Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 360 - 359 - Roar of a Beast

The Dread Desert became a much more convenient place to hold tribulations.  The far side of the Demon's Teeth was vacant of any aether beasts and holding tribulations there seemed to drive the more dangerous even farther away.

Still, those had only been Gold and Diamond Tier tribulations.

Tal was going to have the first Ascension Tribulation for a Sky Realm.

"Papa, I don't want to leave."  Tal was now a lovely young woman in appearance but her natural form was reaching a sort of elegance as well.  She was once a rather pudgy four legged bear to Lind at first, but now she looked closer to a cross between Bigfoot and a rhino.

Her stone scales were not spread out but covered the critical areas while her fur had become stronger than any steel.  She also had achieved far greater agility on all 4 limbs compared to how she moved before.

In her human shape, she had dark tanned skin that was just as powerful as her fur, but less than her stone scales.  The scales became her clothes after a fashion but due to increasing their flexibility, there was a need to transform her clothes to full armor.

Her power was growing faster and faster since the war until she was at the peak of the Diamond Tier.  Lind was still only at the mid Diamond Tier but he was at the peak of that.  He could feel the next step in the Diamond Tier was close for him.

"You are like Kora.  Once you reach Sky Realm, you will quickly have to leave to grow stronger.  I will come after you and you will see the rest of the family up in the Floating Isles."  Lind meant all of it but Tal could see the loneliness in his dark green eyes.

She hugged him close and Lind wished he could never let her go.  The need began to try to take over and a heart demon wanted to form but inside the space it would exist, 2 emerald eyes blazed as the nascent heart demon was turned to ash.

Lind shook his head and pulled back before making sure Tal had no such heart demon.

Her heart was clear, she simply did not want to leave.  He was the weak one between them it seemed.  He was chagrined at his weakness but he now knew what path to attack to advance.  The chains holding him back were not cultivation anymore, but self made.

"You will be amazing, go."  Tal smiled up at him and wiped tears away as she raced off to a marked off section of the desert.  It was far enough away from the mountains to not affect them but close enough that no wurms came there.

It was similar to their old grounds but much larger.  The reason being that Gold and Diamond Tier tribulation breakthroughs had been happening in batches.  Some of the sand was glassed because of that but it seemed to return to sand very quickly.

It was a phenomenon Lind found interesting but it was a minor process compared to other things he had to focus on.

Tal moved to the center of the desert area before she waved happily at him.  He waved back as he felt a presence arrive at his back.

"I did not think you would still be so fragile, Master Frey."  The pristine white robes and golden emblem clearly revealed the backing of the woman, but her Sky Realm aura was all too familiar to Lind by then.

The one surprising characteristic was always her lavender skin.

Her burnt orange eyes contrasted with her very dark lavender skin.  Her robes were far more like a functionary rather than a warrior but he did not underestimate his old friend.

"Senior Yi is not breaking any rules by being here?"  A snort of laughter came from her as she looked down at him.  Despite his increase in stature, she was still taller than him.

"Our Sect Master is too prideful.  She was hiding too much from us down here and paid the price.  Besides, I always love that stubborn streak of yours.  So much blood and death follow you, yet you cling to those bonds of yours."  Lind did not argue as he had just gotten a harsh reminder of that very fact.

"I am ready to move on, but I will do it in my own way.  Tal is the last person holding me here."  Yi was surprised and actually nodded in approval. She approved of his tone and look at that moment.

"Also, while your sect may not be welcome by edict, I think you know both Sarth and Cimmeria will always be with you and yours.  That little girl out there saved a lot of lives in the war."  Lind nodded and smiled back.

He then vanished from his spot to appear behind Yi as her fist seemed to be in 2 places at once.  She laughed in approval as the arm at her side faded and she was in a stance to attack.

"You just can't be normal, can you, Senior Yi?"  There was neither surprise nor anger in Lind's voice.  The combative Maiden was far worse than Shoti or Tyr.

They were about to continue when they both turned in unison to the once clear sky.  Black clouds were gathering but compared to a normal Sky Realm Ascension, they were far more terrifying.

The only one that compared in Lind's memory was Kora's.

The 2 of them were technically from the Divine Realm lands, but their bodies were constructed to live in the mortal realm.  When Tal faced her tribulations for Gold and Diamond Tier but they had been just as strange compared to other aether beasts.

Ethry's tribulations had been beyond anything his mother had heard of.  She had tried to describe them but it sounded closer to his own than anything in the records he had studied.

The 2 of them looked on as the pressure built in the sky.  Tal could no longer stay in her human form as it made her weaker and used up too much Qi.

Her tall bestial shape thrummed with power just looking at her but her eyes were now far fiercer than any time Lind could recall.

After the war, they had actually had a real battle.  She had trounced him with ease despite his advantages.  She was immune to his aura at that point after decades of exposure.

It was an important lesson for Lind as he had begun to rely on it too much.  Senior dragon soul had warned him many times but only at that moment of reflection did he understand.

Dragons were kings, but they were not the sole kings of aether beasts.  The progenitors of the 4 Divine Bloodlines had spawned many descendents that could ignore or withstand his power if they tried.

He had a slight advantage in the same cultivation realm, but an experienced beast would still be able to fight him at full strength.

Lind looked on as his adopted daughter faced her tribulation with some fear but she had none.  Instead, she took a breath and sent out a roar that challenged the Heavens.  The entire Dread Desert echoed and where her voice reached, the predators all cowered or hid.

The few herbivores of the desert felt invigorated but all of that happened far away from Lind and Yi.  They only had eyes for Tal as the first bolt of lightning built strength.  Lind frowned as the color was wrong.

It was not the bluish lightning it should be but a dark earthy color instead.  It was not her elemental lightning from what he had seen in others.  Yi frowned as deeply as him but their worry would not stop what was coming.

The first bolt fell but did not even seem to phase Tal at all.  She instead seemed invigorated.  More lightning bolts formed and Lind suddenly realized what was happening from what he learned in the Divine Inheritance.

"A derivative Ascension!"  Yi stared at him but they had no time to talk as the pressure from above increased in intensity.  The 2nd and 3rd bolts fell and still seemed to hardly bother Tal but Lind could tell it was getting far stronger.

There was now a pregnant pause as the boiling clouds seemed to be building to the fourth bolt.

"What is a derivative Ascension?"  Yi's voice was serious and there was no tease in her eyes at all.  Lind kept an eye on the clouds but quickly summarized for her.

"Unlike us, aether beasts sometimes face a variant of Ascension if they have awakened enough of their bloodline.  Essentially the tribulation is more than just breaking the shackles of the world but also improving the quality of their bloodline at the same time."  Yi nodded as that made some sense but then she was confused.

"Why have I never heard of such a thing before?"  Lind looked serious but Rakathi gave him a way out.

"I suspect we will hear about more of them in Rakathi.  The conditions there allowed beasts to exist that should not be here.  It is still not common but known to happen at the higher worlds."  Yi was shocked but quickly felt the change in the skies.  The next round was coming!

Both of them were terrified as the power of the 4th bolt far surpassed the few ascensions they had witnessed for a 7th or 8th bolt!  Lind looked to Tal but saw her Qi flare as it easily swallowed the bolt!

Stone dral!  She was using her innate skills of a stone dral to withstand the lightning and absorb what she needed!  It would work for a time but he could not guess how far.

Sadly, his answer came quickly.

The 5th and 6th bolts seemed impatient as they struck down like rapid fire.  Tal's shields shattered and blood began to flow from her mouth and ears from what he could see.  Still, her eyes were firm.  She would not bow to the Heavens.

She spread out her 4 legs and took a stance as if she was going to fight.  Her hooves were deadly sharp and hard.  The 7th bolt built up until it struck at last only to be kicked!

The hoof shattered but she survived.  It was clear she would have to sacrifice the other 3 hooves for the 8th bolt.  Worry began to fester in Lind but he simply looked on and chose to believe.

He had seen all his loved ones face that hurdle and pull through.  None were lower than the 7th bolt too.  Tal wanted to match Kora's 9 bolts he was sure but a stone dral was a fairly common beast in the Divine Lands.

A roc, no matter its flock, was an elite of the avian races next to the phoenix.

The 8th bolt shattered not only the hooves, but the lower legs as well!  Blood flowed like a river but Tal did not give up.  Earth Qi quickly staunched the wounds and supported her.

"FOR PAPA!"  Her voice echoed as the 9th bolt seemed to rip the air apart to expose the void.  Just as it reached Tal it seemed to freeze and it reminded Lind of the battle against Cymera.  The world would not bend so long as Tal was there!

The Qi of the bolt was absorbed into her but the clouds did not disperse!  Just as with Kora, Tal had earned a reward!

A final bolt of blue lightning fell but it did not inspire fear.  It was awe!  The wounds on Tal healed as her body was repaired.  Her lost limbs restored as she roared into the sky once more.

Her triumph was answered by the dread snakes and other beasts of the desert.  Those nearby bowed as a new Sky Realm was born!  Lind felt tears in his eyes as he knew that it was also good bye for a time.

Resolution was in his dark green eyes as he knew it was time to say goodbye to a great many things.