The Limits of the Saint Level

Yulan Calendar, year 10023. The Arctic Icefield.

This was the northernmost point of the Yulan Continent, at the far end of the North Sea. Snow and ice covered this vast land year-round, and white glaciers stretched to the horizon. Bitter winds howled, and the temperatures were so low that even warriors with weaker battle qi could not endure them.

An had spent fourteen full years training on this icefield.

Fourteen years earlier, he had escaped from the underground caverns of the Luo'ao Empire. Gravely wounded, he had traveled north until he finally reached this legendary icefield. At its edge, he had found a natural ice cave, where he recovered and trained.

Now, An stood atop an ice mountain that towered tens of thousands of feet high, his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes closed.

Gales howled around him, and snowflakes danced in the air, yet not a single flake could land on him.

An had "become" the wind. His consciousness merged with it. This was the Saint-level Limit: comprehending an elemental mystery to ninety-nine percent, with only the final sliver remaining before complete mastery and ascension to godhood.

Fourteen years of arduous training had brought An's comprehension of the Wind Dimension mystery to this point. He was only one final step away from becoming a Lowgod.

"An." A gentle voice came from behind him.

An opened his eyes and turned. The newcomer was a middle-aged man in blue robes, with a refined face and long, silvery-white hair draped over his shoulders. This was Rutherford, one of the Yulan Continent's five experts at the Saint-level Limit. He spent most of his time on the Arctic Icefield, cultivating the water law. He had met An during An's third year on the icefield. After several sparring matches, they had developed a mutual appreciation and become friends.

"Senior Rutherford." An gave a slight nod.

Rutherford walked over to An and gazed across the vast icefield. "Your comprehension of the Wind Dimension mystery has advanced again," he said with a sigh of admiration. "For a moment just now, I felt your presence merge completely with the wind. Even I couldn't pinpoint your location. How much longer until you become a god?"

An considered it. "It's hard to say. I might comprehend the final tenth tomorrow, or it might take ten years. It could even take a hundred."

Rutherford smiled. "That's how cultivation goes. I've been stuck at the Saint-level Limit for thousands of years, and I still don't know when I'll become a god."

An nodded. As long as Saint-level experts were not killed, they could live forever. Time was a cultivator's greatest ally, and also the most merciless judge.

"Are you leaving?" Rutherford asked.

An nodded. "I've spent fourteen years on the Arctic Icefield. It's time to go back."

Rutherford did not try to stop him. He took a blue crystal from inside his robes and handed it to An. "This is a communication crystal I crafted in my early years. Infuse it with battle qi, and you can contact me. If you run into trouble, come to me anytime. Of course, with your current strength, there aren't many people left on the Yulan Continent who could cause you trouble."

An accepted the crystal and put it in his Interspatial Ring. "Thank you, Senior."

Rutherford waved a hand and turned to leave. His figure receded across the icefield until it vanished into the wind and snow.

An took one last look at the Arctic Icefield, then rose into the air and flew south.

An moved incredibly fast. His flying speed far surpassed what it had been fourteen years earlier, and in less than half a day, he had flown from the Arctic Icefield back to the Yulan Continent.

He went to the Luo'ao Empire first.

Fourteen years earlier, An had destroyed the core of the Sacrificial Magic Array. Although the Dark Church had tried to repair it, the loss of the core runes made the task immensely difficult. Moreover, throughout those fourteen years, Elena and her followers had continually destroyed the Dark Church's strongholds within the Luo'ao Empire, bringing the sacrificial plan to a complete standstill.

The Chaotic Territory, the Baruch Empire.

Over those fourteen years, the Baruch Kingdom had officially become the Baruch Empire, and Wharton had become its emperor. Hogg was the retired emperor, while Linley oversaw the empire's military and defenses.

The empire's territory stretched from the Chaotic Territory to the central Yulan Continent, bordering the O'Brien Empire, the Luo'ao Empire, and the Yulan Empire. Under Wharton's rule, the empire flourished, and its people lived and worked in peace. Of course, much of this was thanks to the Baruch Clan's strength. Linley, An, and Wharton-three Dragonblood Warriors-along with the Barker Five Brothers, three Saint-level dragons, and Bebe formed a lineup powerful enough to keep any faction from acting rashly.

An landed before the imperial palace of the Baruch Empire.

The guards at the palace gates were startled by the figure descending from the sky. Then they recognized An's face and excitedly dropped to one knee. "Lord An! You've returned!"

An nodded and strode into the palace.

The news quickly spread throughout the palace. Wharton was reviewing memorials in his study when he heard that An had returned. He dropped his pen and rushed out. Linley, who was guiding Taylor and Sasha's training at the Training Ground in the rear courtyard, hurried over as well. Hogg emerged from his chambers and spotted An from afar, his eyes reddening slightly.

Fourteen years was not long for a Saint-level expert, but for a father who had not seen his son in fourteen years, every day was an ordeal.

"Second Brother!" Wharton was the first to rush over, pulling An into a bear hug.

An smiled and patted Wharton's back. "Wharton, you're an emperor now, yet you're still so impulsive."

Wharton released An and chuckled. "In front of everyone else, I'm the emperor. In front of you, I'm just your little brother."

Linley walked over. The brothers exchanged a glance, and a hint of gladness flashed in Linley's eyes.

"An, now that you're back, you won't leave again, will you?" Hogg stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly.

An took his father's hand. "I won't. At least, not before I become a god."

Hogg froze for a moment, then smiled. Becoming a god—those words had come from his own son. In the Baruch Clan's thousands of years of history, it had never produced a God-level expert. If An could become a god, the Baruch Clan would truly stand at the summit of the Yulan Continent.

That evening, a grand family banquet was held in the palace. Wharton, Nina, Taylor, Sasha, Xini, the Barker Five Brothers, Bebe, Haeru, and the three Saint-level dragons were all present. Laughter filled the hall as cups were raised and passed around.

An sat beside Linley, and the two drank as they talked about everything that had happened over the years.

"Big Brother, how have things been in the Chaotic Territory these past few years?" An asked.

Linley set down his wine cup, his expression turning serious. "Stable overall, but there's been some trouble lately."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Three years ago, the empire discovered a large Magic Crystal Ore Vein on its western border. The reserves are enormous, and the quality is excellent. It could supply the empire's magical energy needs for several hundred years."

An's brow furrowed slightly.

"The Radiant Church and the Dark Church both claim sovereignty over that area," Linley continued. "Their armies have been facing off around the deposit for over a year. There hasn't been a full-scale war, but the smaller clashes have never stopped. A few days ago, Wharton received intelligence that both churches had sent additional Saint-level experts to the mining area. They seem to have reached some sort of unspoken agreement to join forces against us first, then fight over the deposit."

An fell silent for a moment.

"Big Brother, what do you plan to do?" An asked.

A cold gleam flashed through Linley's eyes. "If they dare attack, I'll make sure none of them return. The empire is more than twice as strong as it was fourteen years ago. Bebe, Barker, and Ankh and Gates of the five brothers have also broken through to the Saint level. With the three Saint-level dragons and you as well, we have no reason to fear them."

An nodded and said no more.

The Magic Crystal Ore Vein lay on the western border of the Baruch Empire, in a stretch of barren hills. Its entrance was beneath a low hill, around which makeshift camps and fortifications had already been built. The empire had stationed five thousand soldiers there, under the command of a Ninth-Level Warrior.