Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1544 - 1543 - Uphill Battle

Beneath the Living Flame Crystal at the heart of the Throne was a palace. It was normally shuttered most of the time until a True Lord was born among the clans. For the last 70,000 years, it had been full of life as True Lord Helsgath had come into his own.

It had many courtyards for professions, recreation, and training. There were gardens of flame crystals flowing like water and placid lakes with humble pavilions to allow gatherings for the various clans to come together.

The upheaval of the recent times had not passed by but largely left their race alone. Only the latest incident had brought home how vulnerable they were to the Divine Realm attacks.

Yet, the True Lord had called a meeting at the central tower of the palace. The stone seemed alive as the colors of flames shifted beautifully across it.

It was warm to the touch but served its purpose in letting all phoenix clan members to be invigorated by the presence of their True Lord.

It was said the founder of the Throne had been a True Lord that made the palace to react just like that.

Rather than a simple window on each floor like human or demon structures, there were vast balconies to allow a phoenix in their true state to land and even enter the tower proper that way. It was a massive structure!

Yet, despite that, the Living Flame Crystal dominated over it! It showed just how profound the heart of the Throne was compared to any structure a cultivator could build.

At the peak of the tower was a room with an open ceiling. Only 1 being was allowed to claim it and those he personally allowed to visit. It was the home of Helsgath. He did not cultivate so far from the crystal but today he was in fine robes as he prepared to once again try to convince the ruling clan leaders of Lind's need.

The lower clans took their lead from the top 3 but even then, the lower clans could pressure the higher if they felt the need was great enough.

It was a point of pride to the phoenix clan that they treasure the debate of truth. They did not close themselves off to reason.

He smiled helplessly as they conveniently overlooked their racial bias. Helsgath was just as guilty but he observed and judged individuals despite that inclination. He had been praised by his fellow True Lords as his distant predecessor had not been so open minded.

His wine red eyes looked tired but his azure hair shined as his dark gold robes as he turned from his flame mirror. His rooms were far too empty but he refused servants lately. They were all women and their aim was too obvious!

He was looking over the now sparse room. A simple set of couches surrounded a low table. The walls held decorations but only relevant to Helsgath's previous lives.

He saw portraits of his old faces and he remembered them all. For a phoenix, it was not a different person at all but literally themselves. As they improved and refined each time, they changed.

A phoenix soul was the longest enduring of all races but he knew he was going to be on his last life until he rose as a True Lord. The power of Heaven and Earth rejuvenated his soul vitality with everything else.

Unlike other True Lord, however, his Authority was far more demanding. If he used it incorrectly, he would suffer the loss to his soul, not his body.

A phoenix True Lord was the last cycle for them unless they did extremely well or could become a Divine Realm.

He remembered the feeling of the golden karmic lightning as it flowed over him after Lind repelled the attack of the Great One.

While he had felt immense benefits, he also felt the weight of his life.

He was not going to advance. It was not simply a matter of a bottleneck, he had made a choice long ago that set him on the path. His cultivation alone was the issue. Yet, Lind gave him hope.

Hope that despite living out his life in the 4th layer, his efforts would affect his race in the lands above them. It was selfish but he had hope.

He knew things Lind did not. The other 2 had made him swear not to reveal them too. The war was going badly.

It was only recently that some gains had been taken back but each time it could be traced to a single corresponding event. Lind Frey, even as a simple Sky Realm, had been disrupting the plans of the Great One far up in the Divine Lands.

Hope had bloomed but then the bastard came back stronger than before. It was as if he had been playing before but later, Helsgath learned the truth.

Master Tiers on their side could not reveal much; they did confirm that advancing was monumentally more difficult in their tier. The Great One may have reached the pinnacle of the Divine Realm but he now had to devote far more time to his cultivation than ever before.

The threat made by Lind Frey, while small in scale to them, seemed to be disrupting other plans and causing a domino effect. In other words, he was not just a thorn in the Great One's side, but a real threat as one plan after another unraveled.

When the Celestial Fields were completely reclaimed was the greatest blow to the Fiends. Helsgath did not know much more but he did know Lind Frey had become a beacon of hope.

The orders from his faction had been clear: help Lind Frey in any way possible to become a Divine Realm!

Yet, it was not so simple. Factions were made up of many individual powers and greed or pride always sabotaged even noble intentions.

Helsgath knew his race well and they could not accept a dragon on such sacred ground.

He waved his hand and a wall swirled into various colors of flames before a doorway appeared. It was neither formation or weaving but the very structure responding to his will. Even he, a True Lord, had no idea how it worked but he would bet all he owned Lind did.

Despite being a progenitor and thus lacking a race memory, he had proven over and over a terrifying ability to understand the cultivation world far better than any other.

If not for the confirmation from the faction he was not a previous cultivation genius reborn, Helsgath would have chucked it all up previous knowledge completely.

He flew down a massive hallway that would have allowed his natural form to move along it as he came to a large room. There was already the murmur and screech of voices reaching him.

Some stayed in their natural state, as was their right, while most became humanoid as he had. It was just easier to fit more of them in the room but also, Helsgath was arguing for another race.

It was harder to dismiss the benefits of helping another race as he wore the shape of one.

Most of the crowd settled on his entrance but he felt 3 pairs of eyes pierce him deeply.

The old matriarch of the Nightflame Clan was even frailer than before but no less powerful. Her wrinkled visage still looked at him with reverence but her eyes were cold today.

The 2 next to her were just as old but far colder.

Patriarch of the Sky Phoenix Clan has his arms partially transformed into wings. His flame feathers were the color of white and pale blue while his golden eyes tried to pierce Helsgath where he stood.

There was respect from the man but he seemed to only object to anything Helsgath put forth. It might be because the current True Lord had no connection to his lineage but Helsgath doubted it.

The Matriarch of the Thunder Phoenix Clan was sparking. Crimson sparks appeared now and again around her silver skin. Her robes were sporadic patterns as various colors of lightning shifted on it.

Her eyes were pure white, blind, but she saw everything. Her coldness was not rejection, but simply a facet of her race. Lightning is distant until it strikes. It cares not for others no matter what.

It was said to anger a Thunder Phoenix was the last act before you died without knowing how.

Oblivion Arts were their forte and few could object to that. Their bodies were born for battle.

While the Nightflame Clan appreciated Lind Frey and his efforts, the Matriarch was against letting him use the Rebirth Grounds. The other 2 objected strongly as well.

Yet, the lower clans were clamoring to support the True Lord. Stalemate, in other words.

Even after several more meetings, the situation had not changed. More evidence on both sides had been given, but no tipping point had been reached.

Helsgath side as he sat on his throne at the heart of the room. He was about to resume his uphill battle when the entire Throne around them suddenly reacted to something.

They felt it!

The flame stone around them began to move faster and only Helsgath switched from shock to joy! His cultivation was being improved!

What was happening?