novelraw Chapter 1380 - 1379 - Balance of Power
Chapter 1380 - 1379 - Balance of Power
Lind had been in seclusion for centuries so he wanted to catch up on current events aside from the slow recovery of the Under Lands.
He did not know how far it could go as the density of harmonic Qi would vary depending on the number of Sovereigns and possibly Radiant Tiers.
He spread his aura but did not find Barbatos anywhere. Either he was so far away he could not be detected or he was in a chamber isolated from the world much as he had been.
In either case, Barbatos would not respond. Lind only realized at that moment he knew barely a handful of people! It was not intentional but he was too dangerous to be around until he could control his new foundation.
The dryad knew the danger and helped regulate his power without his knowing!
The danger from when he first arrived was the pure destructive power that he was capable of.
Now that he was in control, he was curious about his new neighbors. He stretched out his aura on a more subtle level.
He was not looking for deep details but a generic overview.
The entire forest was still in his range but some areas were completely isolated from him. The vast majority of the forest was full of Heaven Realm bests but there were a large variety of Immortal plants.
He also detected some Elementals! They felt far weaker than what he was used to but he had encountered them when isolation weakened them before.
He was in the process of cataloging all he felt when a new presence entered his range.
It was a familiar bloodline but he had never met the beast before in his life.
A bronze earth dragon emerged from the soil smoothly and then knelt in front of him. Its dull scales were not pretty to look at but they were packed with power.
Sharp ridges were not only down its back but its major limbs and sides. It would allow the dragon to physically shift underground with ease from the way it moved and they doubled as deadly weapons for physical combat.
[True Lord, I greet you with honor.] A deep voice entered his mind but Lind narrowed his eyes before his left arm whipped out and the air shimmered to reveal a young man in his grip. He had the golden haired boy by the throat but he showed no distress at that.
He did have terror in his eyes that Lind had found him.
"Trying to sneak up on me would be easier if you could contain your scent. Having your parent disturb the soil was not a bad idea, but they should know dragons can sense other dragons over anything else." The young man glanced at the mighty body of the bronze earth dragon but it did not even glance at him.
Lind sighed as he grasped the truth.
"You snuck along? You are in the Heaven Realm Sun Tier but are just a child, aren't you?" Age was harder to gauge transformed, but the reactions and indifference from the bronze earth dragon was not.
Disappointment from a draconic parent meant the boy's fate was in Lind's hands. The child had done it to himself, so he would face the consequences himself.
[Speak.] Lind used a flicker of his authority as he did not wish to waste more time on a tantrum or family drama. An abuse of his power? Possibly, but he had far greater concerns.
"I–I want you to stay away from my sister!" Both dragon and Lind blinked in surprise before a long sigh left the bronze earth dragon.
[Please release him, True Lord. He is enthralled by his oldest sister who is the pride of our roost. She has the potential to cross the great divide and transcend our world." A potential Divine Realm dragon?! That piqued Lind's curiosity but that was all.
"And his belief that I will affect this gem of your roost? I am happily married, including a Divine Ryuu. I still enjoy living enough to not invite her to kill us all." He was partially joking. Ethry had matured excellently but when it came to other dragons, she still asserted her dominance.
Chu and her meeting had been very tense but the tiger variation seemed to appease her plus the situation.
The young man did not seem pleased but the bronze earth dragon chuckled in understanding.
[My daughter has expressed an interest in meeting you only. It was this young one's imagination that changed the intent.] Lind narrowed his eyes but confirmed no other dragons were nearby.
"If I have time, I have no issue but I am clear on my bottom line. Right now, where is Barbatos?" The question made both dragons flinch. The young boy looked scared in fact!
[Sovereign Barbatos was called away to a convention of the forest lords. Due to the discovery of the expansion of the forests, they are concerned the balance of power may shift dramatically if a human or demon power tries to lay claim to the newly revitalized lands.] Lind sadly could see that.
The desperation to cultivate beyond the Heaven Realm would be too tempting for those near the end of their lives but with the potential to advance.
It was hard to not understand that desperation but it would be detrimental in the long run to exhaust the areas that were recovering.
Lind nodded before his fingers glowed and sigils swiftly appeared. He added a barrier that would warn of non-beasts crossing it. It would not harm anyone but all beasts would feel it.
It would be up to the beasts and the intruder after that.
"I have added a detection barrier. It will sustain itself just fine for the next 1000 years. After that, I doubt it will be needed one way or the other." Without some kind of anchor or materials to gather Qi for it, the weaving just had his own Qi to sustain it.
Given the current state of the forests, that deadline was the minimum limit. If the Qi recovered enough, however, it could last a bit longer.
"Now, update me on all that has happened you do know of." The giant maw of the bronze earth dragon bowed and began to relate what it knew.
The details were unknown, but the Sovereign Lands were in upheaval. Apparently 2 new Gods acknowledged by Heaven and Earth had made a new power that none could stop!
Also, the influx of 6 elementals had not been the slow process expected but an entire wave of them! While some powers welcomed the fresh faces at first, the sheer number staggered the imaginations of all.
Lind noted almost none came to the Under Lands or the Hollow Lands. So long as they knew a Sovereign Tier was coming, it seemed a pre-determination could be made to allow them to land safely in the Qi rich lands.
Also, they had wanted the 6 elementals and their new theories for themselves!
Now that a beachhead had been formed, they were regretting that.
They had expected their long established powers to overwhelm and absorb at least a large portion of the new ascenders. Yet, the reality of it was they were overwhelmed!
New Sovereign Tiers were usually centuries at least apart but they were ascending at the rate of 10 to 20 at a time!
Lind was shocked by that statistic. It made him realize Heaven and Earth were more fair than others realized. The increase in difficulty as one ascended the cultivation realms was not just due to the new level but the mistaken understanding of the elemental theories.
Lind's change allowed for a more level playing field where talent played a strong role still yet hard work could now succeed as well!
Talent in cultivation was always ruled as king. Even Lind, despite how he may wish it, acknowledged that talent could pave a much easier path for a cultivator.
Yet, he smirked as his theories now proved their worthiness. He could claim the long period of suppression by the Fiends had triggered a resurgence in cultivators but it would not be so specific to 6 elementals if that was true.
Of all the cultivators that could harness the full potential of his theories, it was the 6 elementals.
Despite cultivators complementing their primary elements with secondary ones in the Heaven Realm, they could not match the true potential of 6 primary elements working together.
"Interesting. Anything else of note?" The rest of it had been more of a rundown of various alliances trying to contain the influx of new arrivals but the numbers were not in their favor.
It also seemed his warning about mastering their new powers had done a world of good as they did not make the mistakes he did.
The bronze earth dragon paused before glancing at their son. The young man wilted before the air shimmered and he vanished into the soil. It was an interesting technique but must have come from his other parent.
The massive form of the dragon glowed and Lind finally saw they were indeed a woman. Dragon races were not always fixed in gender. Some could shift as needs of the roost required and earth dragons were one of the most flexible races in that regard.
They had a severely low birth rate and if no female existed at the time of mating, one could choose to change. There was no way to know if they had but the deep voice suggested the being in front of him had once been male.
That or the bronze earth dragon had wanted to show off a bit.
"True Lord, Sovereign Barbatos bid us to tell you when you emerged to stay in the forest. The Sovereign Lands have offered a bounty on your whereabouts. The reward is admittance to the Sovereign Lands." His emerald eyes blinked before a frown crossed his face.
Lind knew it was about the change in policy. The Sigma Empire had made him realize the limit of his generous wish to share the knowledge he gained. He could not contain it forever, but he would not let others abuse it like the Sigma Empire had.
Kal and Evie had happily accepted his request to teach an indelible lesson to all. Lind Frey had his limits and the Sigma Empire had crossed them.
Still, he accepted he was not ready to take on multiple Sovereign Tiers at once. Even 3 high Sovereign Tiers would wipe the floor with him!
He was too used to being dominant against the Fiends and beasts in his life. He had to accept some humility if he wanted to progress. He nodded at the woman before him who smiled and then sunk easily back into the soil.
He barely felt her leave but was impressed at her control even in a human body with her technique. He returned to his own home and began to plan his next steps as well as expecting visitors.
The other beast Sovereign Tiers might make leeway for him but the other races would not. They would all be coming and even Barbatos could not hide him forever.