Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1111 - 1110 - Compensation for Mercy

Song City was transformed in a short month and a half. Everyone from simple Body Refining Realms to the few Immortals at the upper echelons of society had suddenly had remarkable improvement in their cultivation.

It was not a new pill or elixir, but training methods. Foundations that had suffered under the Corruption were made far better. Grasping the elements and a shift in how to balance them in the dantian fought back far better than anyone could have imagined!

Alchemists and elixir masters had their very foundations shattered at the same time. The methods of extracting herbs and other resources far more efficiently than ever before. Further, other professions were able to extrapolate a lot of it for their own purposes.

The orphanage that supplied children to aid them also suddenly exploded with potential unlike anything anyone had seen since the founding of the city!

Lind had gone out of his way to raise the bar as compensation for Chu's actions and it had warmed things between the 5th Prince and his party.

Marquis Song was beside himself with joy as his own children found out they had the skills of Forging and elixir mastery where previously they had struggled in other fields. The testing methods Lind had learned of so long ago were partially lost due to the many battles of the world.

Further, some simply had no expert to test in them and sort of stumbled into it. Supposedly, before the Corruption swept the world, the guilds had been far more robust and would send experts to run exams at a power's request.

Those guilds had been wiped out or isolated due to the Corruption so the testing methods were lost. Lind found that idiotic!

Testing was not some great secret and while weaving was a bit problematic, he imprinted jade slip after jade slip.

Marquis Song even built a small facility simply for testing for the derivative professions due to the demand!

It was not as ornate or as fashionable as the previous guild facility but it worked.

Law Bindings were improved also as a result to even make the purification of the air even better!

The palace was having a celebration as many nobles suddenly found their ranks flush with promising seeds. It was weird. It was almost like the Heavens had purposely led the Emerald Immortal to them at that moment!

Lind was sipping at a very good wine. Alcohol normally had zero effect on him anymore but the dark red wine in his crystal goblet was actually giving him a buzz! Where did it come from?

"The Gift of the Spirits Wine is to your liking, Lord Emerald Immortal?" Gilgamesh in fine robes of red and silver came smiling up to him. His dark hair was tied back with a golden clasp but Lind noticed it was very old.

It was an artifact for defense!

"That is good work there." He tapped his own dirty blonde hair and the Man at Arms smiled in joy.

"My late wife had her best refiner make it for me. She insisted I come home in one piece and it saved my life more than once. I could get better ones and have at her former insistence but never let this one go." Lind smiled and raised his glass.

"So what is this Gift of the Spirits?" He had not encountered anything with such a potent effect in a long time.

Gilgamesh pointed towards the east side of the room where arches leading to the gardens beyond held several barrels with profound arrays on them. Lind's Eyes were stunned to see the delicate flow of Qi moving into the barrels as he watched.

"A long time ago, a master of drunken style combat refused to accept that he could never truly be inebriated again. His technique allowed alcohol to still have influence but it was mostly the memory of being drunk. He partnered with alchemists and refiners to ferment a truly potent wine." Gilgamesh had a smile on his face as he spoke.

It was like a fairytale. Did someone truly want to get drunk that badly as an Immortal?

"I bet he wanted a lot of products for variety." Lind mumbled but Gilgamesh laughed out loud.

"He would have liked you for understanding that! My ancestor was a bit odd." Lind looked up in shock before understanding flowed through him.

"This is yours?" Gilgamesh shrugged at him.

"It would be more precise to call it my nephew's. I went to be a soldier for the kingdom but my sister took over our family business. She and my brother have continued the tradition although none of us kept up the technique our ancestor had." Both men smiled that a single Immortal had inspired a generation spanning business based on his desire for true alcohol.

"Must be an infusion of Qi into ingredients to increase the effects of refinement. It must take centuries to reach such potency and delicate balance of the mixture to be so good." Gilgamesh had his eyes go wide before laughing.

Both men stiffened as Marquis Song came running over but he went right past them to the table of goblets. Why was the Marquis of all people running for cups of wine?

"Father! Stop that!" A young girl was running slowly behind him but Lind only took a glance before he caught her.

"You should not be running in that condition, young lady." Gilgamesh froze for a moment but then cracked out laughing as the Marquis Song came back in a panic.

"Lilia, are you ok?! I just wanted to toast the good news–" Lind brought his hand down in a gentle chop on the Marquis Song's head.

"I can fully understand being excited about your grandchild to come but we are in a public setting and you are the leader of the region." Lind felt like he was talking to an immature child rather than a man that was far older than him.

The Marquis seemed to realize where he was and calmed himself but took his daughter into his arms and hugged her. Lind used his experienced eyes to evaluate her and frowned slightly.

"It would seem I have one more act to put on." He was so quiet that none noticed but Chu, who was across the room with Jur, suddenly glanced at him but he shook his head.

"Marquis Song, may I take a look?" Lind made it simply his professional curiosity but the man had no objection. Lind's hand lit up to the surprise of many but it was a diffused glow that only the small group noticed.

None of them aside from Lind saw the emerald core hidden inside his palm. His hand only hovered over the belly for a moment but it was enough. No major issue but the Corruption was a damnable curse for the forming infant.

He really needed to do something about that as his harmony could not be spread across the 2nd layer.

Still, he made a note for a final checkup on any expecting mothers before he left if he could. He had no doubt it was another factor contributing to the declining number of cultivators aside from the former constant battles.

"Everything seems fine but I recommend rest after this. And before the Marquis Song asks, it is only a recommendation based on someone making her chase after him." Lind's smile was like a devil that made the Marquis sweat as his daughter giggled.

"Thank you, Lord Emerald Immortal. My father always gets this way. Hopefully this time–" A dark look passed over her eyes and it made Lind sigh as his guess was right. Just giving birth, even in the superior conditions of Rubyfire Kingdom did not help much.

He pondered for a bit before he summoned a grade 4 elixir. It was one of the few he had left for such issues.

"You are in the peak of the Sky Realm but this is a Heaven Grade 4 elixir. It is my last." The jade vial glowed with all natural Qi colors. It also had shimmering gold flecks that confirmed its quality.

Shock filled both Marquis Song and Gilgamesh but the young woman trembled as she looked up at him.

"Is my baby ok?" Lind smiled wide as he nodded.

"Perfectly healthy but this will not only help the baby but yourself. If you want an example, my follower, Ranger, has a young daughter who is way too full of energy and growing like a weed." It was mostly true but her birth was not exactly something to be revealed easily.

The Marquis took the vial and tears were in his eyes.

"Lord Emerald Immortal, I know there were some issues during your stay but even if it had been worse, just for this, I would extend an eternal invitation to my home." Lind bowed and the pair moved off.

Gilgamesh quietly looked on with a gentle smile.

"What does that elixir do?" Lind explained how it would temper her body while protecting the child within. He badly needed more supplies if he wanted to make more.

"It is her third attempt at a child. The first time I remember hearing about it and praying to the spirits it would all work out but this world has become even more cruel. If nothing else to thank Maester Cord for, the ending of those useless slaughters is enough. Please pass it along." Lind arched an eyebrow but nodded.

"I doubt I will see him unless we get the information we need but I will do so." It was damned weird talking about himself like that but he parted from the man and mingled as he was supposed to.

The nobles were not as many as they once were. The Marquis had held a kind of purge as a myriad of crimes came crawling out of the shadows once he began digging. A single thread had unraveled so much even Lind was shocked.

It was not even possible to blame it all on the Fiends. It was purely human greed.

It was a good reminder that darkness had many forms but he felt so tired. He just wanted to find the Fiends and break their hold on the 2nd Layer. It was the only way to finally bring the pressure to free the Celestial Fields.

His eyes became grim at all the darkness hiding under the surface but also the indifference of the Corruption as it killed even the barely conceived without discretion. He would end it all!