Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1109 - 1108 - Progenitor's Spark

The shadowy realm was not very large. It was the most the Shadow Tiger could produce through the girl but it still stunned him.

How was her soul so strong? She should be far from that capable.

[Why are you interfering in one of mine, Fallen One?] An ancient voice suddenly appeared behind the Shadow Tiger Progenitor. He scoffed as he found a swirling portal of pure snow white.

A massive pair of golden eyes looked out but nothing else came through.

[You are late, toothless fool. I expected you ages ago when that damn brat meddled with a pair of Failed Awakenings but you did nothing so I took over.] A scream pulled both of the ancestral beasts' attention.

The human was so injured but he faced the pure essence of the tiger blood inside him.

[What is that strange aura on the boy? It is not mine.] The Shadow Tiger sighed as it was too long to explain. He imparted his memories to the old fool in the portal. The golden eyes narrowed in anger but then shock.

[Strange, why would a dragon interfere? What is he?] That was what the Shadow Tiger wanted to know.

Normally, Progenitor souls were long gone or in deep hibernation within race memories but now 2 of them stood there due to a new one and not of their race!

[He is a strange one. He took one of mine entirely and woke up that old bastard that stole my bloodline and yours.] The golden eyes suddenly spiked in rage but quickly dulled.

[A Divine Progenitor Dragon, eh? If the boy lives, you know what that means, yes?] The Shadow Tiger nodded and both turned back to see the man with only 1 functional arm.

[The boy is weak, but stubborn.] There was neither approval nor disdain in either pair of eyes, they simply looked on as yet another of their descendants tried to breakthrough the limits of their body.

⬧⬧⬧⬧

Lan was tired.

Blood seemed to be the only thing he could smell anymore. His legs were practically useless and his left arm was no longer responding but the injuries had not come cheaply.

The silver white tiger was missing an eye and one of its paws was entirely useless. He had broken it!

The hopeless feeling had left him but now he saw only death in those silver eyes.

"So, the trial was to face myself. To remove all the bloodline from me and condense it into you while leaving behind the rest. I really am weak. I relied on you so much and nearly got my brother killed because of it." Lan was sounding crazed a bit but his eyes focused as the tiger was getting ready to pounce.

He felt time slow as he looked back on his life.

His mother had nearly killed herself to save her beloved and people but failed to breakthrough in the end. She got the strength she needed but paid the price for trying to force it.

{I regret nothing, Lan. Your brother and you should not have to suffer for my failure but you are good boys! I love you!} She said it a lot as he grew up until they were attacked in by the fallout of the battles of the Divine Ruin.

It was not even a direct assault, it was just 2 Immortals duking it out because they could not fly and it was devastating to the land around them. They had not even cared who died!

"I don't care anymore! My mother was a saint! She gave her all and achieved what she wanted despite your disdain! I don't need your approval! I don't need you! I will get my own strength!" Lan no longer cared but did not notice an emerald halo suddenly appeared around him.

The tiger and 2 ancestral wills felt fear for the first time. It was not harmonic Qi around Lan but something else.

Very faintly, 2 emerald reptilian eyes looked down at him and the 2 old beasts actually felt fear looking at them.

Lan screamed as he faced the tiger as it roared. It launched itself across the dark space and Lan actually leaped at it as well.

He did not run away! He was done with relying on the tiger that abandoned his mother! He would find his own strength. He did not need any damned ancestor that would not help a woman just trying to live for her family!

The moment they touched the shadows were scattered to the horizon.

Lan was sent flying as his chest was ripped open easily by the tiger. It sneered at him but then trembled as it looked down at its chest. A bone protruded from it and it looked up to see the right arm was wrecked on the human lying on the ground in front of it.

Lan was dying but it was dying too. Shock crossed its face but in the place neither could see, an approving glint filled the golden eyes looking from beyond the portal. The ghostly Shadow Tiger had a real smile but neither moved.

It was the final moment of Lan's life and he had to choose.

Lan felt only pain. His body was not answering him but he was smiling.

"See you in Hell bastard." He had put all his strength into the last strike and felt his bones break. He lost his other arm and now felt cold spread with the heat.

It was strange. Death was the end but he was not afraid anymore.

"Bori, I love you and you really need to see where your heart is going. That woman is terrifying." He felt a new darkness closing in. He knew it was never going to let up again.

Death was not kind. It only revealed itself at the end of life. Many thought it could be a mercy but it had a terror to it. The terror of the final end came but Lan felt nothing.

He suddenly felt a new presence stand over him and he looked up to see a man he both recognized and at the same time was a stranger.

He had the same kindness in his emerald eyes but a lot of scars were there. His body was fine but his soul was far more hurt than the man he knew.

"W–who are you?" A gentle smile filled the man's face as he knelt down. His robes were frayed and worn but they had a quality that was far beyond his current set.

"You won't remember this but we made a similar decision. I never forgot but Ethry really pushed me harshly back then. You are dying but not a normal death. You passed the trial you crazy bastard. I wish I could tell you the path will be easier but it will be harder. I can only say this now." The stranger with a familiar face closed his eyes and then looked at him with a level of authority far beyond his Master. "Live Lan, Live!"

The darkness closed in but then pure white Qi filled the air as it flowed into his body. The tiger roared with its last breath but it was wiped away as a far superior bloodline was born.

A tiger soul was born!

The space shattered under the sheer power of the pure white Qi and Jur was sent spiraling backwards as Lan's body was covered by the pure white Qi in the real world.

His bestial features vanished as a purely human body now stood before her but he was at the Moon Tier!

Lan slowly opened his eyes as pure white eyes looked out with a wisdom that shook her. Lind came bursting in but in that moment both men looked at each other in recognition.

"A Progenitor…" Lind's words snapped Lan awake and he felt power flow in his body unlike ever before!

[Boy, this will be the only time we speak. I do not coddle my descendants like the dragons or those damn turtles. You must carve out your own path and you did so when you rejected my bloodline. Your mother failed because she demanded the power to bow to her but refused to stand on her own. Still, she had good intentions so I gave her the power she wanted. Honor her memory and never forget your choice.]

A new voice, one he knew instinctively was the White Tiger ancestor spoke in his mind but Lan felt tears flow down his face. He felt all connection to the old bloodline snap at the end as his body thrummed with power.

"Unexpected, Lan. You and I will have a lot to discuss." Not Junior or little brother, but his name. His Master called him by his name alone!

Lan opened his pure white eyes and truly saw his Master for the first time. His body was young and hale but his soul was like the sun! It shone with power he only now grasped!

One progenitor recognized another!

"Mast–" Lind held up his hand at his words.

"Though you are only a Moon Tier, you are the same as me now. A progenitor bows to no one. Trust me, you need to grasp that." He felt Lind's words were right but he smiled as he bowed at Lind.

"You are still my Master. I have much to learn and I am only a newborn." Lind smiled at him and nodded. He felt closer to his Master than ever before but both turned to Jur as the felt an aura far beyond her realm.

[This is the last time I speak to you both. Treat the girl well. She had promise but you, brat, should really be careful about how you approach the young. A progenitor has more power than you know. Be more careful in the future.] The aura vanished and Lind caught Jur as she collapsed.

Lan bowed low and felt blessed. He had a new path in front of him and he hoped his brother would follow him soon.

He also knew instinctively he would have to leave their party soon but there was one thing he wanted to see before then. It would take time but it was worth it. Lan smiled as he put his body through its paces to see how he had changed. He felt weaker than before but it was his strength now.

He would forge his path going forward. His future was his alone, and he was glad of it!