Book 17, Indigo Prefecture – Chapter 48, Their Proposals

“Yes, Patriarch!”

Elders Garvey and Forhan didn’t dare to dawdle, immediately departing towards Bloodbath Gorge. The entire main hall immediately became silent, and even Wade had fallen asleep in Phusro’s arms.

“Wade...give me the child.” Linley said.

Phusro handed the child to Linley. Linley, holding his son in his arms, looked at the nearby unconscious Delia, a sour feeling in his heart.

“Swoosh!” “Swooosh!” Multiple other Elders hurried over. Just as they were about to speak, Gislason immediately sent out his divine sense and barked, “Be silent. Linley’s wife has just suffered an attack from an expert of the ‘Edric’ clan of the eight great clans. All of you who specialize in the soul, go take a look and see if you can save her.”

“You all came?” Linley looked in surprised delight at these Elders.

“Hurry over and take a look and see if you can save Delia.” Linley was at the point where whenever he saw someone, he would want them to go take a look.

The many Elders glanced at each other, and then they all walked towards Delia’s side. A silver-haired Elder said, “Then I’ll give it a try first.” As the Second Elder, he had reached an exceedingly high level of accomplishment with regards to the soul.

“Phusro.” Gislason led Phusro to one side. “The Lord Prefect’s...”

“This isn’t the time for discussing that.” Phusro couldn’t help but frown.

Gislason was startled. He then glanced sideways at Linley, then nodded towards Phusro. “I understand. Right. What happened? You, Tewila, and Linley were present on this journey. How could this have happened to Delia? Tell me this story in detail.”

As the Patriarch, Gislason knew that something was off.

“Hmph. It’s all due to the situation between your Four Divine Beasts clan and the eight great clans.” Phusro let out a low snort. Clearly, he was very dissatisfied. As Phusro saw it, Linley had been harmed by the Four Divine Beasts clan.

And then, Phusro described what happened in detail. “At first, Linley and I were riding in that metallic lifeform as we left Meer City...” Phusro gave a detailed description of what had happened, from start to finish.

At the same time, those Elders standing next to Delia were all using their own spiritual energy to enter Delia’s mind, investigating the situation.

“How is it?” Linley held Wade as he looked at these Elders. He felt his heart trembling nonstop.

“Nothing I can do.” The silver-haired Elder shook his head and sighed. “These green specks of lights are too obstinate. They constantly devour, and as they do, they also become part of the soul itself. To use brute force to kill and eradicate these green spots of light will cause Delia to die immediately! To cure Delia will be hard. Very hard!” When he said those two words, ‘very hard’, the silver-haired Elder stopped speaking.

Linley hurriedly looked towards the other Elders.

The other Elders shook their heads as well.

“Linley, don’t be impatient. In our Four Divine Beasts clan, the most proficient at the soul are those members of the Vermillion Bird clan. They possessed the ‘Flames of Rebirth’, and perhaps...they’ll have some method for curing Delia.” The silver-haired Elder said.

“Right. Flames of Rebirth!” A hint of hope appeared in Linley’s mind.

Right at this moment, Linley felt space shudder. He couldn’t help but turn to look, and he saw multiple figures descending from the air. There were dozens of figures!

“Elder Brother!” A deep voice rang out. It was the Patriarch of the Black Tortoise clan.

The other three clan leaders, along with the Grand Elder, had all hurried over. Because of the commands of Gislason, a large group of people now filled this main hall, surging towards and looking at Linley and Delia.

“Phusro.” These people noticed Phusro as well.

“Hurry and take a look at Linley’s wife.” Phusro just said.

“What’s wrong with Linley’s wife?” An Elder of the Vermillion Bird clan asked hurriedly.

Holding his son, Linley immediately stood up. Looking at the throng of people, all of whom were the most elite members of the Four Divine Beasts clan, he immediately said, “My wife suffered a spiritual attack from an Elder of the Edric clan. As for her situation...everyone, come take a look. I hope that someone who has the ability to rescue my wife will do so.”

These Elders all noticed the look on Linley’s face and in his eyes. They could all sense that Linley’s heart had torn to pieces from worry.

“Everyone, go take a look. Perhaps someone will be able to do something.” Gislason said hurriedly.

The entire Four Divine Beasts clan had, in total, just seventy or eighty Elders. More than fifty of them were present here; clearly, the majority of them had hurried over. The first to take a look were the three clan leaders, who all investigated Delia’s situation.

And then, one Elder after another used their spiritual energy to investigate Delia’s situation.

Seeing the large group of people, Linley felt a hint of confidence in his mind. “With so many people present...much like how I can train in other Laws, the Elders of the clan might include someone who trains in the Edicts of Life. Perhaps someone will be able to rescue Delia. In addition, the Matriarch of the Vermillion Bird clan is present. The Vermillion Bird clan possesses the ‘Flames of Rebirth’ ability. They can save themselves with it; perhaps they’ll also be able to save Delia.”

Holding his son, Linley just watched hopefully at these Elders.

He was like a drowning man staring at floating logs of wood.

Phusro, seeing the look on Linley’s face, couldn’t help but think back to the first time he had met Linley. At that time, although Linley had been in dire straits, he hadn’t lost his composure like he currently had. “Alas...” Phusro sighed to himself.

Soon, the Elders completed their inspection. Some of them were extremely skilled with regards to the soul, but they all couldn’t help but frown and shake their heads. Linley, seeing the looks on the faces of the Elders, especially when they shook their heads and sighed, felt his heart ache.

“How is it?” Linley’s voice was hoarse now, but his gaze was firmly fixed upon the Matriarch of the Vermillion Bird clan.

The Matriarch just turned to look at the others. “Everyone, do you have any solutions? Fourth Brother, your soul is very powerful. Do you have a solution?”

“This is too bizarre. I’ve never seen an attack like this.” The muscular, brown-haired man said with a frown. “To save Delia, there must be a step-by-step treatment process, much like the devouring process itself. There must be a slow counter-devouring, converting the green spots of light back into spiritual energy. In addition...during the treatment process, there can’t be any mistakes at all. If any energy ripples strike the soul, the soul might collapse. Difficult. Difficult. Difficult!”

Hearing these words, Linley’s heart fell into an abyss.

“Vermillion Bird Matriarch, how about you?” Linley hurriedly looked towards her.

But the Matriarch just said: “Linley, I’m truly sorry. Our Vermillion Bird clan’s ability to save ourselves isn’t bad...but even if we save ourselves, it takes a tremendous amount of energy. Save others? We don’t have that ability.”

Linley couldn’t help but look at each of the other Elders.

However, all of the Elders either sighed or shook their heads. None of them had any solutions.

“To quickly and yet methodically advance and counter-devour those green lights...it’s too hard!” That brown-haired man shook his head. “As I see it, in the entire Infernal Realm, there are only a few people who train in certain other Laws and Edicts who can rescue her, but I can count those off on one hand. Other than them, only supreme experts who train in the Edicts of Life can save her.”

Not just Edicts of Life. A supreme expert in the Edicts of Life.

If one trained in the Edicts of Fate, the Edicts of Death, it would also be possible. Only, the requirements for those people would be even higher. They would have to be at the absolute pinnacle of their fields, with their souls nearing the point of perfection.

The requirements for an expert in the Edicts of Life would be lower; generally speaking, anyone who had reached the level of that elfin Elder would be enough.

“Are there none amongst you who train in the Edicts of Life?” Linley asked, unwilling to give up.

The Patriarch of the White Tiger clan nodded. “There are. However, to reach the level of the person who launched that attack is difficult...just being able to execute an attack like this requires an astonishing level of understanding with regards to the soul.”

“Ah!” The Matriarch of the Vermillion Bird clan suddenly cried out. “My clan has a person who trains in the Edicts of Life, and his level of accomplishments is very high.”

Linley immediately looked at her.

Gislason and Phusro all looked towards her as well.

The Matriarch said confidently, “His name is Kestrel [Kai’si’tai’er]. He’s not an Elder; he’s a Six Star Fiend. However, his level of accomplishments in the Edicts of Life is very high. I can’t say for certain as to whether or not Kestrel will be able to save Delia, but...he has a teacher whose name is Alfonsus [A’fang’sa’si]. Alfonsus is not a member of our Four Divine Beasts clan. He is a supreme expert who trains in the Edicts of Life. Last time, I heard from Kestrel that his teacher was right here in Indigo Prefecture! Kestrel might not be able to save Delia, but Alfonsus definitely will!”

Linley’s eyes immediately lit up.

Two experts in the Edicts of life had suddenly appeared.

“Hurry and summon Kestrel over.” The Matriarch of the Vermillion Bird clan ordered a subordinate Elder of hers.

“Yes, Matriarch.” That Elder flew out at high speed.

Phusro laughed as he walked over. “Haha...Linley, I told you, right? At the Four Divine Beasts clan, there will definitely be a way to save Delia. If this Kestrel can’t do it, then his teacher definitely can. Don’t worry.”

Linley felt as the world, which had lost its color, suddenly became so bright and vivid once more, filled with hope!

Linley lowered his head to look at Delia. He said gently, “Delia, you have to hold on. There are two experts who train in the Edicts of Life. They will definitely save you. Definitely.”

He then looked at his son in his arms. Linley’s heart was filled with hope. “Everything will be well.”

In the midst of the Elders, Forhan looked at the expression on Linley’s face. In his heart, he snorted, “You really are lucky. You didn’t die. But it’s all for the best. Your wife is in such a state, causing you to be in such despair...I feel absolutely joyful to see you like this!”

“Linley.” A deep voice rang out, and Gislason walked over. “This time, not long after you left Meer City, you actually suffered an ambush from eight enemy Elders, and three of them immediately used Sovereign’s Might at the very beginning...this clearly was a premeditated ambush. How could the enemies have known about your whereabouts?”

Linley raised his head to look at Gislason.

“Patriarch, are you saying...?” Linley had a thought.

“A year or so ago, you rode that metallic lifeform to Meer City. In the past year, there have been three groups of visits on metallic lifeforms, but the eight great clans haven’t launched any attacks. But as soon as you leave Meer City, they attack? Clearly, they were tracking your whereabouts, resulting in them being able to arrange for their forces to lie in wait.” Gislason said. “How can the enemies know your whereabouts so clearly?”

Linley couldn’t help but nod.

“Perhaps someone in your clan revealed the secret.” Phusro snorted coldly. “Otherwise, how could they have found Linley so easily?”

“Phusro.” Gislason couldn’t help but frown and bark at him.

When Forhan heard these words, his pupils contracted. At this moment, Linley suddenly turned to look towards Forhan. Their gazes just so happened to meet, and Forhan couldn’t help but be surprised. “Is Linley suspecting me?”

“If someone revealed the secret...it had to have been him or his son.” Linley said to himself.

After all, in the clan, only the two of them had any grudges against him.

Right at this moment, two figures flew in from outside at high speed. Linley immediately turned to look, and his gaze immediately focused on a black-haired, handsome youth. This black-haired youth immediately walked towards the Matriarch of the Vermillion Bird clan and said, “Matriarch!”

“Hurry over and take a look at Elder Linley’s wife and see if you can rescue her.” The Matriarch said.

“Yes.” The black-haired youth first nodded towards Linley, then looked towards Delia before closing his eyes in thought.

Linley watched this scene nervously.

But then, the black-haired youth opened his eyes, and he looked at Linley frantically. “Elder Linley, your wife’s situation is very terrible. There’s nobody in our clan capable of saving her.”

“But don’t you have a teacher...” Linley said worriedly.

“My teacher should be able to save her, but...although my teacher is within Indigo Prefecture, to go from the Skyrite Mountains to my teacher’s place is a roundtrip of half a year, even for Seven Star Fiends who are making haste. I’m worried that based on the speed at which this devouring is occurring, your wife won’t be able to hold on for that long!”