Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1558 - 1557 - Return to the Basin

Lind recovered much more quickly than anytime before. The 2 rituals had vastly improved his ability to regulate his internal flow of Qi. His aura finally extended beyond his body again but it was very weak.

While his vitality had dropped again, it was not nearly as much as before. While an unknown amount of time had passed inside the Path of Rebirth Flames, the outside world only had a few days pass.

He had finally met the criteria of the spirit and returned to the basin for the Rebirth Grounds.

Helsgath and Bori had no idea he was there. He did not want them there as he suspected something.

Now that he had faced the 2 rituals, he needed to confirm something he had not understood before.

Unlike the previous time, the spirit did not take the form of his previous mother. Instead, a man stood before him he had not seen in a very long time. The kindly face of the Old Man stood before him.

A man he had considered a grandfather from his time at the original Frey Clan in the Southern District.

"This place is not what they believe, is it?" The spirit smiled but said nothing. Haro tried to appear but was forcibly suppressed.

"We do not need a Guardian to interfere. They are so touchy." Lind did not feel danger but his guard was up. The wizened white haired old man in crimson robes lined in gold and black was supposed to allay him but he knew better.

"The Soul Cleansing Ritual was fine. It actually makes perfect sense, but the Path of Rebirth Flames makes you redundant." Lind's case was special. He needed those rituals to attempt the Rebirth Grounds but if a phoenix was supposed to do them before attempting it, it seemed pointless to him.

A phoenix that could overcome the trial of the path, even partially, could easily attempt an ascension.

"You understand that, good. I like smart people but I do serve a purpose. You see, most phoenixes fear True Death more than most races. I make them dance along that line to force them to step forward." Lind's eyes narrowed as that was not what had been described to him.

A phoenix could be reborn from their ashes. Seeing an ancient phoenix, facing True Death, be ripped apart and put back together would seem like an extreme version of their life cycle.

"This is not a Rebirth Ground." It was not a question as the spirit smiled wide. "This is a Death Ground." Haro's aura surged but the spirit quashed him once again.

"What point would a Death Ground serve anyone?" The very existence seemed antithetical but Lind knew the truth.

"The phoenix race has no fear of death. They have to be confronted with it even when the end is coming. This is a place of last resort where they are stripped of all security." Lind knew the truth now.

The Path of Rebirth Flames had already had him grasp the essence of being a phoenix. The Rebirth Grounds made no sense in the context but there was something that would push any cultivator to the very edge.

Confronting death would either push them to grasp for life or accept the end. It was no wonder only 1 had succeeded.

"Very good! They are a rather pretentious race regarding death. My creator knew that and knew the danger of the Fiends. You understand that better than most." The contrast of his memory of the Old Man and the cold demeanor being displayed left Lind angry.

"Why do you imitate my most precious people?" It was something he did not understand but the spirit tilted his head at him as he smiled even wider.

"Oh, so sweet. I am not imitating them. I am them. They are dead and gone. I pulled on–" Emerald flames blazed as Lind slammed the spirit into the base of the basin. Surprise flared but he did not care as he used his Art of Defiance.

The instant his Art touched the spirit, it began to scream.

It tried to escape his grasp but Lind refused to let him go. Eventually, it became an androgynous figure. It had no vile Qi but its face looked coldly at him.

"You enjoy it! You enjoy making them feel regret but you made a grave error with me. My Mother is from another world. Time does not flow the same here and even if it did, I will get back to her! I will!" He had never spoken that wish aloud but at that moment the sky rumbled and the spirit grew concerned.

"What are you–?" Black clouds began to gather which made the spirit begin to panic.

"STOP!" Lind did not stop. He began to bleed as the glass around them lit up with his harmonic Qi.

"How many?" The question made the spirit smirk and Lind slammed it again. "HOW MANY HAVE YOU INTENTIONALLY KILLED?!"

The words echoed but a new voice responded.

"Killed?" The 2 turned to see Helsgath looking pale from the entrance. His usually lively red wine eyes were now devoid of life.

"Ah, the prodigal True Lord returns. You, of all people, should know what I am." Lind angrily hit the spirit but it was far more resilient to such an attack compared to any other race.

"No–it–it is a Rebirth Ground." Lind wanted to explain but he had no desire to waste time as his harmony finally reached critical capacity. The entire basin lit up and the spirit tried to escape but then it screamed.

"While a construct should serve as a guardian, test, or guide for an artifact, you killed those who attempted to move beyond their limits. Only 1 passed and you made sure no one else did." Lind was guessing but the spirit seemed proud.

"Those useless fools thought they could use me to cheat death! That is why they come but that only seals their fate! Only 1 understood! That is why they succeeded!" The spirit's words felt reasonable but Lind could finally feel it.

Disdain, anger, and general dislike of cultivators.

"You have allowed Death Dao to cloud your judgement. I can feel it in you." The spirit squirmed as Lind's harmony went to work. He could not change the Death Grounds but the spirit was clearly being corrupted by them.

Tendrils of smoke began to emerge from the spirit and the basin! Lind grew concerned but Haro was finally able to respond!

[You are correct, Master. The spirit is more powerful than my current capabilities but it hid its condition. We are susceptible as much as anyone to the extremes of Laws and Daos over time. The smoke you see should only be an excess but be wary, it could break the Death Grounds.]

Lind nodded as he continued his work. Helsgath looked lost yet he had no time to help him. The glass of the basin was now solid emerald before an instinct warned Lind to pull back.

His harmonic Qi flowed easily back into his body and the spirit smoldered in front of him. It was no longer haughty nor arrogant. It looked like a youth who had been broken by the world.

Lind gently knelt down and the spirit flinched but did not move any further.

"Cultivaiton often results in tunnel vision. We grow so focused on what gives us power, we neglect what it can do around us or even fail us if we do not consider the consequences. The Divine Will that made this place had no care for you or those that came after. It was only for them, wasn't it?" His words made the spirit flinch but then slowly nod.

Lind sighed as there was little he could do. There was a critical question he needed an answer to though.

"Did I break it?" The spirit slowly looked up and a young boy was its shape but none Lind could recall meeting.

"You have restored me to my original self. It is like I was buried under a mire and could only see the world through that distorted filter. The basin is fine, but it will begin to corrupt me once again." It was a long way of saying no but it told Lind more.

"Then I can't use it." Surprise bloomed on the spirit's face. Lind smiled gently before he said something that had become ingrained on him since he could remember. "People are not things. I will not discard them simply for my convenience."

His words seemed to shock not only the spirit but Helsgath as well. Haro sent a sigh into his mind but he ignored the latter.

"Lind! You have to advance! This is still the only–" Helsgath was actually screaming but an aura shot up around Lind that silenced him. His grim look was unyielding on the phoenix True Lord.

"It is not the only way, it was simply the best way we could come up with. There is another." He sighed as he really did not know if it would work but an idea came to him.

"Spirit, if I faced my tribulation here, would that help you?" The pair looked at Lind in confusion but the spirit shook its head.

"You are only an Immortal. No matter what else you are, you cannot alter the functions of this place." Lind might have been able to counter that argument before but not in his current state. Still, he thought there would be a chance.

"Haro?" The ring spirit appeared and really looked at the basin. He slowly paced before a nod came to him.

"There is one version of the Divine Ascension Tribulation that might work. Judgement." The Heavens actually rumbled at his words. It seemed they were not happy at that assessment but Lind no longer cared.

"That may be true, but you are still not at the peak of the Immortal Realm. You are at the high Sovereign Tier!" Helsgath was right. Lind was almost there but not quite.

Still, he had forgotten 2 important things.

"I am a Divine Progenitor True Lord of Dragons. I have made my own Throne and connected to another. I have done so many things but in all of that, you have forgotten 2 things." He pointed up at the sky. "I made a barrier with my Authority and my harmony. I have commanded the Heavens and they obeyed."

There was not even a ripple of dissent.

"Finally, I stand in a place I know can withstand Divine Ascension tribulations. I had no safe place before to even try, but now I do. With all that said, I have one final thing to attempt." His eyes lit up as his vitality began to burn.

[ADVANCE NOW!] Dao energy swarmed him not just from the Throne of the Living Flame but all the way from the Throne of Defiance!

The 2 Thrones pushed his foundation ahead at immense cost to his life but the barrier finally broke. He looked up at the sky and gave one more command.

[Judgment, come!]