, Linley chose to accept.

"Mr. Desri, I cultivate the Laws of Light as well. When I have time, I'll visit you so we can spar and exchange insights."

"No problem. You're welcome anytime."

Desri cultivated a soul-type profound mystery of the Laws of Light and had already reached the final step. Once he broke through, he would become a Lowgod.

Liewen was very curious about the profound mystery Desri cultivated. Sparring and exchanging insights might allow him to gain a foothold in a new profound mystery.

Desri felt the same. He had seen Liewen's battle with Useno. Since they both cultivated the Laws of Light, exchanging insights would be even more effective.

Besides Desri, Rosalie, the saintess of the Ice Goddess Temple and another Saint Realm Limit expert, had also come.

Martial Saint Tulilei had also sent disciples to offer their congratulations.

The Yulan Continent's five Saint Realm Limit experts were Desri of the Land of Chaos, Rosalie of the Ice Goddess Temple, Tulilei of the Far East Prairie, Fain of the War God Sect, and Rutherford of the Extreme Northern Ice Plains.

Apart from Rutherford, who was cultivating in seclusion in the Extreme Northern Ice Plains, the other four had either come personally or sent fellow sect members and disciples to offer congratulations in their stead.

Liewen also saw Hise, one of the Yulan Continent's five publicly known God Realm experts.

Dylin, king of the Magical Beast Mountain Range; Cesar, king of assassins; War God O'Brien; High Priest Catherine; and Beirut, king of the Dark Forest.

Among them, Beirut was undoubtedly the most terrifying. Even the other four God Realm experts had to address him as Lord Beirut when they saw him.

Beirut placed enormous importance on Bebe because Bebe was the second God-Slaying Rat in the world besides him.

It was also because of this connection that the War God, the High Priest, Desri, and the others were relatively friendly toward Linley.

Without that, even if Linley possessed strength comparable to a Saint Realm Second Tier expert, he could not have drawn so many experts to offer their congratulations.

As the wedding proceeded, Liewen completed this witnessing mission as well.

"Liewen Andrew."

"Strength: Saint Realm."

"Potential: Highgod capable of fusing three profound mysteries."

"Physical strength: Saint Realm."

"Physical potential: Highgod Artifact."

Liewen's potential had improved, reaching the level of a Highgod capable of fusing three profound mysteries.

The next witnessing mission would be more than ten years later, when Linley entered the Necropolis of the Gods.

After the wedding ended perfectly, Liewen remained in Baruch City for several days, exchanging cultivation insights with Desri and Linley before returning to Yulan City.

Linley began cultivating in seclusion in the Land of Chaos, while Liewen quietly cultivated in Yulan City.

Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, twelve years had passed.

Outside Yulan City, at the Yulan Empire Royal Magic Academy, Lena had just finished that day's light magic class and was preparing to return to her home in Yulan City.

Lena was nearly twenty-three years old and had grown into a graceful, stunning beauty.

At the age of twenty, Lena had become a Level Seven Mage and remained at the Yulan Empire Royal Magic Academy as a light-element magic instructor.

"Miss Lena, are you heading back to Yulan City? So am I. Shall we go together?"

"Teacher Lena, Lady Windsor has just released a new clothing collection. Let me accompany you to take a look."

"Miss Lena, this is Old John's Shop's limited-edition teardrop carriage. Would you like to ride in it? We can go see the newly blooming begonia flowers."

Along the way, people constantly struck up conversations with Lena. Among them were teachers and students from the Imperial Magic Academy, as well as young nobles who had specifically come to wait for her.

Lena had countless suitors in Yulan City.

Lena was exceptionally beautiful and a magic prodigy. Rumors had already spread through Yulan City that the High Priest intended to accept Lena as her personal disciple.

Moreover, although Liewen kept a low profile, after twelve years, the nobles of Yulan City had long learned of his relationship with Lena.

She herself was outstanding, had the potential to become a Saint Realm expert, and had a Saint Realm expert behind her.

Naturally, someone like her became the object of pursuit for Yulan City's young men.

However, Lena had never accepted any suitor.

Lena politely turned down those who approached her along the way and boarded the carriage that had long been waiting at the academy gates.

"Uncle Fu, let's go home," Lena said softly.

This was her family's carriage, and Uncle Fu was the coachman of the estate.

The horses' hooves clattered against the bluestone pavement as the wheels rolled steadily onward.

Quite a few young nobles also climbed into their own luxurious carriages and followed behind.

Lena could only feel helpless about this.

Perhaps, in the eyes of outsiders, these suitors were all outstanding.

Among them were princes of the Yulan Empire, legitimate sons of princes, future dukes, and heirs of millennia-old and ten-thousand-year-old clans. Yet Lena was interested in none of them.

In Lena's eyes, they were all flashy but empty.

What the nobles of Yulan City concerned themselves with every day was which vintage of wine was best, whether their custom-made clothing used the finest materials and was tailored by the finest craftsmen, how many gold coins their carriage was worth, whether it was a limited edition, and whether what they owned was better than what their neighbors possessed.

Extravagance and competition had long taken deep root among Yulan City's noble class.

They never worried about their status, because as long as the High Priest was there, the Yulan Empire would not fall.

Whenever Lena saw these suitors, she unconsciously compared them with the elder brother at her family's estate, who was wholly immersed in cultivation.

After making that comparison, she had not the slightest interest in any of those suitors.