Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1294 - 1293 - Inheritance of Death

Ever since the soulless had been driven out and the Fiend Frenzy resolved, the major powers had focused on recovering what they lost. Some things were just territory but others were special realms and Ruins they had once controlled.

Some had lost the secret to access the realms but were slowly working their way back into them. The Ruins had long collapsed due to the soulless consuming everything in sight.

The one thing many felt the steepest loss on were the Inheritances. Due to fear of the Fiends gaining more power or rivals getting access to long coveted Inheritances, the various powers sealed or destroyed the entrances to the Inheritances that were known.

Even those that stayed behind did not risk it. The devastation by the soulless left no doubt that those coveted treasure troves were at steep risk everyday.

So even though lands had been reclaimed, the Inheritances remained mostly lost. The few whose seals had survived, were still in the process of being revived but many were just gone forever.

Lind recognized a few from the Ruins he had found during his life but currently he was alone in the wilds of the Icy Path.

He had been living in the Icy Path off and on for over 2000 years, the last 500 of which was spent building the Frey Clan branch. Thus, he was very intimate with changes to the peaks.

If a beast tide came, he could feel the warnings before the first tendrils appeared. If the storm was moving to a rather violent cycle, he would know before the breeze even shifted. If someone set up formations or weavings to infiltrate nearby, he would nearly always feel the disturbance in the Qi.

Thus, when he was cultivating earlier, he felt something shift in the world. It was an odd feeling, but not unfamiliar. He had felt it before in the Heaven Realm lands and mortal realm.

It was the herald of fortune and catastrophe in one go.

The storm raged and only the native beasts could survive it aside from him. His scales shimmered in the dim light as his feet crunched the loose ice beneath his boots. The howling wind distorted sounds bad enough but suddenly it all fell back.

Stillness made a void ahead of him. In all his time living in the Icy Paths, the storm had never stopped. It had only been held back or diverted to create places for people to live.

Here, however, it was like the world had changed. He had seen such a thing before.

He looked around and was stunned by the beauty of the ice sparkling under the moons' light. It was like seeing fresh snow at night for the first time. No human or animal tracks, just pure white sparkling like gems.

It was a beauty he had not seen in a long time and he just enjoyed the view for a moment but then frowned as the Laws had changed.

Ice, darkness, wind, and other related Laws were common in the Icy Path. Even demonic shadow Qi was prevalent for obvious reasons. Yet, what he felt now sent chills down his spine.

He looked around until a sloped peak crumbling drew his eye.

"So, it did not arrive but resurfaced? It was always here, hidden beneath the ice, but now it is looking for someone." He walked forward until he was stopped by a barrier. "Not ready yet, or not me?"

He smiled as his fingers glowed but was shocked when not even Celestial Qi put a dent in it! A cold sweat broke out on Lind as he understood the power needed to stop that.

"Well, crap." His simple curse was for what was about to happen. There was no way he was the only one that sensed what had come.

A Divine Inheritance!

He looked at the exposed slope as the ice had simply crumbled away somehow. It was not on the ground, it was just gone. The Laws were clear to him but he did not understand.

Why? Why would anyone make an Inheritance related to that?

He had his crystal stir and carefully opened himself to Laws he had touched on but not mastered.

Laws of Death, Nihility, and Oblivion. Just as he had suspected.

They were the most prevalent but their power was far stronger than Radiant Tier. The barrier was not keeping him out because he was unqualified, it was to protect him.

"Let's see what happens if I do this." He assumed a lotus position and began to cultivate. Incorporating new Laws was an arduous process normally but Lind had a breadth of foundation that touched on Dao.

What took others centuries to progress, he could already leap ahead. He had already touched on the Laws of Death due to his reincarnation but these felt different from that. Oblivion was also not unknown given his experience with the void.

Nihility was a concept he understood as an idea but it was the first time he was exposed to the Law. He had assumed it would be similar to oblivion but it was not.

If he was to put words to it. Nihility was the wiping out of something whereas oblivion was more a state of being. How Laws existed for either mystified him as their nature was to not exist but everything that was had rules it followed.

He incorporated the Laws into his crystal structure and felt like he grasped that there was far more to death than he had ever considered before.

"Of course, the end of life, rebirth, and the balance of survival are there but there is more. Much more." His brow creased but then he focused on the other 2 Laws. He was much more shallow there.

Still, a few days passed and the barrier changed for him. He stood up and noticed not a spec of snow or ice was on him. Despite the cold, they were not forming for some reason.

The ice beneath him was intact too which was convenient but could not be an accident. He brushed his fingers against it and felt the faintest protection woven into the surface.

It felt like there was something deeper down doing that but he could not detect it. Just how long ago was it placed there?

"Why here too? Why would a Divine Inheritance be built in the Celestial Fields?" It made no sense to him but regardless, he passed through the barrier only to stumble.

Compared to before, the feeling of Death, Nihility and Oblivion were a thousand times more potent. If he had not comprehended all 3 Laws, he would have been slowly turned to nothing by them all.

He finally got a good look at what was in the slope. It was a smooth archway of darkness. It did not look like it belonged but at the same time it was more real than anything around it.

There were carvings around it too but he did not recognize the creatures at all. They looked like a mix of wurms and some kind of pin cushion with all the spikes coming off of them. Just what were those things?

He stepped up to the maw of the arch and felt danger just looking down it but nothing was visible to his eyes or aura. It was like it was just swallowed up.

[Ah, a strange one has come to my door.] A gravelly voice suddenly spoke in his mind. Lind felt it was similar to Lord Skinwalker's but it felt wrong to him too. It was not the memory of a Divine Realm cultivator, but it was a powerful spirit.

Lind cupped his hands and bowed low to the doorway.

"Junior greets senior. May I know the name of this Inheritance?" A 'hmmm' went through his mind but Lind stayed bowed low until he got a response.

[At least you are respectful. I sense the presence of life on you too much to benefit from this place. Still, opportunity is for cultivators to find and use. It should be obvious what this place is. The Inheritance of Death.]

The voice became more cordial but it was clear to Lind it had no compunction about snuffing him out if he crossed a line. He was surprised to learn life was strong in him but then laughed at his own idiocy.

He specialized in healing and support for his elixirs all of his life. It would be common sense he would reek of those aspects.

Still, the voice was not wrong either. Despite being aligned with life, no one could escape death. He knew that very well.

"My Clan is not too far away but are you aware of what your arrival has done to this place?" If the spirit was limited to only the Inheritance, it would be for the best but if it could control the external aura, that would be troublesome for many reasons.

[If you refer to the Maelstrom Dao cursing this place, then yes, I know my emergence dispersed it here. I am amazed you walked here but it feels like the curse has weakened considerably from when I was sealed away.]

Lind's eyes narrowed. Maelstrom Dao? Curse? He had not been aware of any of that! It was only the 3rd layer! Why would any Dao be there at all?!

[Ha! You seem surprised! Immortals are so limited. The Dao can be anywhere it wants but generally the weaker the world, the less likely it can exist. Still, it need not be natural. I can sense 2 places that are definitely not natural in this small place. Might be like me but that is all I know.]

Lind felt shocked more by the last few words than the former ones. Unnatural existence that had Dao were Inheritances!

The spirit had just added to his workload!

"My last question relates to the emergence. Was it intentional or accidental?" Both were possible but laughter came from the spirit.

[HA HA HA! Accidental? My maker was not so foolish as to not plan ahead. If I have emerged it can mean only 1 thing. My maker is dead. His legacy must continue but only Immortals can inherit it. A Divine Realm is too set on their path. Bring me candidates, Little Immortal brat. The slots are topped at 100. Decide however you wish but you know the bare minimum needed to live.]

Lind bowed once more and left. A spirit that powerful could not be bargained with. Further, he suspected that company was coming.

They would not be polite either! He already had enough vultures trying to get at him and his Clan. This would tilt the scales entirely against them!

He sighed as she walked back into the storm. His eyes glowed as he took a new look at it with his new knowledge of it and was stunned to faintly feel it! There was a Dao of some kind in the storm but it was too far above him to even do more than detect it!

He had to confirm those 2 other locations quickly as he doubted that spirit would hold back if asked! He had to get home and start to plan quickly!