Treading Every Inch of Iron Shoes, Only to Find It Where Least Expected

Chapter Treading Every Inch of Iron Shoes, Only to Find It Where Least Expected

On Nether Mountain, Death Chief Sovereign Hela looked at Lincoln's awkward expression and teased him. "You've been nowhere to be seen for ten million years. Last time you came, you kept asking me about Sovereign Sparks. This time, you're going around in circles asking about Roman's whereabouts. So I'm just an information outlet to you, am I?"

"It's a matter of my children, after all. Parents have to take an interest!" Lincoln explained.

Hela continued teasing him. "You want everything, don't you? Strength and children. I've heard that over the past million years, your Faith Power has spread to countless planes—more than all the former Chief Gods of the Darkness faction combined. In my opinion, stop hoping to reach Paragon through Faith Power. Get out more. You might come across an opportunity. Vivian and Uterede both broke through that way."

This was the first he'd heard of it. But Hela didn't know that he had already reached Paragon in the Laws of Darkness, so he retorted, "Lady Hela, you didn't mention Lord Orf. That just goes to show he broke through by cultivating in seclusion."

Hela rolled her eyes, looking utterly exasperated. "He's a research fanatic. Anything related to cultivation or becoming stronger keeps him endlessly absorbed. You can't very well compare yourself to him!"

Lincoln smiled. "Then I'll be a fanatic too."

Seeing that she couldn't get through to him, Hela stopped trying to persuade him. "Only Vivian can get in touch with the Roman you're looking for. The other Chief Gods have no way of contacting him." She paused when Lincoln looked as if he wanted to say something, then continued, "I can contact her for you, but you'll owe me one."

Lincoln was overjoyed and thanked her profusely.

Just as he was leaving, Hela suddenly asked, "Are you still looking for that Lightning Lower Sovereign Spark?"

Lincoln stopped in his tracks, then realized what she meant. Turning back with a smile, he said, "Lady Vivian really did tell you. I have a Lightning Clone. And yes, who wouldn't want an unclaimed Sovereign Spark they could refine?"

Hela's gaze shifted slightly. Then she leaned against the chaise longue. "Vivian and I have no secrets from each other. And you... well, we'll have no secrets either. Come visit me more often when you're free and share some amusing stories with me. I might even tell you more of the secrets between the Chief Gods."

Watching Lincoln disappear into the Spatial Turbulence, Hela couldn't help but remark, "That little fellow really is extremely cautious."

In the southern part of the Life Divine Realm, inside the Life Sovereign's Plant Castle atop a towering tree in Dawn Prefecture on Nymph Continent, Vivian awoke from meditation. She looked at the Red-Haired Girl who had appeared beside her, delight filling her eyes. "Eldest Sister, have you come to share another amusing story with me?"

Hela explained why she had come. Vivian's smile didn't fade. "I thought it was something serious. You only had to send word, Eldest Sister, and I would have asked Roman to help. But Lincoln used to be my Sovereign Envoy. After becoming a Chief God, he became even closer to you. He knows perfectly well that Roman is in contact with me, yet he wouldn't come to me himself and instead asked you to pass the message along. It's rather ironic!"

Hearing this, Hela was also puzzled. Though she hadn't asked Lincoln why, she had made a few guesses. "Vivian, I find it strange too. Could it be that you did something these past years and Lincoln found out? Is that why he's deliberately avoiding you?"

Vivian shook her head, her dark hair swaying. "Years ago, I did take the opportunity to point out the benefits of refining more Divine Sparks to him, but I didn't do it personally, so it hardly counts as making a move. Besides, he wasn't swayed at the time, and he hasn't hunted any Chief Gods all these years. Perhaps I really was overthinking it."

Hela smiled. "He's spent these years focused on two things—no, three. One is reaching Paragon with the help of Faith Power. Another is searching for that Lightning Lower Sovereign Spark. And the last is what we just mentioned: devoting himself to making babies."

Vivian smiled too. "I really don't understand them. Life in the Supreme Plane and the Divine Planes is eternal, so there's no need to have children after becoming a Deity. In fact, the Overgods created the Plane Battlefield to reduce the number of lives and powerful beings, and used Willpower to lure the Chief Gods into sending more Deities into battle. Yet the Chief Gods of the Augusta Family, the Four Divine Beasts Clan, and the Valeria Clan all support their respective families from behind the scenes."

Hela burst out laughing. "Vivian, if we understood them, we wouldn't have been alone since the world was created."

Vivian covered her mouth as she laughed, then suddenly changed the subject. "Eldest Sister, you just said Lincoln is still looking for a Lightning Lower Sovereign Spark. What are you planning to do?"

Hela pressed her lips together and looked away. "Naturally, I'll let him keep looking."

Before long, Hela left. Vivian gazed at the sky, deep in thought. "Eldest Sister, you're the one who's truly a little strange. Why are you so concerned about helping Lincoln? If he didn't have such enormous potential, I'd be willing to help him. It seems Eldest Sister and I won't see eye to eye on this..."

A little while later, Vivian summoned Vibar and instructed her to contact Roman, the Life Paragon, and explain the matter. Then Vivian tore open space and stepped through.

On Chainis Plane, Lincoln was waiting for news from Roman when he suddenly sensed a Deity-level being racing toward him at Asura level. He sensed the figure briefly and realized it was Bobo.

Back then, Pusluo and Bobo had worked out a plan. Pusluo temporarily lent Bobo the Attack Main God Artifact, and with it, Bobo had defeated a Prefecture Lord from the Wind Divine Plane and taken his place. That made him Lincoln's official Sovereign Envoy. The method had been a little underhanded, but Lincoln only cared about the result, and Bobo had delivered.

"Greetings, Chief God." Bobo came before Lincoln and knelt to pay his respects.

Looking down at him, Lincoln asked with a faint smile, "Shouldn't you be doing your job as Prefecture Lord in Jingyun Prefecture? What is it—have you made an important discovery?"

"Yes, Chief God." Bobo's firm reply made Lincoln look him over. Bobo was a very steady person and wasn't given to exaggeration. "While spreading the faith in Sain Plane, we discovered a Paragon High-God. He killed countless missionaries we sent there. When I went myself, I nearly died fighting him. He spared me only after realizing I was a Sovereign Envoy, and told me his name was Palhouse. He hopes we'll stop disturbing that plane."

Normally, when a Paragon High-God made such a request, the sensible thing to do was comply as much as possible to build goodwill. After all, who among the Chief Gods would pay attention to a mere Material Plane? Besides, reporting something like this would not only offend a Paragon, but also make the Chief God think the envoy incompetent—a thoroughly bad bargain. But as it happened, Bobo knew that his Chief God had been looking for this Water Element Paragon, hoping to spar with him and improve.

Lincoln's face lit up. "I've searched high and low, only to find it without effort. It's time I paid a visit to the only Water Element Paragon."