novelraw Chapter 264 - 263 - Special Conditions
Chapter 264 - 263 - Special Conditions
Lind felt like he was lost in a fog. He had been tired from depleting his Qi many times before but currently he felt like he had exhausted his soul, mind, and Qi all at once. His body was strangely fine which focused his mind a bit.
Clarity was slow to return as he realized he was lying on a comfortable bed. He wanted to rise but there were unexpected weights on either side of him.
Rather, he should say they were expected.
His 4 wives were laying on him 2 to a side. Fey was not there but she had her duties. Ethry was coiled on his chest but she was light compared to the firm grip the 4 women had on him.
"You have awakened, elixir master." Lind looked and saw the ephemeral realm spirit. He was still inside the realm?! How much time had passed?
"It has only been 2 days since you collapsed. I restored you but exhaustion of the spirit is beyond anyone to heal." Many questions blazed in his mind but the most important must have been clear in his mind.
A display appeared to show Bastion with Cicily laughing as she trained with their elders on her new Tier. Lind relaxed and smiled wide.
"I am glad. It was worth it." He meant it. He regretted the loss of such a chance but seeing that image was worth anything in the world to him.
"I know. You are a strange cultivator. You need to be greedier going forward. You are also lucky." The realm spirit finally smiled which kind of creeped Lind out. It was the smile of a predator that had found its prey.
"You are keeping them asleep?" Lind realized the lack of reaction from Shoti and Cyntilla was odd. Ethry also should have woken up when he did. The spirit nodded as it loomed over him.
"You have triggered more special conditions than any previous contestant before you. Of course my creator did not anticipate a 6 elemental for obvious reasons, nor did he ever contemplate someone like you." The spirit did not seem to find such an anomaly a problem.
"I can understand about my cultivation, but what do you mean on the last part?" The spirit smirked as it summoned a complex looking display of arrays made into formations that made Lind's head hurt just looking at them but his recent experience allowed him to regulate that pain.
"This is merely a glance at what I am made of but in all the permutations and possibilities, my creator knew there could be outliers. Hence he also created something called special conditions." Lind suddenly remembered the last thing he heard before he passed out.
"What condition did I unlock?" A small laugh came from the spirit as it finally sat down but there was no chair! It was very disconcerting.
"In the first round, a level of cooperation was what led to the leader conditions imposed on you. In the third round, a complete mastery of a dantian is an automatic win." Lind nodded as he could follow that. The realistic chance of someone being able to corral disparate forces on short notice was next to impossible but Lind had all 6 elements at his command. "You also unlocked Gold Tier manipulation while being at the Iron Tier, hence you were supplied with more Qi to match your strength."
Lind recalled that feeling that the Qi became more pliable and easy to use back in the first round. So was that quality matching his strength? If felt harmonious back then, yet the results could not be argued with.
"Finally, a true sacrifice is rare in the cultivation world, but it does happen. Normally, it would be in the group battle or in the semi-finals. Instead, I saw someone willingly give up a chance at the Inheritance to save an innocent they hardly knew." The realm spirit smiled wide at that. "Your skills, talents, and intent cultivated did not matter, all that mattered was the truth of your words and conviction to follow it. You faced that tribulation without yielding. As a cultivator should when they make a dangerous choice."
Lind slowly grasped it. The realm managed the tournament but it was also looking for outliers. The creator of the special realm was indeed what Lind thought. Just like the Relics and Ruins he had benefited from, this realm was empowering the next generation as much as it could.
"Are the Fiends that terrifying?" The realm spirit finally returned to its cold face but slowly nodded.
"I do not know who told such a young cultivator as you, but yes, the Fiends are the foe of all cultivators. Demons serve them in some capacity, but they are only tolerated so long as they are useful." Lind was not surprised but it left some questions he knew would not be answered. He was too weak to be of use.
"So what condition did I unlock at the end?" The realm spirit waved its cloudy limbs as a box appeared. The lock was profound in aura but it clicked and opened easily. Inside was a row of ribbons.
Lind was confused. What were these ribbons for?
"Per the condition, a truly righteous cultivator will be granted a chance at an Inheritance, but be warned, you still have to survive the next round." The wording was odd and Lind decided to ask a question it might answer.
"Why is the count off? Why was it not the round I just fought the semi finals?" The spirit's face scrunched but did not immediately reject.
"Accept the ribbon first." Lind nodded and touched one of the ribbons. It lit up with golden light he recognized. Karma. It was karmic restitution! The ribbon made an imprint on the back of his right hand.
It was the same sigil!
It was not a weaving though, just an emblem.
"Now that you are a slot holder of my creator, I can answer." The spirit waved its hand and the box vanished. Lind realized what he had grasped. From the jaws of regret, he had pulled one more chance!
"Thank you." The spirit looked at Lind oddly but nodded in acceptance.
"The semi-finals will select the final 50 as it should be clear but the chance at Inheritance is not equal. Such that the finals will determine how many you can select from." Lind understood at last. It would not be an elimination of competitors in the final, but elimination of chances at the Inheritance itself!
From what he had understood, some Inheritances were actively pursued but only allowed a single attempt at a time.
After that, it could be thousands of years before the next chance existed.
"So 1st place gets a shot at whatever they want and if that Inheritance only accepts one, then no more chance at it. It goes from there?" The realm spirit nodded and seemed glad not to have to explain.
"It can't be a pure battle then? It will be like the 2nd or 3rd round?" The spirit was silent and Lind knew he had reached the limit of what he could ask. "What happens now?"
"The quarter finals continue. They are not done quite yet but it should be so in a week. Rest and recover here. I will return to you in a while as I am sure your Dao companions would like to spend time with you." Lind nodded but then realized it made no mention of Ethry. It had vanished and it seemed like an odd slip for the realm spirit to ignore a beast it should recognize.
"Hmm?" Annabelle was the first to stir but she was quickly followed by the rest as her happy squeals woke the rest. Lind was buried under hugs and he affirmed he was feeling okay. He still felt tired and cultivated to recover without elixirs.
He tried to recall the time the spirit helped him but it was only half remembered. He was not ready to recall it as there were secrets he had stumbled on and intents grasped that were far above his realm.
A few days passed before the spirit returned to teleport them back. The round had finally ended.
Once Lind appeared, Bastion and Cicily ran to him. Bastion tackled Lind in a hug that deprived him of breath but he understood brotherly love. Cicily's gratitude was thankfully restraining to tears and bowing over and over. Lind waved them off as the others all looked at him with deep respect.
There were exceptions, Athan and the Black Lotus Sect cronies stared daggers at him. Athena, though, carefully nodded at him in gratitude. He then looked up as the listing of winners came up from the quarter finals.
"Special condition has been triggered. Lind Frey will resume battle but his previous progress will be forfeited." Lind knew that there was still a price and it seemed fair as he suspected the rankings previous would help with the finals.
Some protested or simply yelled but then they saw Lind was number 100. His name also now had the sigil next to it. Several experienced elders could guess what that meant and recalled the spirit's words at the end of the miraculous elixir creation.
Still, not all kept it to grumbling.
"I object! It was clearly stated that Lind Frey would give up his slot for an Inheritance to use your power. Are you going back on your words?!" Athan was crimson faced as his anger surged. It was totally unfair! Why was the man who insulted him not paying the price stated?!
"Information is correct. Divine Sword Sect slot was sacrificed. Until the end, Lind Frey had accepted being disqualified. However, as stated, a special condition was triggered as he faced and overcame the Judgment of Heaven." Few could argue that facing such a tribulation and surviving was not worthy of something.
"You are just showing favoritism! You have always listened to that bastard like he was your master!" Athan's words triggered a few but many remembered Lind trying to get the spirit to react during the last round to no effect. Still, it divided the crowd with Lind at the center.
"You should step away, only then will it be fair!" The remaining elder of the Black Lotus Sect spoke up. Lind looked at the old man and realized Athan must have some kind of special standing as there was not a real fire in those bloodshot eyes. The man just looked tired.
"I did. I chose to sacrifice the slot I won from the Divine Sword Sect. I dishonored my representation of their sect by walking away. I then forced the realm spirit with what I comprehended of the purpose of our rounds. Do all of you truly think we could get this far without more death?" Lind's words made a lot think. Aside from the 1st round, no one had died.
Even in the first round, the number of dead was incredibly small.
Many tournaments in the cultivation world often led to death or crippling which was already worse than death.
"Are you saying the rules of the tournament this time around are to the benefit of the winners and losers?" Elder Quin asked him and Lind nodded. Her face brightened as she looked around to see the 5 disciples that had lost but still benefited in increasing their strength or cultivation.
All the powers finally really noticed how inspired the ones that lost had become to get stronger. The results were already showing as even though they lost, they were still the powerhouses of their sects and clans.
"It still comes down to you getting a 2nd chance when others can't! Step down or we will never give you peace." Lind felt no fear looking at Athan. He held up his hand instead and those that had been in the tournament 500 years ago saw the sigil blazed onto the back of his hand.
The elder of the Black Lotus Sect knew it was lost. Being marked by the realm was not normal and spoke volumes to him.
"Let it go, Athan. That proves we cannot fight the realm." It was something many tried but the lesson always had the same result, removal from the realm. They had seen over half their delegation sent out themselves.
Athan raged but stayed quiet after that.
"Very well, the semi-finals will begin in 1 week. Battle Royale." Lind grimaced as he understood it. Single combat with unlimited time gave many chances for victory, but a group battle like that will be pure chaos. Alliances would be made and crumble one moment to the next.
Lind nodded to his wives and resumed cultivating as he still felt tired. There was no damage to his meridians or dantian but stability had been disrupted badly. A week might allow him to recover but he would have to see.
All the other 99 competitors followed his lead as some healed or just recovered as their fights had just ended. The end was now coming insight and all wondered what the last 50 would do in the finals after the current round.