Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1166 - 1165 - Menagerie

Adan had been sent flying without any clear sign but he hit neither another person nor another structure save his own villa. He was slammed into the pale stone wall and it shattered around him.

Normally, the guards would come running to investigate such an incident and his own people would be indignant as well. Yet all the guards and personnel were currently running away from the open pathways leading to his villa.

The boiling black clouds above were terrifying in their presence and what they represented. Even those that had yet to experience their first tribulation instinctively recognized the danger!

Thus, no one saw a totally pristine Adan emerge from the dust and debris. Even his robes, merely low grade 7 garments, were not even frayed by the impact. It should have been impossible.

While not lethal, his body should have broken bones, blood, and shredded clothes all due to that impact.

His eyes, normally full of disdain and thinly disguised arrogance, were grim as he examined his well toned body for injuries.

"Damn Corruption nearly got you killed, fool. I warned you to not let your guard down but you took a nap!" His voice was the same but the tone and timing were drastically different. His aura was also oppressive but kept reigned in such that someone would have to be in the same room to even feel it.

He swept back his long hair and tied it neatly with a leather wrap. It was not as ornate as the man would choose but the current being did not care about such idiocy. If it worked, it was fine.

"Now, where is that bast–" The rumble of thunder shook the stone slabs under his feet and finally shocked him out of his isolation. Eyes wide as saucers stared up at a tribulation that should not exist in the 2nd layer!

"What is this?! Why is this here?! The barrier should be stopping this!" The words made no sense until an aura far above Crystal Tier flared. The instant that happened, the pressure in the clouds shifted angrily.

It was a warning! Adan quickly pulled in his aura but felt even more confused.

"Not a Radiant Tribulation then, but something that feels like one?" He no longer felt anger but intense curiosity made him nimbly jump far more than he should be able to to reach the roof of the nearest building and saw a shimmering set of wards.

His eyes became burnt orange briefly before shock went through his body once more.

"Exquisite control of weaving! The Laws are nearly all Superior! Who is that?!" He leapt easily towards the safest place he could to observe what was to come. As he moved, his aura washed over the area.

He frowned at the collapse at a pathetic distance of only 500 meters but it was enough to sense oddities.

He carefully concealed his existence and arrived near the open area between villas and courtyards. He found a group of individuals that made his jaw drop.

How can there be a White Tiger, Soul Flame Phoenix, Shadow Scaled Tiger, Shadow Tiger, and a Night Flame Phoenix all be in the same group?! What is going on in the 2nd Layer?!

Adan's memories were accessible to the being and it accessed them right at that moment. Unfortunately, other than the Night Flame Phoenix and the Shadow Scaled Tiger, he knew nothing! Useless fool!

An aura suddenly pierced the wards and Adan felt his soul tremble.

Divine Dragon?! A True Lord Divine Dragon as well?! By the spirits of Heaven and Earth, what was Adan mixed up in?!

A pair of emerald orbs suddenly appeared and looked right at Adan.

[Senior, I do not recommend attacking my family. I will not care one whit and bring my tribulation down on us both. Do not test my bottomline!] The man's voice was without tremor or falsehood. Adan could feel it.

He nodded and swore to not interfere during the tribulation. The orbs narrowed but he had no time to spare as power was building to a frightening degree above.

Adan's eyes became pinpricks as the power was far above a Crystal Tier yet was not an ascension tribulation. What was going on?!

He was about to pull back when pressure slammed into everyone all at once! It was Heaven stopping them from moving! Why?!

Adan looked up from his now precarious position flat on the roof and was shocked to see that each divine beast was hardly bothered! It was not a punishment but something due to the nature of the tribulation.

A shocking thought flashed through Adan's mind and fear filled his heart.

"I am not part of this! Let me go!" He screamed but the Heavens ignored him. He tried to cut the connection to Adan but Heaven stopped that as well! Even a finger would not move at his command but the pressure building was the least of his worries.

It was a thrice damned bloodline tribulation. The Divine Dragon did something to advance his body cultivation but as an Immortal, it had to go through a tribulation to have Heaven's approval!

Why would any beast advance their body beyond the natural state with such a risk hanging over it?!

Adan was only a human so the pressure of the tribulation was far beyond his body to withstand. Adan was going to die.

[Heavens, the innocent need not be hurt. Please let them go.] The dragon spoke suddenly for all to hear and shockingly, the Heavens answered!

The pressure vanished and Adan took no chances. He sprinted away from the tribulation center until the danger was low enough to look back.

It was not only Adan, but others had been brought away by the divine beasts nearby. She noticed a World Realm old man of all things looking exhausted in the arms of the White Tiger.

Adan's concealment was shattered so a lot of baleful looks came his way but the Shadow Scaled Tiger was terrifying. The woman's ears and tail were locked onto Adan. If he tried to leave, she would kill him.

Any expenditure of Qi would bring Heaven down on Adan's head but that Divine Aether Beast woman could simply use her body!

"You are not Adan. Who are you, Senior?" A young man spoke up, the Soul Flame Phoenix. His pure white hair and eyes seemed to shimmer even with the black clouds blocking out the sun.

Adan felt naked before his sight but no danger. Someone had been training the brat well.

"Radiant Tier, it is a Radiant Tier." The old man suddenly spoke with a surety that left Adan frustrated. Why was his geass not working? He only had to glance up to realize why. The tribulation likely shattered all the protections that had been on Adan when that pressure slammed into his body.

Adan was about to run when recognition came over him. Excitement rose as Adan's memory confirmed it!

"OZYMANDIAS! You're alive!" Adan leapt off before anyone could react, save the alert Shadow Scaled Tiger. Still, she only stepped near as Oz was twirled in the air by a now giddy Adan.

The stark contrast from his normal face confirmed it was not Adan in command of the body.

Oz looked confused as of all the reactions people had, it was almost always antagonistic. Adan only smiled wider at his confusion.

Suddenly, Adan felt pain shoot through his mind!

He stumbled but Oz was caught by the White Tiger.

"Damn it, I have been in this body too long. You will want to secure this fool before I leave him. Oz, the Duel of Atlantia is still burning in my heart." Adan's words shocked Oz deeply but bindings to seal Qi and the soul slapped onto him as the features became blank.

The world fell away into darkness.

⬧⬧⬧⬧

Far to the north and east of the Rubyfire Kingdom, a woman inside a cave deep underground opened her eyes full of starlight. Her skin was exquisite and glowed with Qi as she moved her hair of darkness for the first time in a million years.

Dust had gathered on her body but she cared not as her fine robes showed no sign of wear or tear. Her face broke into a wide smile as laughter filled the cavern.

She was alone with the formations protecting her and the dark. She could never leave it but her sole connection to the outside was still there. Adan could not withstand her presence for long or he would suffer irreparable damage.

"Alive! Ozymandias is alive!" She had suffered in darkness for so long since the Corruption spread across the land. She had been too late to escape but she had questionable methods to protect herself.

The idiotic fool of Adan had been so happy to agree to her conditions for marriage but then he railed against the restrictions he had foolishly ignored later. All the bragging and benefits he thought he was going to get were never there to begin with.

Further, while they were married in essence, the actual act of marriage never occurred. It was a business transaction and Adan had been so full of himself he could not grasp he was being used until it was far too late.

Still, it could have been worse. She protected his life and guided him on his cultivation path to overcome the Corruption. He was willing to work hard on that front at least. It was his only redeeming quality.

The woman wanted to dance but she could not move more than her head. The formations locked her in place because if she so much as flexed her body alone, the Heavens would try to force her to ascend since she could not restrain her aura any longer.

Millions of Radiants had died the day the Corruption spread. They tried to ascend and found themselves blocked but the rules of the layers meant they could not stay forever! Once that time ran out, they would be forced to return to the Endless Peaks!

The result was a mass death event after the first 1000 years passed of the Corruption. She might not be the only Radiant hiding in the 2nd Layer but she knew for sure she was the only one with the freedom to see through another's eyes. It had all been worth it to see Oz!

She giggled and then resumed reinforcing the formations that kept her alive. She had a goal and she would be damned to be killed before it happened!

She would see Oz again!