Linley stayed in the capital of the Yulan Empire for about half a year.
The Purple Blood Soft Sword in his hands was much calmer than when he first saw it. The Tempos of the Wind, fast and slow, had gradually been honed from a momentary stroke of luck into an almost instinctive skill. He still went to the lake outside the city to practice his sword every day, but now when he sheathed his sword, the lake surface would not even ripple—not because his strength had weakened, but because the wind was too pure, so pure that even the water could not detect its presence.
He read through the ancient scrolls that Delia had found for him, one by one. The intricacies of Laws of Wind and spatial power within them gave him a clearer understanding of that path.
He had thought that he could continue living such a peaceful life for a while longer.
That night, Linley was sitting cross-legged in meditation when Bebe suddenly sprang up from the corner of the wall, his hair standing on end, and let out a sharp growl towards the window.
Linley suddenly opened his eyes.
The night sky outside the window was eerily quiet. Moonlight shone into the courtyard, and even the chirping of insects vanished. It was as if an invisible hand was holding the world still.
"Someone's coming," Linley said in a deep voice, gripping his sword and rising.
Before the words were finished, the moonlight in the courtyard was suddenly blocked by two figures.
The first person, dressed in a black and gold robe, stood with his hands behind his back—it was Useno. But what truly made Linley's heart sink was the figure beside him—wearing a gray-white robe, with a gaunt face, yet exuding an aura as unfathomable as Useno's.
That was Leiming, a renowned Peak Saint Realm expert of the O'Brien Empire, and also a weapon secretly kept by the Radiant Church for many years.
" Linley," Useno's voice was calm, almost gentle, "I've said it before, the Radiant Church and you will settle your score. Tonight is that day."
"Two Peak Saint Realm joining forces to kill a Saint Realm Mid-Stage brat like me." Linley stood with his sword in hand, but his voice showed no panic. " Useno, you think more highly of me than I thought."
"I have to respect you," Leiming said, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against sheet metal. "Your Tempos of the Wind, could wound Old Wusen, and it could wound me too. I'm the kind of person who never gives my opponent a second chance."
Since they couldn't agree on anything, Useno made the first move.
He delivered the same straightforward palm strike, devoid of any fancy moves, but this time, there was no trace of contempt—the full power of the Peak Saint Realm, enveloped in a heavy holy light, pressed down upon him. Linley raised his sword to meet it, the Tempos of the Wind condensing into a line at the tip of his sword, barely managing to block the palm strike. But just then, Leiming roared.
He cut in from the side, a withered palm silently striking Linley's waist. Just as Linley was about to dodge, Useno's holy light suddenly contracted and expanded, forcing him to pause. In that brief moment of hesitation, Leiming's palm had already struck him squarely in the ribs.
A muffled "bang" was heard.
Linley's entire body was slammed into the courtyard wall as if hit by a tank, causing half of the bluestone wall to collapse with a crash. He struggled to his feet, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and the old and new wounds on his chest reopened under this blow.
The two Peak Saint Realm experts joined forces with perfect coordination, one suppressing and the other launching a sneak attack, giving him no chance to breathe. Even with the protection of the Tempos of the Wind, Linley could only parry and had no power to retaliate.
Bebe had already transformed. It had grown from a small beast into a ten-zhang-long behemoth with gleaming fangs, and it roared as it pounced on Useno. But Useno, a Peak Saint Realm, didn't take it seriously at all. With a single palm strike, he sent Bebe flying, crashing through several large trees along the courtyard wall, before it tumbled to the ground and struggled to its feet.
"Even beasts get in the way." Leiming sneered, pressing his withered hand down on Bebe from afar. An invisible force pinned it to the ground, rendering it unable to move.
" Bebe!" Linley screamed hoarsely, his dragon blood surging and his entire body covered in dragon scales. He risked taking a palm strike from Useno, forcibly breaking free and slashing at Leiming with his sword. But before the sword was even halfway through, Useno had already closed in from behind and kicked him hard in the back.
Linley's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood that he could no longer suppress.
He struggled to lift his head. Two Peak Saint Realm experts stood side by side under the moonlight, looking down at him with eyes as if they were looking at a dying, trapped beast.
" Linley," Useno said calmly, "No matter how high your talent, no matter how wonderful your Tempos of the Wind, it all ends here tonight. Your sword will never have another chance to reach me."
Linley braced himself on his arms and slowly straightened up again. He gripped his sword, his knuckles white, blood dripping down the blade. Bebe struggled and growled in the distance, desperately trying to crawl to his side.
He knew that tonight was likely to be a terrible night. But he was unwilling to close his eyes like this. His five brothers were still waiting for him, and Delia was still in the house. He had promised her that he would live well.
Just as Useno and Leiming raised their hands again, preparing to end his life with a single blow—
A familiar aura suddenly broke through the sky from the south.
Linley shuddered. He was all too familiar with that aura—it was Doehring. Doehring, who had now condensed a divine body, stepped into the Deity Realm, and was stationed in the Chaotic Territory. Before he arrived at the Yulan Empire, he had sent someone to report to the mountains, and he had also thought that if he really encountered an opponent that was difficult to resist, his teacher would not stand idly by.
But he didn't expect Doehring to arrive so quickly.
Even before the aura had fully appeared, Useno and Leiming's expressions changed drastically. Peak Saint Realm, they were most sensitive to power, and the moment that aura appeared, they simultaneously realized that the newcomer was not at a level they could even look up to.
An aged figure slowly descended from the night sky. The man had gray hair and beard, and was not tall, but his eyes were frighteningly clear. There was no fluctuation of his aura around him. He just stood there calmly in the courtyard, yet the two Peak Saint Realm experts did not dare to move an inch.
" Doehring Cowart!" Useno spat out the words through clenched teeth, his voice trembling, "You weren't in the Chaotic Territory... How... how could you be here!"
"My disciple is practicing swordsmanship in the Yulan Empire. I had nothing better to do, so I came to see him. Is that not allowed?" Doehring said calmly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the two men. "But you two, coming to my disciple's residence in the dead of night, are you here to collect his corpse?"
Useno and Leiming exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes—tonight, it's over.
They had calculated everything, but they only anticipated that Linley would be alone in the Yulan Empire, with only a Saint Realm magical beast and that little beast by his side. They never expected that the Deity Level powerhouse who was rumored to Chaotic Territory would actually be personally guarding his disciple's side.
"Go!" Leiming shouted, no longer harboring any intention of continuing the fight. The two of them flashed and transformed into light, disappearing into the vast night sky in an instant, as fast as if they were fleeing for their lives. They didn't even dare to leave behind a single polite word.
Silence returned to the courtyard.
Linley, leaning on his sword, stared at the aged figure with his back to him, his throat tightening, and it took him a long time to finally utter, " Doehring... Grandpa."
"Hmm." Doehring turned around, looking at his disciple who was covered in wounds but refused to fall. A moment of tenderness appeared in his eyes, but then his expression returned to its usual calm. "Injured like this, you still want to act tough. Heal your wounds first, then we'll talk about other things."
He raised his hand, and a gentle light fell on Linley and Bebe, causing their ruptured wounds to heal slowly at a visible speed.
"Grandpa Doehring," Linley asked in a low voice, "Weren't you in the Chaotic Territory? How did you get here so quickly?"
"You sent someone to inform the mountain, so I became more cautious," Doehring said calmly. "Those people from the Radiant Church aren't giving up; they'll come after you sooner or later. I was worried, so I came ahead of time. I just didn't expect them to actually dare send two Peak Saint Realm."
Linley looked at him, at the old man who had protected him since childhood, taught him magic, and now appeared out of nowhere when his life was hanging by a thread. His eyes welled up with tears, but he ultimately said nothing and only nodded heavily.
Under the moonlight, the aged figure stood in the center of the courtyard, silently guarding this place for him. In the distance, Delia had appeared by the door at some point, clutching a lamp in her hand, her eyes slightly red, but she did not go forward to disturb him.