novelraw Chapter 1181 - 1180 - Who Trapped Who?
Chapter 1181 - 1180 - Who Trapped Who?
Lind found the tunnel as in bad of shape as Amares had described. It was fractured and broken not just by the passage of time but he saw clear inscriptions of formation arrays. The wyverns had been formation masters!
Aether beast formations were distinctive enough to stand out to him but he grasped a bit of what they did. Reinforcing the tunnel was but one part of it. He thought he saw a few Wind Laws carved into it as well.
The collapsed areas were impossible for a large dragon to pass easily but he noticed old blood stains that had to be from Amares. Had he tried to flee from the blood ceremony that way? Clearly it had failed.
Lind did not take chances as he engraved sigils into the air before placing them on the walls. He did not repair the existing damage but used it to hide the glow of his Qi. If any of the dragons did try to come from behind him, they would not survive. Only Amares and the woman could at the moment.
He also prepared for the worst if he had to flee and Blood Talon followed. A peak Crystal Tier could shatter just about anything with ease if they put their full power into it.
He also took care to hide his own aura with the same weaving. The closer he got, the less he would be able to do. He felt the vile Qi in the air increase by a considerable magnitude after an unknown amount of time in the dark.
A dark red glow suddenly appeared dimly in the distance. Flames? Magma? He did not feel any heat so what could it be?
He suppressed his aura to the limit as well as any physical clue to his existence. He took his time and carefully avoided knocking any loose stones.
A complicated issue soon appeared as the crimson light came from a crack near the ceiling as most of the cave was blocked off. The pile of stones was well settled but it was clear he would have to climb the pile to get through.
If he tried to fly or transform, all his work to hide would be lost.
There was one last option but he only had one chance. If he screwed it up he would have to run!
He backed up and got down into the starting position to run. His muscles tensed before he became a blur. He somehow disturbed not a speck of dirt until he leapt at the last moment. His body arched in the air and he barely got through without grazing a single stone!
He then saw a new issue! A smattering of small to medium stones were scattered all over the floor of the other side!
If he landed at his current speed, even a blind and deaf man would know he was there as the projectiles would scatter in all directions!
He quickly glanced around and saw only a glimmer of hope! He extended his claws only and flipped with it like a fulcrum. He cleared the debris field to land like a whisper on the dusty floor.
He did not move a millimeter as he carefully took in his surroundings. He was still in the tunnel but it was narrower.
A broken aperture loomed in front of him as the glow was brighter now. It was darker than the Rubyfire Kingdom caldera but there was no heat at all. It was vile and sickening to his senses.
Blood. It was blood.
He finally picked his way forward with care to see a massive lake of blood glowing in front of him! The Fiend Qi was so thick it almost appeared to his naked eyes!
It had been a long time since he had confronted such a potent source of it.
[I know you are there, True Lord. It is hard to locate you but I know you are there. The Mistress made it so I can sense you when you are close.] A deep voice boomed in his mind. The blood lake bulged as a massive dragon rose from its depths.
His giant maw was open and revealed the crumbled teeth! Lind realized how dire banishment was! It was death!
[You stay silent? Good. It is good for the weak to know their place. If you were strong we would already be fighting.] Lind felt a cold sweat down his back. The Fiends may not be able to communicate well but the Great One knew all about him!
Had he given a way to find him to the Fiends on the 2nd layer?
He absolutely would if he could!
Lind still dared not move until he could confirm if Blood Talon could find him. He watched as the massive head swiveled slowly but the blood shot eyes did not seem to actually see. He was blind!
[No scent, sound, or aura. No Qi at all. You are crafty. Not a dragon at all. How could Heaven choose you as the True Lord of Dragons?]
Choose?! Heaven chose him?!
Lind had to take a mental breath. The bastard was good at riling his pride! He had never been chosen at all! He had faced trials and lost a loved one to become it! He had nearly died as well more than once!
How dare an upstart accuse him of being chosen!
Blood Talon looked frustrated at last. It seemed he had expected his provocations to work.
[If you will not come out like a dragon should, then you can die a human scum!] A black wave spread suddenly and the path back vanished! Lind felt Heaven and Earth suddenly dim to his senses!
A Void of Heaven?! It was far more powerful than the last one he was in. How was it deployed so quickly without any effort?
All his Arts collapsed and he stood revealed before Blood Talon.
[There you are! Such a tiny body. Why are you so cowardly?] Lind had no need to hide and stood up completely as his emerald eyes looked daggers at the dragon.
"You should not cast a stone for your own sins. I am not your True Lord and have no need to confront you honorably. You should have died ages ago." The blood lake was splashed outward as Blood Talon was the one to lose his temper.
[YOU DARE?! You have no idea what it is like to be faced with death! I refuse to bow to the capricious nature of Heaven and Earth. I want to dictate my life!] A child. Blood Talon was a glorified child!
"Then get stronger! You had the 5th claw! You had the potential to rise up so why did you take a shortcut? Why did you betray our race?!" Blood Talon summoned his flames but Lind never moved.
The flames scorched the ground but his body never even got singed. Even his robes were unharmed.
His Arts may not work but he had Forged his robes so they had no need to summon defenses as they were naturally resilient to dragon flames.
Blood Talon snorted before he began to creak and crack as he shrunk in size. A robust man with black veined pale flesh appeared with an open black vest and tattered pants. The boots were just as damaged with holes in them to see the feet!
A bald headed pale man looked at him angrily.
"You can take the flame at least! Enough of this! I want my reward!" Fiend Qi suddenly built up but again, Lind did not even move.
Emerald light lined his body as the vile Qi was shattered like glass on him. He finally moved and slammed his fist into Blood Talon's abdomen.
He expected the man to go flying but he only grunted as his pale hand snapped out and caught Lind's own.
"As strong as that old fool said you would be but arrogant. You thought to trap me with your harmony and your skills but you are alone here. No Heaven to call on and now you will die!" Lind felt his flesh break!
Power on par with his own ripped into his arm and pain filled his arm unlike anything he had ever felt before! Why?! His harmony had always protected him but now it seemed helpless!
He was getting weaker and weaker as Blood Talon loomed over him.
"A secret you should know. Our Mistress is not a Crystal Tier. She is a Radiant Fiend!" Panic filled Lind's heart as that was power he could not easily fight off!
His natural and demonic Qi was of no use to him but his harmony was also fighting as hard as it could to save him. The Radiant Qi was very strong!
It was not just a simple Radiant but a peak Radiant Tier on the verge of being a Sovereign Tier!
He had hoped to trap Blood Talon but the trap was for him!
He was going to die because of his arrogance! He had underestimated his enemy! His body was about to collapse when a surge of warmth suddenly came from his heart. He was surprised as the pain began to become tolerable.
It was not his harmony working but his body! His newly tempered body was saving his life as the Celestial Qi reacted to the Fiend Qi. A war was raging inside him but now he was attacking on 2 fronts!
He would only last as long as his stamina could protect him but he could not waste the chance. Blood Talon was so confident of his victory so Lind summoned an elixir. It was the same one he had given to Amares.
Before the man could grasp what was going on, the vial was shattered as it was shoved in his mouth.
"Now we find out who dies first, you or me!" Lind screamed as Blood Talon began to scream in pain. It was a gamble but it was all he had left! The war was now on 3 fronts and he could only pray to the spirits it was enough!