"Boom!""Boom!""Boom!"...
In Wushan Town, intermittent collision sounds still echoed. After a short while, not a single stone remained in the sky. All the boulders had been completely shattered by the green-clad middle-aged man. However, the townspeople of Wushan had no energy left to pay attention to the battle above.
"Lord Hogg, the situation in Wushan Town is dire. Just now—Lord Hogg? What's wrong with you?" Hillman burst into the manor, urgently reporting, but upon seeing Hogg's dazed and blank expression, he couldn't help but ask.
Hogg trembled, his mind finally clearing: "Linley." Hogg suddenly charged toward the storeroom direction at a terrifying speed. Hillman, witnessing this, guessed what had happened and immediately followed.
*Bang!* Before Hogg could reach it, the pile of rubble crushing steward Hiri, Linley, Warton, and the others was blasted apart.
Steward Hiri straightened up from the debris.
"Uncle Hiri, how are they?" Hogg's voice trembled slightly. His gaze fell on the figures lying on the ground. The first thing he saw was the glaring bloodstain on Linley's head. The sight struck Hogg like a blow, his vision darkening as his body swayed uncontrollably.
Linley still lay propped on his hands, shielding Warton beneath him.
"Father." A childish voice came from below.
Warton slowly crawled out from under Linley. Being small and fully protected by his brother, he remained completely unharmed.
"Brother, brother, what's wrong with you?" Warton nudged Linley's body.
"Linley... Linley..." Hogg's voice quivered.
Steward Hiri spoke beside them: "I was a step too slow. Though I blocked one of the falling stones, it still struck Young Master Linley's head. However, the impact shouldn't have been too severe.""Me, I'm fine." A low, hoarse voice sounded as Linley struggled to lift his head to glance at his father beside him, forcing a trembling smile through cracked lips.
At this moment, seeing his son's smile, Hogg's tears immediately began to fall.
Linley propped himself up into a sitting position. His clothes were soaked with a large stain of blood, his face and neck smeared crimson. The rock that had struck his head had caused heavy bleeding. Though still dizzy, Linley kept his gaze fixed on his father, his voice faint as he murmured, "Father... you're crying."
"It's... nothing." Hogg managed a tremulous smile, his face alight with mingled anguish and relief.
"Wharton? Why were you at the storage room entrance earlier?" Linley reached out to tousle his younger brother's hair, his tone gently chiding.
Wharton hung his head, shamefaced. "I'm sorry, brother."
The steward Hiri interjected, "This was my fault. The disaster struck too suddenly. I'd just brought Wharton to the storage room when I saw Young Master Linley in danger and rushed to save him. I never imagined that in those brief moments, boulders would strike the storage room. The blame is mine."
**Boom!**
Another violent tremor shook the ground.
Everyone's expressions changed as they turned toward the eastern sky. A colossal figure hovered midair—a giant nearly ten meters tall, his muscular frame earthen yellow, features carved from stone. This titanic being clashed relentlessly with the green-robed middle-aged man, their collisions erupting in thunderous explosions.
Even from this distance, the sheer force behind the earthen giant's strikes was palpable. Each blow carried power far surpassing the earlier onslaught of ten-thousand-jin boulders.Linley gazed enviously at the scene in the sky: "That earthen-yellow giant was probably summoned by that gray-robed man through magic." Linley could guess, after all, that gray-robed man was a powerful Saint-level mage.
"Linley, how do you feel?" Hoge asked worriedly.
Linley forced a weak smile: "It's nothing. Just a broken head and some blood loss."
"Young Master Linley, you've lost considerable blood. Too much bleeding could be fatal." Butler Xili had already retrieved a white silk cloth from the storeroom and was bandaging the wound on Linley's head.
Hoge looked deeply at Linley: "Uncle Xili, how is Linley's condition?"
Butler Xili smiled at Hoge: "Not bad. Linley's physical constitution is exceptionally good, and he didn't even lose consciousness. The injury shouldn't be serious. He just needs to eat more meat in the coming days to replenish his blood, and there should be no issues."
Only then did Hoge secretly sigh with relief in his heart.
Earlier, when he saw Linley rushing to protect Worton, Hoge had been truly terrified. He had genuinely feared his son might die like that.
Taking a deep breath, Hoge turned to Hillman: "By the way, Hillman, you mentioned Wushan Town earlier. What's the casualty situation there now?"
"The specific details haven't been fully tallied yet." Hillman's expression turned grave. "But from what I roughly observed, some townspeople should have died, with many seriously injured or disabled. Sigh... The disaster struck too quickly. Even though I shouted warnings, many still couldn't make it to the cellars in time."
"It was indeed too fast." Hoge looked up at the eastern sky.The Saint-level experts and the residents of Wushan Town were completely different tiers of existence. A Saint-level expert could annihilate Wushan Town with a wave of their hand. The earlier bombardment of numerous boulders and the green-robed middle-aged man shattering those boulders were merely preliminary probes in their clash.
Yet even these initial probes, through the resulting shattered stones, had brought calamity upon Wushan Town.
"That legendary tenth-level earth-elemental magic, also known as forbidden magic - the Earth Element 'Earth Guardian'. This 'Earth Guardian' possesses terrifying power, representing the strongest single-target attack of earth-elemental Saint-level Archmages," Hogg observed coldly while watching the earthen yellow giant.
As the patriarch of the Dragonblood Warrior clan, though the family had declined, their five-thousand-year ancient heritage preserved records of various powerful magical attacks. Naturally, Hogg could recognize this at a glance.
"Tenth-level magic..." Linley took a deep breath.
How fervently Linley longed for the day when he could tread upon a black dragon and cast world-shattering tenth-level magic. This thought naturally led him to consider the magic enrollment. "The magic student recruitment tests in the royal capital won't occur until late autumn... still six months away..."
Linley's heart swelled with anticipation for the magical aptitude test half a year later.
"Hilman, accompany me later to investigate the situation of Wushan Town's residents," Lord Hogg instructed, then turned to Hilli. "Uncle Hilli, after these two Saint-level experts depart, take Linley to change clothes and let him rest properly."
"Yes, my lord," Hilli bowed in acknowledgment.Hoge looked at Linley, who was currently engrossed in watching the battle between the two Saint-level experts, and chuckled: "This kid Linley, even when injured, still wants to watch Saint-level combat. Fortunately, that Saint-level mage has summoned the 'Earth Guardian' - this battle should conclude soon."
Linley was currently staring wide-eyed at the earth-shaking battle raging in the sky, completely unaware of the pendant hanging against his chest -
Having been struck on the head, the blood-stained 'Coiling Dragon Ring' he wore as a pendant beneath his clothes showed its unique material. The dark, wood-like and stone-like substance absorbed the blood as if dripped onto a sponge. The surface of the Coiling Dragon Ring began faintly shimmering with a hazy glow.
However, as the Coiling Dragon Ring was concealed beneath Linley's clothing, the faint luminous aura emanating from its surface remained completely unnoticed by anyone.In the eastern sky, a gray-robed man stood atop the head of a black dragon coiling through the heavens, wearing a confident smile as he watched the green-clad middle-aged man battle the earthen-yellow giant.
"Whoosh!"
A piercing scream tore through the air as the green-clad man's sword stabbed through the giant's skull. *Boom!* The giant's head exploded. Yet the colossal being seemed unfazed, its boulder-like fist slamming brutally into the green-clad man's body.
*Pfft!* The green-clad man spewed a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.
Meanwhile, the giant's shattered head began to reform, completely undamaged!
"Dillon, just hand it over. The Earth Guardian I've summoned isn't something you can defeat," the gray-robed man atop the dragon said coldly.
The green-clad man glared fiercely. Suddenly, he snarled, "Rudy, if I can't have it, neither will you!" Emerald light erupted violently from his palms. The gray-robed man, who had remained composed until now, paled. "Stop!!!"
*Boom!!!*
A deafening explosion shook the air as the emerald radiance from the green-clad man's hands flared like the sun, vanishing moments later in the aftermath.
"Dillon, you—!" The gray-robed man pointed furiously, speechless.
The green-clad man, now ghastly white, stared back coldly. "Now neither of us gets it. Rudy, I'm wounded, but killing me won't be easy." With a frigid laugh, he transformed into a streak of jade light, streaking northeast at blinding speed.
The gray-robed man watched him vanish into the horizon, brow furrowed but making no move to pursue. Beside him, the earthen giant slowly dissipated.
"'Stellar Sword Saint' Dillon… Pity. I can't kill him yet," the gray-robed man murmured. The black dragon beneath him, sensing its master's thoughts, beat its massive wings and soared southeast.
Both supreme experts vanished from the skies in moments.
Below, Bird Mountain Town lay in ruins. Thousands of collapsed houses littered the landscape. Moans of pain, furious curses, desperate wails, and heartbroken sobs filled the air. In mere moments, a tranquil dawn had become a day of calamity.In the Baruch family's living room, only Hoge remained.
Hoge sat by the long table, his brow deeply furrowed. As the de facto ruler of Niaoshan Town, he naturally had to consider the welfare of its residents.
Footsteps echoed as the steward, *Hiri*, entered from outside. "Sir."
"How is Linley?" Hoge immediately turned to ask.
Hiri smiled slightly. "Rest assured, sir. I cleaned Master Linley's wounds, bandaged them, fed him well, and changed him into clean, comfortable clothes for sleep. By the time he wakes, he should feel much better."
Hoge nodded in relief, though his brows remained tense.
"Are you concerned about the townsfolk, sir?" Hiri inquired.
Hoge sighed bitterly. "Uncle Hiri, the ordinary residents aren't like us. The men of Niaoshan are passable—most are first or second-level warriors. But the women… When those boulders rained from the sky, they couldn't defend themselves at all!"
Hiri nodded gravely.
In all of Niaoshan Town, those who cultivated battle aura were few. When thousands of stones had plummeted from above, only those who hid in cellars or blocked with shields could avoid injury. Being struck directly would be catastrophic…
"We can only wait for Hilman's report now," Hoge said anxiously.
After a long while, hurried footsteps approached from outside.
Hoge looked up, eyes brightening, as Hilman strode swiftly into the room.
"Hilman! What are the casualties in Niaoshan?" Hoge pressed urgently.
Hilman sighed mournfully. "The tally is complete. Over three hundred dead, and nearly a thousand injured."
The town's population was just over five thousand. With nearly a fifth as casualties—even with stone houses for shelter—the devastation was severe.
"Such heavy losses…?" Hoge's heart clenched."The most important thing for a country is food. A small town also needs food. Now that the labor force has suddenly decreased so much, and those disabled people still need to be fed, the town's economy will likely become even more difficult."
"Alas!" Hoge heaved a long sigh.
He wanted to reduce taxes. But Niaoshan Town's taxes were already very low, and now even maintaining his own family had become problematic. How could he help the town's residents? In other towns where taxes were high, many peasants were being worked to death from exhaustion.
"Lord Hoge, the townspeople are all grateful for your kindness. They know everything you've done for them. Please don't torment yourself so much," Hillman advised from beside him.
Hillman had been born in Niaoshan Town.
With Hillman's status as a sixth-level warrior, he could have become a guard captain for any noble family even in the royal capital. But out of gratitude for the Baruch family's benevolent treatment of Niaoshan Town, Hillman had directly become the guard captain for this declining Baruch family after retiring from the military.
"Hillman, take the guards to inspect various parts of town. Uncle Hiri, you should go rest too," Hoge instructed directly.
"Yes, my lord," Hillman responded.
Steward Hiri also bowed in response before leaving the parlor together with Hillman in turn. Only Hoge remained in the parlor now.
...
In Leylin's bedroom.
Leylin had a head injury. Steward Hiri had instructed everyone not to disturb him, letting the boy rest properly. While chaos reigned outside Niaoshan Town, Leylin's bedroom remained utterly quiet. The boy himself was deeply immersed in sweet dreams."Ding~~~"
A faint, low hum and vibration arose as hazy halos of light emanated from Linley's chest. The dark Coiling Dragon Ring shrouded within this radiance slowly emerged from beneath his nightclothes, hovering ten centimeters above his chest.
The vibrations intensified progressively while the glow from the Coiling Dragon Ring grew increasingly brilliant.
Fortunately, no one entered Linley's bedroom at this moment. Had anyone witnessed this scene, they would have been utterly stunned. Linley himself continued sleeping soundly, completely unaware of the levitating ring.
"Whoosh!" The radiant aura surrounding the Coiling Dragon Ring suddenly contracted violently, transforming into a stream of hazy light. This luminous current shot out from the ring and descended beside the bed, materializing into a human figure.
This was an elderly man with kind features, wearing a moon-white robe, his hair and beard snow-white.
The Coiling Dragon Ring now fell powerlessly back onto Linley's chest. Linley's eyelids fluttered as he gradually awoke. When he saw the unfamiliar old man standing by his bed, he exclaimed in shock: "You... who are you?"
"Hello, little fellow. My name is Delin Cowart - a Saint-level Grand Magus from the Puon Empire!" The benevolent old man smiled warmly.
Linley's eyes bulged comically wide: "You... you're a Saint-level Grand Magus?"
The kindly old man nodded with confidence.
"But... old grandfather, you mentioned the Puon Empire? That nation which fell over five thousand years ago?" Having thoroughly studied continental history, Linley clearly knew the Puon Empire had collapsed long before his own clan's emergence, with no trace remaining among the current four great empires.The Pruyne Empire was established in ancient times, emerging over eight thousand years ago. The entire empire lasted nearly three thousand years before ultimately being destroyed. The territory of the former Pruyne Empire now encompasses the combined lands of the current Holy Alliance and Dark Alliance.
To put it simply—
The twelve kingdoms and thirty-two duchies west of the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts were all once territories of the Pruyne Empire. From this, one can imagine the vast expanse of the empire's domain.
However, the Pruyne Empire has long since fallen!
"Over five thousand years ago?" The white-haired, white-bearded elder froze momentarily before sighing. "Time cannot be accurately perceived within the Earth Ring. I never imagined that by the time I emerged from it, my homeland would have vanished for over five millennia."
"Old grandpa, what are you saying? I'm completely confused."
At this moment, Linley felt as though his mind had turned into a tangled mess. This old man had suddenly appeared, claiming to be a Saint-level Grand Magus from the Pruyne Empire, which had fallen over five thousand years ago. Could anything be more bizarre or absurd?
Linley even wondered if he was dreaming.
"Little one," the white-haired elder said, smiling at Linley. "The ring on your chest is the divine artifact I once used—the 'Earth Ring.'"
"Wait, wait!" Linley immediately protested, lifting his head. "What Earth Ring? This ring on my chest was passed down by my family ancestors. Its name is—the Coiling Dragon Ring!"
"The Coiling Dragon Ring? Was that its original name?" The elder looked surprised.
Linley paused.
"Original name? What original name?" Linley stared at the elder in confusion.
The elder chuckled. "Ah, the name 'Coiling Dragon Ring' must have been given by you or your ancestors. Let me explain... When I first discovered this ring, I searched through countless records but found no mention of its true name. So I took the liberty of naming it the 'Earth Ring.' As for its original name, I never knew it."
"Oh, so you named it yourself too. Well, since it's mine now, I'll call it the 'Coiling Dragon Ring,'" Linley declared stubbornly.
"Fine, fine. Let it be the Coiling Dragon Ring," the elder replied with a laugh, refusing to argue further."Old grandpa, tell me, how exactly did you emerge from the Coiling Dragon Ring?" Lin Lei continued his inquiry.
The old man smiled and said, "In the 4280th year of the Yulan Calendar, I..."
Hearing this, Lin Lei felt a hidden shock: *4280? This year is already 9990.*
"In the 4280th year of the Yulan Calendar, I encountered my old rival, the Saint-level Magus 'Hamlin.' We battled each other. I hadn't anticipated another Saint-level expert ambushing me in secret... In the end, I was defeated. Rather than letting my soul be captured and tormented by my enemy 'Hamlin,' I sealed my soul within this earth—the 'Coiling Dragon Ring.'" The old man recounted the events of that era slowly.
"The Coiling Dragon Ring is extraordinarily mystical. At first glance, it appears utterly mundane, yet its efficacy rivals divine artifacts. By sealing my soul within it, Hamlin and his allies searched for me tirelessly but never discovered my presence—all thanks to this ring." The old man smiled faintly.
Lin Lei nodded inwardly.
To his discerning eye—honed as the heir of an ancient clan—the Coiling Dragon Ring indeed seemed unremarkable at first. Most treasures radiated elemental auras, yet this ring resembled nothing more than withered wood.
"Old grandpa, you're saying that over five thousand years ago, you were ambushed by a Saint-level Magus and another Saint-level expert, forcing you to seal your soul within this 'Coiling Dragon Ring'—which itself is a treasure comparable to a divine artifact?" Lin Lei summarized.
"Correct." The old man smiled approvingly.
"Then how did you emerge from the Coiling Dragon Ring?" Lin Lei pressed, puzzled.
The old man explained warmly, "When I sealed my soul within the ring, I became a spirit bound to it. I exist only through the Coiling Dragon Ring's sustenance. Unless someone reclaims ownership of the ring, I can never leave it."
"Ownership of the Coiling Dragon Ring?"
"Indeed—by anointing the ring with blood." The old man smiled.Linley frowned and muttered, "Blood dripped on the Coiling Dragon Ring?" After pondering for a moment, he suddenly remembered - when the stone had gashed his head, his blood had stained both his clothes and neck. It must have reached the ring too.
"Oh, then I'm the master of the Coiling Dragon Ring," Linley nodded.
"Correct. Only by you becoming its master could I emerge to feel the Yulan Continent's aura again." The old man smiled faintly, his face glowing. "By the way youngster, I've told you my name. What's yours?"
Linley grinned brightly. "I'm Linley. Linley Baruch!"
"Linley... A good name," the old man nodded approvingly.
"Grandfather, will you remain bound to the Coiling Dragon Ring forever? Never regaining freedom?" Linley's voice carried compassion.
The old man smiled wistfully. "Linley, you must understand - when ordinary people die, their souls enter the Netherworld. But as a Saint-level Grand Magus, my spiritual energy had materialized. This allowed me to briefly resist the Netherworld's summons and seal myself within the ring. There's only one way to break free now - by exhausting all spiritual energy."
"Exhausting spiritual energy?" Linley looked perplexed.
"What humans call 'spiritual energy', spirits term 'soul force'. When it's completely depleted, the soul disperses naturally. Thus... my liberation from the ring will come only with my soul's dissipation." The old man's tone remained calm as drifting clouds. "Yet this present state suffices. Though confined within three meters of the ring, it's preferable to eternal darkness."
Linley's heart clenched. Suddenly, he felt a pang of pity for this ancient soul."Heh heh, Linley, I'm already satisfied. You don't realize… If my soul had been captured by 'Hamlyn' back then, my fate would have been worse than death," the old man sighed.
"Grandpa, your name is Delling Cowart. Can I call you Grandpa Delin?" Linley suddenly asked.
Delling Cowart, a great Saint-level Magician during the Puang Empire era, held a status so exalted that he ranked among the top five across the entire Yulan Continent at the time. It was only due to the treacherous ambush by the Saint-level Magician 'Hamlyn' and another Saint-level expert that Delling Cowart had met his demise.
However…
Delling Cowart had never had children or grandchildren in his lifetime. Now, hearing Linley address him as "Grandpa Delin," his heart, lonely for thousands of years, suddenly felt warmth.
"Good, good," Delling Cowart replied, his spirits visibly lifted.
Linley suddenly said with a glint of excitement in his eyes, "Grandpa Delin, you mentioned earlier that you're a Saint-level Magician. Can you teach me magic?" Linley's heart raced. The man before him was a Saint-level Magician from over five thousand years ago!
In Linley's mind flashed images of the Velocidragon's colossal form, the terrifying spectacle of the Dance of the Fire Snake, the endless boulders raining from the sky, and the figure standing proudly atop the black dragon.
How he yearned for the day—
when he, too, could stand upon a dragon's head and soar through the heavens.
Delling Cowart's white beard twitched, his eyes brightening. "Of course! Your Grandpa Delin is the greatest earth-elemental Saint-level Grand Magician. And among all schools of magic, earth-elemental… is the most powerful!" Old Delin's entire demeanor revitalized as he spoke of magic.