Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1339 - 1338 - Reverse Auction

Evie was sitting in a council meeting. It was the 4th such meeting since Fey had unlocked the 3rd Inheritance. Only she knew its name but the other cultivators that laid claim to a legacy from the other 2 had swiftly arrived.

Some came because their powers forced them to, but others simply to take a chance to further their benefits. All attempted to bring others, even just 1, but the Inheritance could not be tricked.

Legacy, key artifacts, or nothing. There were no exceptions.

After that was confirmed, even more people tried to enter the Inheritances of Creation or Death. The limited slots frustrated many but the failure rate was high.

The Frey Clan made ungodly amounts of resources as they managed the Inheritance of Death. The Inheritance of Creation was not totally controlled by them but they still were part of the powers that benefited from it.

Lind Frey had refused sole control of both Inheritances but did not decline partial control.

Thus the Clan had benefited immensely over the centuries. Yet, they did not interfere nor encourage others after the 3rd Inheritance was revealed.

They simply were there to support those that kept trying.

"So, what will we do about the stubborn fools flooding our island?" An old man spoke up. His robes were reserved but all knew they were the peak of grade 7. His thinning hair and wrinkled face confirmed he was nearing the end of his life but his aura was as strong as any there.

Evie did not speak as her place was information. She had already updated all of them on the current state of affairs on the island. The sects and other powers had essentially lost their minds.

They were forcing anyone with a shred of an inkling to go through either of the precursor Inheritances and failure was not treated well. The failures were expelled or crippled.

Many thought it was an overreaction but the 3rd Inheritance was so grand and imposing that many cultivators felt a desperate need to get a chance at it.

Thus far, no one had returned from it but a Divine Inheritance that was not simply a prerequisite was far more appealing so the lack of information was not an obstacle to their continued pursuit of getting a crack at it.

"We have already had to activate several of the grand arrays to suppress battles from breaking out. If not for the Frey Clan, Heavenly Maiden Sect, and Divine Sword Sect working together, things would have gotten out of hand even with that." A young man spoke up and a few more nodded with exhaustion with him.

"Something has to give! Evie, tell me you found Lind Frey. He is the only one that can quell this chaos!" An older but still gorgeous woman stood up and pounded her fists into the table top surface.

Evie looked around the room calmly and sighed.

"I am unable to answer that question." Her answer was well rehearsed as she had said it several times by then. The anger was clear but the lack of accusation also meant the others had no recourse.

An Oath was not something anyone could deny and proving it was simple enough.

"Let's approach this from another angle. We are reaching the limit of any hope of control unless we can curtail the idle hands in our shops and guilds." A man with a scar down his left side spoke up as he puffed on a long stem pipe.

He was usually quiet but was one of the most successful merchants in the entirety of the Celestial Fields. It was not an easy thing to accomplish but it made perfect sense why he was made part of the Silver Dream Pavilion.

"You can't reveal his location but can you confirm that spirit's claims?" His words brought a new kind of silence to the room. Evie actually smirked before shaking her head.

"I can only say he is different from what we were told. Somehow, he and his daughter are both alike and vastly different. As to how much is different, I do not know at all." A few narrowed their eyes but she was well established on their council.

"Well, that was a waste of–" Another young man, one that was far more richly dressed than the others, was knocked backward by the scarred man.

"You may be newly appointed brat, but you need to be broken of old habits. I was not done speaking." He puffed a ring of smoke into the air easily as he smiled at the now kneeling young man.

"The young should recall that the old are alive for a reason." Evie finally spoke up and smiled wide. "Councilor Derun, you have a plan?"

He smiled wide before nodding.

"Normally, we offer a prize to be bought by the highest bidder. Why not reverse things, then? We let Lind Frey set the price and conditions. We cannot control things anymore but he can." Scoffs were heard around the table but Evie leaned forward in curiosity.

"Are you suggesting a reverse auction? Rather than an ever increasing bid, we let him set his ever increasing demands." Her words made many look at her as if she was insane. The object of an auction running things?!

"I am suggesting exactly that. Put this mess in his lap to deal with but make it clear he dictates what happens. His reputation will be clear on what he thinks of the current chaos." Every face grimaced as the lessons Lind Frey had imposed over the centuries were not forgotten.

The Fiend Frenzy and its end were still burned into the memory of all.

"He might be agreeable to that. He certainly is a bit uptight about protecting the innocent." Evie nodded but then became very serious.

The room felt the shift as she stood up slowly and looked around the table. Each understood her next words would be vital.

"People are not tools. It is one of the underpinnings of his path. He has suffered for trying to change that. Thus he takes it very seriously. If we are going to do this, we will need to clean house." If before there was contention and irritation, now it was replaced with stark disbelief and shock.

"You can't be serious?! You expect us to cater to such an insane perspective?! His arrogance is well known but he–" The richly dressed young man stood up with a sneer. His arrogance oozed off of him but Evie had heard enough.

Her tail seemed to vanish as a whistling sound filled the room. Before anyone could react, his head went flying from his body!

A soul emerged instantly. It tried to flee by violet energy ensnared it.

"I am not going to kill you but your family's attempts to influence this Pavilion had been given no less than 3 warnings. I would have only given one. The current one, if it were up to me." She was not teasing nor trying to be superior.

She was cold and without remorse.

[You–you cannot do this! I am–] Evie sighed and slammed the soul into the ground. Normally, a soul could not suffer physical damage but the violet energy seemed to change that rule.

Surprise flared across many faces. Why would a demon have such a skill? In fact, what was that skill at all as no Art they knew could do it.

"Lind Frey is a man of varied interests. Too many, I would say, but his vast studies led to some interesting finds and modifications. The soul, in particular, he is quite adept at. He focused on healing of course." Evie calmly picked up the squealing child.

He was thrashing and making incoherent threats from what she could tell. It did not matter as she forcefully compressed the man into a ball of energy.

He was unharmed technically but psychologically there was no doubt quite a bit of damage. She did not care.

The rest of the council took serious notice but she dismissed it out of hand. She was no threat to them as a whole. If they understood how delicate and mentally intensive the skill was, they would realize it had severe limitations.

"Now, about the reverse auction. I think it is quite a good proposal that will still require some groundwork from us. Lind Frey will, hopefully, be able to come forward soon and help hammer out the finer details." She took a seat as her hand held the soul contained by her skill.

Leaving him alive was a shame but the neutrality of the island took precedence.

She smiled at the discomfort of all the others as her wings flexed and tail swirled to remove any blood from them. The body was left to rot as she began to outline the next steps.

They had a lot to plan and actions to take. It was time to bring down the hammer with the promise of a chance to achieve their dream!