novelraw Chapter 333 - 332 - Shedding Old Skin
Chapter 333 - 332 - Shedding Old Skin
The great wurms of the dread desert were terrified. The skies were boiling in a rage as lightning smashed in all directions causing glass sheets to form meters thick. They had no warning nor did any of the wicked enclaves that were watching their defenses be ripped apart.
If it was the attack of a cultivator, there would be hope of finding the source and stopping it, but it was the Heavens themselves unleashing the lightning.
Any that had heard of the legends knew what they were seeing.
It was an ascension tribulation. Some random cultivator had chosen to become a Sky Realm in the midst of several wicked groups and it was exposing them to death from divine retribution!
If they knew how close they were to the truth, it would only infuriate them more.
At the heart of the tribulation, a sinuous form of pristmatic scales and giant fangs roared in joy. The lightning cascaded not in trial but in jubilation. If Lind had been there he would have noticed the aura right away compared to the last ascension tribulation he had witnessed.
It was not a heavy pressure but a feeling of wonder and awe. The destruction was due to the wishes of the beast at the heart of the tribulation. She had come to wipe out the scum that had been stealing children from the frontier villages.
The fact that the authorities had done nothing only fueled her rage more. Heaven answered her call as she finally became a tier 1 Sky Realm. All 6 elements flowed in the clouds above and brought her wrath upon them.
Through the power of the storm she could see all her targets and more she did not know were there. There was no pity in the slitted silvery eyes as her roar sent all beasts running even faster.
The righteous rage made all the evil in men's hearts tremble as they knew their deaths had come. The large dragon took to the skies and began to wreak her own havoc as the tribulation came to an end.
The final bolt slammed into her but it was the blessing of the Heavens so it only empowered her even more. None could stop her and she brought death to so many enclaves.
She made sure to spare any jade slips or scrolls, but she especially avoided all cages, or mortal life she sensed. Her instincts were far superior to any human or aether child. There were Sky Realms of the supreme powers that could not match the finesses she showed in those attacks.
The skies finally cleared and a large group of children to teenagers were shivering in fear as a massive beast encircled them. They had been taken from their homes, some had been beaten badly, but the girls had suffered far worse.
Even so, they were terrified of the shining beast that had taken them. Were they going to die as food for a beast?
"Stop scaring them, Ethry. Change." A clear voice came from the sky that made all look up to see a dark haired woman of incredible beauty. She had crimson robes lined in gold and black but the truly shocking thing was the dragon began to shrink right in front of their eyes.
The once imposing and terrifying beast became a woman of impossible beauty. Her skin was creamy jade with silvery hair that reflected all the colors of Qi. Her pale eyes were very gentle and welcoming while the robes on her seemed from far beyond any mortal realm.
They then saw the previous woman float down and swiftly chop the angelic woman on the head!
"Ow! Mom! Why?!" The words broke the illusion of the angelic being instantly as the silvery haired woman began to rub where she had been hit.
"Ha! Don't pretend that hurt! I asked you to wait for me but no! You let your rage carry you away and also crossed from Diamond Tier to the Sky Realm in the middle of the nest of vipers!" The tone of the lecture was not like a master to a disciple, many of the children recognized the angry mother tone clearly.
Some flinched but more than half began to cry. The tears reminded the 2 cultivators of their priorities.
"Sigh, I guess I can't blame you entirely. They suffered?" Ethry nodded to Mira's question which made the woman pat her head gently. "Let's get these children to safety. All right, those that want to go home, speak up now!"
Mira began seeing if anyone needed immediate care. The scars and bruises on the girls told her a story that made her wish some of those scum were still alive so she could take care of them herself.
The physical was easy, but many were wounded mentally in ways she could not treat. It hurt her heart.
She wished she could do more for them.
A sudden feeling of being watched came over them both but it was not malicious. They looked to the horizon to see a massive artifact blazing across the blue sky. The bright gold emblem was known the world over.
Many of the girls suddenly perked up in awe as the massive flying artifact slowed above them. It was in the shape of a large pyramid with the base as the top and the point as the bottom.
It was shining with black steel lines surrounding dark wood. The golden emblem of the Heavenly Maiden Sect blazed in the desert sun but it was a welcome sight. White robes flew into the air as several Sky Realms descended.
Mira was curious why the sect had sought them out but their presence was very welcome at that moment.
"Lady Ethry, Lady Mira. Congratulations on becoming Sky Realms." The leader was a nearly golden haired beauty of dark olive skin. It made her very alluring but she was clearly at the peak of tier 1 of the Sky Realm.
Mira bowed but she then had to smack Ethry in the back of the head to bow as well. The dragon looked wronged but bowed. The Maiden only smiled serenely. She had been told Lady Ethry would likely not bow to anyone even when she was just a Soul Realm.
"May I ask why you have come to us? Also, do you have any counselor with you?" The arched eyebrow made Mira point to the children. The woman looked at the filthy kids and the marks on them. A cold chill fell on the world but she quickly shook it off.
"We do. Kira!" An auburn haired girl appeared on the artifact and saw the kids. She nodded and swiftly summoned a sword to fly down. Clearly a World Realm but Mira knew their skills were not dependent on the cultivation realm.
"We have come because we need Lady Ethry." Mira's eyes narrowed instantly. There was only 1 reason to come for Ethry since they could not know she was a Sky Realm until today.
"Where is my son?" Ethry's eyes now narrowed and the aura off the 2 of them caused all to feel fear. How could early tier 1 Sky Realms become so terrifying? How did Lind Frey seem to have so many powerful cultivators around him?
The leader did not blink but she clearly felt intimidated as her once superior aura was no longer present.
"He was recovered a week ago in Rakathi. He had been unconscious but now there is something strange going on. According to his companions, it has something to do with dragons but we do not understand." Ethry instantly transformed and vanished in a streak of prismatic light.
"WAIT!" The leader called out but Mira waved it off.
"Don't worry, she always knows which direction he is in. Even when it got weak he was still to the east or south and east." Stunned looked crossed all the Maiden's faces. Ethry ALWAYS knew where Lind was?
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The world was a blur. It was not fast enough. Her race memories told her how tiny this realm was. She should be able to cross it with a thought!
The water finally appeared after only moments but it was still too slow! Lind was so far away! She had resented being so far away until the last few years.
She finally understood she had been stunting herself by always clinging to him. His words of advice and guidance made so much more sense when she was out on her own. Mira was not as indulgent as Lind but she loved that about her.
The feeling of a mother was something she truly cherished but the feeling of Lind being away from her was like a missing limb. She wanted to hold him, to come back to him, but now something was wrong!
Why did nothing feel wrong?
Sometimes she felt his rage or his joy. It had to be stronger the farther apart they were but the last thing she had felt was like a bottomless worry followed by a volcano of rage. Still, she stayed away as promised but now he was hurt!
Indelia's coast finally appeared and she pushed her newly minted Sky Core as hard as she could so that pain began to be clear to her, but she did not stop.
Cimmeria quickly appeared but the guards did not even get a chance to stop her as the formations shattered like glass! Alarms began to rise everywhere, yet she still did not stop.
Lind was close!
Sky Realms flew up from the city and guards used artifacts or flew themselves. She gathered her strength and roared for all she was worth. Rather than scaring the people coming, the Heavens answered her call.
Lighting blazed but did not cause any harm, only held back outsiders.
She finally burst through the window of a white tower to find Lind!
He was laid out on a bed but she was topped by a beast she recognized from her race memories as a stone dral which was odd. They should not be in this tiny mortal realm, but her blood boiled when a roc suddenly swooped down between her and Lind!
"GET AWAY FROM MY MATE!" The word was so freeing to a part of her. She was about to engage when a cracking sound froze them all. She finally got a good look at him and saw cracks on his skin.
She saw it but then her race memory began to scream at her. She looked at the 2 beasts that were clearly concerned and buried her racial reaction as she knew Lind's heart very well.
"We have to run, we all have to run now!" She roared once more and the lightning changed at her command. It began to shield off the tower and she grabbed the 2 beasts quickly.
She had only leapt out of the window when emerald light exploded outward.
A mighty roar shook the entire city and Ethry was shocked when the Heavens stopped listening to her! It now obeyed another. It should not be possible but the lightning changed colors right in front of her.
Emerald lightning filled Cimmeria. It was a celebration. It was rejoicing as the refinement had finally ended.
The tower shattered but each stone was vaporized by the lightning to cause no harm. Even unconsciously, he would not cause harm. A human form rose from the tower but it was bathed in an ephemeral shape of emerald light.
If Ethry was terrifying to those kids back in the Dread Desert, Lind would have made them all faint, but she did not understand. Nothing in her race memory matched that aura she now felt. Further, how could Lind seize the Heavens from her?!
The whole of Cimmeria looked on as 2 points of emerald light coalesced for the eyes of the light around the human. Another roar filled Cimmeria and all of Indelia. All the beasts, tamed or not, knelt towards the direction of that roar.
Ethry could intimidate them, but at that moment they would obey only Lind. A resounding crack was heard as the human shell fell away to reveal a new human body beneath. The stabilization was complete and the new body was ready to emerge.
Going through all that heavenly lightning had saturated his body but dragons did not heal like humans or other races. They shed the old to replace with the new. It took longer the more powerful they were but when stepping between realms, minor or not, it was a bit more spectacular with the more profound bloodlines.
Still, Ethry knew it was partially her fault. Even so, it was nothing like those in her race memory. A Divine dragon could invoke rather impressive lightning but she knew nothing like this. It was as if the lightning danced only for Lind and no one else!
The skies suddenly cleared and she knew it was over, but then she saw the very human body of her love begin to fall. He was only a World Realm! She moved quickly and caught him. His body was packed with power as hair quickly grew out once more but he was entirely without clothes save a dark ring on his hand.
The moment she saw the ring a deep seated desire to bow filled her. She had no idea where it came from but she pushed it aside to find a room for Lind to finish his recovery. He had a lol of explaining to do!