"How interesting..."
After Teresia left the Sovereign Palace, Locke rested his chin on one hand and murmured softly,
"I wonder how this world will develop from here."
"And through what means will Linley obtain a Wind Sovereign spark to complete the four elemental Sovereign powers of earth, wind, water, and fire?"
The Sovereign Pact had been established by the Death Chief Sovereign, Lilia, and was a set of rules that every Sovereign was required to obey.
Now, Linley, who possessed three Sovereign bodies, had already been recognized by Locke as a new Edicts Chief Sovereign.
No Wind Sovereign would be so overconfident as to provoke Linley and hand him an excuse to strike.
As the staunchest supporter of the Sovereign Pact in the entire Magic Universe, Locke naturally wouldn't allow Linley to violate it.
Indeed, in the future, Linley would inherit control of the Magic Universe from Hongmeng and become its new Controller.
However, before he became a Hongmeng Controller, Locke was still fully capable of keeping Linley in check.
Establishing a set of rules—and making all the Sovereigns genuinely acknowledge and obey them from the bottom of their hearts—required countless years.
But destroying them...
Only took an instant.
Locke had no wish to see the order governing the Sovereigns of the Magic Universe destroyed.
Certainly, after Linley became the new Hongmeng Controller, he would restore order among the Sovereigns.
But once restored...
How much credibility would that restored order still have in the hearts of the Sovereigns?
If Linley's own rise in strength had depended upon slaughtering other Sovereigns and seizing their Sovereign sparks...
How could the other Sovereigns ever feel assured that, should anything happen in the future, Linley wouldn't personally step in?
It could be said that...
Among the Sovereigns, the only order they truly recognized now was Locke's.
In terms of strength, Chief Sovereign Locke's power was unanimously acknowledged by every Sovereign.
As for his conduct...
Ever since Chief Sovereign Locke had become a Sovereign, he had never once killed another Sovereign.
The Snowfall Sovereign had tricked Locke once, yet Locke hadn't killed him. Instead, he merely allowed the Snowfall Sovereign to experience the terror of an ant wandering into a dragon's nest.
Of course...
Chief Sovereign Locke had also explained to the other Intermediate Sovereigns that his proposal to elevate the Snowfall Sovereign to the rank of an Intermediate Sovereign had merely been intended as a lesson, not as a means of killing him.
Because of this, during the years when the Snowfall Sovereign remained an "Intermediate Sovereign," the other Intermediate Sovereigns never maliciously tried to intimidate him.
Everything had simply been the Snowfall Sovereign frightening himself.
Furthermore...
The Destruction Chief Sovereign Wodred had challenged Chief Sovereign Locke many times.
In the end, all that happened was that he received two harmless beatings.
From the few occasions on which Chief Sovereign Locke had taken action against the Snowfall Sovereign and the Destruction Chief Sovereign...
The Sovereigns had all come to understand Locke's character.
So long as no one violated the Sovereign Pact and everyone fulfilled their own responsibilities as Sovereigns...
Chief Sovereign Locke would never personally intervene.
...
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Within the August Garden...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta vented his fury by unleashing attacks at everything inside the garden.
Unfortunately...
With Augusta's current strength, he was utterly incapable of damaging an Overgod material defense artifact in the slightest.
Protected by the barrier established by the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff, the commotion here would not attract the attention of the other Sovereigns.
"Finished venting?"
Only after Augusta finally stopped did the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff, seated calmly within the pavilion, ask in an indifferent tone.
"Finished? How could I possibly be finished?!"
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta roared,
"Orloff, open your eyes and take a look!"
"The recordings circulating among those Sovereigns..."
"The one making a fool of himself in them is me!"
"How dare they?"
"Have every one of them forgotten that I could kill them all?"
Combined with the brutality blazing within Augusta's eyes...
Any Sovereign who saw him at this moment would have no doubt whatsoever about his murderous intent toward those who had spread the recordings of his battle against the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns.
Unfortunately...
The one standing before the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta...
Was the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff.
And at the same time...
His original body.
"Mmm."
"They're not afraid."
"Because..."
"You don't dare."
The Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff spoke those few words with utter calmness.
"No matter whether it's Chief Sovereign Locke or Chief Sovereign Linley..."
"Both possess the power to kill you instantly."
"Therefore, you no longer dare target the Yulan branch, because you're afraid Linley will kill you."
"And you also don't dare move against the Sovereigns spreading the recordings of your battle with the Four Divine Beast Sovereigns..."
"Because Chief Sovereign Locke would punish you for violating the Sovereign Pact."
Yet those few calm sentences...
Instantly shattered every one of Augusta's disguises.
He was domineering.
Violent.
Arrogant.
Sinister.
Vicious.
He possessed every personality trait expected of a villain.
But at the same time...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta was also cowardly.
Timid.
Fearful.
Ordinarily...
Because of his own strength and because the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff stood behind him as his backer...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta always presented himself as arrogant and overbearing.
Now...
After the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff had laid bare the objects of Augusta's fear...
A look of genuine terror finally appeared upon Augusta's face.
Indeed.
Just as the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff had said...
The Light Chief Sovereign Augusta could now do nothing except rage helplessly here.
Neither Linley nor Locke...
Were beings he could possibly oppose.
"Orloff..."
"You and I are one."
"Can you really stand by and watch while those people turn us into a joke?"
"A joke?"
"So what?"
The Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff glanced at Augusta.
"What they think of me..."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"Can it make me stronger?"
"Or weaker?"
"If something cannot affect my strength in any way..."
"How could it possibly stir my emotions?"
Those words truly reflected the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff's innermost thoughts.
When he had originally used his racial innate ability to split off a clone...
The greatest emotion he had left within his original body...
Was the pursuit of greater power.
To become stronger...
Orloff was willing to do anything.
Only things capable of affecting his strength were worthy of his attention.
Only such things would be researched by him to determine what benefits they might bring to his cultivation.
However...
Those words caused the Light Chief Sovereign Augusta's face to turn deathly pale.
Indeed...
As the original body, Orloff was unaffected by negative emotions.
But Augusta was.
Especially since Augusta was a clone formed entirely from Orloff's negative emotions.
He was, in essence, the embodiment of negativity itself.
Now...
Even the Fate Chief Sovereign Orloff, whom he regarded as his greatest support, had no intention of standing up for him.
Which meant that...
For countless years to come...
So long as this current generation of Sovereigns did not all perish...
He, Augusta...
Would forever remain the laughingstock of every Sovereign.
(End of Chapter)
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