"This fellow really doesn't know what's good for him."
Hearing Augusta's words, Locke couldn't help but shake his head.
This was only the beginning, yet Augusta already dared to openly take jabs at the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred.
Did he really think that possessing two additional portions of Will beyond an ordinary Law Chief Sovereign, together with an offensive Overgod artifact, was enough to place him on equal footing with the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns?
What a joke!
Which Edicts Chief Sovereign didn't possess a body comparable to a Sovereign artifact?
Even Linley...
His body, strengthened by three-element fused Sovereign power, was only slightly inferior to a true Sovereign artifact. The enhancement it provided to his close-combat strength was at least fivefold.
Boom!
The deep violet radiance instantly flared brilliantly, directly forcing back the golden light.
"How is this possible?"
Augusta looked at the trembling Overgod Sword in his hand, his heart filled with shock.
He had never imagined that after saying only a few words...
Linley's strength would suddenly increase by several times over what it had been before.
"Augusta."
"As a Law Chief Sovereign, I admire your courage for daring to challenge me, an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"That is why..."
"I gave you enough room to display your own strength."
"But now..."
"It seems you've developed quite a misunderstanding about me."
"You've mistaken my mercy for weakness."
"In that case..."
"I'll let you see just how great the gap between a Law Chief Sovereign and an Edicts Chief Sovereign truly is."
"And perhaps you'll finally understand..."
"Not to use your narrow perspective to measure existences whose strength and status far surpass your own."
Boom!
The moment he finished speaking...
An even more terrifying aura erupted from Linley.
Then...
Linley transformed into a streak of deep violet light, instantly appearing before the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
His sword slashed downward.
"So fast!"
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta's heart jolted.
There wasn't even enough time to dodge.
He could only grip the Fate Overgod Sword tightly with both hands and meet the attack head-on.
Boom!
Pfft—
Unlike their previous evenly matched exchanges...
This time, the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta was sent flying by a single sword strike.
The terrifying force traveled through the Overgod Sword into Augusta's body, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.
Linley's figure flashed.
Transforming into a streak of light, he instantly caught up.
His foot slammed into Augusta's chest.
Boom!
Crash!
Pfft—
The material-defense Sovereign artifact Augusta wore shattered beneath Linley's kick.
Another mouthful of blood sprayed from Augusta's lips.
His aura immediately weakened considerably.
"What?"
"So this is Chief Sovereign Linley's true strength?"
When the Sovereigns observing from outside witnessed this scene...
Their expressions changed dramatically.
Among Sovereigns...
Sovereign artifacts still represented the strongest means of defense.
Without a strength advantage of at least tenfold...
It was impossible to damage another person's material-defense Sovereign artifact.
Without a hundredfold advantage...
It was impossible to destroy it instantly.
The moment Chief Sovereign Linley revealed his true strength...
He had severely wounded Lord Augusta in a single exchange.
That alone already demonstrated strength far exceeding that of the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
Then...
With a single kick, Chief Sovereign Linley shattered Lord Augusta's material-defense Sovereign artifact.
This proved beyond any doubt that Chief Sovereign Linley's strength exceeded Lord Augusta's by more than a hundredfold.
It was only because Lord Linley had no intention of killing the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
Otherwise...
Had that kick instead been replaced with an attack from the Overgod Sword...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta would already have been split into two.
What the observing Sovereigns could understand...
The Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns naturally understood as well.
The Life Chief Sovereign Wawaya glanced toward her elder sister.
Had she not learned years ago from her elder sister about the existence of the higher Laws, and how to use perfected Edicts to touch and comprehend them...
Then perhaps...
The strength Linley displayed now would already surpass her own.
As things currently stood...
Well...
Perhaps if Linley became another hundred times stronger, he'd more or less catch up to her.
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred also nodded.
Linley's strength truly exceeded his expectations.
Had Wodred not obtained a considerable quantity of the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns' blood essence from Beirut...
And completed his analysis of the fused innate divine ability of the Four Divine Beasts...
Then his own strength would probably only be around the level Linley was displaying now.
At the same time...
Because of Augusta's earlier remarks...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign was extremely satisfied to see Linley so effortlessly inflict serious injuries upon Augusta.
"Heh."
"What a clown."
With a sneer...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred's voice rang out.
"Augusta."
"Weren't you just saying that you were comparable to the newly promoted Chief Sovereign Linley?"
"That since you were comparable to him, you should also qualify to become an Edicts Chief Sovereign?"
"So..."
"Is this what you meant by 'comparable'?"
"I've lived for so many years..."
"And only today have I learned that so-called 'comparability' means being unable to withstand even a single serious attack from Chief Sovereign Linley."
"My horizons have truly been broadened."
Pfft...
Within the plane Locke had created...
Golden Sovereign power shone around the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta as he rapidly healed his injuries.
Upon hearing the Destruction Chief Sovereign's merciless ridicule...
The flow of Sovereign power around Augusta briefly faltered.
His anger surged upward.
He spat out another mouthful of blood.
The corners of the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff's eyes twitched slightly.
Although the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta was merely a clone condensed from everything Orloff had discarded...
He was still, in essence, no different from Orloff himself.
Watching Augusta being humiliated like this...
Naturally made the Fate Chief Sovereign feel somewhat displeased as well.
However...
This was precisely what made the Bula Clan so unique.
Every negative emotion belonging to the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff would never affect Orloff himself.
Instead...
Those emotions would be born within the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta's heart...
Making Augusta even more furious.
Nevertheless...
Being inferior in strength...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta no longer dared say another word.
"Augusta."
"Do you still wish to continue?"
Standing high in the sky...
Linley looked down toward the Light Chief Sovereign below.
"However..."
"I should remind you beforehand."
"As an Edicts Chief Sovereign..."
"I've already shown you the mercy you deserved."
"If you still insist on continuing this battle..."
"I won't hold back anymore."
Augusta's face alternated between red and pale.
He recalled the bold words he had spoken when issuing his challenge to Linley...
As well as the high spirits he had felt after obtaining Orloff's permission to reveal his additional portion of Will...
Now...
They had all become slaps across his own face.
Whether it was the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred's ridicule...
Or Linley's seemingly polite tone that, in truth, didn't regard him as worthy of concern at all...
Both caused killing intent to uncontrollably surge from the depths of Augusta's heart.
Yet...
The overwhelming disparity in strength forced him to suppress all of it.
Before so many Sovereigns...
Augusta knew that if he revealed even the slightest trace of killing intent...
Whether it was Linley or the Destruction Chief Sovereign...
Both would gladly kill him here and eliminate a future threat.
After all...
Ever since he slew the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns to fulfill the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff's orders...
Every Sovereign had become wary of the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta.
They all feared that...
Should Augusta gain even greater authority in the future...
They themselves might become the next Four Divine Beast Sovereigns.
Taking a deep breath...
Augusta dispersed the Sovereign power surrounding his body and ceased healing his injuries.
Since he had already decided to concede...
There was no need to recover immediately.
"My apologies..."
"Lord Linley."
Augusta lowered his head in submission.
"I admit defeat in this battle."
"The vision of Chief Sovereign Locke and the other Chief Sovereigns extends far beyond that of a mere Law Chief Sovereign like myself."
"Lord Linley..."
"You unquestionably possess the power of an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"Compared with the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"You may even be stronger."
"Heh."
"Stop playing your little tricks, Augusta."
Linley gave a cold snort.
"I've only recently become an Edicts Chief Sovereign."
"I understand my own abilities very clearly."
"Compared with the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"I'm still too weak."
"Too inexperienced."
"You think that with a few words like these..."
"You can drive a wedge between me and the other Edicts Chief Sovereigns?"
"You underestimate the vision and magnanimity of the Edicts Chief Sovereigns far too much."
"Well said."
Locke casually waved his hand.
The plane surrounding Augusta and Linley instantly dispersed like a bubble.
Their figures once again appeared within the spatial turbulence.
"Augusta."
"The vision and breadth of mind possessed by the Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"Are far beyond anything you can imagine."
"And as for the rest of you Lesser and Intermediate Sovereigns..."
"The moment your own strength stagnated..."
"Every one of you abandoned cultivation."
"Instead, you diverted your attention elsewhere."
"But the Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"Even after reaching the end of the path of cultivating the Laws and Edicts..."
"Never once believed that their strength had reached its limit."
"After countless years..."
"Have any of you Lesser or Intermediate Sovereigns improved your strength in the slightest?"
"But the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"Compared with when they first became Sovereigns..."
"Each of them has become at least hundreds or even thousands of times stronger."
"Hiss..."
"What?"
"How could that be?"
"The Edicts Chief Sovereigns..."
"They've actually become hundreds or even thousands of times stronger than before?"
As Locke's words fell...
Every Sovereign was utterly stunned.
Their eyes widened in disbelief as they looked toward the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns.
The strength difference between the inherent Sovereign ranks of Lesser Sovereign, Intermediate Sovereign, and Law Chief Sovereign...
Was only a hundredfold between each rank.
The title of Edicts Chief Sovereign...
Had originally been established later through the Sovereign Pact proposed by the Death Chief Sovereign.
It represented the supreme level beyond the Law Chief Sovereigns.
Every Edicts Chief Sovereign...
Was more than a thousand times stronger than a Law Chief Sovereign.
It was precisely because they understood the enormous gap between Law Chief Sovereigns and Edicts Chief Sovereigns...
That none of the Sovereigns dared violate the Sovereign Pact jointly acknowledged by the Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns.
Yet...
None of them had expected...
That after all these years...
Chief Sovereign Locke would drop another bombshell upon them.
The Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns...
Had become even stronger!
And not merely by one or two times.
But by hundreds...
Or even thousands of times!
The Death Chief Sovereign Lilia folded her arms across her chest, completely unconcerned by the gazes directed toward her.
Hundreds or thousands of times stronger?
How many years ago was that already?
Oh...
She remembered now.
That was after Locke had deceived her senses, cast an illusion upon her, removed the influence of faith energy, and allowed her to comprehend the Death Edicts all over again until reaching the Paragon realm.
At that point...
Her strength had already increased by a hundredfold.
Then...
The extra portion of Will obtained from the first ten consecutive victories in the Planar Wars increased it to a thousandfold.
Later...
Comprehending twenty-five percent of the Laws of Reincarnation was equivalent to gaining nearly three additional portions of Will.
In other words...
Her strength hadn't merely increased hundreds or thousands of times.
It had increased by nearly a millionfold!
Wawaya's eyelids twitched several times.
She couldn't help feeling...
Was Locke subtly taking a jab at her?
Ever since learning of the higher Laws...
She had completely comprehended the twenty-five percent of the Laws of Reincarnation that the Life Edicts could touch.
That alone had increased her strength more than five hundredfold.
When Locke said "hundreds or thousands of times"...
Could the "hundreds" be referring to her?
As for her elder sister...
Wawaya could understand.
But what about the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred and the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff?
Had they also comprehended the higher Laws?
Otherwise...
How had their strength increased so dramatically?
Could they be the "thousands" Locke referred to?
The smile on the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff's face stiffened briefly.
Soon...
His usual gentle smile returned.
From Locke's words...
The Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff had clearly realized that everything he had done was already known to Chief Sovereign Locke.
But...
Considering the height at which Chief Sovereign Locke now stood...
It was understandable.
The Four Overgods were manifestations of the supreme Laws.
They existed everywhere.
Since Chief Sovereign Locke had already reached the realm of the Overgods...
Even if he couldn't exist everywhere as the Four Overgods did...
He undoubtedly possessed similar methods.
However...
From this...
The Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff also understood something.
Just like the other Four Edicts Chief Sovereigns...
Chief Sovereign Locke would only uphold the rules he himself had established.
So long as those rules weren't violated...
Even if Orloff merely used the corpses of Four Divine Beasts clan members to refine the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns' blood essence...
Or even slaughtered every living being across an entire continent...
Chief Sovereign Locke wouldn't spare him so much as another glance.
Meanwhile...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign's reaction appeared far more normal in the eyes of the other Sovereigns.
They saw Wodred staring toward Chief Sovereign Locke with an expression of utter shock, as though he had seen a ghost.
Yet...
This truly couldn't be blamed on the Destruction Chief Sovereign.
How long had it been since he completed the analysis of the fused innate divine ability using the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns' blood essence?
And yet...
Chief Sovereign Locke already knew?
Could it be...
That the aura produced while conducting his experiments had been detected by Chief Sovereign Locke?
However...
Very quickly...
The astonishment on Wodred's face transformed into pride.
The fused innate divine ability of the Four Divine Beasts...
Could increase the Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred's attack power by a thousandfold.
In Wodred's opinion...
He was undoubtedly the "thousand" among the "hundreds and thousands" that Chief Sovereign Locke had mentioned.
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims
Next Bonus Chapter at 4000 Powerstones