"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
High in the sky, Linley swung the black greatsword Wufeng, cleaving through the air around him.
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However, to Linley, this so-called Sovereign Artifact didn't seem much better than the greatsword he'd used before, apart from being sturdier.
And the greatsword he'd used before had merely been one he'd casually exchanged for through the system.
"Big Brother Lin Ke." As he flew toward Wushan Town, Linley asked, "This so-called Sovereign Artifact doesn't seem all that special."
"Didn't I tell you already?" Lin Ke's voice rang out in Linley's mind. "A Sovereign Artifact is, as the name suggests, a weapon used by a Chief Sovereign. Only someone at God-level can barely use one. You're only Saint-level right now, so you can't bring out its power."
Lin Ke's words left Linley feeling a little disappointed.
He'd obtained a weapon, but couldn't use it yet.
"Besides, Sovereign Artifacts are extremely attractive to those at God-level." Lin Ke's tone carried a note of warning. "It's best not to let anyone discover that your weapon is a Sovereign Artifact. Otherwise, plenty of people will come after it."
Lin Ke's words made Linley's flying figure falter.
"What should I do, then?" Linley frowned. "I can't have a weapon and not use it, can I?"
"There's no need to be too nervous." Lin Ke's voice held a hint of amusement. "At least on the entire Yulan Continent, only a handful of people should recognize a Sovereign Artifact. Everyone else will assume it's just a powerful Divine Artifact. But once you reach a Higher Plane or Divine Plane, you'll have to be careful."
"A handful of people?" Linley paused. "Do you mean the War God and the High Priest?"
"The War God and the High Priest?" Lin Ke sounded rather disdainful. "One hasn't improved in strength for ten thousand years, and the other became a god by refining a Godhead. They're both Low-Gods, so they couldn't possibly recognize a Sovereign Artifact. I meant someone else—or rather, another rat."
"Another rat?" Linley's gaze turned to Bebe, perched on his shoulder. "Big Brother Lin Ke, you said before that Bebe's species is the God-Eater Rat, the second one to exist in countless years?"
"That's right. You're not as stupid as you look." Lin Ke sounded relaxed. "Bebe's ancestor was the first God-Eater Rat in the world, and was born on the Yulan Continent. He, his three sons, and his wife all recognize Sovereign Artifacts. What's more, they live on the Yulan Continent. They're also among the mightiest beings in the Higher Planes and Divine Planes."
"Gulp."
Linley couldn't help swallowing at Lin Ke's words.
"Big Brother Lin Ke, are you sure you haven't got it wrong?" Linley sounded uneasy. "According to you, there are countless Material Planes in the world, and the absolute peak experts might not even number one across tens of millions of planes. So how can one family like that live on the Yulan Continent?"
"Don't worry. They won't attack you." Lin Ke reassured him. "Besides, that's not the only family of peak experts on the Yulan Continent. There's another one in the Plane Prison, a man hailed as the most talented person in the history of the Yulan Continent. But he's never left the Yulan Continent in his life, so he doesn't recognize Sovereign Artifacts."
Linley was utterly speechless.
A little over half a year ago, before Linley had bonded with the system or met Grandpa Doehring, the most powerful being he knew of was the Level Eight dual-element mage who had come to Wushan Town.
Later, after meeting Grandpa Doehring, he'd witnessed two Saint-level experts fighting with his own eyes.
That had given Linley a clear understanding of the strength of the continent's peak experts, those at Saint-level.
But lately, Linley had killed quite a few Saint-level Magical Beasts.
As a result, he no longer felt much reverence for Saint-level experts.
He himself had even reached Saint-level.
Still, even though he lived in the Holy Union, Linley had heard tales of the War God and the High Priest since childhood.
God-level beings had been supreme existences in Linley's mind.
But after Lin Ke's explanation, Linley learned that even those at God-level were divided into ranks.
And the War God was merely a Low-God who had become one by refining a Godhead.
Become a god by refining a Godhead!
When he'd left the Magical Beast Mountain Range today, he'd given a Godhead to the Purple-Eyed Golden Fur Ape.
Did that mean he'd just given away a War God?
And this tiny Yulan Continent even concealed a more powerful family—or rather, a family of rats.
A family of rats who ranked among the peak experts of the entire world.
And they weren't even the strongest.
According to Big Brother Lin Ke, there was also someone in that so-called Plane Prison who had been the most talented person since the plane's birth.
What was this?
He'd only just reached Saint-level!
"So, Linley," Lin Ke said earnestly, "now you understand. Saint-level is only the starting point. You need to work even harder!"
"I understand, Big Brother Lin Ke." Linley nodded solemnly. "I'll work even harder from now on."
As he spoke, Linley put the Sovereign Artifact Wufeng into his Space Ring.
"But, Big Brother Lin Ke." Linley frowned again. "Over the past six months, I think I've killed at least one-twentieth of the Magical Beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Surely I don't have to stay there any longer?"
"Of course not!" Lin Ke's voice carried a hint of anticipation. "Didn't I just tell you that there's a man with unparalleled talent in the Plane Prison?"
"The Plane Prison?" Linley was curious. "Do you mean you want me to go to this so-called Plane Prison? How many Saint-level experts could there be in a prison?"
"Then you've got it wrong." Lin Ke gave a soft snort. "Tell me, if reaching Saint-level lets you live forever, and the Yulan Continent has existed for countless years, why are there fewer than ten thousand Saint-level humans and Magical Beasts on the entire continent?"
Lin Ke's question left Linley puzzled.
That was true. Why?
After thinking for a moment, Linley ventured, "Big Brother Lin Ke, did they go to the Higher Planes and Divine Planes you mentioned?"
"Surely not every Saint-level expert would want to go to the Higher Planes or Divine Planes?" Lin Ke scoffed. "Even if only one Saint-level expert from each generation stayed on the Yulan Continent, there should have been at least hundreds of millions by now. So where did they go?"
"Big Brother Lin Ke, are you saying they're all in the Plane Prison?" Linley's throat felt dry. "How many people would that be? Are they all Saint-level?"
"Conservatively speaking, there must be hundreds of millions." Lin Ke sounded unconcerned. "The Plane Prison and the plane are two sides of the same coin. After countless years of conflict, the Yulan Continent broke apart, leaving only a small piece of land. But the land inside the Plane Prison wasn't affected. And Saint-level beings, whether in the Higher Planes or the Divine Planes, are nothing but expendable fodder. They're not even considered people. Only Low-Gods count as people."
Lin Ke's words reshaped the worldview of Linley, who had only just broken through.
At the same time, they crushed the little bit of pride Linley had felt after reaching Saint-level.
But right after that, Linley grew excited again.
It turned out the world above Saint-level was so fascinating.
"Big Brother Lin Ke!" Above Wushan Town, Linley smiled. "I can hardly wait to see the Plane Prison and the sights of the Higher Planes."
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