Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1497 - 1496 - I am Weak but not Vulnerable

The auction continued without Lind watching but he suspected his current meeting would be far more eventful than any bidding war on the final items.

Fey was well in hand to control that rabble.

Instead, he was faced with a dozen leaders. Eleven of them were demons and an old woman. The Sect Master of the Heavenly Maiden Sect was seated to his right while the demons all were arrayed around the circular table.

At the center of the table was the glowing blue crystal. Lind had proven definitively that no one could control the damned thing several times but the arguments of sole control continued.

"It is clearly a Demonic Harmony Law Crystal, surely it should be under–" Lind sighed as the 1st Prince of the Fallen Hunt Kingdom once more tried to claim the crystal. He made it sound like he would share it with all demons, at a modest fee, but the truth was he wanted his kingdom to benefit.

A demoness from the Shadow Veil Sect would counter many reasons why he was unfit to claim it and yet another demon power would expound on her two-faced antics.

It had been days! Lind wanted to settle things but the Heavenly Maiden Sect liked to throw a valid wrench into the works. They owned the damn thing!

Just when it seemed like the demons would come to an agreement, she would realize they were being ignored as they had demons as well.

That was the real rub. Many powers had some segment of demons but benefitting by the crystal seemed to offend the pure demonic powers.

Lind had been quiet as he was maintaining the defenses on the crystal. He felt like he wanted to throttle everyone in the room but they ignored him. They treated him like a decoration!

He was getting irritated but he did not want to over exert his recently improved health. He was actually better than he expected and if he pushed too far, he would likely incur injuries.

The cycle began over again but then a demon pointed at him. He was sneering as he looked at Lind.

"Your auction made the mistake. Why don't you take responsibility for your ineptitude?" The demon had bright yellow hair and dark crimson eyes. His fine muscles seemed refined but Lind recognized a pill built body when he saw one.

He refrained from outing the demon and simply continued to keep the wards active. The fact he felt several probes irritated him but they were not serious.

Other demons suddenly allied with the fool. He felt their sneers but ignored them. The Sect Master actually nodded in approval. Yet, Lind felt his rage rising.

The probes continued to grow until he could no longer contain them. All were shocked when the wards dropped.

Many panicked and activated life saving treasures but Lind calmly sat in his chair as the floating blue crystal flared.

He calmly held out his hands and the power set loose actually calmly obeyed. He was not using wards nor any other external help. His harmony was enough.

The clear dominance was demonstrated as he calmly summoned more weaving plates to contain the power of the crystal.

"Anyone else feeling suicidal?" His calm tone made many blush with shame but the Sect Master smiled. He then glared at her.

She had the decency to bow at him.

He then turned to the demons who looked at him with more respect.

"I am not here to sell this crystal. I am here to decide how to safely place it. Your powers want to benefit but you forget my power alone isolates the devastation this crystal will unleash. Anyone want to try and contain it?" His smile was met with a sea of faces looking away.

Even the Heavenly Maiden Sect Master did not meet his gaze. His point had been made.

They tried to reap benefits without understanding the cost. Anywhere the crystal was deployed would be reshaped into whatever benefited it. It was too powerful to control.

They finally seemed to grasp that. Yet, some still tested him.

They actually flared their Sovereign Tier aura at him directly! They wanted validation that they were superior to him?!

HIs emerald eyes flared as his own aura dispelled them all with ease!

"I am injured, not an invalid. Anyone else want to test their luck today?" The answer was already obvious as all the demons were nearly kneeling just from his flare of power. They also noted the Demonic Law Crystal did not even ripple at all!

Such fine control revealed that Lind truly was able to handle the item better than anyone right then.

The room became calmer but he was done being bystander.

"None of you seem to truly grasp what will happen. Unlike the Rubyfire Empire where a guardian nurtured the crystal to grow in strength and both changed as time passed, this crystal is at the peak of Law Grade. Nothing can get stronger than it." The room seemed confused until his aura flared again.

Despite all the reports of his injuries and there being several peak Sovereign Tiers in the room, all felt suppressed by him at the peak of mid Sovereign Tier!

"This is what it takes to keep this crystal suppressed and I cannot do it forever. Is there anywhere, aside from a Throne, that can claim to resist me?" The fact they sat in living proof of exactly what he was capable of left them looking down in avoidance.

They did not want to admit it, but they had not grasped the true danger of what they wanted to claim.

They also were shamed at the casual display of power Lind gave while he was known to be injured. Those that might have started to plan some schemes dismissed them as it seemed they had vastly underestimated him as well.

An injured cultivator was vulnerable but a peak Radiant Tier still had zero chance against a Sovereign Tier that was injured. The power of the Dao Weapons had terrified them but the price had seemed too high.

Yet now, they all understood the power was still his to command. It just meant it would take slightly longer for him to kill his enemy.

The result itself would not change.

Lind read them like a book. It made things clear to him that he needed to slip away far more quietly than before. Outside of his Throne, his full power would be restricted.

He did not advertise that fact, obviously, but it changed his initial departure plans.

"True Lord Frey, what would you suggest?" A demoness that had been mostly silent now spoke. Her voice was raspy, as her throat had obvious scars but she was as enchanting as any demoness usually was.

Her eyes were calm even as the vibrant amethyst seemed to pulse. She was one of the peak Sovereign Tiers in the room but he noted her robes were in worse shape than others. She was clearly a rogue cultivator.

"Wherever this crystal is placed will change it entirely. The fundamental nature of the 4th layer actually empowers that process more than the others would. Heaven and Earth would restrain it if it was still down there." They all nodded but he then tapped the table.

The center lit up and a rough map of the 3 lands of the 4th layer appeared. While some were in stable places, the rest were constantly shifting. Shock covered all their faces, including the Heavenly Maiden Sect Master.

Many maps were created but they constantly had to be updated since even the borders would move randomly at the edges of many lands.

Lind's map, on the other hand, updated in real time! How?!

He simply smiled as he reminded them that power came in many forms. Information, especially accurate maps, were critical for planning anything from caravans to battle.

"The best place is in the Hollow Lands. There are recent changes that have actually left dead areas where other lands are expanding. I estimate in about 1000 years that will no longer exist but it is there now." The sphere zoomed in at his input into some controls on his chair.

There were several large blacked out areas but they were shrinking as he had noted.

"I have direct access to this barren stretch at only a few day's walk away from my border. I would then recommend you set up an alliance to guard it as the crystal transforms the area. While I do not know how big it will be, it may not unfold how we are used to when Sovereign Tiers impose their will on the 4th layer." Even Lind could not predict that result.

The Rubyfire Empire essentially covered the entirety of the current floating island but it was bigger than before it fell out of the sky.

The power of a Harmonic Law Crystal made it possible to actually expand a floating island and float it despite the Corruption flowing over the land!

In the mare chaotic 4th layer, it could be far more dramatic! The room finally grasped the enormity of what they were trying to control.

"What benefit will you get out of this arrangement?" The Heavenly Maiden Sect Master spoke up but her words were allied with the thoughts of the demon power. Lind sighed.

"In case none of you were paying attention, I am the only one that can contain this power. To protect it after it has settled will be a monumental task but proximity to expert weavers and formation masters versed in harmonic Qi would generate profit on the back end until you all can take up the slack." The pragmatic declaration made all enlightened.

Lind had no need to ask for a piece of the pie as they needed him! The Frey Clan was still his and would heed his choice. Fey Frey was still in power so in the short term, they were all at the mercy of the 2 powers in regards to harmonic Qi!

The meeting finally moved forward with plans and figuring out how to negotiate with what would be new neighbors or possible victims.

Lind focused back on controlling the crystal as he was starting to feel tired but had to hide it. His little displays of power cost him but did not injure him further. The auction would be wrapped up by the time the meeting was over but the tournament could be considered a success despite all the setbacks.

It was time for him to go.