Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1329 - 1328 - Arbitration by Combat

Lind felt a cool breeze flow over his skin and slowly awoke in a simple stone chamber with a soft woolen bed. It was rather pleasant but he was more shocked by his condition.

He was in perfect health!

He did not just mean healed, his cultivation was at the peak of the Radiant Tier with his newly developed foundation!

His eyes went wide as he quickly checked on Abby and Haro. They were both fine as well but seemingly asleep. They were no longer suppressed and he felt no restrictions if he wanted to summon them.

He looked around and saw gentle sunlight streaming in from the open window. It was large enough for his face to easily look out but he saw only blue sky and white clouds floating in the air.

Was he back in the Endless Peaks? Where was he? The simple structure could be almost anywhere but without a landmark or some reference, he could be literally anywhere.

He was about to turn away when a massive creature came into view. It was majestic and covered in feathers that shimmered with all the colors of elemental Qi.

A Divine Roc!

There was no such race in the Endless Peaks! Where was he?!

The massive beak was dark blue to the point of being black while the eyes were orbs of the abyss. The roc seemed to sense his attention and looked at him sharply. The feeling of being an ant filled him and was all too familiar.

Divine Realm! It was a spirits cursed Divine Realm!

The room vanished as he appeared in an open eyrie filled with straw the size of his body! He was confused though.

Divine Inheritances and other contact with that Realm always felt more real to him but now it looked normal. What was going on?

As he looked around, he felt the style was all too familiar before tears came to his eyes.

"Young True Lord of Dragons, you carry the mark of one of my ancestors. In honor of her, I have decided to answer the call of Heaven and Earth to resolve the conflict between you and the True Lord of Phoenixes." An older woman suddenly appeared behind him but the piercing dark eyes left no doubt who he was looking at.

He cupped his hands and bowed low.

"You are a descendant of Lady Dierdra?" A flash of the woman that was both dead and alive inside the Skinwalker Inheritance came to him. He missed her dearly at times but Kora never let her story die.

The older woman with dark hair streaked with white nodded. Her robust form confirmed she was a battle hardened warrior but a roc would not need to appear as such in a human body to be powerful.

"You also carry the scent of my ancestor in some way. Please explain." He quickly relayed his experiences in the Skinwalker Inheritance. A brief flash of shock then a smile passed quickly as he revealed Kora's existence.

"The child lives again?! It was her greatest heart demon but she died without knowing her choice so long ago gave the child another chance! The ancestor eventually had more children but the loss of that first one haunted her." Lind bowed low.

"I beg pardon, senior, but what is going on?" While catching up with a potential relative was a pleasant surprise, the roc before him was far older than him by far. She was indulging him a bit but he was not so foolish as to not understand he was in a dire situation.

She smiled before waving her delicate hands. A simple stone table and chairs appeared. She bade him sit before steepling her fingers as she seemed to contemplate what to tell him.

"Has your Guide informed you of what happens when 2 or more True Lords fight?" Lind shook his head before pausing.

"He was only able to tell me I would not pay the price as the defender. He was suppressed after that." The woman nodded and frowned as she quickly screeched out a set pattern for some reason.

"That bastard was siphoning the foundation of his ring spirit. It was badly damaged." A young girl appeared with a gold white ring in her open palm. Lind felt a resonance with his own ring but frowned.

He moved before thought really registered what he was doing.

His senses went forth as he examined it and saw the binding between the spirit and the tool was tenuous at best.

His elements responded to his call and he pushed gently at his limits. He was not Forging to create but to repair. Laws and pseudo-Dao appeared before flowing into the ring.

It quickly began to shine with power as the spirit bond was restored.

His new insights helped but fixing an existing bond was much easier than invigorating a new spirit. He looked sadly at the ring as the spirit went dormant.

The women looked at him in awe as he looked pale after exerting himself.

"I simply wanted to show you what he had done but that was unexpected." The ring shook shortly afterward as a tear opened and it vanished.

He looked in confusion but a new voice answered his unspoken question.

[Master, now that you restored the spirit's bond to its body, it went back to where it should if not held by a custodian or master.] Lind heard the weak Haro's voice and nodded.

"Well, now that that is out of the way. The issue between 2 True Lords has to be resolved. Heaven and Earth will not do it for you." The older woman dismissed the younger as she revealed there was more to come.

He looked around and then back at her before she smiled wide at him.

"The defending True Lord, especially one that invoked the judgement of Heaven and Earth without malice, is allowed more leeway. You did not need to pay the price of your vitality nor other measures, but Heaven and Earth will not settle it for you." She became grim as she looked at him. "True Lords are acknowledged by Heaven and Earth but the privilege comes with many burdens. A battle between you must be settled between you."

Lind really felt a headache just hearing the words but he kind of understood why.

True Lords, by nature, were mostly beasts. While he was a bit unique in that sense as a former human, the beast nature was dominant now.

Beasts did not let others decide their outcomes, but by tooth and claw of their own!

"Are there rules?" He resumed his seat and she smiled at him with a nod.

"As the defender, your attacker cannot exceed your realm. You have some–unique–issues that I am unsure may not push your foe to his true cultivation realm. You will also be able to decide the place of your battle but be warned that innocents could be killed depending on your choice." His eyes narrowed at that.

"Anything else?" He still held respect for her but the plain truth was he did not like what he was hearing. A battle between Immortals was bad enough but True Lords could make Immortals seem like nothing even if the True Lord was a lower tier!

She nodded as a crystal appeared in front of her. His eyes went wide as he felt its aura.

"Heaven and Earth offer a reward and as the judge, I hold it. With this, you will gain enlightenment on whatever subject you desire. For many Immortals, that is the most critical issue." Lind had never seen the milky white crystal before but his mind felt like it was invigorated just looking at it!

The crystal vanished into whatever storage treasure the roc woman had.

"Where is he?" She became solemn at his question before the air shimmered behind her.

A young human was chained up and looking exhausted but his eyes were defiant. His black robes and hair were disheveled but even as an image, Lind could feel his power was hardly diminished.

"Heaven and Earth punished him for his transgressions but unfortunately, he has not crossed the line to be stripped of his status. Thus, we are here." He frowned at that as he felt the phoenix had long crossed that line but did not argue the point.

"Senior, where are we?" He chose to change the subject as she smirked at him.

"It would be easiest to say we are in between the Immortal and Divine Lands. It is normally a void but for the purposes to come, you are held here and I am in charge of your recovery." He felt the hair stand on the back of his neck.

"This land was created by our conflict?" She laughed at him outright.

"The realm created by that foolish bird was consumed to make it. It was the safest place and would allow me to descend partially to arbitrate your battle. Once you decide where to fight, you both will be moved there with me to begin." Lind narrowed his eyes at that.

The Divine Void Phoenix was injured but recovering quickly. He had no doubt both of them would be at peak condition when it began.

"Blood Talon Peak" He spoke the name of a place that was still devastated and infected with Fiend Qi. Even nearly 5000 years later, the territory was left largely uninhabited. The inverted mountain was not a bad place either but his ascension has purified it.

It had long ago been claimed by powers in the 2nd layer.

The roc nodded and waved her hand. Space shifted and he felt a bit of nausea as the desolate landscape he never wanted to see again appeared around him.

The place he killed the traitorous dragon was still steeped in blood and corruption. He looked across the sparse and rocky terrain to see the youth full of madness sneering at him.

"So, you chose to die by my hand? No tribulation cloud to save you this time. I will kill and consume you! You will then give me your ring!" Lind sneered before he spoke something that shocked the roc and the phoenix.

"I swear to Heaven and Earth that Haro is free to flee and never become your possession. As his Master, I so approve of his actions to preserve his life." Thunder rumbled in the dark sky but he felt the Oath settle on him.

"BASTARD! DIE!" The void empowered phoenix crossed the space between them as Lind flickered away. The battle began and it was clear that the phoenix as at his full strength while Lind was a full tier below him!