Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
However, if that was all, it might not even be worth it for Lin Li to stop and take a second glance at it. Even if he was certain that the ship which the shadow belonged to was really The Star, the resemblance was not particularly significant. The real reason Lin Li stopped was that the aura of the painting made him feel a strange sense of familiarity. After sensing it carefully, he discovered that the aura was surprisingly very similar to that of the Divine-Smith-level mageweath that he had been studying recently.
In other words, the structure of the laws used on this painting seemed to have some similarity with the Divine-Smith-level mageweath that the Immortal King had left behind on the seven small islands. However, Lin Li was certain that the painting was definitely not created by the Immortal King, because the structure wasn’t fine enough. It would seem more plausible if it was said to be created by the Immortal King’s student.
“What’s this painting about?” Lin Li looked at the information in the introduction to see that the creator of the painting was named Heldanos, but he had never heard of that name before. Hence, he turned to ask Prince Monterey about it. Based on the painting alone, Lin Li could tell that Heldanos definitely had high attainments in inscription, which were probably higher than his. He reckoned that many habitants of the Endless Ocean should be aware of such a capable person.
Indeed, after taking a look at the painting, Prince Monterey smiled, and said, “This painting is a gift that the Octopus Clan gave us during the founding celebration of the Gilded Kingdom 100 years ago. It’s said that the painter of this painting is Heldanos, an extraordinary and legendary figure of the Octopus Clan who has extremely high attainments in the field of inscription. So, even though it’s just a painting, it’s a very valuable collectible.”
Collectible? Lin Li realized that Prince Monterey talked about a collectible! For ordinary people, such an exquisite piece of artwork was indeed a collectible. However, those who had the ability to sense the laws in the painting at a deeper level would feel that it was far beyond just a piece of art.
The painting contained plenty of the creator’s experience and comprehension of inscription. Instead of calling it a painting, it would be more appropriate to call it Heldanos’ notebook of inscription, or even his legacy. It would then no longer be as simple as a collectible. Those who could understand the painting would definitely obtain massive benefits from it.
Although Lin Li’s skill in the field of inscription might not be inferior to that of Heldanos, he could still get a lot of inspiration from the painting. Perhaps there were some details that Lin Li had overlooked or neglected, but he managed to find some clues from Heldanos’ painting. That was the reason that pharmacists, inscribers, mages, and warriors often got together to exchange information. As the saying went, there would always be someone to learn from among a group of three.
Logically speaking, such a work of art should be of great use to the Octopus Clan whose foundation was in inscription. Hence, how could they have given it to the Gilded Kingdom as a gift? Besides, there were also inscribers in the Gilded Kingdom. How could they have not found the arcane mysteries contained in that painting?
“Yes, this is quite a good painting, and it’s a rare piece of art,” Lin Li said with a nod, but he didn’t mention the more profound details of the painting.
Prince Monterey shot Lin Li a glance, and merely thought that he was just being polite. Hence, he didn’t think much of it, and said, “President Felic, do you like paintings too? But this is a gift from the Octopus Clan, after all, and it won’t be nice for us to give it to someone else. However, there are some pieces that are created by our local master artists which are not inferior to this one. They’ll be up for auction this time too.”
The Gilded Kingdom had really invested a lot of resources into this auction. The artworks displayed in this art exhibition could be considered national treasures. If they were put for sale elsewhere, they would definitely be able to fetch a staggering price that would even be enough to buy a city. However, for Lin Li, the other pieces of art might not be more useful than Heldanos’ painting, regardless of how valuable they might be.
However, based on Monterey’s words, Lin Li managed to deduce some information. Clearly, to the Gilded Kingdom, Heldanos’ painting meant nothing more than just a gift from the Octopus Clan. In fact, they didn’t value it very much. It was no wonder that that was the case, actually. On the one hand, they couldn’t see the arcane mysteries contained within the painting, and on the other hand, Heldanos might be famous in the Octopus Clan, but not necessarily so in the Gilded Kingdom.
“Won’t this painting be put up for auction?” Lin Li asked, pointing at the painting. He was quite drawn to the painting, and he hoped to get his hands on it if possible so that he could study it carefully. After all, it was left behind by a Guru of Inscription who was on par with him, and Lin Li had just taken a few glances at it. In order to fully see and comprehend everything in the painting, he needed more than just a short while of looking at it.
If this painting was put up for auction, Lin Li would definitely buy it at any cost. Unfortunately, it was still a gift from the Octopus Clan to the Gilded Kingdom, after all, and gifts as such usually had a great symbolic significance. Even if it was a piece of garbage, they would have to preserve it well. How could they sell it to others so casually? He reckoned that the Gilded Kingdom decided to put the painting on display most likely because of their friendly relations.
Although it was said that Lin Li did not have anything against fleecing others to get what he wanted, and was in fact more than glad to do it all the time, it was clearly not a good time to do it now. Hence, he decided that he would wait until the auction was over. Anyway, the painting would still be there after the auction.
With a plan in mind, Lin Li stopped studying the painting here, and followed Monterey to go elsewhere to look at the other artworks. However, no one noticed that Monterey had secretly turned around to take a glance at the painting after they left, seemingly thinking about something.
Time passed quickly when they were appreciating the artworks on display. As they got closer and closer to the start of the auction, the number of people in the exhibition hall increased. Apart from the people of the Thunder Eel Clan, the Octopus Clan, and the Sea Serpent Clan, which were among the seven overlords of the ocean, Grina of the Giant Shark Clan and his Four Divine Generals were also there at the auction.
Immediately afterwards, the Jellyfish Clan and the Barbarous Whale Clan, which were ranked at the bottom of the seven overlords, and were limited in strength compared to the Sea Serpent Clan, also appeared. The Jellyfish Clan was similar to the Octopus Clan, and was very talented in the field of pharmaceutics. They could be considered the clan of pharmacists of the sea. The Jellyfish Clan got along well with the other clans, and even during the great ocean wear, they still maintained a neutral attitude. Hence, although they weren’t very strong, no one dared to harbor ill intentions towards them.
Of course, the Jellyfish Clan could become one of the seven overlords of the ocean not purely because they were taken care of by others. The potions they concocted were not only used for recovery and saving others, they also created potions that could be extremely deadly. Legend had it that the Jellyfish Clan had an extremely tyrannical potion that would be enough to pollute the entire ocean, turning it into a dead area in the blink of an eye.
With such a powerful weapon in hand and a good relationship with each of the overlords of the sea, the Jellyfish Clan did not take the initiative to start a conflict with anyone, so naturally no one was willing to provoke them, either.
On the other hand, the Barbarous Whale Clan was said to have the bloodline of the ancient Barbarous Whale, and they were akin to the Titans of the Sea Clans. In terms of natural strength, the Giant Shark Knights would never be able to compare to the Barbarous Whale Clan. An adult Barbarous Whale could have a height of above four meters, and had the ability to smash a mountain peak and make it collapse with a single punch. One Barbarous Whale Clan member would be able to contend with 100 Giant Shark Knights.
However, the Barbarous Whale Clan had a small population, and there were probably less than 20,000 of them in the Endless Ocean. If their population could surpass 100,000, the Endless Ocean would probably belong to them.
Six of the seven overlords of the Endless Ocean arrived at the auction. Just as the auction was about to begin, there was yet another commotion at the entrance of the exhibition hall. It turned out that the queen of the Siren Clan had walked in, surrounded by a group of men.
The Sirens were the most good-looking clan of the sea, and their beauty was not subjective to the aesthetic standards of the people who looked at them. For example, dwarves liked females who were as buff and stout as them instead of beautiful and slender women of the human race. However, when they saw the female Sirens, their previous aesthetic standards would be changed immediately. Even beasts that usually liked other female beasts of their own kind wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of female Sirens. That probably had something to do with the natural seductive charm of the Siren Clan.
The Siren Clan was matriarchal, and the supreme leader was not a king like in the other Sea Clans, but a queen, just like the elven queen of the mainland. The governing system of the Sirens was similar to that of the elves, and they also adopted the system of having a council and elders. Their gorgeous appearance and system that was similar to that of the elves’ made everyone call the Siren Clan the elves of the sea. However, many male Sirens were quite hideous, unlike the elves who were all attractive regardless of gender.
It wasn’t known if the Siren Queen Halleleah was the most beautiful Siren, but the beauty and charm she exuded under her graceful and noble aura made her absolutely breathtaking. In fact, when she appeared in the exhibition hall, all those who saw her immediately fell silent, and it was so quiet in the exhibition hall that even heartbeat could be heard.
There was an ugly male Siren beside the Siren Queen Halleleah. Those who were familiar with the Siren Clan would know that the male Siren was Halleleah’s husband, the first prince of the Siren Clan, Prince Cleve.
When the queen’s husband was mentioned, people would often associate him with a pretty boy who sponged off his wife. After all, the queen was too domineering, and she would always outshine the people around her. However, Prince Cleve was an absolute exception. All the people of the Endless Ocean knew that he was just as outstanding as Halleleah.
Prince Cleve was definitely not a pretty boy. Of course, he was only so in the eyes of others. In the opinion of those beyond the Sea Clan, Cleve’s appearance was the complete opposite of Halleleah’s because he was truly extremely hideous. However, such an awful appearance might be a different kind of aesthetic to the Sirens.
Hence, Prince Cleve’s appearance was not the key point, but his strength was. In terms of individual strength, Prince Cleve was definitely the first true Archer in history to ever reach the peak of the Sanctuary-realm among the Sea Clan. Even in the entire Endless Ocean, he was still an absolute powerhouse.
It was very difficult for Archers to reach the Sanctuary-realm, and martial artists usually adopted the path of self-improvement by turning their bodies into a world. With the power of their strong bodies, they managed to break through realm after realm, turning their physical bodies that were made of flesh into immortal bodies. On the other hand, mages comprehended the World Laws, and used the power of the World Laws for themselves to control the laws and create worlds.
However, in order for Archers to reach the Sanctuary-realm, they would have to have an equal understanding of the World Laws with mages. At the same time, they would also have to temper their bodies like mages. Hence, since ancient times, Archers who had reached the Sanctuary-realm were almost few and far between. There were probably less than five who could reach the peak of the Sanctuary-realm in the history of Anril.
Of course, while contributing more, the power that an Archer could possess once he reached the Sanctuary-realm was also very terrifying. Each arrow that Prince Cleve shot could reach a target that was more than 1,000 kilometers away and pierce through the Domain World of Sanctuary-Mages. During the ocean war, Prince Cleve managed to kill countless Legendary powerhouses and dozens of Sanctuary powerhouses. He was truly a Sanctuary-realm killer.
In addition to massive individual strength, Prince Cleve’s military talent was also extremely outstanding. The Sirens’ powerful army of Ocean Archers led by Prince Cleve had performed outstandingly in the great ocean war. Even the Giant Shark Knights of the Giant Shark Clan and the Thunderbolt Mages of the Thunder Eel Clan were defeated by the Ocean Archers.
Prince Cleve’s ugliness accentuated Queen Halleleah’s beauty, and he had also protected the Siren Clan with his power. He and Queen Halleleah were just like the sun and the moon of the Sea Clan, and all the Sirens could feel his light shining on them. Their reverence for him was not inferior to that for Queen Hallelujah in any way.
The other Sea Clans, including the unbeatable Giant Shark Clan members, were all in awe and respectful when the Siren Clan was mentioned.
Hence, when they saw Queen Halleleah and Prince Cleve enter, everyone quickly retreated to the sides. No one dared to laugh at Halleleah or belittle the ugly Cleve, who was a supreme powerhouse. Most of them did not even have the courage to go forward to greet them.
Prince Monterey and Lin Li were standing far away from them. Thus, Monterey whispered to Lin Li the introduction of the two big shots of the Siren Clan, and even asked Lin Li if he wanted to go over and get to know them.
Although peak Sanctuary-realm Archers were very rare, Lin Li wasn’t that interested in Prince Cleve, because he was now only interested in information related to the Immortal King. Hence, after hearing Prince Monterey’s question, Lin Li merely waved his hand, and looked away before continuing to admire the art piece beside him.
