Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 195 - 194 - Gold Tier Tribulation

Fluffy white clouds filled the blue sky on a lovely summer day.  Birds chirped as beasts lived their fierce and often short lives in a stretch of wild forest.  The Saint Kingdom was far more structured than the Darkmoor Kingdom, but there were still vast tracts of wild lands beyond the borders of its subsidiary powers.

They were primarily used by the sects or other powers to gather resources or hunt aether beasts but the other reason was for when a World Realm broke through to Gold or Diamond Tier.  Although it was not as devastating as Sky Realm tribulation, a Gold Tribulation or Diamond Tribulation could still lay waste to a large stretch of land.

Anyone that tried to break through in a city or village would face severe condemnation unless a known natural treasure triggered the event which was easy to prove in most cases.  The only other exception was when facing wicked sects or other battles that push a cultivator over the edge.

Usually in battle it would stop a war or other fights as anyone that interfered in tribulations would have to face the wrath of Heaven.  Lind and his caravan had fled for the very reason that they were too close.

Of course there was a temptation for cultivators as if the Heavens deem someone interfering rather than protecting, the tribulation quality would change and become easier to the one undergoing the focus of it.

Thankfully, the Heavens are fair in that only direct interference was attacked.  However, the range of tribulation could be quite large and innocent lives would be lost regardless due to the power behind it.

The dread snake had tried to use the oasis as a lightning rod of sorts with cultivators inside to sweeten the deal.  Even wicked powers would not cross that particular line as it would invite immediate extinction of their power from everyone else.

In the clouds, a small group was flying on a disc as they followed a map to a barren stretch of land.  The lush forest was still thick with trees and life but Lind felt a thinning ahead.  In only a few moments they emerged from vibrant greens and browns to desolate earth.

"So this is the tribulation grounds."  Qing looked out and seemed to be recalling her own time of tribulation.  She had been in Indelia when she broke through and Cimmeria had a designated area for breaking through as well but it was carefully monitored.

Unlike the other tiers, it was rather rare for more than one cultivator to break through on the same day.  The situation with Lind's group was rather odd in that respect.  Annabelle was still comprehending her own fonts before she could progress so it was a little frustrating that Fey was breaking through now.

Lind, himself, was looking forward to seeing Cyntilla breakthrough almost more than Fey.  A demon going from the Soul Realm to the World Realm was essentially the same but Cyntilla had stated there were differences for the Gold Tier.

"How are you feeling?"  Lind controlled the disc as they descended and saw Fey sweating a bit.  She had been nervous since they closed in on the blasted land.

"I feel like your lessons helped a lot.  I feel a lot better but I am still afraid."  Lind smiled warmly at her but Cyntilla simply smirked as she caressed her sword hilts.

"I will defeat this foe as I have every single one before."  Her confidence was impressive as always but he remembered how unflinching she was when being outnumbered back in the Ruin.

"I am glad we do not have to run this time."  Annabelle stole the words from Lind's mouth.  Even the most impressive Gold Tier ascension, this large swath of empty land was far larger than needed.

They finally landed and Lind reviewed with Fey all she had understood and warned her that her mastery of Sword Qi would invoke an additional bolt of lightning.  She nodded and hugged him hard as he patted her head.

"I believe in you.  Never forget that you are my first disciple but you are also a prodigy in your own right."  Fey beamed up at him before running off into the distance.

"You spoil her."  Cyntilla walked up to him but he hugged her for a deep kiss which caught her off guard but she did not fight it.  Lind stopped holding back since they reunited.  It still took a few months to affirm their hearts but they were still falling in love.  Shoti stared hard at them in jealousy while Qing simply nodded at his choice.  Annabelle puffed her cheeks but did not say anything.

"You will power through but go for more.  I have faith in you too."  He ran his hand through her dark hair and her lavender skin blushed deeply on her face before she simply shoved him away as she marched off.

"You are surprisingly affectionate, Lind."  Qing sidled up to him but they were all shocked when he kissed her.  It was not as long as Cyntilla but they deepened it as she returned it in kind before Shoti pulled them apart.

"NO FAIR!"  Shoti then kissed Lind and he nearly stumbled as she tried to yank his head off of his shoulders as he had grown taller than her.  Even so, it was a bit messy but he then giggled and so did she.

Lind then turned to Annabelle but she looked very afraid so he simply pulled her into a hug.  It was the first time he had been so open with his feelings but it was due to a very long conversation with Cyntilla.  She would be first, but she respected her 3 soon to be sisters.

"I will not hold back but I won't push either.  I am ready when you are."  Annabelle nodded hard and hugged him tight.  He kissed her cheek which sent her blue and gold skin blushing deeply which made both Qing and Shoti giggle.

"Are you all done over there?  Do you need more time?"  Cyntilla's somewhat cold voice echoed over the land but Lind only smiled at her.  She was with him but it still felt a little weird.  He waved at her.

"I have faith in you!"  He reaffirmed his words and she looked hard at him before heading far from Fey.  Both assumed a lotus position as they prepared to break through.  Lind had given them elixirs as insurance but they were only recovery items at the moment.

It did not take long before Cyntilla began her tribulation.  She had been deprived of a Qi rich environment but had spent most of the last 5 years at the peak of Iron Tier.  It was not surprising she was the first to start.

Compared to the dread snake, the black clouds were far smaller in size but the profound aura of danger filled the observers.  Violet lightning flashed but Lind already knew that would come later.

Gold Tier Tribulation was a qualitative trial.  The cultivator would face a tribulation for each elemental font, the weapon intent they comprehended, and finally the tribulation of Heaven.  The last part would speak to the final quality of Gold Tier would be determined by that final bolt.

The pressure built before a putrid green bolt fell from the sky.  Cyntilla was in pain but she used her swords to regulate the power flowing through her.  Lind saw with his Eyes her poison font change slowly but then she stopped it halfway.  As if she had known, another bolt fell and completed the conversion for poison alone.

"Two bolts are really good.  It would mean her fonts are in the Heaven Realm."  Qing made a comment but Lind frowned.  His Eyes were now long used to Cyntilla's fonts so he knew that quality was right but the process felt wrong to him.  It was as if Cyntilla was regulating her Qi to draw the lightning one font at a time.

It clearly worked but he notated his thoughts as an extremely bright duo of bolts followed to convert her acid font.  She seemed a little worn but the pressure was building.  It was no mystery what was coming but Lind noted the lightning was entwining as she assumed her stance.

The dual sword technique was called Fang Devastation Style.  The name of her clan was due to their specialty of wielding 2 swords like the fangs of a beast.  At the height of the technique a cultivator would feel like a massive mouth was closing on their body.

Two bolts of pure white lightning crashed down and blasted the earth to pieces as Cyntilla was roaring in pain.  She channeled the lightning into her stance and completed the Soul Realm to Gold Tier level as the energy raged in her body.

Her flesh was transformed as well as her meridians by just that tribulation.  Blood was flowing from several wounds but her tribulation was not over.  The pressure was building now and Lind was stunned as he felt like it was nearing the threat of the first bolt of the dread snake's Sky Realm ascension.

A massive violet bolt of lightning came crashing down but Cyntilla used her peak Iron Arts with her sword Qi that had been transformed to blunt that strike.  The violet lightning struck her and she nearly collapsed but stood strong as she weathered the pain.

The violet lightning was raging in her meridians but she ruled it with her aggressive will until her body was transformed with her dantian.  Lind noted it all and frowned more deeply.  It felt very wrong.  He looked over to Fey and noticed she was still cultivating but that was good.  He knew she would try the same process but he would not allow it.

"Pardon me."  Lind went to Fey and she was surprised to see him as he seemed to stare through her before he deeply frowned.  "I know what you were taught but listen to me.  You are capable of more.  Listen closely to me."

Lind spoke and Fey at first looked alarmed but as he continued it was as if she finally found what she wanted.  Something clicked into place and black clouds began to gather around her.  Lind quickly retreated but went to Cyntilla.  She was exhausted and he helped her regulate the elixirs.

She recovered enough to start to stabilize her new foundation but then they all felt a shift in the skies.  The black clouds grew larger as white lighting flared larger as if angry.

Crimson, gold, and black bolts began to gather that made Cyntilla's tribulation seem like it was kidding around.  All were stunned before their heads swiveled to Lind.  He only looked on and stared with his Eyes as the power built until all 3 bolts fell at once.

Fey whirled with her sword Qi and channeled her full understanding of her best Arts to mitigate the power as she pulled it in.  It still tried to ravage her meridians but she cultivated it as her fonts were transformed in a single go to keep their Divine quality.  Lind smiled as he saw it.

Fey was the first to learn from him and while she had cultivated from the Sand Tier to Iron Tier without him, she had always kept his lessons in her heart.  She had many tips and suggestions for her 3 elements that Lind found were correct.

She was worthy to be his first disciple.

The pressure began to build and bright white lighting like Cyntilla came crashing down, but Fey did not try to fight it.  Instead she began to dance with her long sword.  It was the Fairy Dance which made Kir give her the name he did.

Unlike with Cyntilla, the lightning seemed to cower before her skill as the power was absorbed into Fey.  It transformed her meridians but it was not the last of her tribulation.  In the months since Lind returned, he had her begin alchemy again.

She had not ignored it entirely but she was barely mid grade 3.  It was not required to perfect it but the pressure built as a bolt of lightning fell that was a combination of her fonts and her spirit.  She faced it head on with all her skills and it ravaged her body.  Lind could not help with this tribulation.

He studied it for the future and saw some things that were curious as it seemed to only work on her soul but then the final trial began.  Fey was wounded but faring far better than Cyntilla.  Lind smiled as he was right.

He had quickly reminded Fey of how he taught her to treat her fonts as a single part of her dantian.  It prompted the tri-lighting strike but it was a much higher quality and transformed her dantian all at once.  There was no loss in quality and it was actually easier from what he could see.

The pressure began to build but it far exceeded Cyntilla and he noted both Shoti and Qing looked grave.  From what he could tell, their fonts were Heaven Realm in quality but Divine quality was far above them.

The dark clouds spread a bit more but they were still at a safe distance as a massive bolt of white lightning smashed into Fey's tiny form.  Her face was fierce as she used all her arts and sword skills at last.  The technique Fairy Dance was pushed to the next tier as she roared at it as the power of the Heavens transformed her body and Qi all at once.

After the sun was near setting, the clouds dispersed and Lind moved before anyone realized it was over.  Fey was smiling as her new Gold Tier power flowed from her body but it was highly unstable as he fed her a low grade 4 elixir.

Lind had learned a great deal and saw many problems awaiting him.  He began to think about how to overcome the many issues, not least of which was his harmony.  He suspected his tribulation would have a separate bolt for that.  Still, he smiled at Fey at her success and Cyntilla joined the other 3 women to smile at the young girl.

She was a 17 year old Gold Tier.  If any power knew of her, they would bend Heaven and Earth to make her part of their power.

The group quickly hopped on the flying disc and left the area before others came to investigate the double tribulation.