A Paragon's Recognition

The Paragon's Recognition

Strictly speaking, Palhouse wasn't from the Sain Plane. Perhaps he'd lived there so long that he'd developed some affection for it—and a sense of ownership.

After hearing about Palhouse, Lincoln didn't waste a moment. His Water Divine Clone and Wind Divine Clone immediately switched places.

Lake of Sighs on the Sain Plane was shrouded in endless, thin mist. Towering mountains rose along its shore, while countless white cranes, orioles, and swallows soared freely between heaven and earth. Fish of every color swam through the water. The only pity was that the ruins of a great city stood by the lake, half-hidden among its waters, seeming to sigh without end.

A middle-aged man with a round face, a stocky build, and shoulder-length green hair floated above the lake. Leaves swirled through the air and settled on him and on the water, breaking the stillness.

Lincoln found Palhouse there, losing himself in the landscape, carefree and at peace.

Feeling Lincoln's arrival, Palhouse dropped his Paragon airs. He strolled across the water, quietly approached, and studied the Chief God Lincoln he'd heard about during the preaching.

"When the Sovereign Army came to preach, demanding that people worship Chief God Lincoln, I suspected there was only one Lincoln of any renown in all the planes. But I could hardly believe you'd become a Chief God. Seeing you with my own eyes, I have no choice but to believe it." Palhouse had a naturally melancholy air that made people feel for him.

"So there really is someone who can become a Chief God, even with the arrangement of Sovereign Sparks settled as it is today. Palhouse pays his respects, Chief God!"

Palhouse didn't kneel in formal obeisance, and Lincoln didn't mind. That was the customary way of things—the pride of a Paragon.

"May I ask why you've come, Chief God? Surely a mere Material Plane isn't worth your attention."

Lincoln smiled faintly. "It doesn't interest me, of course. Palhouse, if you want this plane, take it. I came here to spar with you."

Palhouse gave a helpless smile. "You flatter me, Chief God. Whenever a Chief God with a Water Divine Clone encounters me, they want to fight me in hopes of breaking through to Paragon. Unfortunately, none of them has ever succeeded."

Lincoln kept smiling. "Whether I succeed is up to me. Whether we fight is up to you."

Lincoln had only just become a Chief God back then. Now, he was sure no Paragon would let his strongest Divine Clone enter the Chines Material Plane. And as long as they weren't in a Chief God's home Material Plane, Paragon High-Gods within a Material Plane were absolutely invincible.

That was the consensus formed over countless years. After all, since the beginning of time, no Chief God's clone had ever become a Paragon, and no Super Divine Beast had ever become a Paragon High-God.

So Lincoln didn't try to threaten or tempt Palhouse. Such tactics only worked when information was uneven or the gap in strength was overwhelming.

"If the Chief God is in the mood, Palhouse would be glad to oblige!"

Palhouse smiled faintly and pinched the air. A droplet of water rose, sweeping up a vast surge that transformed into a long dragon and roared toward Lincoln.

Lincoln was just as unyielding. With a wave of his hand, a transparent, spherical barrier made entirely of water appeared, firmly shielding him.

The water dragon crashed fiercely against the barrier, but it didn't budge. Lincoln didn't stop there. He conjured countless shards of ice that shot toward Palhouse like a barrage of spears.

But just then, the barrier suddenly collapsed. Slender ice needles appeared silently in the water dragon's wake. They surged forward, shattering Lincoln's ice shards and continuing on.

Lincoln was slightly surprised by the force of Palhouse's attack. He brought his right hand to his chest and clenched it hard. Fine threads of ice, as thin as hair and appearing from nowhere, locked the needles in place.

Just as Lincoln was about to press his attack, he realized he was trapped in vast, dense fog that cut off Divine Sense. He had lost sight of his "enemy" and could no longer find his bearings.

"What a terrifying use of Mysteries of Fog Illusion. Milotic is nowhere near his level. I wonder if a Destiny Paragon could surpass him in this regard." Lincoln quietly contemplated its intricacies. At the same time, starting from his feet, his entire body transformed into water elemental essence, then into mist, merging with the fog.

If he couldn't find you, he'd charge straight at your techniques!

Gradually, the fog's interference and isolation gave way to an intense pressure. The sounds of wind and thunder seeped out.

It wasn't interference from Wind Divine Power or Thunder Element Divine Power, but the clash of Divine Senses becoming almost tangible.

After a long while, two clouds of mist separated from the fog. Each took shape, revealing Lincoln and Palhouse.

Both men stared at each other gravely, fine beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads.

Palhouse spoke. "Your mastery of the Laws is a hair's breadth short of Paragon, and you have eighty percent of the Willpower. Yet compared with us, you're only a fraction weaker. Among the Chief Gods I've met, your Divine Clone is the strongest."

Lincoln's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit. "I'm a hair's breadth behind you in the fusion of Laws, and a hair's breadth behind you in Willpower. But we won't know who's weaker until the fight is over!"

Palhouse nodded. "Exactly. Without that indomitable spirit, even those of us blessed with extraordinary talent could never have reached Paragon. So today, I must show you, Chief God, that a Paragon's strength comes from more than just Willpower and that final sliver of the Laws and Mysteries."

As he spoke, Palhouse's figure gradually disappeared into the fog. Lincoln sensed dangerous auras beginning to form around him, growing denser by the moment.

Suddenly, something incredibly fine and unknown tore into, penetrated, and dissolved his entire body. His Divine Power could barely repair the damage.

"I've already fought a Wind Element Paragon. What could a Water Element Paragon do that's worse?" Lincoln gave a cold laugh. His Divine Power flowed at his will, and he truly put the Profound Mystery of Roundness to use.

In terms of attack, Water Element was inferior to Wind Element; in terms of defense, Wind Element was inferior to Water Element.

Lincoln transformed into a water serpent. Every attack was like trying to cut water with a knife—utterly pointless. The serpent sprouted hazy water wings. They beat again and again, leaving faint rainbows in their wake and scattering some of Palhouse's fog. Then its tail suddenly transformed into a stream that surged skyward. In an instant, a misty drizzle pattered down, colliding fiercely with the world of fog.

After a long battle in which neither could gain the upper hand, the fog finally began to disperse. Palhouse's figure reappeared.

Curious, he asked, "You said you've fought a Wind Element Paragon. Does that mean a Paragon has finally appeared in this world?"

Lincoln shook his head. Though Palhouse was a Paragon High-God and understood some of the relationships among the Chief Gods, he didn't know much. "There's only one Wind Element Paragon in the world right now: the Wind Sovereign Teresia. My Wind Divine Clone and his Sovereign Clone both set aside Willpower and fought to our hearts' content."

Palhouse took a moment to process that, then pressed on. "And who won?"

Lincoln sighed. "It ended in a draw, just like today."