Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1428 - 1427 - Berserker

A very old woman rode a rickety carriage in the wilds of the 4th layer. Her eyes were nearly milk white in color only but they still seemed to see. Her thinned hair looked like it was about to fall out at any time but the beast pulling the cart dared not look at her.

He was covered partially in fine fur with legs larger than the other proportions of his body.

His legs pumped like thunder if he wanted but for now his stamina allowed him to pull the carriage. Paying work was hard enough for rogue cultivators to find so he did not care that she paid in cracked Immortal stones..

Worthless to Immortals, they meant a lot to Heaven Realms as they could easily aid cultivation. The ragged yellow shawl had seen better days but her Qi stones were good enough for him.

The area they were going was not dangerous either unless you ticked off the sole resident. He noticed a split stone here or there but merely kept going on the proscribed path.

A whiff of death filled his nostrils but it was mixed with the herbal scent of pills. He knew she was dying but she still clung to life through pills.

It was an old story but he still could not gauge what she was. It was better to err on the side of caution to live a long life as someone like him but now he slowed the carriage..

His instincts screamed that to proceed was death.

"Continue." The withered voice was so quiet most would miss it but his large ears pushed back onto his skull.

"I think our target is nearby. I feel it. Speak your wish quickly or we will not leave here alive." It was not entirely wrong. He would leave alive, but only if he braved staying until his customer was done.

It was well documented so he stayed where he was.

Silence stretched out that actually caused a cold sweat to spread down his flanks. Why wasn't she speaking?!

"You really should–" Pressure suddenly shattered his left thigh bone all by itself! Pain made him see red but he did not try to fight back. He suppressed his instinct to attack or run in equal measure.

Only death waited for either choice.

A short laugh made his blood freeze. He had not even caught a scent!

"You are well versed for a glorified horse. Crawl out of here and let fate decide if you live or die." The voice was calm but he felt it! There was bloodlust in every tone! A shiver went down his spine but he slowly looked up to see a man covered in swords.

They were not the glorious works of art refiners would show with pride but very worn out tools of brutality. They were not sharp, but meant to bludgeon someone to death. The fact the slim man weighed down by them walked with ease around him, only left the poor beast with terror in his heart.

"She–she paid me to bring her to you. I dare not shirk my contract." A sneer crossed the shadow of the man's face. HIs eyes were hidden by his wild hair but it was not unkempt, just hanging in front like a hood.

"You know the old stories. Wise, foolish to believe, but wise to heed them. Very well." The figure turned and focused on the old woman. A frown crossed his face as he looked disgusted at her.

A massive stone blade the length of the man seemed to blur into his right hand. The point was held just at the point of her nose but she only looked up slightly.

"Tck, I hate the living dead. You should just die like the worm you are. I have no idea what brought you here but go off and end it." The man then turned and went to walk away, but a weak voice finally spoke up.

"Kill Lind Frey for me." The beast's eyes went wide as a saucer! What was she saying?!

The man tossed his head back with a laugh but gave a rude gesture as he continued to walk away.

"If you think I am some kind of mercenary, you wasted your final day on that futile dream. Now go die." He sounded disgusted so much that even the bloodlust was gone.

"Fight him in the arena." The weak voice spoke once more and the man froze. A dark blood red aura flared around him.

"Don't test me. That man is only a low Sovereign Tier. Why would he enter a tournament in the Under Lands?" Understanding flooded the beast and he coughed as he rose his hand.

"Senior, a few thousand years ago, True Lord Lind Frey claimed a Throne and proposed a tournament for all of the 4th layer. He is able to restrict the power of Sovereign Tiers so they could also fight for prizes to help their cultivation progress." The beast was suddenly in the air as a firm grip crushed his throat.

Eyes that were only crimson glowed at him!

"Why has no one come to invite me?! Your wars were boring things but I can finally fight to my heart's content?! Why did no one tell me?!" The world was going dark as air was no longer flowing but the old voice saved him.

"Killed my son and will fight in the arena. He swore to settle the scores. Fight him." Her frail body was now bleeding. Death was in the air but he let the beast go as he looked at her.

"You have an invitation?" A ghost of a smile crossed her wrinkled visage as she held up a ring. He took it and a token appeared that had become well known recently. It had an emerald flame with 18 elemental circles around it.

Only 1 person could make them but the instant the man put his blood on it, it shimmered and he smiled so wide the beast thought his head would split in half.

"Heh–he–he–HA HA HA HA HA HA!" The beast felt like he was being crushed into the stone path but the old woman only smiled as she was turned into meat paste.

A pill fell at the beast's head suddenly. He carefully examined it and saw it was a healing pill.

He downed it and his leg was restored instantly! He also felt like he made progress through the Moon Tier!

"You belong to me now! You will take me to this glorious place!" The beast felt the life go out of him.

"Seni–I mean Master, the tournament is still far off. The arena is being built but will not be ready for another 30,000 years at least." A frown made a chill enter his soul but he spoke up quickly and pointed at the token. "True Lord Lind Frey distributed weaving plates to create areas Sovereign Tiers could train at full power. Until the first tournament, all token holders can reserve a slot in any power willing to let them use theirs!"

It was only a rumor but it had some validity. Besides, the man before him would not care so long as he could fight.

The terrifying aura fell back and an actual look of contemplation crossed his features. He actually looked down as his dirt covered robes and held out his rather long hair.

"Sigh, I suppose that will do as I am a bit rusty. I will also refrain from killing people–maybe." A shiver went down the beast as the casual words were not in jest.

"Where–where to Master?" The man looked at him and then frowned but it was different from before. He actually walked around the beast and then slowly nodded.

"First, I am going to train you. You are too weak to be my steed or companion but even I pay back debts. You faced my threat without breaking too so that is in your favor, no matter how stupid it was to hope the rumors were true." A gulp was the only sound after that until a manual was placed before the beast.

He picked it up and was shocked! It was an Immortal cultivation manual! It was confusing to him but the man smirked and pointed at his chest with pride.

"You will become an Immortal in no less than 100 years or I am not the best warrior in all the realms!" The beast swallowed his fear but bowed low. If the man before him could get him across that precious threshold, he would not argue.

"Master, where to first?" The man shattered the rickety carriage into splinters which nearly made the beast pass out but then they were flying!

The world was a blur before many auras far above the beast came into its range.

"First, you are now Poro. Second, you will face off against some weaklings once you start that manual. I am thinking of a Lightning Lion or maybe a Qilin if I did not kill them all yet." The words made all the blood drain from the beast.

He could not be serious!

"M–m–master, I am only an aether beast! I have no battle Arts or anything!" Laughter greeted his concerns.

"Arts are a waste of time! Just kill them before they kill you! Why does everyone bother with those useless things! The body is all you need to train! Tools are meant to help but they are nothing else!" Tears formed as the ancient swampy area finally came into view.

"Never let it be said the Immortal Berserker strayed from the one true path of power! I will face that dragon in his tournament and claim his hide for myself! It will be glorious!" The pleas of the beast were ignored as the legendary Immortal Berserker let his bloodlust run wild.

Any sane beast or person would get as far away as possible but none could escape that man when he was in a good mood!

Spirits help the poor beast Valencia had used the last of her stashed away fortune and pills to get her there. She died after being crippled so long ago but her goal had been achieved. Lind Frey would face the most fearsome being alive.

She died believing he would die and that was enough.