Linley

Biodata

Power Progression

Linley’s normal warrior rank and transformed combat strength are recorded separately where the text distinguishes them.

History

Childhood and Enrollment

Linley grew up in Wushan Town as a descendant of the declining Baruch Clan. He understood his father Hogg’s desire to restore the clan’s former glory and shared that ambition. In spring 9990, eight-year-old Linley entered the Ernst Institute, where his enrollment retest confirmed exceptional earth and wind affinities and high-grade spiritual power 14 15.

On his first day, Linley experienced a powerful bloodline resonance around Haoyue Bolei. Recognizing the Bolei surname, he correctly suspected that Haoyue belonged to the Tiger-Striped Warrior lineage. Haoyue welcomed him as a younger brother, and their respective dormitories became close. Linley regularly trained and exchanged cultivation insights with him on the mountain behind the institute 14 15.

His Family’s Relocation

When Linley was eleven, Haoyue visited the Baruch residence and privately told Hogg the truth about Lina’s abduction and sacrifice by the Radiant Church. Linley was excluded from that conversation. Haoyue subsequently provided money and a magical-beast escort so Hogg, Wharton, and their household could relocate to the O’Brien Empire 18 19.

Linley remained behind to continue his studies. He thanked Haoyue for protecting his family, while Hogg urged him to train diligently and promised to bring him to the imperial capital once the household was settled 19.

Alice and *Dream Awakening*

Encouraged by Doehring Cowart and Haoyue to gain practical experience, Linley trained in the Magical Beasts Mountain Range. During this journey, he rescued Alice Dawson from magical beasts. Their subsequent correspondence developed into a romance 24.

The relationship ended after Alice became involved with Kalan Debs. Her father’s gambling debts had placed her family under pressure from the Debs Clan, but Linley ultimately interpreted her affectionate behavior with Kalan as a willing choice. His heartbreak disrupted his concentration so severely that his magical cultivation stalled 24 25.

Following Doehring’s advice, Linley poured his emotions into stone carving. He spent ten days creating five statues of Alice, collectively titled Dream Awakening. The effort exhausted him physically but freed him from his emotional fixation, raising his spiritual power to Level Seven. After recovering, he reached Level Seven in both earth and wind magic 25.

Bloodline Awakening and Graduation

Linley returned to the mountains seeking Blue Heart Grass and dragon blood to activate his inherited bloodline. In Mist Valley, he and Bebe gathered more than 160 stalks of the grass, but a large flock of dragons forced them into an underground cave and sealed the entrance. Haoyue intervened when a dying Spined Iron-Armored Dragon attacked Linley 27 28.

Rather than use the Iron-Armored Dragon’s blood, Haoyue secured blood from the Saint-level Tyrannosaurus Pawalei. Linley endured the painful awakening ritual and gained the ability to transform into a Dragonblood Warrior. Haoyue then spent three days teaching him to control his new strength and improve his combat technique 30 31.

At seventeen, Linley graduated as the youngest Level Seven Mage graduate in Ernst Institute history, surpassing Haoyue’s graduation-age record. He declined recruitment by the Radiant Church and accepted the Fenlai king’s appointment as Marquis of Wushan Town. Delia’s purchase of Dream Awakening for twelve million gold coins supplied the funds needed to reclaim the Baruch Clan’s ancestral saber, Slaughter 32.

Revenge Against Fenlai’s Rulers

Haoyue eventually revealed that King Clayde and Duke Paterson had arranged Lina’s capture and delivery to the Radiant Church. Linley initially tried to rush out for revenge, but accepted that he needed greater strength. He insisted on avenging his mother personally and committed himself to Haoyue’s gravity-assisted training 33.

After being rejected as a prospective disciple by the Ascetic Fallen Leaf, Linley attended Kalan’s engagement banquet. He killed Paterson that night, with Haoyue disposing of the body and helping establish an alibi. Despite his break with Alice, Linley later agreed to protect her from Chancellor Merritt’s coercion, while refusing to promise that he could overturn the Debs Clan’s legitimate smuggling charges 34 35.

Using a poison formula supplied by Cesar and ingredients obtained through Yale, Linley prepared six bottles of Hemolytic Poison. He feigned a training injury to lure Clayde to his residence, poisoned the king’s wine, and attacked in Dragonblood Warrior form. With the borrowed Purple Blood Soft Sword, he struck the same point on Clayde’s Destiny Guard seven times, shattered it, and cut the king’s throat. Haoyue occupied Heidens long enough for Linley to escape 35 36 37 38 39.

The Beast Tide and Hess City

Now a wanted criminal, Linley hid with Haoyue at the old Baruch residence. After Haoyue warned him of the approaching magical beast tide, Linley persuaded Wushan Town’s elders to organize an evacuation, demonstrating gravity and levitation magic to establish his credibility. On January 1, 10000, he led the remaining townspeople north while Haoyue delayed the beasts 40.

Near Hess City, Linley ambushed and killed Clayde’s successor, Kale Fenlai, and took his spatial ring. He also obtained the Black Jade Heavy Sword, forged with the Violetflame Clan’s help. Soon afterward, six Peak Ninth Rank Radiant Church deacons surrounded him outside the city 43 44 46.

Linley and Bebe were badly wounded in the battle. Doehring prepared to sacrifice his soul to save them, but Haoyue arrived and killed all six deacons before the sacrifice occurred. After receiving healing, Linley thanked Doehring for his willingness to protect him and departed eastward with Haoyue and Bebe 44.

Mountain Cultivation and the Steller Ambush

During their subsequent travels and cultivation, Linley relayed Doehring’s earth-magic lessons to Haoyue and benefited from their shared study. Haoyue also explained a possible route for Doehring to regain a body through deityhood, giving Linley hope for his mentor’s future 45.

After two and a half years in the mountains, Linley had reached Level Eight in magic and Battle-qi. He proposed leaving for the O’Brien Empire and, during the journey, comprehended the Momentum of Heaven and Earth while watching a river. This inspiration produced his Triple Wave technique 46 47.

Linley subsequently helped Haoyue free Sessler and rescue seventeen captives intended for the Radiant Church’s sacrifices. At Red Rock Gorge, he challenged the Saint-level Steller during an operation to rescue Barker and his four brothers. Triple Wave blocked Steller’s opening attack, but Linley was overwhelmed by the Saint’s strength, forcing Haoyue to take over 48 49.

Appearance

Linley develops from a composed child into a handsome young man with a tall, resolute bearing 14 24 46.

• Build: Exceeds 1.8 meters in height by the end of the two-and-a-half-year mountain training period 46.
• Usual clothing: Wears institute robes while studying; later appears in fitted black clothes with a blade on his back and the Coiling Dragon Ring on his hand 24 26.
• Dragonblood transformation: Develops cyan or azure scales, a forehead horn, sharp spinal bone spikes, and a cyan tail nearly two meters long. His body becomes taller and more muscular, and golden light appears in his pupils during the awakening 30 31.
• Early hair descriptions: Chapter 14 alternately describes his hair as brown and black 14.

Personality

Even at eight, Linley displays unusual composure and courtesy. He is receptive to instruction and persistent in practice: when the Purple Blood Soft Sword initially proves difficult to control, he repeats its movements until he begins mastering them that same afternoon 14 15 31.

Linley feels attachments intensely. His first romance leaves him vulnerable to prolonged grief, but he eventually channels that pain into art and renewed dedication to his clan. His compassion survives the breakup: he agrees to stop Merritt from exploiting Alice without excusing the Debs Clan’s crimes 24 25 35.

His loyalty to loved ones can also become fierce anger. He reacts violently to the truth about Lina and to Bebe’s injuries, yet learns to restrain himself around Paterson until an opportunity for revenge arises. Despite being wanted, he risks revealing himself to warn Wushan Town’s residents of the beast tide 33 34 40 44.

Abilities & Skills

Dragonblood Warrior Transformation

• Activates his ancestral bloodline through the Dragonblood Secret Manual, Saint-level dragon blood, and Blue Heart Grass 30.
• Raises his combat strength above his normal warrior rank: Level Six becomes Level Eight, while Level Seven supports Early Ninth Rank combat power 31 36.
• Requires control as well as strength. Immediately after awakening, Haoyue identifies his excessive reliance on raw power and insufficient speed and technique 31.
• Does not eliminate the gap to Saint-level experts; Steller overwhelms him despite his Peak Ninth Rank transformation 49.

Earth and Wind Magic

• Earthguard Armor: Uses the seventh-level defensive spell in Mist Valley, though sustained attacks from numerous eighth-level dragons break it apart 27.
• Flight and mobility: Employs Wings of Wind, levitation, and wind magic that accelerates himself and Haoyue 27 30 40.
• Gravity Spell: Triples gravity throughout a hall to demonstrate his magical strength to Wushan Town’s elders 40.
• Elemental study: Develops his understanding through Doehring’s instruction, shared study with Haoyue, and early insight into gravity as a world law 33 45.

Swordsmanship

• Wielding the Heavy as Though It Were Light: Controls the enormous weight of the Black Jade Heavy Sword without sacrificing its destructive force 46.
• Soft-sword techniques: Learns flexible attacks, weapon wrapping, slicing, and wrist-driven flicking from Haoyue 31.
• Precision thrusts: Uses seven consecutive strikes on one point to break Clayde’s Destiny Guard 38.
• Development limit: Wielding Something Light as Though It Were Heavy remains his next objective when he demonstrates his heavy-sword attainment 46.

Momentum of Heaven and Earth: Triple Wave

• Draws on the surrounding world’s power through his sword movements 47.
• Delivers three successive waves, each stronger than the last 47.
• Shatters Steller’s initial ice-blade attack; the second wave is described as surpassing Peak Ninth Rank power 49.
• Cannot penetrate Haoyue’s Roundness Sword Technique during their sparring match 47.

Flat Blade Style Sculpting

• Reaches grandmaster-level carving skill by thirteen, with Doehring judging his sculpting talent even greater than his cultivation talent 21.
• Trains spiritual energy and fine control through concentrated carving 20 25.
• Creates the five-statue masterpiece Dream Awakening, whose emotional release enables his Level Seven breakthrough 25.
• Helps Haoyue learn and practice the style 20 24.

Poison Preparation

• Prepares six bottles of Hemolytic Poison with Haoyue’s assistance, using Cesar’s formula and ingredients gathered through Yale 35 36.
• Conceals the colorless, tasteless poison in Clayde’s wine before beginning his assassination attempt 37.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Coiling Dragon Ring — Ring housing Doehring Cowart’s surviving soul, allowing Linley to receive his guidance and relay his words to Haoyue 26 44 45.
• Black Jade Heavy Sword — A 3,600-jin weapon forged with the Violetflame Clan’s help in Hess City; used for his heavy-sword techniques and Triple Wave 44 46 47.
• Purple Blood Soft Sword — borrowed — A divine artifact blood-bound to Haoyue. Linley uses it for training, against Clayde, and against the six deacons, but cannot access its full power. He returns it after the Hess City rescue 31 38 44.
• Flat Blade — A carving tool given to him by Haoyue and used to create Dream Awakening 25.
• Slaughter — The Baruch Clan’s ancestral saber, located with the Lucas Clan; the Dream Awakening auction provides sufficient money to reclaim it 32.
• Kale Fenlai’s spatial ring — Taken after Linley kills Kale near Hess City 43.
• Magical crystal cores — Receives the Purple-Striped Black Bear’s and Spined Iron-Armored Dragon’s cores from Haoyue 30.

Relationships

• Haoyue Bolei — Older-brother figure, cultivation partner, and combat instructor. Helps awaken Linley’s bloodline, protects his family, supports his revenge, and repeatedly saves his life 15 19 30 31 39 44.
• Doehring Cowart — Mentor and grandfather figure. Teaches magic and sculpting, regards Linley as his grandson, and is willing to sacrifice his soul to save him 21 25 44 45.
• Bebe — Close magical-beast companion who scouts, fights, and shields Linley from danger. Both refuse to abandon the other during the deacons’ attack 26 27 44.
• Hogg Baruch — Father. His devotion to the Baruch Clan’s restoration strongly influences Linley’s ambitions 15 19.
• Lina — Mother, abducted and sacrificed by the Radiant Church. Learning her fate becomes the basis of Linley’s revenge against Paterson, Clayde, and the Church 18 33.
• Wharton Baruch — Younger brother, who relocates with Hogg to the O’Brien Empire and enters a warrior academy 18 24.
• Yale Dawson — Roommate and trusted friend. Supports Linley through his breakup and obtains the ingredients for Hemolytic Poison 15 24 36.
• Reynolds and George — Fellow residents of Dormitory 1987 15.
• Kaluo, Lei’en, and Luo’en — Haoyue’s roommates, who welcome Linley into their circle and offer him help at the institute 15.
• Alice Dawson — First love and subject of Dream Awakening. Their relationship ends when she chooses Kalan, though Linley later helps protect her from Merritt 24 25 35.
• Delia — Purchases Dream Awakening for twelve million gold coins, helping Linley finance the recovery of Slaughter 32.
• Clayde and Paterson — Targets of Linley’s revenge for their roles in Lina’s capture and sacrifice; both are killed by him 33 34 38.
• Sessler — Rescued ally who joins the operation against the Radiant Church’s prisoner convoy 48 49.

Notable Quotes

“From now on, I'll devote myself to training, only for myself and the Baruch Clan. I won't wear myself down over love anymore.” 25

“This is my revenge. I have to take it myself.” 33

Trivia

• Record inconsistency: Chapter 25 presents seventeen-year-old Linley as breaking the continental record for reaching Level Seven Mage. Chapter 32 instead calls him the continent’s second-youngest Level Seven Mage, behind an unnamed sixteen-year-old, while maintaining his record as Ernst Institute’s youngest Level Seven graduate 25 32.