"Hmm, judging purely by strength, Lord Linley is indeed about ten times stronger than the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta."
"Although the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta possesses the Fate Overgod sword, Lord Linley also possesses the Life Overgod sword."
"Unless the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta has some technique capable of increasing his strength by more than tenfold..."
"He simply isn't Lord Linley's opponent."
"Then why don't we make a guess?"
"How long do you think Lord Augusta can hold out against Lord Linley?"
"Well..."
"Nominally, the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta is a Law Chief Sovereign, while Lord Linley is an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"But the actual difference in strength between them is only tenfold."
"If they truly fight..."
"Lord Augusta may be at a disadvantage."
"However, it certainly won't be easy for Lord Linley to defeat Lord Augusta in a short period of time."
"That's true."
Another Sovereign added,
"After all, Lord Augusta is the oldest Law Chief Sovereign."
"And to this day, he's still the only Law Chief Sovereign who has personally slain another Law Chief Sovereign."
"Don't forget..."
"At that time, Lord Augusta hadn't yet obtained the extra portion of Will from ten consecutive victories in the Planar Wars."
"The fact that Lord Augusta was able to kill the first Dark Chief Sovereign proves that he possesses an extremely powerful ultimate technique capable of greatly increasing his own strength."
"Even if it isn't enough to increase his strength tenfold..."
"It should at least be seven or eight times."
"Indeed."
"Now that you mention it..."
"It doesn't seem like it'll be easy for Lord Linley to completely defeat Lord Augusta."
"Isn't that obvious?"
"If Lord Augusta didn't possess real strength..."
"Would the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff have specially convened a Sovereign Conference just to nominate him as a new Edicts Chief Sovereign?"
"That makes sense."
...
"Linley!"
Looking at Linley standing before him...
The gloom upon Augusta's face became even darker.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his hand...
A pure white longsword appeared in Augusta's grasp.
An incomparably sharp aura radiated from the sword, carving black spatial cracks into the very plane Locke had created.
This...
Was the strongest weapon possessed by the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta—
The Fate Overgod Sword!
Augusta hadn't forgotten...
That Linley also possessed a Life-type offensive Overgod artifact.
If he fought Linley using only a Sovereign artifact...
What if Linley suddenly drew his Overgod artifact?
Although Augusta's current strength was already comparable to that of an ordinary Paragon Law Chief Sovereign...
He still wasn't confident he could survive being struck by an Overgod artifact.
Not just Augusta.
Among the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns...
Aside from the Death Chief Sovereign, whose strength greatly surpassed the others...
Probably only the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff, who possessed a material-defense Overgod artifact, would dare receive an attack from an offensive Overgod artifact head-on.
Neither the Life Chief Sovereign Wawaya nor the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred possessed such confidence.
Seeing Augusta draw his Overgod artifact...
Linley naturally didn't dare be careless.
He also took out his own Life Overgod Sword.
Although Linley believed himself to be a hundred times stronger than Augusta...
He still didn't dare oppose an Overgod artifact with nothing more than a Sovereign artifact.
Only after obtaining an Overgod artifact...
Could one truly understand how insignificant even Sovereigns were before such weapons.
"My apologies, Chief Sovereign Linley."
Boom!
After courteously apologizing...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta erupted with Sovereign power.
The Light Laws manifested around him, surrounding his body with dazzling golden radiance.
Then...
He slashed his sword toward Linley.
Golden sword-light tore through space.
Carrying an overwhelming force capable of annihilating everything...
It severed everything before it.
Although this wasn't the physical strike of the Overgod Sword itself...
But merely a sword-light released by it...
Linley still didn't dare underestimate it.
Deep violet radiance bloomed across the Life Overgod Sword in his hand as he swung out a crescent-shaped arc of light.
The reason Linley's attack appeared deep violet...
Was because he was using fused Sovereign power.
The crimson Fire Sovereign power...
The yellow Earth Sovereign power...
And the blue Water Sovereign power...
Had fused together into deep violet fused Sovereign power.
Its might...
Was one hundred times greater than ordinary single-element Sovereign power!
An Overgod artifact could only fully unleash its power when its attribute matched its wielder.
Whether it was the Fate Overgod Sword in Augusta's hand...
Or the Life Overgod Sword wielded by Linley...
Neither was truly compatible with its owner.
In that regard...
The two of them were evenly matched.
Boom!
The golden sword-light and the deep violet sword-light collided.
An enormous explosion erupted.
To Linley's surprise...
His own sword-light failed to slice Augusta's apart.
Instead...
Both attacks shattered simultaneously.
One had to understand...
Aside from the unique Will gained through his four-element soul mutation...
Linley had already used every advantage available to him.
He had even employed fused Sovereign power.
That strike unquestionably possessed the power of an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
No...
It should actually have been slightly stronger than an ordinary Edicts Chief Sovereign's attack.
After all...
The so-called power of an Edicts Chief Sovereign referred to the normal state of the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns.
Namely:
Paragon-level comprehension of the Laws.
The Will possessed by a Paragon.
And a body comparable to a Sovereign artifact.
These three factors...
Were precisely what separated an Edicts Chief Sovereign from a Law Chief Sovereign.
Each represented a tenfold increase.
Together...
They produced attacks a thousand times stronger than those of a Law Chief Sovereign.
Although neither Linley nor Augusta possessed bodies comparable to Sovereign artifacts...
The amplification provided by striking through an Overgod artifact was in no way inferior to that granted by such a body.
Yet...
Even attacks of this level had completely canceled each other out.
From this...
It was clear that Augusta's true combat strength had already reached the threshold of an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
Seeing that long-range sword-light couldn't determine the victor...
Linley and Augusta exchanged a glance.
Each saw the same resolve in the other's eyes.
The next moment...
Golden radiance and deep violet radiance collided violently within the universe Locke had created.
Spatial rifts continuously erupted wherever the two clashed...
Destroying everything nearby.
Yet...
Neither Augusta nor Linley was affected by those spatial tears in the slightest.
Their longswords danced continuously.
Within a single instant...
They exchanged millions of blows.
Each time they were knocked apart...
They immediately launched into another round of fierce combat.
"As expected."
"Although Lord Linley is very powerful..."
"It's practically impossible for him to defeat Lord Augusta in a short time."
Watching the battle between Linley and Augusta...
The gathered Sovereigns began commenting among themselves.
None of them were particularly surprised that Augusta could temporarily unleash strength comparable to Linley.
In reality...
These Sovereigns had misunderstood the situation.
Augusta certainly disliked the fact that Linley had become an Edicts Chief Sovereign before him.
He also felt deeply frustrated that he had ultimately become the one who delivered all the treasures that allowed Linley to reach that position.
However...
At the beginning...
He had never intended to reveal his full strength during this battle.
But...
After Orloff overheard the Sovereigns' earlier discussion...
He instructed Augusta not to hold anything back.
After all...
Just as those Sovereigns had said...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta already had a historical record of killing another Law Chief Sovereign.
At the very least...
He must have possessed an ultimate technique capable of increasing his strength more than sixfold.
Then...
After so many years...
Wouldn't everyone naturally accept that the amplification of this ultimate technique had now reached tenfold?
By allowing Augusta to display his full strength...
Orloff intended, on the one hand, to demonstrate to the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns that he hadn't acted out of favoritism during the previous Sovereign Conference.
He had genuinely believed the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta already possessed the strength of an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
That was why he had nominated Augusta.
On the other hand...
Orloff also wished to observe Linley more carefully.
A four-element soul mutate...
The first and only one in the entire magical universe.
Such a rare existence fascinated Orloff more than anything else.
Because...
In Orloff's eyes...
Such beings represented miracles of the universe itself.
They embodied the universe's ultimate mysteries.
...
Outside the plane...
Beirut and Bluefire naturally watched the battle between Linley and the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta together with the other Sovereigns.
However...
Unlike the other Sovereigns, who believed Linley would require a prolonged battle to defeat Augusta...
Beirut and Bluefire possessed absolute confidence in Linley's victory.
Furthermore...
Defeating—or even killing—the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta wouldn't be difficult for Linley at all.
After all...
The other Sovereigns didn't know.
How could they not?
Linley's currently displayed strength indeed matched what everyone believed to be the level of an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
But...
Linley still concealed the additional Will granted by his four-element soul mutation.
An extra one and a half portions of Will...
Was enough to increase Linley's current strength by another fiftyfold.
Although that still wasn't enough to reach a hundredfold increase capable of instantly killing Augusta...
It would still allow Linley to gravely wound him in an instant.
Given a little more time...
Linley could directly kill the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
Of course...
Beirut and Bluefire also knew that although this battle would determine victory or defeat...
Actually killing Augusta was impossible.
After all...
Chief Sovereign Locke was personally presiding over this battle.
There was no way he would allow casualties during a fight he himself officiated.
Nor did they believe that...
Even with Linley's strength...
He could kill the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta before Chief Sovereign Locke had time to react.
Nevertheless...
Even if he couldn't kill Augusta...
As long as Linley revealed enough strength to make Augusta understand that Linley possessed the ability to kill him...
Augusta would certainly no longer dare make things difficult for Beirut and the others.
It was exactly the same as during the Sovereign Wars.
Among all the Law Chief Sovereigns...
Only the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta and the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns had records of killing Chief Sovereigns.
Thus...
Although the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta had always been extremely dissatisfied that four mere Lesser Sovereigns could stand alongside him...
He still didn't dare provoke the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns.
He simply wasn't confident he could survive the Four Divine Beasts' fused innate divine ability.
Only after obtaining the soul-defense Overgod artifact sent by the Fate Chief Sovereign...
Did he finally dare bare his fangs at the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns.
...
"What is it?"
"Chief Sovereign Linley..."
"Is this really all the strength an Edicts Chief Sovereign possesses?"
For the first time...
Augusta was displaying his true strength before all the Sovereigns.
He was in exceptionally high spirits.
Had Orloff not stopped him...
He would already have exploded in anger back when the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred rejected him at the previous Sovereign Conference.
But now...
It seemed it still wasn't too late.
The corners of Augusta's mouth curled upward.
What could possibly be more satisfying...
Than using an Edicts Chief Sovereign personally acknowledged by Chief Sovereign Locke as his stepping stone?
"Lord Linley..."
"Based solely upon the strength you've displayed so far..."
"I fail to see any difference between an Edicts Chief Sovereign like yourself and us Law Chief Sovereigns."
"If someone with your level of strength can become an Edicts Chief Sovereign..."
"Then shouldn't I also qualify to become a new Edicts Chief Sovereign?"
The moment Augusta spoke those words...
Linley himself showed little reaction.
Outside...
However...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred's expression darkened.
The way he looked at the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta also became considerably colder.
The other Sovereigns secretly glanced toward the Destruction Chief Sovereign.
Everyone understood perfectly well what Augusta's words truly meant.
On the surface...
He was saying that Linley's strength was unworthy.
But in reality...
He was taking a jab at the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred.
Look.
Linley possesses strength comparable to mine.
Yet Chief Sovereign Locke still acknowledges him as a newly promoted Edicts Chief Sovereign.
And what about me?
Because of a single sentence from you, Destruction Chief Sovereign...
My path toward becoming an Edicts Chief Sovereign was denied.
What?
Do you, Wodred...
Understand the qualifications of an Edicts Chief Sovereign better than Chief Sovereign Locke?
"Hmph!"
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred let out a cold snort.
Naturally...
He had also noticed the changes in the other Sovereigns' expressions.
Even so...
If given another chance...
He would still reject the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
The Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns...
Were all Paragons.
Even Chief Sovereign Locke, who had successfully risen afterward...
Was a dual Paragon of both the Water and Fate Laws.
How could trash like the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta...
Who wasn't even a Paragon...
Possibly become an Edicts Chief Sovereign?
As for why Wodred hadn't opposed Chief Sovereign Locke's decision to elevate Linley...
The primary reason was that...
Before becoming a Sovereign...
Linley had already been a world-renowned Paragon.
Only Paragons...
Could earn the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred's recognition.
Naturally...
As proud as the Destruction Chief Sovereign was...
He had no intention of explaining any of this to the assembled Sovereigns.
In his eyes...
Among all the Sovereigns...
Only the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns were worthy of his attention.
As for the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta...
Although Augusta had displayed unexpectedly great strength...
He still hadn't entered the Destruction Chief Sovereign's eyes.
For now...
He would simply let Augusta enjoy his verbal triumph.
The next time this fellow dared bring up becoming an Edicts Chief Sovereign again...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred would personally step onto the battlefield...
And allow the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta to experience the true terror of an Edicts Chief Sovereign.
(End of Chapter)
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