Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1026 - 1025 - Terror of Fiends

Lind had seen a lot of strange things in his long life but the most recent battle took the cake. He had confirmed there was a shadowy force but he had no idea it was actually the forces themselves!

It was only when he saw some resisting that he knew something odd was truly going on. He tossed in some of his artifacts to completely remove any controlling formations or artifacts. He was stunned when that did not work entirely.

It was only when War Maiden Katara pointed out it was a bloodline array that he realized what was going on in part. The question of how was yet to be answered but he had 5 prisoners for that.

The way he found them was the fact they were able to use their full power all of a sudden. They stood out like sore thumbs and the fact they tried to kill the elites of each force as well.

Delenn had to take them as he was still recovering. His natural regeneration combined with 3 more elixirs did wonders for his stamina but his body would take longer. Still, he had some questions to ask.

The 5 people were 4 men and 1 woman. Even sitting in front of him, they tried to slip outside his perception. With his artifact and emerald flames, they still had something working on them!

His Eyes bored into their bodies and he saw something stunning. The meridians were in the right places but they were lined with blood! Not just any blood, but Fiend blood!

It was a delicate array protected by their own bodies from his flames! Unless he scoured their bodies completely, a casual attempt would fail! Their dantians were cloudy as well. It was not like the agents or other thralls that had benefited from Fiend techniques.

These people had been altered in ways that were terrifying and long term. They would have had to have it done since they became Immortals or Heavenly tribulation would have killed them!

The pain of such a process would be unimaginable. That was not all though, where did they get the blood?!

He overheard a term calling them Fiend Cultists but he did not think so. Cultists were obsessed with Fiends and wanted to mimic them but were rarely directly connected. It was closer to how a fan could gush about their object of affection but never dream of meeting them.

Also, Fiend Cultists usually just wanted to use the name to be taken more seriously as they were often glorified bandits. True cultists might want to do what he sees but only 1 being alive could pull it off. A living Fiend!

It was not like the lairs where a Fiend was essentially turned into an artifact. It would require a living Fiend to pull off.

"Where did you get that Fiend blood?" His question seemed to surprise everyone. The 5 quickly blanked their faces but only confirmed his question was valid.

"What do you mean Fiend blood?" The War Maiden came up behind him but he simply picked up one of the men. Emerald light flared and he began to scream as if a thousand knives were skewering him.

All watched in shock as a black sludge began to leave his body but it did not have the stench of impurities. Instead, it made all feel a vile feeling of illness just looking at it. Further, the man's body began to wither and shrink as they watched.

The records were old but only one thing has such a side effect and feeling combined. Fiend thralls!

Lind calmly kept it up until all the Fiend blood was removed. In the currently fairly pure environment, the blood was not destroyed on sight.

"Anyone else care to be quiet?" His tone was ice and the remaining 4 looked disturbed at him.

"How did you do that to Fiend blood?" A demon came forward. His robes were shredded but he gave off the air of violence incarnate just moving. His cobalt eyes were staring daggers at the pool of vile blood.

"Suffice to say any Fiend would find me their natural enemy." Lind did not hide it and he got the reaction he wanted.

"Impossible! The lords are eternal! You cannot defy them!" One of the men screamed and before any could process his admission, a clawed hand lifted him into the air like the last one.

"I have looked your fabled Great One in the face and lived. He actively seeks my death. He has failed. So please, go on about your great lords." He let his aura unfurl in fool on the man and it had the desired result. He was quaking as he soiled himself while all were confused as to why he was reacting that way.

"S-s-s-stop it! Stop it!" Lind ignored his pleas. He increased the intensity of his aura and all present felt it then. It was not directed at them but a cold sweat broke out. All jumped as the Heavens rumbled faintly as well!

"How many?" He spoke 2 words but they were filled with the weight of karma behind them. They could all feel it. "How many did you use for the bloodline arrays? How many have been sacrificed over how many millions of years all for the day you turned on the Realm Refiner?"

His question shocked the 4 rigid, even the one in his grasp. His missing arm began to grow back at a visible rate as golden light began to sparkle around him. Any cultivator with half their sense knew it was not light Qi!

It was karmic restitution but why? Why was the fortune of cultivators everywhere appearing on him now?

"How do you know about the Great One's–" The woman spoke but then choked back her words. Lind sneered.

"Because I destroyed it! Your great plan is ruined! I swear to Heaven and Earth all I sway is true!" The Heavens rumbled not in wrath but joy! All could feel it!

All 4 prisoners paled as they stared at him in abject horror.

Their plans and their role were critical in rising up but the man before them had destroyed it!

"That is impossible! You would have to be an Ascender!" That word silenced everyone. It had been a million years since the 1st and 3rd layer had been cut off. If the barrier was open once more, they would know as every sect would be scrambling for answers.

Several knowledgeable people turned to Delenn as many rumors had said she had been somehow banished to a lower realm. It would explain why she was never found nor heard from at all.

Such a method was impossible to confirm or trace without witnesses after all.

"So, I ask you once again, how many arrays?" He had been missing a piece he could not understand. The Corruption may be started by a facility but to spread so far and so fast would still require an extensive network to seal off a layer so completely instantly.

He had not found a single trace but the wars that occurred would also rip up any formations easily. Artifacts would have been destroyed by the tainted Qi but a bloodline array worked differently.

Especially one made by murder.

It was imprinted not in a physical sense but a spiritual one. The blood was the medium to connect all life in the ways of cultivation. Lind knew better though.

Blood was simply the life giving flow in the body. It was imbued with all aspects of the cultivator and thus that included their spiritual connections. Get enough of a material and cultivators can make it work.

They tied the pieces of Laws, spirit, and soul into a foul array that would be unaffected by anything save a similar attack. His harmony fit the bill perfectly!

Delenn was imbued with his harmony so her attacks were just as effective.

The sheer volume needed to make such arrays was atrocious but that was the terror of Fiends. They were damned patient and clearly planned ahead. They knew their plan would threaten them unless certain steps were taken.

Deep underground they laid out layers to keep their agents functioning but the still active ones were missing entirely. He would bet all he had they were inside a protected facility he had only glimpsed.

These people had direct contact with Fiends at some point after their last tribulation.

If it was after the Corruption spread, he needed to know!

"We don't know!" The woman spoke up again. Fear was etched on her face. The men were not much better. He let the man drop and moved in front of her. He did not seem to understand he was glowing emerald and gold as he did it.

"What do you know? Speak quickly!" She seemed about to say something but all his instincts screamed at him to run. He acted quickly and used emerald flames to engulf her body. Black flames sprung from her body.

The 2 clashed but it was not just her! The remaining 3 men also began to burst into flames. Lind acted quickly but was stunned he was not exhausted already as emerald flames engulfed them all.

The bodies were consumed entirely despite his effort to quench it!

He could only watch as his 5 leads died. Rage surged but he quickly quelled it.

"Thank you for helping me. I can stop now." Lind should have been on fumes but his Qi seemed bottomless. He only experienced that at certain times.

Sure enough, the golden glow dimmed and the Heavens dispersed the faint clouds above. The instant it vanished, his body felt like it weighed tons.

Darkness was about to close in when a pair of strong arms caught him.

"You have revealed quite enough, Lind. Go to sleep and recover." Delenn's voice was the last thing he heard as darkness took over. He did feel guilty a bit but he knew he had to break those prisoners with the truth. Fiends despised him and their followers no less so. He was the terror of Fiends!