Linley

Biodata

Power Progression

Chapters below identify where each stage is established or recalled; several intermediate breakthroughs occur outside the supplied scenes.

History

Sculptor and Magical Genius

Linley belongs to the declining Baruch Clan of Wushan Town. While staying at the Huadeli Hotel with Yale, George, and their fourth dormitory brother, he considers returning home to see his father before visiting his younger brother in the O’Brien Empire. His advancement to Level Seven Mage has made ordinary dormitory life impractical because of the number of visitors seeking him out 113.

His sculpture Dream Awakening attracts prominent nobles, merchants, and Church officials to the Proulx Gallery. Delia purchases it after Cesar withdraws from the bidding. At the auction, Linley meets Cesar and Luo Feng, whose reputation has already made him a personal benchmark for Linley’s ambitions 115 116.

After returning to Wushan Town and learning of Hogg’s death, Linley becomes a marquis of the Fenlai Kingdom. Cesar subsequently visits his residence to commission a portrait sculpture 116.

Revenge Against Clayde and the Radiant Church

Linley uses Cesar’s offer of a reciprocal favor to request Clayde’s capture. He wants to interrogate the king about his missing mother, suspecting that she is dead or imprisoned. Cesar abducts Clayde and seals his battle-qi, allowing Linley to question and kill him 116 117 118.

The interrogation exposes the Radiant Church’s involvement in his mother’s death. Leinas discovers the killing and captures Linley despite Luo Feng’s earlier warning that the Church should leave him alone. Heidens fears both Linley’s Dragonblood Warrior potential and his exceptional magical talent 118.

At the turn of the Yulan Calendar’s ten-thousandth year, Luo Feng forces the Church to release him. Linley declines to have Luo Feng settle the feud, insisting that he will repay the blood debt himself once strong enough. Luo Feng destroys the Radiant Temple headquarters but leaves the larger conflict to him 119.

Training and Doehring Cowart’s Survival

Linley parts with his dormitory brothers and enters the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts with Bebe and his newly forged Black Jade Heavy Sword. Six ninth-rank special deacons ambush him there. As Doehring Cowart begins burning his soul to protect him, Luo Feng secretly sends a Saint-level Blood-Eyed Mane Lion to defeat the attackers. Both Linley and Doehring survive 120.

After healing him, Luo Feng explains the reason for his repeated assistance: Linley’s earlier removal of the Purple Blood Soft Sword from Mist Canyon’s formation opened an escape route from Gebados Prison. Luo Feng had returned through that route and considered himself indebted to Linley 121.

Before leaving, Luo Feng advises him to postpone direct retaliation until his transformed strength reaches the Saint Domain. Linley agrees to remain in secluded training until he becomes a ninth-rank warrior capable of reaching that level through Dragonform 122.

The Four Divine Beasts Clan and Planar Battlefield

In the Infernal Realm, Linley becomes an elder of the Azure Dragon Clan. When Delia falls unconscious, he is willing to bear any cost to save her. Luo Feng arrives at the Skyrite Mountains and heals her with Life Sovereign Power, ending Linley’s despair 162 163 181.

Luo Feng later gives him pointers on the Wind Element’s Profound Mysteries. Their friendship continues into the Planar Battlefield, where Luo Feng intercepts Benfield while Linley and Bebe are being pursued. Linley and Bebe subsequently join Leisjing’s team 166 180 181.

By the final battle, Linley stands alongside Luo Feng, Bluefire, and Dennington as one of their side’s four Paragon-level combatants. He selects Clementine as his opponent 187.

Sovereign Battles and Transcendence

During Luo Feng’s seclusion, Linley becomes a three-element Sovereign. He pays a heavy price to secure Lina’s freedom from Augusta, only to discover that Augusta has deceived him about releasing her from the control of an Angel Rebirth Pool 208.

Linley mortally wounds Augusta before Orloff can intervene. Orloff’s recovery of Augusta’s artifacts reveals that the two are the same person. Protected by three Overgod Artifacts, Orloff withstands Linley’s attacks and pursues him until Luo Feng intervenes 209.

When Orloff attacks the surrounding Sovereigns, Linley suffers devastating injuries and realizes that Luo Feng cannot protect everyone indefinitely. He kills the Lower Fire Sovereign Bote’er, refines his spark, and fuses all four types of Sovereign’s Might. The resulting transformation gives him enough strength to break Orloff’s sword 211 212.

Linley then saves Luo Feng from a failed breakthrough by supplying Hongmeng Power. Both transcend the universe and meet Hongmeng. Linley becomes a First-Level Hongmeng Controller, while Luo Feng’s assisted transcendence makes him a Second-Level Hongmeng Overgod. Afterward, Linley returns to the Infernal Realm and recreates Sovereign Sparks to replace those lost in the fighting 212 213 214.

Appearance

• Human form: Wears fitted warrior’s clothing during his wilderness training and sky-blue robes after becoming a Hongmeng Controller 120 214.
• Dragonform: Has dark-golden eyes, dragon scales, and a powerful tail capable of cutting furrows into the ground like a steel saber 120 211.
• After transcendence: His transformed presence carries an overwhelming sword intent that unsettles Orloff 212.

Personality

Linley is determined to earn the strength needed to resolve his own grievances. Even when Luo Feng offers to decide the Radiant Church’s fate, he chooses to pursue revenge through his own future efforts. He nevertheless accepts practical guidance, agreeing to train rather than launch attacks that would do little lasting damage 119 122.

His composure does not diminish his attachment to those closest to him. Doehring Cowart holds a place in his heart comparable to his father’s, and the prospect of losing Delia leaves him distraught. His final breakthrough is driven by the refusal to let Bebe, Beirut, Bluefire, and Luo Feng die alongside him 115 162 163 211.

He also distinguishes enmity from respect. After defeating Orloff, Linley still admires the obsessive determination behind his pursuit of transcendence and ultimately spares him 213.

Abilities & Skills

Dragonblood Warrior Transformation

Linley’s Azure Dragon bloodline allows him to assume a powerful Dragonform 65 118.

• Uses his tail as a cutting and striking weapon 120.
• Requires battle-qi to sustain the transformation; exhaustion forces him back into human form 121.
• His bloodline potential is sufficient for Heidens to regard his eventual Saint Domain advancement as a serious threat 118.

Magic and Elemental Laws

Linley cultivates both magic and martial arts. His elemental development ultimately encompasses Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire 4 187 210.

• His supreme elemental affinity gives him stronger early insight into Earth and Wind than Fire 4.
• Continues studying the Fire Laws while his original body and other divine clones work on combining his other elemental insights 187.
• Receives personal instruction from Luo Feng in the Wind Element’s Profound Mysteries 166.

Four-Element Soul Mutation

His unprecedented four-element soul mutation enables the fusion of different types of divine power and grants mutated Willpower 81 191.

• Provides Paragon-level or greater combat strength without making him a Paragon in an individual elemental Law 187 191.
• Later allows the fusion of four types of Sovereign’s Might into Hongmeng Power 210 211 212.
• His eventual transcendence also requires matching-rank Sovereign Sparks in Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire 213.

Stone Sculpting

Linley is recognized as a master sculptor, with Dream Awakening attracting both wealthy collectors and the Radiant Church 115.

• Cesar commissions a sculpture of himself and offers Linley a favor in return 116 117.
• Linley estimates that the commission requires only three days, though he requests a month to preserve time for other matters 117.
• Luo Feng identifies Flat Blade carving as an important contributor to Linley’s rapid magical development in the original story 19.

Hongmeng Controller Powers

After attaining a Hongmeng Body, Linley’s strength exceeds the limits of the universe’s established cultivation hierarchy 212 213.

• Breaks an Overgod Artifact with his bare hand 212.
• Supplies the energy that allows Luo Feng to survive and complete his own transcendence 212 213.
• Gains the ability to use the energy of any universe and calculate the fate of nearly every living being through the Hongmeng Golden Ranking 213.
• Condenses new Sovereign Sparks out of thin air 214.

Equipment & Works

• Coiling Dragon Ring — Houses Doehring Cowart’s surviving soul. Luo Feng’s recollections also identify it with Linley’s damaged soul-defense Sovereign Artifact 64 65 119.
• Purple Blood Soft Sword — Removed from a magic formation in Mist Canyon. Its removal inadvertently opens the escape route used by Dylan and Luo Feng to leave Gebados Prison 121.
• Black Jade Heavy Sword — Forged at Linley’s request by the patriarch of the Violet Flame Warrior Hyde Clan. He adopts it after finding the soft sword unsuitable for fully expressing his transformed strength 120.
• Life Overgod Sword — Wielded against Orloff. Orloff’s attacks are strong enough to drive the weapon back into Linley’s own body 210 211.
• Dream Awakening — Stone sculpture purchased by Delia at the Proulx Gallery auction 115.

Relationships

• Luo Feng — Initially an admired senior and protector; later a close friend and fellow transcendent. Their connection begins with Linley unknowingly enabling his escape from Gebados Prison. Linley ultimately repays his rescues by saving his breakthrough 116 121 212 213.
• Doehring Cowart — Mentor and grandfather figure, whom Linley calls “Grandpa Doehring.” Survives the deacon ambush through Luo Feng’s intervention and later becomes a god 115 120 127.
• Bebe — Magical beast companion and sworn brother. Seeks Luo Feng’s help when Linley is imprisoned and fights beside him on the Planar Battlefield 118 180 181.
• Delia — Wife and purchaser of Dream Awakening. Her prolonged unconsciousness prompts Linley to seek exceptional help 115 162 163.
• Wade — Son of Linley and Delia, born in the Infernal Realm 163.
• Hogg — Father. Linley learns of his death after returning to Wushan Town 115 116.
• Lina — Mother. Discovering her fate drives Linley’s feud with Clayde and the Radiant Church; freeing her later brings him into conflict with Augusta 116 118 208.
• Wharton — Younger brother, who studies at Philipzi Warrior Academy and later joins the gathering at Dragonblood Castle 113 127.
• Yale and George — Dormitory brothers who call him “Third Bro.” Yale offers the Dawson Chamber of Commerce’s protection before Linley chooses wilderness training 113 120.
• Cesar — Sculpting admirer who captures Clayde in exchange for a portrait sculpture 116 117 118.
• Hongmeng — Welcomes Linley as his third brother and guides him through joining the Hongmeng Golden Ranking 213.

Notable Quotes

“One day, I'll reach Lord Luo Feng's level of strength too, Grandpa Doehring.” 116

“But this is between the Radiant Church and me. I want to wait until the day I've become strong enough, then come back and settle this blood debt with my own hands.” 119

“I have a new name now: Lin Meng.” 213