Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1174 - 1173 - Putting Pieces Together

Lind did not have to attend any further meeting but things were now onto details of resources, limits of attendees, and so forth.

Instead, he was now looking at a map of a region to the northwest that had a certain vagueness unique compared to any other area.

The reason was because no one could go there and live for long. The fringe areas were well known but it was marked simply as barren for most of the map.

Oz and Ranger were with him as they had been involved with bandits and other nefarious powers over their short lives.

"I do not know of this place Master but when my first comrades told stories they mentioned a forbidden land that would kill just by going there. It was more of a campfire tale than a fact." Ranger spoke but then pointed to a peak prominent to the far south of the barren area of the map. "That mountain, however, is famous. It is Blood Talon Peak. I have heard about it while journeying west with you Master."

Lind arched an eyebrow as he had never heard of it so where had Ranger heard of it?

Oz nodded and agreed with Ranger.

"It is an infamous place from before the Corruption. I have no idea what it is like now but that is one of the main roosts of a dragon clan that kills on sight. They have strange scales that are cracked easily but their speed is unreal." For Oz to say that given his past meant a great deal.

"The Banished Dragon Clan?" Both men shrugged as it could be but neither had known of such a clan. Lind suspected it was not something the dragons spread around. Only those that were alive at the time or well informed knew about it.

"Why Blood Talon Peak, why not simply Bloody Peak?" Oz was the one to answer his question.

"It is because of the leader of the dragons. He is a bloodthirsty creature without any mercy. He had ruled for millions of years and is no doubt able to become a Radiant Tier but does not for some reason. He instead slices up aether beast and people with equal relish. Not to consume, just to kill." Lind frowned.

That was very unusual behavior for a dragon. They will fiercely defend their territory but they do not waste prey as a rule. Young dragons need flesh to grow like any other beast and human cultivators were a rich source of Qi.

Why would any dragon just leave kills like that and their clan obeyed?

The cracked scales may be a side effect of being banished. The race memory had that kind of power if invoked but more likely it would simply kill–

His eyes went wide as he grasped the likely truth behind the matter.

If this Bloody Talon was the cause behind the banishment of his Clan, he might have been a young Crystal Tier that had risen to power by killing his competitors as well. Thus, he would know his punishment if tried to advance!

The draconic tribulation would kill him stone dead!

A coward and a brutal killer. A bad combination.

"Any other rumors or stories?" Ranger shook his head but Oz looked grim as he nodded.

"I was not even alive but the Divine Sword Sect has records of a terrible battle with Fiends there. Both sides were straying into this barren area of the map when both sides died instantly." Lind was truly surprised at that.

The Fiends died too? Why?

Did that mean the inverted mountain was not in that region but then it might be nearby! Lind did not know but he knew the dragons were a place to start.

Banished or not, a True Lord's authority could affect all aether beasts if invoked. He would not rely on his divine dragon blood to command them as they would likely only be more incensed.

"Master, who do you plan to take with you?" Ranger suddenly asked a dangerous question but he waved it off.

"It is too early to plan that out as we still lack some more information. I need to review the Fionan Empire records to see if this area is where we need or somewhere only nearby." Both men nodded but Oz narrowed his gaze.

"What about Adan?" The Radiant Tier had not shown herself since the last time but an examination of Adan revealed why. His dantian and meridians were heavily strained. If pushed much farther, he would actually lose his foundation!

It was just too much for his body to handle.

"The Dawn Imperium remains silent but treat him as well as you need to. We have to return him eventually." Lind had no reason to kill him now, even less so than many.

Still, it was troublesome that Adan knew more about him than others now. Oz's identity was the most dangerous but he had already known about it. Clearly, he also knew his 'wife's' interest in Oz given his reaction at the feast.

It was an issue to address but it also might give him the excuse he needed to protect his loved ones from the path he had to walk.

He dismissed the 2 as he brought out the jade slips from the Fionan Emperor.

Most of it was dense details on encounters with Fiends or other aether beasts while tracking the main forces to their home base.

The inverted mountain was rumored but no human or aether child had ever lived to see it and return. That felt odd as Lind could recall the spirit making it seem like some had from that abandoned village.

Was that why the village was exterminated?

He was unsure but he moved on to the various locations notated in the slips and began to mark out his map. No pattern emerged but something odd was revealed.

While most were outside the barren zone of the map, there were 3 that were deep within it.

The description of the life sapping effects were clear in each report but how did they get so deep and live to tell the reports in the first place?

He did not understand it. The Ruin had been essentially a danger zone for any normal cultivator aside from 6 elementals like him. While others had proven resistant when the Lotus Empire allowed him to test it, his harmony was still the best.

So how could normal cultivators survive in what was admitted by even Fiends as a no man's land? What was going on?

"If it is not an accident or failure, but something intentional, then are there safe paths?" His assumption that a Celestial artifact had failed or begun to contaminate the land was troubled too as it should have all been converted to Fiend Qi long ago.

So if it was all intentional, then how to find the safe paths as well as why it was still Celestial Qi was essential to him.

The latter could be addressed on sight but the former was critical. He combed the reports for more details and found some markers to add until snaking trails emerged.

They were not random! They had twists and turns at fixed points in parallel!

He extrapolated the pattern and found a center spoke each trail led to! The previously marked areas were also at equidistant parts from the center!

"Defensive nodes to stop enemies from advancing? No matter, it means this entire barren area was intentionally created by someone! It means I can get through without revealing my full powers!" Conserving his Qi was essential as the glimpse he had of the facility left even him cold.

Converting Fiend Qi came with a cost like anything else. His own Qi was consumed but now so were his Laws used to strain his mind even further.

If a safe path could be used instead, he would use it!

He frowned as that made a fair point against going alone as well. He could not hide it but the defensive nodes could be his counter. If Celestial or Fiend Qi was present, only he could deal with it.

He began to fill in the map but as he did, a new issue came up. The conversion of distance translated roughly that there was a gap of about 100 kilometers between the defensive nodes and the center.

There was nothing for him to reference to reach it and he also did not know if it was his ultimate target. He could reach it but only if there was nothing dire between him and his final destination.

"I need to talk to those dragons, it seems." They lived there but were left alone. Could they have gone over to the otherside or was it just a coincidence that they killed on sight?

Lind did not know but the Banished Dragon Clan was his current best lead with a confirmed headquarters to go to.

After being stuck for so long, he finally had the overall picture of the best leads brought together!

He imprinted the new map onto a jade slip and began to review the issues to address before leaving the Rubyfire Kingdom.

His group would be breaking up, but he doubted he would get the dream split he wanted. Chu alone would not even let him try to separate from her without a damned solid reason. Her partial harmonic Qi could easily have the same effect as his pure harmonic Qi.

He sighed at the arguments to come but he would start with the legitimate separations and work his way down the list. Spirits help him survive the next meeting he had.