Leaving the Material Plane

Leaving the Material Plane

"Although there's a Supreme God Oath, and the Life Sovereign herself can vouch for you, I still can't understand why the Sovereign Spark I'd kept safely in my collection ended up in a Material Plane," Augusta said gravely. "No matter how I look at it, this shouldn't have happened."

"Augusta, just tell us what you think," Orf urged.

Lincoln, the only one who knew what was going on, watched this little double act with the bemused air of a spectator.

"Lincoln, I can let this matter go, but you'll owe me a favor," Augusta suddenly said.

Lincoln was speechless. Good grief—if he admitted his identity, he'd owe favors to both Augusta and Orf. He flatly refused. "Lord Augusta, I've already made myself quite clear. I don't believe I've offended you in this matter. I do owe someone a favor, but it's Lord Orf I owe."

Lincoln deliberately leaned toward Orf. He knew Augusta wouldn't insist on claiming the favor from Orf instead. If he did, the whole charade would fall apart.

Augusta's expression darkened. "Lincoln, I've heard you could stand against a Paragon even when you were a Highgod. You must be quite confident in your strength. How about we have a match?"

Lincoln smiled. "Lord Augusta, you can't say I've offended you just because I turned you down. If you hunt me down over the Sovereign Spark or anything related to it, you'd be overturning the conclusions reached by the four Rule Sovereigns and the other Chief Sovereigns. I do have some strength, but even you managed to kill Aikes, a Paragon Chief God. I wouldn't dare fight you."

"You know quite a lot," Augusta said with a frown.

Orf spoke again. "Augusta, stop giving the young fellow a hard time. Perhaps it was fate that he was lucky enough to refine that Sovereign Spark. You can pick one of my research projects. Consider it compensation from me."

Lincoln's eyelid twitched. The double act was getting more and more elaborate, and he seemed to owe them an increasingly weighty favor. But if he objected now, he'd only seem ungrateful.

"Orf, you seem rather concerned about Lincoln," Vivian said with a smile.

"That's right. Your research projects have always been confidential," Uterede added meaningfully.

This couldn't go on. Lincoln could feel the whole thing getting more and more absurd, so he hurriedly cupped his hands. "Thank you for your concern, Lord Orf, and for your generosity, Lord Augusta. As it happens, I recently came across a Heaven and Earth Wonder. I'd like to offer it to Lord Orf as thanks!"

Hela suddenly laughed. "We have plenty of Heaven and Earth Wonders. What's so special about yours, young fellow?"

The Fire Chief Sovereign also chuckled, his voice bright and clear. "To a Chief God, an ordinary Heaven and Earth Wonder is little more than a source of amusement."

Augusta narrowed his eyes and said gravely, "After all that's been said, how could I refuse? But, Lincoln, trying to brush this off with a single Heaven and Earth Wonder is rather perfunctory."

Lincoln didn't respond. He simply took out a black arrow. "I got this black arrow not long ago. After briefly nurturing it with Sovereign's Might, it could already leave scratches on a Material Defense Sovereign Artifact, without using any laws or Willpower. An Attack Main God Artifact couldn't damage it, either. I believe that if it were nurtured for ten thousand years, just like a Sovereign Artifact, it would be several times stronger than an ordinary Attack Main God Artifact. I've heard Lord Orf doesn't yet have an offensive Supreme Artifact, so this might serve as a temporary substitute."

Lincoln had found the black arrow in Black's interspatial ring. He hadn't paid it much attention at first. Only later, when he realized it was as hard as a Sovereign Artifact but wasn't one, did he take an interest in it.

Orf's smile faded. He took the black arrow and immediately tested it against two Sovereign Artifacts. The results were just as Lincoln had described.

"It really is a fine thing. Lincoln, I'll accept it!"

With business concluded, the Chief Gods began chatting in small groups. Most Chief Gods lived in the four Supreme Planes and the Seven Divine Planes, so visiting one another and exchanging news was easy. But eternity was so long that gatherings were rare.

Lincoln looked around at them one by one. Aside from the eleven Chief Sovereigns, most of the Chief Gods returned his gaze, which was as good as a greeting. After all, Lincoln was a Mid-God Chief God whose strength was suspected to rival a Paragon's. He was stronger than the vast majority of Chief Gods.

A beautiful woman in purple robes exuded an aura of destruction; the four Chief Gods of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind seemed exceptionally close; a cheerful, slightly plump Fire Chief God had hair as unruly as a bundle of straw; a Wind Chief God had a hooked nose; and a handsome-looking Destruction Chief God...

Zijing, the Four Divine Beasts, Teresia, Xingyi, and the Fire Chief God with the unruly hair—he was probably the one who'd helped Linley for some reason. The Fire and Earth Chief Gods who had arrived together at the beginning were probably Botier and Manlu. As for the others, Lincoln couldn't tell which one was Pashi, the Blood Peak Chief God.

Before long, the Chief Gods dispersed. Orf then spoke to him through divine sense. "Lincoln, would you like to stop by my August Garden for a while?"

"Not this time, Lord Orf. I have something to discuss with Lady Vivian and Lady Hela." Lincoln politely declined. He didn't want one of his Chief God Clones alone with either Orf or Augusta. While most of the Chief Gods were still there, he quickly flew toward the nearest Plane Teleportation Array on Nate Continent.

At the teleportation array on the Undead Saint Mountain in the Underworld, several Mid-God soldiers were berating ordinary Saint-level people from the Material Planes. Suddenly, the Divine Plane teleportation array lit up. They hurried aside, and as soon as the light faded, they bowed their heads and addressed the newcomer as "Lord."

Lincoln glanced around to confirm his bearings, then ignored them and flew at full speed toward Nether Mountain. He had just gone to Hell to bring back his Wind Divine Clone, which had delayed him a little. By now, his Wind Divine Clone and Light Divine Clone had already traveled through teleportation arrays to other Material Planes to explore, while his Water Divine Clone was also heading for a teleportation array, hoping to hurry back to Aier as soon as possible.

If possible, Lincoln still wanted to reach the Paragon level through his own efforts. His Divine Clones were all just one final step away from fusing their Mysteries of the Laws. It no longer mattered whether they cultivated in a Supreme Plane, a Divine Plane, or a Material Plane. In fact, they might even encounter some special opportunity in a Material Plane.

"Th-that speed... another Chief God!" the soldier stammered, struggling to recall the aura and appearance he'd just seen. "What's going on today? So many Chief Gods have used the Plane Teleportation Array."

As he flew toward Nether Mountain, Lincoln once again scanned the entire Underworld with his Sovereign's Might.

"As expected, that Nether Fruit Tree hasn't become a Chief God yet. No wonder no one's heard anything about Nether Fruits all these years. I saw only six Life Chief Gods earlier, so it seems the final one will be the Nether Fruit Tree."