Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1547 - 1546 - Requirements to be Reborn

The council met with Lind to discuss the future. Now that they had to swallow their pride in the face of direct extermination, they had to at least get him to advance to be a decoy if nothing else.

Lind had no illusions but he also felt pressure. Now that he took the time, he noticed his vitality had dropped below before he purged the thralls and made the barrier! Someone was attempting to get through and the incidents were rising!

There was an oddity though. Sometimes, his vitality would shoot back up. Why was it doing that? He had no direct way to find out but the back and forth was not even at all. The decrease was slowly winning from what he could gauge.

If it spiked badly enough, he could die in a few decades!

Lind looked around the massive room he was currently in. Mingled with the various humanoid figures were giant flaming birds of the phoenix races.

He saw Divine all the way down to common bloodlines represented. He then realized he had never once called the dragons together. It had never even occurred to him!

He had met with many leaders but they never sat down like the current races around him.

[Master, most dragons are independent creatures. They respect strength but resolution through discussion is not their first priority.] Haro suddenly spoke up in his mind.

Lind nodded at the words. He wondered about the other races but then a thought occurred to him.

"Beasts that choose to live in groups act like this, don't they?" Haro simply sent an affirmation sensation and it made Lind begin to wonder many things. He was currently surrounded by mythical creatures but they worked on the essential principles of the simple animal counterparts.

Herd beasts greatest strength was in their coordination and numbers. Compared to solitary beasts that seemed to always have the advantage but nature was far from kind. Predators could be solitary but also come together in groups.

The difference being the groups were temporary or kept within their immediate family until the young were ready to head out.

Lind staying with his ever expanding Clan was a bit odd for a dragon but his origin explained that away. He mastered his instincts, not the other way around.

The current conversation was cycling. The majority seemed in favor of getting him to the Rebirth Grounds right away but the last third wanted him to go through some kind of rituals.

The story Helsgath relayed to him made it sound like no rituals were needed but maybe they would increase his odds? He would like to know more but his voice was essentially suppressed.

Normally, he would barge in and bang heads to get things rolling forward but he just did not know enough.

[Haro, have you any idea what these Rebirth Grounds actually are?] Their reputed powers seemed far beyond the Immortal Realm. A Throne was definitely the place such a thing could exist in the 4th layer though.

The ring spirit took some time, long enough for the conversation to start all over with new voices taking up the same sides again.

[If I am not mistaken, it is a rare phenomenon in places Divine Bloodlines have long held. Heaven and Earth can cause a condensation of the essence of the race to manifest to the benefit of each race.] Lind knew Haro was dancing on the edge of forbidden knowledge but since he had heard of the Rebirth Grounds there was some leeway.

[Do dragons have one?] Haro went silent but then seemed to find a way to answer.

[To be specific, it does not need to be as specific as the trial we are learning about. It varies. There are at least 2 dragon clans that have similar places. Ethry's ancestral Ryuu Clan has one that likely is the cause of her having 6 primary elements.] That made Lind nearly bolt upright!

That mystery had been the most frustrating for him for so long and Haro knew the answer all that time?!

[I could not discuss it before now and further, even I only know of it as a rumor. Having known Lady Ethry for so long, it holds some credence but only going to their roosts would confirm it.] Lind sighed but nodded.

He tuned back into the room and noticed nothing had changed. He reviewed all had learned and at least 2 of the rituals that seemed wise for him to attempt.

One was a simple Soul Cleansing Ritual. Several peak Sovereign Phoenixes would actually use their Daos related to Rebirth or Reincarnation to nurture a soul to grasp them. He had one of those down pat but the other might be good to get evaluated.

The other was a bit vague. It sounded like some kind of flame ritual where he would face the flames that protected the nascent phoenix as they were remade into an egg. Supposedly it had some benefit that was obvious to his hosts but not to him.

He was unsure if that one would help a dragon, but it was worth looking into.

Aside from those 2 rituals, there were some annoying and tedious procedures that seemed to try and elevate the whole process. He despised those the most! They existed solely to make the figure in charge of them seem more important than they really were.

He was about to interrupt when the Thunder Phoenix Matriarch said something that made him narrow his eyes.

"We should not forget the Trial Spirit needs to be consulted before any ritual begins." Many nodded but Lind could not let that part slip by.

"There is a spirit attached to the Rebirth Grounds?" His surprise seemed to catch the entire room off guard. Even Helsgath, who had taken him in, tilted his head looking at Lind before his eyes went wide with a chuckle.

Haro had not mentioned and he too seemed surprised. Whatever rumors or direct knowledge he had did not include such information.

"Apologies, True Lord Frey, we overlooked that you do not share the knowledge of our race as we do." Some did flush with embarrassment but most seemed to sneer a bit. Lind did not care as he hated his dull senses at that moment.

If he could use his aura properly, he would know about the spirit by then! Such a powerful being should be easy to find.

As if reading his mind, Helsgath shook his head.

"They do not appear often. In fact, the last phoenix to attempt the Rebirth Grounds was the last to see them. Supposedly, they take on different forms for each applicant." The clarification made Lind frown.

Spirits attached to tools, weapons, Inheritance, and so forth varied greatly but they generally kept the same shape. The revelation still left a question.

"How do we ask the spirit anything then?" All eyes swiveled to Helsgath who smiled tightly at him. It seemed Lind had found a landmine.

"According to procedure, the current True Lord can go and invoke the spirit. Otherwise, the leading Clan will send an envoy to attempt receiving benefits." An exchange? What could they offer such a being?

[If it is on par with me, Master, it would need support from living phoenixes to keep it functional.] Lind nodded but felt it was wrong. It did not feel like a trap but something was off and he could not put his finger on it.

[You did not know of any such spirit related to these bestial grounds?] Haro stayed silent as the council reviewed and elaborated on the rituals.

The Soul Cleansing Ritual was indeed worth doing but the other was Path of Rebirth Flames made even less sense to him now.

It was not a refinement of flames nor Dao but the concept of Rebirth among the various flames of the Throne. What was that supposed to do?

He saw no benefit at all then, especially being a dragon but Helsgath insisted it was needed.

The other, tedious, rituals made him cringe before Haro finally answered.

[I am uncertain, Master. It is possible that being in a lower world, a spirit was needed to maintain such a profound place. I know little of them being in the Celestial Fields.] A reasonable guess but Lind disagreed.

His newly created Harmonic Art of Defiance flared suddenly. The Throne reacted instantly and he let his mind merge with the stone beneath his feet. The other phoenixes dove into chaos but that was nothing compared to what came next.

Lighting flared from somewhere in the Throne and Lind swatted it aside as a grim look crossed his face.

"Construct. It is a constructed spirit, not a natural one." His words made many shoot to their feet. Lind did not care as it told him something no one knew before.

The supposedly gifted Rebirth Grounds did not come from Heaven and Earth but were made by an Immortal!

[Haro?] He said nothing else but he slowly seemed to grasp something.

[A Divine Will manifested via that phoenix. The brief moment was used to force the creation of the sacred ground. It must have met the conditions and needed the final push. It is possible but far more difficult to achieve. Think of it as more of a collaboration between a cultivator with Heaven and Earth.]

Lind froze as that description matched something he had just examined not too long ago. He looked up and the shimmering emerald field protecting them was partially based on his Authority!

It came directly from Heaven and Earth so in essence, he had done the same thing!

"Helsgath, we need to talk." Lind then left the room. What he had just learned was too shocking and they needed time to process it. Besides, he was not going to go through all those rituals.

It would be the bare minimum but what came after might be a new problem. If that spirit was built for a purpose, no amount of convincing would work. It would simply try to kill him!