Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 436 - 435 - Man vs Beast

The sect was not much different compared to the lower world.  There was a constant flow of people, resources, and testing going on at all hours of the day.  The only major difference was the umbrella of people expanded to Sky Realm aether beasts.

Oddly, they had no issue with humans, demons, or aether children hunting World Realm beasts or even at the Sky Realm.  So long as the fight was open or utilized all tools possible to survive, it was simply the stronger defeating the weaker.

The only real restriction was the Mengcong itself.

As the sect was part of it, the beasts in the jungle were generally off limits.  The only exception to that was if they were attacked first which was very easy to prove as Lady Gua was able to see anywhere at any time.

The other oddity, of course, was the lack of other powers within the sect.  The Starfire House was in the Floating Isles but it was no longer the only mercantile powerhouse.  Lind had learned there were 3 other merchant groups at least on part with them.

They had no interest in the lower world but would trade with Starfire House, hence its rise to being supreme in the Stardust Emporium.

Lind suspected that trade is what resulted in Cimmeria being the vast city it was.  The exchange was cultivators ascending that would look for similar resources and have to go to those other powers.

He had a lot to study about as most of his time had been spent learning and comprehending what it was to be a 6 elemental Sky Realm.  Compared to the previous 2 realms, it seemed much easier but more Qi intensive.

Where most cultivators on average have 3 elements, 6 elementals had to cultivate all 6 elements at once in tune with their harmony.  Lind was finally able to compare himself to others and learned he was no longer the leader as a few were already tier 4!

Their foundations were stable and gave him some insight to his own Sky Core!

Lind was also fascinated by what he could learn about his draconic abilities.  Ever since he lost Senior Dragon Soul, he had been fumbling in the dark.  Muscle control was instinctual but he would be lying if he said he still had mastered all his abilities.

Ethry practically abused his time with the excuse of training him but Lady Gua also helped.  He was working with her on learning different races core composition and incorporating elements into her dantian.

The more he learned about the Heaven Realm, the less it made sense to him.  Still, he was too far from it to begin grasping at that.

He observed the mixed classes for beast and men.  He thought there would be more problems but most cultivators that ascended had already faced many challenges and learned far stranger truths than talking aether beasts.

Lind found it odd, but then he had it pointed out that he was not aware of his own changes.

"You still see yourself as human?  I can see why you might cling to it, but you are most certainly a beast."  Lady Gua was examining fire Qi materials as it was one of her weaknesses.  If she could incorporate it into her dantian, a major weakness would be eliminated from her body.

"I do not deny I have not been affected by my changing condition but I have shaped how my soul responds too.  It is not a terrible feeling as if I am shaping the being I will become."  Lind was looking over the ledgers, a job that gave him a far clearer picture of what next steps would be needed in the future than any report could give him.

"Hee, hee."  The gentle laugh of Lady Gua was quite common from her.  She was a bit flighty at times but when serious, she was as imposing as the Divine Guardian.  Lind suspected the mind of a spider had to be flexible to make such complex shapes in different environments.  Also a bit of fearlessness a lot of races lacked.

"I met a Black Shelled Tortoise.  From what I can confirm from Ethry, the 2 Divine bloodlines do not get along, but she is my friend with not even a tremor from my soul."  Lady Gua nodded but then extended her hidden legs.

"Tell me, what do you feel right now?"  Lind was confused.  He had been surprised the first time but he noticed that the 8 limbs seemed to have become thinner than the last time.  He realized that as beasts advanced, their ability to transform improved.

"Have you improved?"  Lady Gua smirked but shook her head.

"Your wives are a good example.  They spent the most time with me but have you noticed only the demon and the one that should have been born a demon actually serve me when I am here?"  Lind thought it was a personality thing, but even though they had not all gathered in a single room, she was right.

In the few months since he arrived, any time Lady Gua visited, only Cyntilla or Shoti would join him.  The others avoided her unless they had to talk to her.  Even then, they kept it to a bare minimum.

Ethry rarely liked dealing with politics or sect duties so it was not surprising but the others had been instrumental in the lower world.  Now that he had it pointed out, it was odd for them.

His thoughts must have been clear as she smiled at him.

"Most humans and aether children find my form uncomfortable.  Not all, but most.  Even those that tolerate it, I can sense the disquiet in them from time to time.  It is nothing rude, simply instinct.  I am a beast and they are my prey."  Lind tilted his head.

It seemed too simplistic but until the Sky Realm, aether beasts would often kill and eat cultivators if they could.  Cultivators were just as if not more nutritious for advancing an aether beasts cultivation.

Lind, himself, had sometimes had near escapes with beasts.  The snake in the Dread Desert sprang to mind.

Yet, he had never felt uncomfortable the entire time he was in the Inheritance save that fierce beast he first encountered torturing Tal.  Its slim limbs and revolting head came flowing back but he simply disliked it, that was all.

"Why would I not simply be an exception?"  Lind did not dismiss her premise, but he did not readily accept it either.  Her 8 eyes narrowed in a pleased manner.

"You might have been, given you treated Ethry very well but not as a pet from what I was told.  Still, I would bet that you were simply more adaptive back then.  You were raising her after all."  Lind could accept that.  The same would apply to Tal but not to Kora.  Yet, he did not recall ever being put off by her more vicious tendencies as a roc.

"My indifference is not normal at all, is it?"  Lind finally noticed and saw her nod.

"I do not have a comparison of my own but my guess is that your soul has changed you in many ways before you realized it.  Something stark you recognize as against your Dao, thus you change it, but if there is no objection, I would think that change occurred without incident."  Lind put a hand to his chin as he went back into his memories.

He had always been a bit foolish in battle when family was involved or his friends, but he generally spent the majority of his time studying.  He loved knowledge and he needed it too, still he hardly fought at all.

He had to learn and defend himself as time went on but it was only after his soul changed that he became far more aggressive.  He would not let people trample over him nor would he simply walk away from a spar.

He had changed.  He was still himself, as Lady Gua said, anything that contradicted him harshly he changed, but the rest was simply becoming part of him.  His pride was not like Ethry's but he could admit he was a bit full of himself without reason at times.

His actions during the Demon Empire's last war were a good example of that.  He had nearly killed Senior Dragon Soul as she compensated for his lack of energy to do as he wished.

"I will need to think on this."  Lind did not mind his increased aggression too much but he was constantly changing and now his soul had gotten a lot stronger.  It was not impossible he could be lost if he did not quickly identify what path forward he wanted to take.

Lady Gua nodded but then frowned.

"Blasted pythons, stop flirting so much!"  Lind felt his right eye twitch.  Lady Gua's attempted assault of him, while terrifying, was nothing compared to the Illusion Pythons.  They seemed insatiable!

Unlike other aether beasts, they were highly compatible with humans and demons.  Aether children could be with them as well, but they tended to leave them alone due to the immense respect they had for Annabelle.

Her Illusion Dao was apparently far above their own!

From what Lind gathered, when the pythons were not learning, they were enticing men and women to mate with them.  Unlike the pure illusions of formations that were mere projections most of the time, the pythons' illusions were real.

The appearance they took now would be their appearance if they advanced.  The Qi felt solid and warm.  The problem, of course, was that they did not take rejection well.

The very conversation Lady Gua had with him was played out in real time at that moment.  Lind extended his senses as best he could.  He was not on par with Lady Gua, but he could see some things within the sect at least.

He saw a young man sweating as a python loomed over him in rage.  She looked gorgeous, a bit heavily endowed even for a python, but clearly she had been rejected.

A sliver of Lind's aura flared just over the pair.  The python instantly coiled around herself in fear as the young man felt oppressed.

"If you have an honest dispute, go to the elders, but if this quarrel is personal, then resolve it or heart demons will form.  Go."  His firm voice came from sigils woven just above their heads.

Both bowed and moved swiftly as Lind dispersed the weaving and his far sight.  He was sweating slightly but it showed he had progressed!  Weaving at a distance was not easy at all!

"Well done, but clearly she was trying to coerce him."  Lind shook his head and pointed to the neck.

"He had multiple love bites on his neck and he was not hiding them.  He was proud of them.  They were having a fight or he changed his mind.  Possibly she is pregnant too but I am unsure at that distance."  Lady Gua narrowed her 8 eyes and then widened in surprise.

"She is pregnant!  Very good!  No wonder you are a sect master!"  The feverish look would have made him nervous if not for her vow.  They resumed their study but Lind was appreciating the balance of man and beast his sect was forming.

It had some rough patches ahead, but he hoped it would not be too devastating at any point.  He was about to close the ledgers when he felt the room temperature drop sharply.

Lady Gua was staring off to the west in anger.  He had actually never seen her angry before that moment.

"What is wrong, Lady Gua?"  Lind felt nothing in range of his senses, which meant it was outside the sect.

"An annoying gnat has returned.  The 'Great' Lord Jing is here."  Lind was confused at her heavy sarcasm but prepared to greet a guest.  Lord and Lady only referred to one thing in that instance.

Another Heaven Realm was coming to the sect.