Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1666 - 1665 - Scavengers

Lind realized the sphere artifact had been terrifying to all the natives of the island. They likely were very cautious but that time was ending. While Lind and Haro were powerful, they were not invincible.

Lind had better control yet he had at least 5 years more by his estimate before he can attempt to refine Heaven is the Origin Mystery.

Such lengthy consolidation time explained why Journeyman Tier took so long to advance. A single Mystery could occupy decades if the person had low talent or not a firm grasp of their foundation.

That was true of any major or minor realm but the Divine Realm was different. Apprentice Tier Mysteries came from within.

They were crystalizations of concepts already percolating for a long time and needed a catalyst of understanding to trigger them.

Lind struggled so much because he had a breadth of both knowledge and experience that pushed him to grasp very esoteric Mysteries.

Even so, they were already a part of him for a long time and his consolidation did not take that long.

The Journeyman Tier Mysteries were entirely external and the power was staggering after just condensing it. He was troubled by that aspect and could only hope the next 2 Mysteries could be consolidated faster after the first was refined better.

For now, however, they had to move! It seemed beasts were in charge and his lack of control was a danger to them all!

Haro gathered the women again and the pair flew off quickly. Lind kept a sharp eye out but only vibrations in the ground told him of the worm's movements. Unlike the wurms he had once encountered in a Ruin, these had no connection to dragons.

They were still very dangerous creatures even long before the Divine Realm.

They were already omnivores but as they gained sentience and power, they seemed to shift in a carnivorous direction for some bloodlines.

The destroyed structures were likely left over from who knew what long fought battle. It came to nothing and only the scavengers were left behind!

They found an empty but sturdy structure that Lind further reinforced with weaving and Forging now that he had some control. It was far more crude than before but he actually felt it helped him further his consolidation.

With that revelation he quickly resumed not only cultivating but practicing very basic and safe techniques. Arts were off the table for the moment but movement and enhancement skills were another matter.

It was much faster than he had estimated! He might complete it in less than 3 years!

As if to mock him, the structure vibrated. It was not much but he noticed and quickly expanded his aura to lock in on the source. It was not a worm but a figure he found difficult to detect.

If not for his many centuries of focusing on the tiniest fluctuations of his harmony and elements, he would have missed them. Haro showed no sign of noticing them but he was not a combat spirit.

Such a weakness was something Lind knew about but it became clearer as they faced more situations where the enemy was more powerful or clever.

Lind flicked his fingers with emerald light and a new weaving merged with the structure around them.

He resumed his consolidation as it was critical he mastered his power.

Haro suddenly looked shocked but before he could utter a word, a scream preceded a figure twitching and falling down as the weaving shocked them rigidly. Lind glanced at them and noticed some key details right away.

It was the same aura that probed them before. Being able to track them without flying was impressive but their robes were patchwork at best. The inscriptions barely functioned and the stealth skill was clearly from an artifact and not the clothes.

Lind slowly stood up and loomed over what he realized was a young man.

He had at least a week's worth of beard growth but it was patchy to confirm his body was relatively young. The lack of any sign of preservation or illusion affirmed it was not a trick. The reason he was so distrustful of the boy's age was because the aura coming off of him was an Immortal at the Crystal Tier.

While the Divine Lands did allow reaching the Immortal Realm faster, it was still considered a prodigy genius to reach it before adulthood in relative body age.

Lind estimated the youth was only in mid to late teens biologically. His robes and rough state of cleanliness indicated he was living on the edge of society if he was in a human or demon controlled island.

In the current state of the island, Lind felt he was actually doing far better than should be possible. Living on the edge of life and death was a great motivator. It could open opportunities that would be missed otherwise.

Yet, that still required resources, time, and a safe place to take advantage of it.

Even as secure as they currently were, he could detect the worms far below. They knew they were there somewhere and were looking for them!

If the structures were not safe, where would there be any safety? Stone was no impediment to Immortal or Divine Realm beasts.

Lind's weavings were another matter but he had no confidence that his unstable foundation might have left some imperfection he could not detect at the moment.

He picked up the boy and laid him by Haro. No words were needed as Haro quickly used a simple binding formation from the ring. Haro had many powers but only in relation to his duties.

His strength and flight were tied to how far Lind had come and their current residence in the Divine Lands. Even if Lind was able to descend as his Master had done, Haro would be strong but heavily restrained once more if he returned to a mortal realm.

Lind resumed his practice and found his consolidation was speeding up. It was odd as he could not correlate it to his actions directly anymore. Something else was happening.

He sent his senses inward and was nearly blasted out of his own dantian! An emerald wall was at the center. He could not see inside but he felt it. He was inside there.

A strange thought came to him but he needed a Fiend to confirm it.

While his harmony was disastrous to Fiends, his soul was as tasty as any other. If it was stripped from his harmony, it would be safe to take too.

This new sensation made him think the issue with his harmony was actually that fusion of soul and harmony. One part was advanced but the other could not follow until now. Could it be that his soul had restricted his harmony at the Divine Realm?

He followed that thought and realized what was happening to him. Divine Realm cultivators always seemed more real than the lower realms. He already knew they were building a foundation to stand apart from the world and thus tap into more power.

The greater the separation, the greater the power they could call on but the core had to be transformed! His harmony was actually accelerating the process! It was actively advanced now and able to forcibly do the same for his soul!

The 2 were 1. It would not just be him either! Any 6 elemental this would hold true once they got to the Journeyman Tier!

He had to relay this to his allies in the Eastern Continent quickly!

He had no direct line, even with Ethry, they were simply too far apart. He could tell she had ascended but that was all.

He had to have some means of–

He froze before sighing. He took out a golden jade stone before looking at Haro. The smile on the bald man's face made him want to punch the ring spirit.

"If you could." Haro nodded and infused the stone. Instantly, as if waiting for that very moment, a giant face exploded from it.

[Brother Frey! You have been so mean to be quiet for so long!] Sun was glaring at Haro before confusion spread. He had met the ring spirit but why was he seeing him now?

The floating head pulled back to turn and saw Lind across the way.

[Why is your ring spirit reaching out to me?] Lind smiled before explaining his situation. Sun nodded before cackling.

[You are full of surprises! I will happily relay the message and I will finally get to see the mettle of your–] Lind was about to hit him as he had Haro transmit the information he needed but Sun froze as he seemed to notice something.

His face became grave.

[Lind Frey, you said there are very tall buildings made of metal and stone falling apart and vibrations indicating worms?] Lind nodded. Why would a battle maniac like Sun be worried?

The projection then looked at the boy near Haro before he became animated.

[YOU NEED TO RUN! RUN FAR AWAY NOW! DO NOT CONTACT ANYONE UNTIL YOU ARE OFF THE ISLAND!] Lind did not understand but did not question it. Haro broke the connection and they simply took the sleeping women and boy with them.

Lind was able to help but they had just barely gotten into the sky when the building they were in began to shake violently. Dust, debris, and various sections collapsed before the ground itself ripped apart!

A giant maw was revealed and Lind felt it was familiar.

He then recalled the wurms from the first Ruin he ever went into. They had been fearsome beasts but he had always thought they were related to dragons.

He had been wrong!

There was not even an inkling of resonance to his bloodline but the massive worm swallowed the entire structure whole like it was nothing. There were no eyes or a sense of aura but Lind now knew why Sun was afraid.

Master Tier! It was a damned Master Tier beast!