Coiling Dragon

Book 9, His Fame Shakes the World – Chapter 3, Provocation

Emperor Johann had heard of Linley’s fame long ago.

That ‘second genius magus’ in all of history who had also reached the exalted rank of grandmaster sculptor at the age of sixteen. An absolute genius. When Johann had learned of Linley and his history, he couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly with admiration.

He watched as Linley walked in.

“He indeed appears to be a man of great talent.” Johann sighed to himself. Be it in either his physical proportions or his reserved personality, Johann could tell that Linley did indeed have that unique aura of a grandmaster sculptor.

“Greetings, your Imperial Majesty.” Linley bowed fractionally.

“How dare you.” The palace attendant next to Emperor Johann said in a shrill voice. “How dare you not kneel and kowtow before his Imperial Majesty?”

Linley swept the attendant with his cold gaze. The palace attendant suddenly felt as though he was being stared at by a viper, and he couldn’t help but shiver.

“A master artisan such as Linley is someone whom We have admired for a long time. Naturally, there is no need for him to kneel and pay any obeisance.” Johann glanced at his nearby attendant, and the attendant no longer dared to speak.

In the O’Brien Empire, generally speaking, ministers needed to kneel on one knee before the Emperor. But people such as Blumer, a personal disciple of the War God, only needed to bow slightly.

“Wharton.” Johann looked at Wharton, who stood next to Linley. “We have heard long ago that you had an older brother. Why is it that you have only brought him to see Us today?”

Wharton immediately said, “Your Imperial Majesty, your servant’s older brother has only recently arrived in the imperial capital.”

Emperor Johann nodded calmly, then looked at Linley. With a laugh, he said, “Master Linley, I heard that at the age of seventeen, you became a dual-element magus of the seventh rank. After ten years have passed, might I ask what level you have now reached?”

Linley smiled. “After ten years of painstaking training, just a few days ago, I stepped past the gateway into the ninth rank.”

“An Arch Magus of the ninth rank?” Johann blinked.

“What?” A surprised shout from behind the Emperor. Linley casually glanced at the covering screen placed behind the Emperor’s seat. As soon as he had entered, Linley had known that there were two experts of the ninth rank hidden there, one a magus, one a warrior.

Johann glanced backwards as well.

Knowing that they had revealed themselves, those two came forward. One was dressed in a loose, long magus robe, while the other was wearing a classic warrior’s outfit.

“These two are Our guards. They, too, were shocked at your advancement, Master Linley.” Johann laughed calmly.

“A dual-element Arch Magus of the ninth rank. Linley, might I ask how old you are this year?” That silver-haired magus stared at Linley. As a magus, he naturally knew how incredibly difficult it was for one to increase one’s level of spiritual energy.

Throughout history, more than ten warriors had reached the Saint-level in their twenties.

But in all of history, there was not a single Arch Magus of the ninth rank who reached that rank before the age of thirty. The rate of advancement for spiritual energy was something which couldn’t be increased by any known means. It required one to slowly accumulate it, one step at a time.

“My older brother is twenty seven years old this year.” Wharton spoke out.

“Twenty seven!” Hearing this number, that magus of the ninth rank had a very…amusing…look of shock on his face.

History was history. History included the records of countless geniuses over tens of thousands of years. There were a few people who reached the ninth rank after the age of thirty, but that was ancient history. In the past few centuries, there hadn’t been a single person who had reached the ninth rank in their thirties.

But…

“Twenty seven. Twenty seven!” That silver-haired old man laughed at himself. “I reached the rank of Arch Magus of the ninth rank when I turned 170, and I thought I didn’t do too bad. But compared to you, Master Linley…”

The silver-haired old man sighed, shaking his head.

The difference was simply too extraordinary.

“Mr. Gerhaus, in the past, how old was the youngest Arch Magus to reach the ninth rank?” Johann immediately asked.