Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1270 - 1269 - Return to Form

Lind was back in the 3rd layer. After a few months talking with Qing and the others still talking to him, it was decided to ascend once more.

The Frey Clan was not only well established but in the same amount of time, he had drastically improved the protections on the floating lands. He had not been asked to do it but even his worst detractors became silent at his work.

There had been a scandal discovered thanks to some of his protection weavings finding spying artifacts they used to share Clan secrets. No Fiends, just human powers.

He also Forged new weapons and armor at various grades for the treasury from his ring. The Clan Head accepted his terms of no one knowing where they came from but it would only take limited guesswork to figure it out.

In less than a year, the Frey Clan lands were now on par with high or even some supreme powers. Those that wanted to infiltrate or had already placed agents found all their plans turned to ash by Lind alone.

He never accused anyone nor did he take credit for the results. He simply did what he had always done.

Once that was all settled, he took some promising seeds and raised them up to the 3rd layer. The open skies were a wonder for them to see but he felt memories pass over him.

He realized that he hardly knew anything outside a map and some places the soulless liked to frequent for attacks or travel.

The misty peaks poking out of the clouds were all dotted with far more structures and he saw his own ships flying here or there inside the range of his aura.

"Lord Founder, are you sure where you want to establish the branch up here?" A young man in crimson and black robes spoke up but he only nodded.

"It has no power laying claim to it but it is ideal for us for other reasons too." They then moved east from the point they ascended into. He carried the small group but none of his family was with him.

They still had things they were doing plus a few had already ascended after their affairs with him or the Clan were settled.

Fey had wanted to come but her responsibilities could not be set aside any longer. The Heavenly Maiden Sect had been displeased to know she had once been a member of what they called the lost branches but had no interest to return.

Several True Maidens had challenged her and were embarrassingly brought low. He wished he could have seen that.

Qing and Shoti never revealed their former status but Annabelle had actually reforged a closer relationship with several Maidens that helped the Frey Clan get set up in the 2nd layer.

He knew they had been courting her to become a Maiden once more but no matter her feelings for him, she was still deeply part of the Frey Clan. Her children and grandchildren were her heart and soul.

He was glad his actions had not destroyed those relationships. In Qing's opinion, he had left them all so the children and such were all blameless.

Lind pushed his worries aside as a familiar range came into sight. He could have torn through space but there were some settlements that would have reacted badly to that. The peaks were barely visible as a howling wind flowed fiercely among the ice covered peaks.

The Icy Path had been his home base more often than not but he had learned a lot about it.

As expected, it was not being held by any power but there was a ship floating near the only city that had been established for the Knife Edge Bazaar bridge so long ago.

Now, the bridge was clearly gone. He could actually feel traces of the old formations and saw they were peak Law Grade with traces of Dao in them. No wonder they had been so powerful.

He knew he was odd for being able to sense Dao but ever since he comprehended his harmony at long last, he had noticed his awareness had drastically improved. He also was shocked that the Icy Path gave him a feeling of Dao as well!

Why?! His curiosity was piqued but he set it aside as the massive ship floated over to them. Unlike his own designs that mimicked sea vessels, the one in front of him was closer to a floating structure than a ship.

It was like they had taken his designs and modified them to let a small building be able to fly. The resources would be massively more inefficient compared to his ship design but if it did not have to move much, it would be fine.

A demon opened a balcony door and stepped out onto a small platform before bowing towards him.

"Lord Frey, welcome back to the Icy Path. I heard you would be laying claim to an area of the peaks here?" Lind did not recognize the demon but the young man stepped forward to speak.

"Lord Founder has indeed come to reclaim the place he lived and the area around it for the Icy Path. I am Din, senior, how may I address you." Lind sighed before patting Din on the shoulder.

"Forgive him, but he will be one of the administrators of the structures I will be building. I see you are from the Frost Heart Sect. Have you also claimed this place?" The sect was a mix of demons and humans who pursued the limits of water and frost Arts.

The demon smiled and showed he was not irritated. The man was a Shard Tier which was not a small thing even in the 3rd layer.

"Not at all. It is the purpose of us all to speak for our leaders. Junior Din, you have done well." Din looked happy at the praise but Lind frowned internally. Buttering up a Sun Tier on the cusp of becoming an Immortal was odd.

He quickly scanned the area and his frown appeared on his face as he looked up.

"Is there a problem, fellow Daoist?" The air shimmered suddenly and his group jumped as a massive amount of snow appeared. A figure was revealed to be floating above the small building. A woman.

She had hair that glittered like ice and her skin was pale as death. Her eyes were ice cold blue as she looked down at Lind.

"You presume much by coming back here, Lind Frey. You wish to claim that the caves you carved out and isolated are yours eternally? You now wish to lay claim to the Icy Path as your Clan's?" Her voice chilled the bones in many but Lind waved his hands and heat returned to them all.

"There is no need to harm those under me. If you have an issue with my claim, I am happy to disc–" A blade of ice flew at him. A storm of blades did. The demon sighed but took no action to stop her.

Lind felt the powerful Laws and aura on each blade but made no move to stop them. He simply looked at them. With each glance the blades dispersed into mist. The woman's eyes widened but then she summoned a scythe of all things from her storage treasures.

That one, he could not so easily ignore. It was a Law Grade weapon! The very air froze in its wake but that was not all.

Lind could feel his blood freezing along the path of the weapon! How was it doing that?!

Anything that could pierce his defenses was beyond lethal to his companions. His skin flashed to emerald as scales appeared instantly. His fingernails were replaced with claws and his tail appeared behind him.

He used Celestial Qi to negate the cold in his body but he was stunned at the resistance he felt around him!

The scythe cut through the air and he lost track of it! The blade suddenly appeared behind him but his scales sparked as he deflected it. Blood was drawn but just barely.

He was unsure why he was being attacked but he had only so much power to spare. His eyes glowed as thunder rumbled. The woman sneered but then all felt shock as the air thickened!

The lightning attack was a distraction!

She was still able to move but it was like moving through sludge compared to before. The scythe, now clearly seen, shimmered with ice crystals along its blade. The metal handle was as dark as midnight.

He also noticed the counterweight was a separate artifact!

It lit up with a powerful blast of darkness Qi that changed gravity! Lind narrowed his eyes as his hair lit up with Qi. Sigils appeared faster than anyone could track before chains of pure Qi appeared around her and ripped her weapon away.

The woman was then bound as she was wrapped to the structure.

Lind felt like half his QI had been needed just to maintain his protection of the people under him and weather her attack.

"Elder Frostsoul, you were told to let me handle this. May I please resume doing that?" Lind summoned a glaive at that moment that made everyone freeze. He knew that name!

"I believe I know what this is about. You were there when I arrived and tried to use me as bait! You were the one that ordered that entire squad to die so you could escape!" His anger flared but the demon flashed his sect's token.

Lind knew that meant vengeance was not in his reach today.

"Your history is known to us but we all made such harsh choices during the dark times. Lord Frey, your claims are not challenged by us but we do object to you building a branch here. The Icy Path is not yours alone." Lind tilted his head in confusion before turning to Din who shared the emotion.

"What are you talking about? I have no such plans. Even if I did, the resources would take thousands of years to make even a dent in the natural issues of the peaks here." The demon did not seem phased and produced a jade stone.

A projection appeared and Lind recognized the Sect Master from the Serenity Sect.

[We should concede the expertise of the Emerald Immortal will let his Clan grow far faster than any before it. The experts already loyal to him are clear about his results. Anywhere he goes will become his without question. We should–] The project stopped and Lind felt a sigh leaving him as he put away his weapon and let his body revert to full human.

"For the love of the spirits! Why did she say that?!" He felt like life had come back true to form! Powers that envied his abilities made assumptions based on what they would do with it!

He just wanted to get settled but it seemed he had to clarify a few things and he it started with the woman staring daggers at him.

"Din, prepare for a long damned day." The young man swallowed nervously as they flew towards the balcony. The first of no doubt many tiresome meetings was about to unfold.