Then...
Just what qualified Chief Sovereign Linley to advance to the rank of an Edicts Chief Sovereign?
Even with the strength displayed by the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta, he had still been rejected by the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred.
If Linley's demonstrated strength wasn't greater than Augusta's...
Then wouldn't Chief Sovereign Locke's decision to elevate Linley to the rank of an Edicts Chief Sovereign be equivalent to slapping the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred in the face?
Thus...
Including the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns themselves, all the Sovereigns turned their eyes toward Locke, waiting to hear his explanation.
How could Locke possibly fail to understand what these Sovereigns were thinking?
Had Linley previously wished to keep it secret...
Naturally, Locke wouldn't have exposed it.
But since Linley had chosen to make it public...
Locke felt it was about time these Sovereigns experienced another shock.
"Augusta has raised an excellent question."
"As for how Linley managed to reach the level of an Edicts Chief Sovereign by refining only three Lesser Sovereign sparks..."
"I have already obtained Chief Sovereign Linley's permission to make it known to everyone."
"Everyone knows..."
"I am a dual-element soul mutate of Water and Fate."
"I also reached the level of a Chief Sovereign through the power gained from fusing different Laws."
"But Linley..."
"Is a four-element soul mutate whose potential surpasses mine by more than a hundredfold."
"Although Linley has not yet begun fusing the Profound Mysteries of different Laws..."
"Everyone should still be able to calculate whether Linley, after refining three Sovereign sparks, possesses the strength of an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"Hiss..."
"A four-element soul mutate..."
"This..."
After hearing Locke publicly reveal Linley's background...
The Sovereigns looked toward Linley with eyes full of astonishment.
Chief Sovereign Locke...
A mere dual-element soul mutate...
Had already cultivated to a realm comparable to the Overgods.
Then just how far would Linley—a four-element soul mutate whose potential Locke himself claimed exceeded his own by a hundredfold—eventually grow?
At the same time...
Many Sovereigns silently began calculating Linley's current strength.
As a four-element soul mutate...
Linley's greatest advantage naturally lay in fusing the Profound Mysteries of different Laws.
However...
As Locke had just stated...
Chief Sovereign Linley hadn't yet begun that process.
Therefore, they could temporarily ignore the amplification provided by fused Profound Mysteries of different Laws.
The next advantage possessed by a soul mutate...
Was fused divine power.
The fusion of three kinds of Sovereign power was one hundred times stronger than ordinary single-element Sovereign power!
The Will provided by three Sovereign sparks also granted Chief Sovereign Linley two additional portions of Will compared to ordinary Sovereigns.
That represented another hundredfold increase in strength.
Linley had already been a Paragon before.
After refining a Lesser Sovereign spark...
He naturally possessed strength comparable to an Intermediate Sovereign.
Ten thousand times the strength of an Intermediate Sovereign...
Wasn't that precisely one hundred times stronger than an ordinary Law Chief Sovereign?
Such strength...
Perfectly matched the standards the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred had laid out when he rejected the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
Back then...
Wodred had rejected Augusta because he possessed only one additional portion of Will beyond that of an ordinary Law Chief Sovereign.
He had stated outright that if Augusta wished to advance to the level of an Edicts Chief Sovereign...
He would need to first achieve another ten consecutive victories in the Planar Wars and obtain yet another portion of Will.
It could be said...
Linley's current strength was practically built according to the standards Wodred himself had established.
As for the Overgod artifact possessed by every Edicts Chief Sovereign...
Linley had obtained one long before becoming a Sovereign.
For a moment...
Every Sovereign looked at Linley with unconcealed envy.
A soul mutate...
And not just any soul mutate...
But a four-element soul mutate.
This meant that if Linley ever managed to obtain another Sovereign spark compatible with himself...
His strength would increase another hundredfold!
Furthermore...
Should Linley make further breakthroughs in the fusion of Profound Mysteries belonging to different Laws...
His strength would undoubtedly rise yet again.
"Damn it!"
The other Sovereigns could calculate Linley's current strength from the information Locke had revealed.
Naturally...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta could do the same.
How could Augusta not be furious?
If he unleashed his full strength...
He felt he wasn't inferior to Linley in the slightest.
Yet despite possessing equal strength...
Linley had become a lofty Edicts Chief Sovereign the very moment he became a Sovereign.
Meanwhile...
He, the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta, still had to run about tirelessly trying to obtain the reward from another set of ten consecutive Planar War victories.
He had never imagined...
That slaying the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns would not only bring him no benefits whatsoever...
But would instead elevate Linley to the position he had long dreamed of obtaining.
Even the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns' blood essence he had given to the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff...
Had been painstakingly extracted by exterminating the Four Divine Beasts clans throughout eleven planes.
"..."
Slowly calming his emotions...
Augusta cupped his hands respectfully toward Locke.
"Lord Locke."
"At the previous Sovereign Conference..."
"The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred stated that the rank of Edicts Chief Sovereign represents the highest position among Sovereigns."
"Only one capable of standing above all Sovereigns, and acknowledged by every Sovereign—including the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns—would be qualified to hold that title."
"I recognize the strength of yourself, as well as that of the Life, Death, Fate, and Destruction Chief Sovereigns."
"But..."
"I do not recognize this newly promoted Chief Sovereign Linley."
"Therefore..."
"I, the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta..."
"Boldly issue a challenge to Chief Sovereign Linley."
"I hope Chief Sovereign Linley will not refuse to grant me some guidance."
"What?"
"The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta wants to challenge the newly promoted Chief Sovereign Linley?"
The moment Augusta's declaration rang out...
The Sovereigns gathered within the spatial turbulence immediately erupted into discussion.
"Now this is going to be interesting."
For these Sovereigns...
There were simply too few things capable of arousing their interest.
Occasionally...
The affairs of Deities might amuse them for a brief moment.
That alone would already be remarkable.
After all...
Aside from Qinghuo and Linley...
Even Beirut had already lived for more than a hundred calendrical eras.
Only matters involving other Sovereigns...
Could truly capture a Sovereign's attention.
Just like the battle between the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta and the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns.
When the Azure Dragon Sovereign Redding had sprayed Augusta across the face...
The Sovereigns had laughed about that incident for several hundred calendrical eras.
Perhaps...
Some Sovereigns had even secretly recorded the scene using scrying techniques.
Only because of Augusta's authority did they dare not spread it openly.
Instead...
They could only secretly enjoy watching it themselves.
Now...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta wanted to challenge Chief Sovereign Linley.
This was yet another major event among the Sovereigns.
"Oh?"
"You wish to challenge Linley?"
Locke looked at the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta with an amused expression.
Indeed...
Judging solely from the strength Linley had publicly revealed...
Augusta, together with the extra portion of Will originating from the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff...
Could indeed rival Linley.
However...
That calculation was based only on the strength Linley had exposed.
These Sovereigns had no idea...
That as a four-element soul mutate...
Linley himself had also obtained Will far stronger than even that of an ordinary Paragon.
It could be said...
If the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred hadn't comprehended Space-Time Disorder, and if the Life Chief Sovereign hadn't comprehended the Laws of Reincarnation...
Linley's current strength would already be no weaker than either of them.
As for the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff...
Even without revealing the existence of his Light Chief Sovereign Augusta clone or his offensive Overgod artifact...
Simply by completing two Overgod Missions and obtaining both a soul-defense Overgod artifact and a material-defense Overgod artifact...
He already stood undefeated among the Edicts Chief Sovereigns.
For the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta...
Challenging Linley was an absolutely risk-free proposition.
If he lost...
Linley was an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
Wasn't it only natural for an Edicts Chief Sovereign to be stronger than a Law Chief Sovereign?
If the battle ended in a stalemate...
People could say:
"The newly promoted Chief Sovereign Linley is overrated. He can't even defeat a Law Chief Sovereign."
Or:
"The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta is truly powerful! To fight an Edicts Chief Sovereign to a draw—he clearly already possesses the strength of one himself."
If Augusta unexpectedly won...
Then people would say:
"There's corruption! The selection of the Edicts Chief Sovereigns is rigged!"
"The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta couldn't advance last time, so how did Chief Sovereign Linley, who's even weaker than Augusta, qualify to become an Edicts Chief Sovereign?"
"Yes."
"I respectfully ask Lord Locke to grant my request."
This time...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta directly bowed toward Locke.
"Linley."
"What do you think?"
Seeing that Augusta had already made up his mind...
Locke turned to Linley.
"Since the Light Chief Sovereign wishes to challenge me..."
"If I refuse..."
"It would seem as though I looked down upon him."
"In that case..."
"Let's have this battle."
"I also wish to see just how powerful the so-called strongest Law Chief Sovereign, the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta, truly is."
"Very well."
"Since you've accepted the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta's challenge..."
"Then I'll serve as the referee."
With a casual wave of his hand...
Locke instantly created a circular planar space.
It rapidly expanded until it reached nearly half the size of a Divine Plane.
"The aftershocks of a battle between Sovereigns could affect the spatial turbulence."
"They might even be transmitted into a Material Plane, destroying it."
"Therefore..."
"I created this plane."
"It is somewhat more stable than the Planar Battlefield."
"You may fight within it."
"I believe this space is large enough for the two of you to fight to your hearts' content."
"Yes, Lord Locke."
After bowing slightly toward Locke...
Augusta and Linley each stepped into the planar space Locke had created.
"Hm?"
"The spatial stability of this plane..."
The moment he entered...
Augusta's expression changed.
The planar space that Chief Sovereign Locke had casually created for their battle...
Was vastly more stable than even the Planar Battlefield.
If the Planar Battlefield required at least a Seven Star Fiend's strength to tear open space...
Then within this plane...
Only Paragons or stronger experts possessing Will could rupture the surface of space.
From this plane alone...
Chief Sovereign Locke's strength seemed to surpass even the combined power of the Four Overgods!
After all...
The Planar Battlefield itself had been jointly created by the Four Overgods.
It was already regarded as the strongest plane within the magical universe.
Yet...
Compared with the plane Chief Sovereign Locke had casually created for Augusta and Linley to fight within...
The Planar Battlefield seemed weaker by well over a hundredfold.
Naturally.
Locke's original body had spent a very long time within the Elemental Planes, observing Hongmeng energy evolve into Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire.
His understanding of how universes evolved had deepened considerably.
At present...
The plane Locke had created was formed using fused Water Sovereign power and spatial divine power.
Had he used Hongmeng energy instead...
This plane might very well have evolved into the embryonic form of a universe.
Only because of this...
Did the plane possess such astonishing spatial stability.
After Linley and the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta entered the plane created by Chief Sovereign Locke...
The remaining Sovereigns also extended their divine senses into it.
Very quickly...
They too were left marveling at Locke's abilities.
Previously...
These Sovereigns had believed that although Chief Sovereign Locke had stepped into the realm of the Overgods...
He still remained somewhat below the Four Overgods.
After all...
The Four Overgods were manifestations of the magical universe's supreme Laws.
They existed everywhere.
Although Chief Sovereign Locke was powerful...
He had still remained within the limits of their understanding.
Yet...
Judging from the strength of this casually created plane...
Even if the Four Overgods were combined...
They still appeared far inferior to Chief Sovereign Locke.
Fortunately...
Such thoughts didn't linger long in the Sovereigns' minds.
For them...
Chief Sovereign Locke already existed on an entirely different level.
Trying to evaluate the strength of an Overgod while being merely a Sovereign...
Was no different from ordinary Deities speculating about the strength of Sovereigns.
Everything was nothing more than guesswork.
At least Deities...
Could judge a Sovereign's status through their Sovereign Emissaries or the way other Sovereigns addressed them.
But what did Sovereigns know about the Overgods?
Only that the Four Overgods were manifestations of the supreme Laws.
Beyond that...
They knew nothing.
Furthermore...
Unlike the other Four Overgods...
Chief Sovereign Locke had risen step by step.
From a Deity...
To a Sovereign...
And then from a Sovereign...
To an Overgod.
He wasn't like the other Four Overgods, who existed only to uphold the universe's Laws.
He was an Overgod who possessed emotions...
Preferences...
Who remained a true person.
The other Four Overgods would appear only after the universe's Laws had been violated.
Chief Sovereign Locke...
Well...
Ever since his rise...
He too had only enforced the rules he himself had established.
As long as no one violated the Sovereign Pact or the rules laid down by Chief Sovereign Locke...
He had never acted against anyone.
For now...
It was better to focus their attention on the battle between the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta and Chief Sovereign Linley.
"So..."
"Who do you think will win this battle between the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta and Chief Sovereign Linley?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Chief Sovereign Linley, of course."
"At the previous Sovereign Conference..."
"The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred rejected the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta."
"The other Edicts Chief Sovereigns all agreed."
"But this time..."
"Chief Sovereign Locke has acknowledged that Chief Sovereign Linley possesses the strength of an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"And none of the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns have voiced any objections."
...
(End of Chapter)
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