Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1402 - 1401 - 50,000 Years

Lind had not known how long it would take Ember to truly solidify her foundation and become a fully fledged spirit. She had actually overshot Abby at the end result too!

He was unsure of how she perceived events but she had spent very long periods simply sitting still. He had felt immense forces flow into her but they mostly flowed right out again.

There had been times she needed consolation and others education. He did his best but the journey was hers alone.

He did his best not to influence her with his partial understanding and half baked ideas on what the Dao was like. He was comfortable with his own but even the Daos he inherited from the 2 Inheritances were only surface level at best.

Time flowed and he had to repair his weaving over time as the interior was under far more stress than the exterior.

He actually made massive progress on Time Laws of all kinds. Differential Law especially as he had to maintain the internal flow going faster than the exterior.

His sigils became far more refined and even the traces became more important. They had to endure the strain more than anything.

He also made massive progress on his other Laws and his own foundation. He was able to fully consolidate his peak low Sovereign Tier power. He had grossly underestimated the time it took to do that.

He calculated and it took over 50,000 years for Ember to succeed. He was not far off from consolidating at the same time! Compared to before, his aura was 3 times as powerful and now fully scanned the strange place they were trapped in.

He now felt differences from the 4th layer too as it had no intent but the Inheritance it came from. The 4th layer was created by the Sovereign Tiers and their auras clashed constantly until some kind of equilibrium was reached.

The cavern he was in with the tunnels too, were all part of a different kind of material. It enlightened him on what had to happen eventually.

His thoughts were broken as the young woman danced before him. Her features were all of the color of flames. It reminded him a bit of Feng when she transformed or even Bori too. Phoenixes were creatures of pure fire but compared to Ember, they all paled in comparison.

The Dao of Eternal Flame was clearly superior to those he had met.

"Master, it is so pretty now!" She was looking all around but he only smiled back as he deactivated the barrier. The sigils flared before disintegrating as time synced back up. A few days had passed outside but over 50,000 years had passed for them!

That was almost all he had lived before!

The pair were quickly joined by Haro and Abby who congratulated Ember on her new status. He noticed Haro was more profound but weaker for some reason compared to Ember. Likely it had to do with his punishment for interfering in Lind's tribulation to the Radiant Tier.

Abby, on the other hand, was just behind. The trio were all smiles until Abby glanced at him and saw his right arm.

It was a blackened and charred mess. It was still just barely alive as he could feel something, yet he knew it would take a long time to heal.

The fire that Ember had enjoined into her being was far beyond him. His body was fused to her artifact but that did not mean he was safe.

"Master!" Abby looked very concerned as she gently examined his burnt limb. Haro also looked concerned which actually gave Lind pause.

"Abby, there is nothing any of us can do. Even Ember, despite grasping the Dao, is not strong enough to do anything about our Master's arm." Haro revealed the worst case scenario. Lind also knew his draconic regeneration was not working. No matter how much time passed, he saw no improvement.

The worst of it was at the crucial moment Ember broke through and grasped the Dao of Eternal Flame. Her artifact changed fundamentally and seared his flesh but did not separate from it.

Even charred, he could see the metal and arrays much better than before. He saw they had changed from what the original versions were. It was not his work but the Dao of Eternal Flame.

"Does it hurt?" He shook his head at Abby's question.

"There is some sensation but no pain. I suspect most of this is just charcoal now. I can't get rid of it entirely or Ember's artifact will come with it. I am still connected but I am too weak to overcome the damage for now." Haro nodded solemnly.

He downed a few elixirs but they had no effect at all. It gave him a humbling experience to see not even his Dao of Defiance could overcome the damage.

"What now, Master?" Haro brought them all back to the basic issue but Lind only looked at Ember who smiled wide.

Her limbs lit up with flames but unlike normal fire, it began to feel far more real than anything they had ever felt. Moreover, the fire crystal and pools of lava began to react!

Lind felt a shift at long last as the space around them groaned until the passage spewed dust and air. Fresh air filled the room and he smiled wide.

The 3 spirits returned to their artifacts. He covered his right arm with wrapping and then sprinted down the corridor. Instead of ending up back in the cavern, he emerged into a strange place.

Shimmering stone surrounded him and a very oppressive feeling washed over him that made his instincts riled.

It made so much sense why they would reach down to the Hollow Lands.

He had reached the Throne of Living Fire!

⬧⬧⬧⬧

"Explain gone?" A woman with a cold aura and platinum blonde hair stared down a kneeling man in her office. Her fine robes shimmered with power as the violet color complemented her pale skin.

Her blue eyes were ice as the scout shivered.

"We have several spies in the Under Lands and Hollow Lands. We suspect the Envervate had Lind Frey sneak in but after that we lost all traces. It has been weeks but there is no sign of him in any of the adjoining areas." That was normal.

Unlike the Under Lands and Sovereign Lands, the Hollow Lands were a bit unstable in the middle.

Powers fought for territory and shifted things around. It was a common truth at the borders but the Hollow Lands had massive shifts all the time.

Making a map of it was damned near pointless.

Yet, constant scouting and agreements allowed the Sovereign Lands to roam freely across the Hollow Lands. The scouts should have been able to find anyone in that instance.

"My son and all his forces were destroyed by his daughter. She is currently beyond my power but he is not! Find him! Tear the Hollow Lands apar–" The pair were suddenly slammed into the ground as a man with pure white hair walked in the door.

His dark robes seemed to absorb light to the point it was uncomfortable to look at him. The eyes would be unable to withstand the abyss his clothes were.

"Leave." His command sent the scout soaring out the door. Whether the poor young man lived or died from impact made no difference as the door was slammed shut but aura lone.

The woman tried to scream at him to stop but her voice was locked away as her body was covered in sweat.

"You have wasted resources on that failure. He is dead. They are all dead. Vengeance will bring nothing but your end but you do not care. I, however, must act to keep our power and money going." His eyes were dark orbs but there was a flicker of pity in them.

She hated him at that moment.

"Valencia, you are hereby stripped of your authority and dismissed. What you do now is on your own head. You have 1 day to settle matters and leave." He turned to walk out but she finally hissed at him.

"You are unfilial, Father. Your grandson was murd–" She suddenly felt her throat crushed as she was slammed into the wall. Books and jade slips scattered from the shelving as he held her up.

"You ruined that child long ago. I warned you but you did not heed me! I told you not to invade the Under Lands but you ignored my words and now we lost not only face but valuable resources!" No mention of the deaths, only the lost resources and his damned honor!

"You will just let them get away with this?! They deserve–" A look of disappointment crossed his aged face but the man punched forward into the area just above her navel. Shock spread as she felt all her Qi suddenly dissipate and her body became so heavy.

"I gave you a chance and you still revealed your idiocy. I never should have let your mother scheme like that and use you like she did. You do not appreciate the value of that man and his Clan. You live in denial of that fact and now paid the price." He let her down as she aged visibly before him.

Her once plump face and youthful skin withered as she hunched over. Tears fell as she looked up with her now foggy eyes.

She was so small and lost her cultivation! How could he do that to her?

"Live what time you have left as you wish. I have no child now." He then vanished before she could protest. Valencia scowled but slowly walked to her overturned desk.

She pressed on the underside and a click revealed a vile jade stone. She could not infuse her aura anymore but she cut her finger and blood was absorbed by it.

[Speak.] A voice that grated hurt her but she relayed what happened. [Ah, I see. Your failure already sealed your fate but this may be better. We will try with others. Go off and die.]

Shock filled her as her masters abandoned her. She had done as they asked with the reward of true immortality but now she was abandoned. Her family was dead or gone, and now she was only a mortal.

In the 4th layer she would not live long. The Qi would shred her.

She slowly collapsed as her body got weaker. She did not want to die! Why was no one helping her?!