novelraw Chapter 181 - 180 - Reversal of Power
Chapter 181 - 180 - Reversal of Power
"How is any of this possible?" Raistar was walking through a massive palace hall that had been co-opted by the Heavenly Maiden Sect who brought in many wounded and nearly dead aether children.
It had been expected to have severe casualties but instead, they had found many aether children with injuries that should have killed them, but something kept them alive. As the days passed, she saw miracle after miracle occur in front of her eyes.
She had been alive for almost 450 years, yet a high Stone Tier was seemingly holding death back at will. It could not be so simple but then she had heard reports of that strange storm she had never heard of before. Her remaining aides had found the ground around the lake infused with a complex Art of healing that still lingered even a week after the battle ended.
The Divine Sword Sect was still dealing with the possessed that had been within the pagodas and palaces of the sect but the storm's lightning had clearly been used to repair their formations while setting up Labyrinth. It was a World Art of the Iron Tier but she saw him cast it more than once for demonstration.
Her darkness, earth, and fire fonts resonated as she neared the main headquarters but she heard desperate weeping once more and waited as a familiar scene unfolded.
"Master Frey, no Lord Frey, thank you! Thank you for saving my life!" A young girl was weeping desperately while grasping the crimson robes. She had black skin with blue scales. A massive scar was in the center of her chest but a tastefully draped robe covered the rest of her body.
An empty elixir vial was nearby but a flash of platinum on his chest made Raistar catch her breath. It had been gold only yesterday but had changed overnight to finally affirm his place as a grade 4 elixir master.
"You need to rest. The elixir regrew your organs but they are tender and weak. Cultivate carefully and drink this in 4 doses over the next day." He handed the girl a bright orange vial and Raistar saw her nod.
She saw a Maiden smile and guided the girl off as Lind looked pale and weak. He looked like a faint wind would carry him off. He frowned and clearly pulled more Qi into his body to recover for a moment as he looked up at Raistar.
"Greetings Senior, is there a new issue?" Raistar was unsure how to approach this youth anymore. He had come as a peak Soul Realm but now he was nearing the peak of the Stone Tier right before her eyes. It was a mere 6 years which would be considered a prodigal amount of progress but the boy had 6 elements!!
"I thought you would want to know I found what you were looking for." She summoned an artifact most sects had. It was a way to measure the potential and strength of a cultivator regardless of their element. Qi capacity, quality, and even control could be measured to get a rough idea where an individual stood.
She assumed Lind was looking to get a firm grasp of his current status as he had been alone for 6 years inside the now exposed Relic. She glanced towards the east where the fissure was being protected by new formations built to his specifications.
According to the camp left with the Relic, all the distortions had suddenly collapsed and Lind had revealed himself. The happy reunion had quickly been doused by the horrific state of the sect known to the camp.
As they spoke, Lind had woven all 6 elements to light up part of the Relic that cracked the dome no one could affect before. A flying artifact had appeared but he asked for help to save the sect.
The rest she knew after that.
Lind infused his Qi into the artifact that began to hum with power before it lit up 3 discs on one side. The tan, gray, and silvery color represented the 3 tiers of the lower World Realm but Raistar was shocked. A Stone Tier was being acknowledged as a high Iron Tier.
Another side of the artifact rose in a slim column but it maxed out quickly which left her with her jaw open. The artifact could not measure his capacity! More fonts meant more capacity for certain but she had never seen it top out like that. It meant Lind had enough Qi for close to 4 or 5 normal World Realms at the Iron Tier once more.
The final side was a little different. There were arrays that if too much Qi flowed into it, they would go dark but if too little went in, they would only dimly respond. They were also made of all 6 elements and she was stunned once more as all 6 lit up perfectly to display projections of each element briefly.
Her hands shook as she took back the artifact and stared at the pale young man smiling at her. He did not know what all the results meant but he could guess clearly.
"You are able to fight a full tier above your current tier. While I have seen prodigies able to fight 1 to 2 minor realms above them, you skip an entire tier with ease." She infused her senses into the artifact before she confirmed nothing was wrong. This boy was a monster at the World Realm!
He nodded but frowned at the long line of cots. The girl was one of the lucky ones as she had been just barely saved by the storm and the damage was physical more than anything else.
Damage to dantians and meridians had not been stopped by the storm and for many, too much time had passed. They were crippled but alive and Raistar could see Lind felt guilty to have not come in time.
"You saved lives, boy. Any more than that is asking too much." She saw his surprised but then grateful look as he cupped his hands and bowed. A Maiden then came up and whispered something in his ears that made him smile ear to ear!
Raistar needed no special techniques to guess what that news was.
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The Aether Sect was in ruins compared to the last time she had been there but Annabelle did not care. She pushed her mid-Iron Tier foundation as hard as it would go and no one got in her way.
The Mistress of Illusions was well known in Indelia now. She was followed by 2 high Gold Tier goddesses that were just as famous. War Maiden Shoti had her green hair still cut very short but her usually taciturn face was smiling. The teasing look had been lost for 6 years despite the platinum blonde efforts next to her.
Qing was known as the Soul Mender to many as she had devoted herself even more to healing those scars no pill or elixir ever would. Many experts with heart demons owed their continued cultivation to her.
Many had tried to woo all 3 women in the last 6 years, some did not even wait a day after Lind's death to try, but all were sent packing long before the Heavenly Jubilation that happened 5 years ago.
Annabelle's golden and sapphire eyes were misty as she finally entered an area full of tents and the injured. A young man with dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes, and pale skin stood in his crimson robes she would recognize anywhere in the world.
All 3 women froze at seeing Lind alive. They had heard and hoped but even to cultivators, 5 years without any word made hope dim. Now, they felt their hearts race and many had their souls stolen by the smiling beauties. Their fellow Maidens smiled with contentment to see these pillars of the sect no longer be so grim.
"LIND!" Three voices called out as he smiled at them and then his eyes widened as they tackled him. He collapsed to the ground laughing as the 3 women wept onto his robes. They were all much stronger than him but hopefully he could finally work on catching up a bit.
"I am back, and I am so sorry." Annabelle felt his warmth and his heartbeat was so familiar she could not hold back anymore. She clung to him and all the pain she had felt in 6 years was unleashed with a mild miasma that made Lind frown.
Qing only smiled as she pulled Annabelle in tighter and Shoti refused to let go either.
"You ever do something like this again and I will personally lock you up in the sect to never see the light of day again!" Shoti's words did not sound like she was joking at all and Lind gulped. He looked at them all on top of him and sighed.
"I can't promise I won't move to save people, but I can promise I will assume the enemy will try to take me down as well. I would not have been caught otherwise." He was not lying. He had assumed Kelvin was too far gone to be tricky at the end like that.
"Lind, are you a World Realm?" Annabelle suddenly realized the aura on him was far stronger than before. One of the reasons they lost hope was Soul Realms needed food and drink almost as much as mortals, yet World Realms could endure years with only water and minimal food.
He laughed and allowed his full cultivation to flare as they stared in wonder at what they felt. Other cultivators also looked and then nearly fell over. All knew 6 elementals would ruin their foundation forever to breakthrough. It was an easy thing for any World Realm to assess even if they were a tier lower, but Lind Frey had no issues.
More, his power felt far stronger than a high Stone Tier should be yet they all recognized the quality of Stone Tier from him. Annabelle felt new tears form as Lind was not only alive but had achieved his dream. He was a true World Realm cultivator!
"H-how?" Qing was nearly speechless but due to her joy. A grief in her heart had been she would outlive Lind but now that worry was gone, at least for lifespan.
"It is a long story and I will tell it, but as you can see, I have a lot of work to do. I don't suppose you will let me?" He looked at them and they seemed to suddenly realize they were lying on the ground on top of him. They all blushed deeply but only pulled him up to standing without letting him go. "Well, come on. I need a break first so we can eat together."
They smiled wide as they followed him and all in the camps felt like the darkness had been pushed even further back than before. Not a week ago, the Aether Sect had been abandoned, but then one man returned. When he left, he was at the mercy of so many powers and scraping out his freedom by his fingernails, but now, he truly stood as a powerful man.
There were many survivors of the vengeance side of the sect that felt like a weight left them to accept Lind Frey's mercy. There was still darkness and horrible abuse in the world, but if they let it consume them, they would be no better. Lind Frey had reversed millenia of hatred with his power alone.
Several Maidens were surprised when many aether children bowed towards the direction of Lind Frey but then smiled warmly. They had supported the man when he had nothing to back him up and he had returned their sincerity a thousand fold or more.
Now, he had come back and while he had clearly gone through changes, he still honored their bond. The Divine Sword Sect never forgot a debt but even those sword obsessed people felt slight regret they had not been able to build such a connection to Lind Frey.
The fact he returned was spreading but only in Indelia. In other continents, Lind Frey was long forgotten by many but others still held out hope. For now, the Aether Sect had to be settled and then all wondered what Lind Frey would do next.