Book 7, Heaven and Earth Turned Upside Down β Chapter 21, Fate
Hearing Claydeβs words, Linley fell silent.
βHaha, Linley, now you should know who your true enemy is, right? But are you capable of dealing with the Radiant Temple?β Clayde laughed wildly, on the edge of hysteria. Clayde knew that he was going to die, and at the moment of his death, he had decided to bring as much chaos to the world as he could.
βDo you speak the truth?β Linleyβs voice was hoarse.
Actually, Linley already believed what Clayde had just told him, precisely because this was the only possible explanation as to why the Radiant Church would have given Clayde a Saint-level Fateguard.
βYou yourself know whether I speak truly or not.β Clayde laughed wildly.
Linley fell silent.
βLinley, you shouldβve considered the fact that you are a genius magus and a Dragonblood Warrior. In the eyes of the Radiant Church, you have much more potential than me, a warrior who was only raised to the ninth rank due to secret magical methods. In the future, you will most likely be both a Saint-level Supreme Warrior and a Saint-level Grand Magus. If it wasnβt for this secret I just divulged, even if you had killed me, the Radiant Church probably wouldnβt bear to execute you.β Clayde laughed loudly.
Linley understood this reasoning.
βClayde should be telling the truth.β Doehring Cowartβs voice sounded out in Linleyβs mind. Given Doehring Cowartβs experience, his ability to judge whether someone was telling the truth or not was much better than Linleyβs.
Linley had deep faith in Doehring Cowart.
β¦..
At this time, on Keyan Road within the city of Hess, there were six ruthless looking men dressed in violet robes. These six violet-robed men all naturally emitted the aura of cold, arrogant experts, causing everyone else around them to avoid them.
These six people were heading directly for Claydeβs manor.
Right now, they had no idea as to what had happened at Claydeβs manor.
βWaiters [Weiβteβsi], are the Ascetics located here?β One of the violet-robed men said in a low voice.
The leader of the violet-robed men nodded. βRight. From what I understand, the Ascetics are all staying in this Claydeβs manor. This assignment of ours is extremely important. Itβs best that we head out together alongside the Ascetics.β
These six people were the six Special Executors of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.
They had just arrived at Hess City, and this was the only address they had on hand. They didnβt know that a few minutes ago, the Ascetics had all left. They had just barely missed them.
βHrm? Why is there no one here?β
Upon entering Claydeβs empty manor, they couldnβt help but look around in confusion. The other five Special Executors looked at Waiters. Waiters was the leader of the squad for this assignment.
βLetβs go inside and take a look.β Waiters said calmly. The six headed directly into the manor, but the inside of the manor was totally devoid of people as well.
βLinley, release my royal father. My royal father has already told you everything.β A voice rang out from beyond the back gate. Instantly, the six Special Executors turned to look at the back courtyard.
The six menβs faces turned solemn.
βLinley?β
The six men exchanged glances.
βLinley? His name is on the Red List. Kill on sight.β The six Special Executors immediately hurried towards the back gate.
The Ecclesiastical Tribunal had two special lists. One was known as the Red List. The other was the Black List.
The people on the Red List were to be killed on sight, but there was no need to expend too much effort on those targets. Those on the Black List were to be killed no matter the cost.
Actually, given Linleyβs future potential, the threat he could pose towards the Radiant Church in the future shouldβve been enough for him to be placed on the Black List. However, while the high levels of the Radiant Church were fleeing, they believed that since Linley was not a member of the Church, the chances of him being able to discover that his mother had been killed by the Radiant Church was very low. Thus, they only placed Linley on the Red List.
The Special Executors of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal all possessed astonishing power. These six Special Executors were all warriors of the ninth rank. They stealthily began to surround Linley.
β¦..
In the little alleyway behind the back gate of Claydeβs manor.
Linleyβs iron-whip-like draconic tail was still wrapped tightly around Clayde.
βRelease your royal father?β Linley stared at Shaq. Letting out a cold laugh, he said, βI can release your father, but what of my mother and father? Although it was the Radiant Church which killed my mother, at least half of the responsibility lies with your father. And over half the responsibility for my fatherβs death lies on your father as well.β
As Linley spoke, he began to exert more pressure with his tail.
βCrack, crack.β All sorts of strange noises were emitting from Claydeβs body. Clayde was in such agony from the constricting draconic tail that he began to try and struggle again.
βAh! Ah! Linley, kill me cleanly in one stroke!β Clayde moaned in agony.
βCrunch.β
Claydeβs two arms snapped off. Right now, Clayde had been constricted so tightly by Linley that his formerly broad waist was now more slender than a womanβs.
βDie.β
Linley looked at Clayde, then exert a bit more force with his tail.
βSmush!β Clayde spat out a large amount of blood from his mouth, and his entire face turned red. While spitting the blood out, he was coughing nonstop, and some bits and pieces of his internal organs were coughed out as well.
Right nowβ¦
Clayde had been ripped into two parts at the waist. Even his spine had been snapped apart. The only thing keeping his upper body and lower body connected was a bloody layer of skin.
Clayde let out a few more moans. βAhβ¦ahβ¦β His entire face was red. A few seconds later, his breathing stopped, and his soul left this earth.
But right now, Linley didnβt feel any happiness or sense of accomplishment.
The only thing he felt was a deep grief, a deep sadness.
βFather. Mother. Can you see me?β Linley said to himself.
Shaq, Kaiser, the princess, and the Wildthunder knights all stared at Linley. Many of them had hearts full of fear. After seeing how Clayde had died, they didnβt dare to try and avenge him. They could only hope that Linley would leave now.
Linleyβs dark gold eyes glanced at everyone present.
βCough.β Shaq cleared his throat, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. His father had died, but he didnβt want to die as well.
Linleyβs draconic tail swayed slightly, then he turned and began to walk away.
βBebe. Letβs go.β He called to Bebe.
Just as Bebe, who was off to the side this entire time, was about to scurry away with him, Bebe suddenly paused, all the hair on his body sticking up. Right afterwards, Linley as well sensed sudden danger, which seemed to come from all directions.
βWhoosh.β
Several gusts of wind could be heard as six violet-robed figures appeared, surrounding Linley from six different points. Linley and Bebe were both trapped within their encirclement. Four of these six were standing on nearby rooftops, while the other two were at each end of the alley Linley was in. There was no place Linley could flee to at all.
βSpecial Executors from the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.β Linley immediately understood who these people were upon seeing their uniform.
Seeing this formation, Shaq and the Wildthunder knights all turned pale. These six Special Executors hadnβt just encircled Linley and Bebe. They had also encircled Shaq and his men as well.
βMilords, I am the Second Prince of the royal clan of Fenlai. Please allow me to leave first.β Shaq immediately begged.
Kaiser recognized the Special Executors from their outfit. He also immediately said, βMilord Special Executors, I am Kaiser, and I am also a servant of the Radiant Church. May I leave first?β Kaiser knew very well about some of the special methods available to the Special Executors of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal. Given the current situation, he, Kaiser, wouldnβt be of any use to them, and would actually serve to disrupt their actions.β
βKaiser, you can leave.β
One of the violet-robed men standing at one of the ends of the alley said in a cold voice.
βYes.β Kaiser immediately began running towards one of the ends of the alleyway. The six violet robed men didnβt block him at all, allowing him to flee past them. Kaiser was an expert of the Kingdom of Fenlai, true, but he was also a holy knight of the Radiant Church.
βMilords, what about me?β Shaq immediately said.
βMilord Special Executors.β That princess immediately begged towards the Special Executors as well.
But the six Special Executors didnβt even glance at them. The six Special Executors were clear-headed. When Kaiser left, he was but one person, and a warrior of the ninth rank at that. Linley definitely wouldnβt be able to find a chance to slip past. But if they allowed Shaq and the others to leave as well, given Linleyβs current prowess, he definitely might be able to find a way to slip past at a critical moment.
Linley stared coldly at the six of them.
βYou want to kill me?β Linley said calmly. He felt total confidence in himself. Even when surrounded by the attacks of that group of giant dragons, he was still able to flee and survive.
To these six Special Executors, killing him and Bebe wouldnβt be an easy affair. The protective scales on Linleyβs body were no joking matter.
βThose on the Red List are to be killed on sight.β The leader of the Special Executors laughed coldly.
The six Special Executors stared fixedly at him and Bebe, ignoring everything else entirely. As high level members of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, they naturally knew that Linley was a Dragonblood Warrior. Dragonblood Warriors were one of the Supreme Warriors. They didnβt dare to look down upon him.
βOh? Kill on sight?β Linleyβs draconic tail began to swing.
βSwish!β Like a steel sabre, Linleyβs draconic tail casually slashed across the ground, cutting a deep gouge into it. Linleyβs dark gold eyes were fixed on this group of people as well.
βMilord Special Executors.β Shaq and his men were really terrified now.
βLetβs go!β One of the Wildthunder knights let out a deep roar, and immediately, a group of knights charged en masse towards one of the alleyway exits. The remaining Wildthunder knights numbered amongst them more than ten knights of the eighth rank. For them to charge en masse like this, even a combatant of the ninth rank would find it difficult to stop them.
Linleyβs eyes lit up.
Linley immediately charged towards the wall on his left. Ignoring the wallβs existence, Linley slammed into it as though he were a large magical beast.
βBAM!β Linley knocked the section of wall over while fleeing at high speed to the north.
βWhoosh.β
The bodies of those six Special Executors suddenly began to emit a hot, burning white light. The light from these six Special Executors was totally interconnected, forming a strange, glowing hexagram.
Linley just happened to ram against one of the edges of the hexagram.
βBam!β
Linley felt as though he had just been slapped by a Violet Tattooed Bear. His entire body quivered as he was sent flying backwards. He remained surrounded by the six Special Executors.
βAh!!!β
The bodies of those Wildthunder knights who struck against the glowing white hexagram all exploded, drenching the area with blood. Every single one of the Wildthunder knights who had touched the glowing white hexagram died.
βWhat is this?β Linley was shocked.
βLinley, quick, do your best to escape! This should be one of the combination attack methods of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.β Doehring Cowart immediately recognized the danger that Linley and Bebe were now in. If they continued to be trapped in such a manner, it was very likely that Linley and Bebe would not be able to escape at all.
Those six Special Executors charged forwards towards Linley and Bebe in a very practiced manner. And as they did, the area of movement within the hexagram began to shrink at an extremely fast rate.
βAh!β βAh!β βAh!β βAh!β
Shaq and the remaining knights who had not touched the glowing white hexagram were unable to dodge with the six Special Executors drawing closer and closer. One after another was forced to come into contact with the glowing white hexagram, and when they did, their bodies began to vibrate before exploding.
In the blink of an eye, no one in Shaqβs party was left alive.
But Linley and Bebe were trapped in an increasingly small, tight space.
βBoss, that white thing seems really powerful. What should we do?β Bebe was frantic.
Linley had both felt and could sense the power of this glowing white hexagram. When it had struck his body, he still felt extreme pain despite his defensive powers, and all the blood in his body had been agitated.
βBebe, you go down through the earth, Iβll go up from the skies. Flee!β Linley mentally directed Bebe.
This black-scaled aberration, Linley, and his freak of a Shadowmouse companion, Bebe, acted at almost the same time. One flew up into the sky like an arrow leaving the bow, while the other burrowed deep into the ground.