The Era of Gods

Chapter 367: The Terrifying Strange

Above the rank of Knight comes Baron, then Viscount, Earl, Marquis, and the Duke, comparable to Powerful Divine Power.

As for those with Great Divine Power, or great beings, they are called Kings or Great Kings.

It is worth mentioning that between the Duke and the Great King is an informal level called Grand Duke, a title bestowed only upon those whose God Level has reached Level 19 with Powerful Divine Power. Although not an official rank, it is a title recognized and respected by all aristocrats.

It is said that the current head of the Holy Light Clan is such a Grand Duke, with three Dukes publicly known within the Clan, showcasing exceptional strength.

The military style of the Aristocracy Council is vastly different from that of the HuaXia District; the distinction in status is very clear, and many ancient feudal traditions are still preserved, such as…

No sooner had he stepped out of the car than servants approached to greet him. As he wasn’t wearing an overcoat, they couldn’t assist him with it, but they still used a soft brush to sweep away the non-existent dust on his clothing.

Whether the actions were superfluous or not, the feeling was unmistakably different.

It must be said that when it comes to enjoyment and prestige, the Aristocracy Council is second to none among the four great powers; it’s rare for anyone to disdain such luxuries.

Two divinely majestic horses, their coats shining with a black luster, pulled an opulent carriage before him. A servant respectfully helped him aboard, and inside the carriage sat a petite and pretty young girl who immediately came forward to serve him as he sat down.

The girl’s voice was soft and pleasant as she moved with the grace of someone who had undergone rigorous training and provided meticulous service.

When he alighted from the carriage, he was at the entrance to a vast estate. Several servants came to greet him, presented his invitation, and one of them personally ushered him into the estate.

This place must still be within the military encampment, and such a location would never exist within the military camps of the HuaXia District, but it was quite common within the territories of the Aristocracy Council.

The banquet hadn’t started yet, and three Caucasian men were earnestly chatting with a beautiful blonde girl in a pale yellow gown at the entrance. Noticing his approach, the men just glanced at him and looked away, clearly not recognizing him.

The blonde girl, however, looked at him and her eyes lit up. She gave a slight curtsy to the men before turning to Lin Xiao and said:

“Respected Lin Xiao, you may call me Asher. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He couldn’t help but pause and examine her lovely face, finding no recollection of her in his mind, certain they hadn’t met before. Slightly puzzled but not showing it, he seriously returned her curtsy:

“It is my pleasure to meet you, Miss Asher.”

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Her expressive eyes watched him, and she covered her mouth to giggle:

“Lin Xiao may not recognize me, which is quite normal. After all, with your dazzling brilliance, how could you notice someone as insignificant as me?”

Lin Xiao…

Finding it slightly ridiculous but maintaining a solemn expression, he courteously reciprocated:

“I apologize for overlooking you, Miss Asher, the beauty.”

With a hand covering her mouth, the blonde girl emitted a bell-like laughter:

“Then, I forgive you Lin Xiao.”

“I heard that Lin Xiao, not long ago in the newly discovered Nightmare World, foiled the sinister intentions of Nightmare’s Will. I am very curious, I wonder if you could…”

The blonde girl’s eyes, filled with the curiosity of a naive girl meeting her idol, immediately put Lin Xiao on alert but also sparked jealousy in the three men who had just been chatting pleasantly with her. They exchanged looks, and one blond man stepped forward, interrupting Lin Xiao’s words loudly:

“Do you know that interrupting others’ conversation is very impolite?”

Lin Xiao glanced at them and, addressing Miss Asher with a clasped fist, said:

“It seems I’ve come at an inopportune time. I will go inside now.”

Without waiting for the blonde girl’s continued attempts to retain him, he entered the estate with the servant.

As soon as he disappeared inside, the girl’s smile instantly fell from her face, but upon turning back to the three men, she quickly restored her bright smile and said:

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. It’s just that I greatly admire Lin Xiao’s heroic figure. I heard he’s now ranked seventh on the Celestial Talent sub-list. Of course, you guys are also very impressive, Jack, I’ve heard…”

Lin Xiao heard no more, but in any case, he felt it was better to leave earlier. The girl seemed delicate and sweet, but he had the nagging suspicion that she might be a manipulator, and he had no desire to be involved with her.

Within the glittering grandeur of the great hall, beautiful music echoed. Alec was talking with a couple that seemed intimate; upon seeing Lin Xiao enter, he excused himself from the two and walked over with an outstretched hand.

“Mr. Lin Xiao, please follow me. My master, Uther, is upstairs chatting with friends. He told me to invite you up immediately upon your arrival.”

In the hall were twenty to thirty young men and women, all with exceptional demeanour, around the same age. Whether chatting or playing, their gaze turned towards him at this moment—all thirty-plus imposing glares fixated on him simultaneously.

He responded with an expressionless nod:

“Please lead the way!”

He also nodded and smiled at the young men and women in the hall.

As he ascended the spiral staircase to the second floor, the hall immediately erupted in a buzzing discussion:

“Who is that, being allowed onto the second floor?”

“Haven’t seen him before, but from his looks, he should be from the HuaXia District. Let me check.”

“Found it, from Radiance Second School, ranked seventh on the Celestial Talent sub-list… Lin Xiao. Hmm, he doesn’t have a title yet.”

“So it’s him; he has the qualifications to be on the second floor.”

“However, there are several who are also on the Celestial Talent sub-list or Absolute Talent list upstairs who might not accept him. They will surely challenge him, and it remains to be seen if we get to witness it.”

“There is a chance, several are from the Ivy League Alliance of High Schools. If they dare to challenge, they will surely defeat him in front of everyone.”

“That will be quite the spectacle.”

When Lin Xiao arrived on the second floor, the attendant led him to a luxurious room akin to a conference room. Inside, seven extraordinary men and women were conversing. A handsome young man with golden hair stood up and approached from afar, saying:

“You must be Lin Xiao. I am Uther! Welcome.”

The youth exuded a unique aura that made him seem quite sincere, irresistibly approachable, and it was like a breath of spring in conversation.

Uther, a contemporary of Senior Chu Mo, now a freshman and already a Demigod ranked thirty-three on the Celestial Talent potential list, was definitely stronger than Lin Xiao at the moment, since he had already achieved a whole level of Divine Power.

But he could not be much stronger; after all, Lin Xiao had ten Supreme Naga Lords and a Mythical Hero capable of slaying Normal Demigods across ranks at his command. If it came down to the wire, it would be a pyrrhic victory for either side.

However, Uther himself certainly did not know this, and although he treated Lin Xiao with respect, it was in the manner of a senior towards a junior.

Lin Xiao didn’t mind too much. After all, Uther’s manners were impeccable, and he didn’t look at Lin Xiao with the overt malice that others did.

After Uther’s welcome, he introduced Lin Xiao to the others present, and Lin Xiao likewise learned the identities of the six individuals, apart from Uther — four men and two women.

As he had expected, all six were super-elite peers of his, included either on the Celestial Talent sub-list or main list, with the least ranked prominently on the Absolute Talent sub-list.

While the Absolute Talent list may be ranked lower than the Celestial Talent list, it didn’t necessarily mean its members were weaker.

The qualifications for the Absolute Talent list were equally strict. Unlike the Celestial Talent list, where outstanding Talent and potential could secure a spot, the Absolute Talent list purely assessed combat capabilities, with many whose fighting strength was no less than those on the Celestial list but lacked the potential.

Those with strong combat capabilities who couldn’t make the list were often displeased, especially disdainful of those who listed by potential, and were very eager to challenge the super elites on the Celestial Talent sub-list.

Since challenges from the Absolute Talent list to the Celestial list carried no consequences if failed, but great recognition if successful, they naturally took pleasure in it. Thus, from the moment Lin Xiao entered the room, he saw two individuals eager to try, apparently just waiting for the introductions to be over before they made their move.

Indeed, this was the potential challenge mentioned by the homeroom teacher.

Sure enough, as soon as Uther finished the challenge, those two couldn’t wait any longer to stand up. A muscular man on the left extended his thick arm first, saying:

“My name is Biggs. I’m pleased to meet you, Lin Xiao, and I would like to challenge you!”

The regret was obvious on the other person who had been a step too slow.

The rest looked on with interest, seemingly very keen on witnessing the encounter.

This was understandable; seeing is believing. All top elites were extremely confident in their strength and would not fully acknowledge another elite peer without personally witnessing their capabilities, much like Lin Xiao who had to fight Luo Shuang and other top elites before he was recognized.

Lin Xiao himself was also quite interested. After returning from the Nightmare World, his strength had surged but he had yet to officially spar with anyone. This was a good opportunity to gauge his strength against other super-elite peers.

He was confident he was stronger than his peers, but didn’t have a clear idea of by how much.

With this in mind, and under everyone’s anticipatory gaze, he smiled slightly and shook Biggs’s hand in greeting:

“Agreed. I’ve been quite curious to experience the strength of Mr. Biggs.”

At this moment, Uther spoke up:

“This place is within the scope of the military network, and you can initiate a virtual battlefield challenge at any time.”

He gestured invitingly with his hand. Biggs grinned widely, and a soul-like shadow shot into the sky and vanished, along with the others, indicating they had connected to the virtual battlefield and projected themselves.

“It’s been a while since I entered the virtual battlefield!”

With a thought, Lin Xiao’s projection merged into the void, reappearing in a space where a metal platform lay beneath his feet. The others stood on their platforms, watching with interest as the two prepared to face off.

In the void not too far away, there were platforms with blurry figures standing on them. These were other soldiers and students from the Fortress who were connected to the network.

Biggs spread his arms and took a deep breath.