novelraw Chapter 394 - 393 - Closed Mind
Chapter 394 - 393 - Closed Mind
The hiragas finally stopped in front of a rather interesting structure. Rather than stone, metal, or crystal, Lind saw a building made entirely from plants!
The stone thorn could naturally be made into a wall, but living in it was impossible for its various needs including certain insects and other plants to keep it healthy. Still, there were other plants that could work in combination with soil or stone.
A small mountain had been seeded with quartz vines woven into buildings. It was a very rigid vine that grew in mineral rich environments. It made for an excellent refining material for whips or armor for return on investment of strength and flexibility.
It was clearly combined with some kind of formation array but the result was vibrant green, blue, and yellow distinguishing the various rings of the sect. Lind also noted that the roofs were trees.
He was not entirely sure but it looked like oak or other large trunk tree but was nurtured to cover each building as the center. Smoke could be seen curling up from a few and the color of the leaves varied wildly which made Lind narrow it down to 3 types.
It was possibly a veridian willow which could grow very large and was a mix of earth and fire Qi so it was a good wood for a home that needs a fire. A blazing fire would not even scorch the inside of the tree for decades if lit in it.
The other was shale oak that was steeped in darkness and earth but was just as resilient to fire or other household issues. The major difference was the strength of its branches. The willow would be more flexible but the oak would be more rigid. Without a wind it was sometimes hard to tell them apart without a deeper analysis.
Given the nature of the Lily Sect, however, Lind was much more likely looking at something sentient. The start of a race of trees that worked with certain sects depending on their agreements.
It would also make sense they could resist fire or other issues since they were cultivators as well.
The towering trees on a few moved to confirm his theory as there was no wind.
"The Ents live here too." Lind was truly curious to see the first Ent he ever could see but a cool finger poked his cheek at that moment.
"You looked like a little boy who found a cookie right then." Azylea looked much healthier as Huo also woke up. She suddenly blushed deeply and could not look at Lind.
"Do I get to find out why I was used as a sleeping comforter, now?" The 2 sisters suddenly found interesting things to look at out the windows but he was not having any misunderstandings. "I want an answer, or do I write to Cyntilla and Annabelle for starters?"
Blood drained from both of them before they bowed deeply.
"It was me, Master Frey. You are the only elixir master in the caravan and you have an excellent grasp of other things that you teach freely. The others like to think you are next in command after us but we were starting to suffer in Scorched Gorge." Lind nodded as he could accept that.
He did not do anything miraculous or push boundaries like he had before, not in public anyway. Yet, he could not stand by when people were hurting themselves nor struggling with something he could illuminate for them.
He had to walk a fine line as a teacher as he could really open their eyes if he put his all into it, but he held back to not give himself away. Many of the alchemists and refiners had been skeptical but after a year, Lind had become a kind of sounding board.
He had also had new ideas sparked in his own fields by them so it seemed an equal exchange.
He did not wear his badges for obvious reasons. A handful of Heaven grade masters existed but the others were accounted for save 1, him!
Hiding a badge was not unusual, most simply did not want to risk attention on normal tasks while others had risen above their original rating but had not been officially evaluated.
Lind then waited for the rest.
"We knew we would collapse afterward and did not want to be found unconscious without someone we trust able to handle the caravan." Again, Lind was actually happy they trusted him but why in all of creation did they sleep NEXT TO HIM! Huo's words did not assuage his concerns!
His stern gaze was clear and both began to fidget.
"I felt safe!" Azylea suddenly shouted but caught Lind off guard. He was confused until a gentle hand began patting her head. Huo looked at her sister in understanding but looked back at Lind.
"I usually stay awake while she sleeps and vice versa. This time, though, we both would be too exhausted to wake up easily and vulnerable. We are the leaders of the caravan but the person we usually turn to had been called back last year." Lind recalled a small wagon finding them and taking a few people.
It included the sub-leader, a human woman who had been quite competent and actually was thrilled to have Lind help curtail the eccentricities of the leaders of the caravan.
Katara had no idea who Lind was, save an elixir master, but she was happy to see the 2 sisters were respectful to him. The young woman was clearly close to the twins, but after she left a wagon had been expected with her return this year or a new member.
Before it could arrive, the call to mediate had come.
"Fine, but ask next time! Misunderstandings could get all 3 of us worse than dead!" Lind let it go. Despite their higher cultivation, the innocence of aether children remained on them.
They nodded and then rushed off to their own compartment. Lind felt pity for whoever fell for one of the sisters as he suspected it would be a package deal.
He froze at that thought and immediately swore to reach out to his wives post haste.
He had enough trouble in his life!
⬧⬧⬧⬧
At the heart of the Lily Sect was a more standard set of structures. It made for a stark contrast but practicality had to assert itself at some point. Homes made of plants were easy but a massive tower and associated halls a sect needed to function were not as accommodating.
It could be done, but the resources would be inefficient and likely to cause conflicts, especially in the Treasure Hall. If a peak grade 5 treasure had a violent reaction with a plant, the whole structure could be destroyed and cascade with other treasures.
A massive hall was set aside for important meetings or events of the sect, but it now housed august envoys of very powerful sects. Since the Isle of Flowers suffered, they were the hosts so they could voice their own needs.
The Lily Sect was the most powerful sect of the isle. The other groups were, of course, the Sword Breakers Sect, the Divine Sword Sect, and Hellfire Sect. The Maidens sent a single representative but she too was a warrior of great repute.
She had her hood pulled up but all knew Maidens had great beauty.
The other powers were more local, some that had suffered due to the battles. Oddly, the Hellfire Sect had already compensated before any negotiation had started. They even went overboard to assign tier 7 Sky Realms to help rebuild the areas damaged by their sect.
Such an action was out of the ordinary but the invocation of the Babylon Guild might have spurred them to act. They could not escape the final settlement but actions taking before being forced could mitigate any punishments to follow.
It showed how terrifying the Babylon Guild could be to the sects.
"Where are they? We have better things to do!" A sickly colored man sat in the chair for the Sword Breakers. He had 2 whips dangling from his waist but his pale pallor made some think he was following a wicked technique as they were known for such drastic physical issues.
His eyes were sunken into his narrow face while his short dark hair seemed to glisten under the sunlight streaming into the large hall.
He sat at one end of a massive table that felt far too warm to be just made of wood. It was likely another plant nurtured to serve its purpose or some other nonsense. The Sword Breakers dark gray robes seemed to be very dull while the gray robes next to them were bright.
"We are here because of your actions, Hilden!" A woman with a massive scar on the left side of her face, including her eye, smirked at him. She wore an eyepatch but it glowed with Qi to show it was not simply covering the lost eye.
Few knew what it could do, but the ornate sword at her hip was terrifying. Divine Sword Sect favored simple swords most of the time but if they bore an ornate weapon, it usually spelled doom to fight them.
Hilden glowered at her but dared not respond. He was only tier 7 while Yanmi was tier 8! He wanted nothing more than to fight but the treaty had been broken so now they were forced to sit and wait for the Babylon Guild in the infuriatingly bright sect of morons.
"Tati, is this beryl forked tea?" The demon envoy suddenly spoke on a random topic that broke the tension. Unlike many of his fellow members, Bishyin was svelt and dressed in fine robes of the best silk.
His tier was unknown as his robes hid it, but all of the other demons gave him great respect and a few of them were tier 8 as well! Hilden felt wronged to be the weakest but he glanced at a few of the fools from the Isle of Flowers and forced them to look away.
"It is indeed, Lord Bishyin. My son has a talent with tea I lack but it won over his wife so I doubt he well let it rust." Another man smiled as he wore the pale yellow robes of the sect. He had a gold emblem on his right breast of the sect's namesake, a lily.
He was the sect master here. He sat at the head of the table as he also sipped on the tea. Yanmi perked up and took a steaming mug from a disciple before her smile warmed up and widened.
Hilden wanted to gut them all. The farce had to end soon and the doors finally opened. A deep frown crossed his face to see 2 aether children women approach. Further, they were only tier 3 of the Sky Realm!
"Does the Babylon Guild insult us by sending 2 juniors to negotiate?!" Hilden leapt from his chair but the 2 women hardly acknowledged his outburst. They instead bowed to the sect master.
"Uncle Tati, we are glad to see you well." The fire and earth one spoke and the old man seemed to smile wide before he moved to embrace both of them.
"I am so glad to see you but I wish it was under better circumstances. Please, they have waited a long time." Hilden felt his blood boiling but then a blade was at his neck and all froze.
"Let go of the handles, now." Hilden had not realized he had grasped his weapons in his anger. All blood drained from his face which made him look even more sickly. All felt it clearly.
The hooded Maiden was peak tier 9! Who was she and why had she been sent?
Hilden let go and collapsed bonelessly when the blade was pulled back. Negotiations had already gotten off to a rough start.