Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 503 - 502 - Return

The last 3 centuries in the Floating Isles had been tumultuous to say the least.  The final revelations from Severis Island left all powers feeling cold.

How close they all came to being under invasion by true Fiends shook many powers' confidence and they lashed out in odd ways.

Many smaller powers unified or came under the influence of greater powers.  Those moves broke the balance of power in many islands and previous states of peace.  While no battles broke out exactly, tensions rose very high.

For the next 20 years, many suspicious actions were taken to wipe out wicked or shady powers but then it was discovered a righteous sect was rife with Fiend corruption as well.

Once that happened, blood flowed like rivers.

There were exceptions.

Moebius Sect was left entirely alone on Wild Heart Isle.  In part was simply due to the beasts protecting them but also the massive debt all owed to them.  Baihu of the Sword Breakers Sect publicly declared all animosity null and void going forward.

Many were shocked when the old man even praised Lind Frey of all things with true respect!

The Heavenly Maidens, Hellfire, and the Wilds Sects were also exempt for obvious reasons.  All had witnessed the draconian methods used against their own disciples to purge any spies or corrupted agents found.

Also, their power was still supreme.

Voracious Jungle Island was also left alone as the Matron had made it clear all invaders would be killed on sight without question.

Aside from that, all else was at war.  Peaceful sects suffered and that was when things became complicated.

Moebius Sect moved out in force with many tier 7 and 8 Sky Realms to defend places like the Lily Sect or other smaller powers that simply were trying to survive.  At first it was fine, but many were so certain enemies were hiding in those places, they finally attacked.

The Babylon Guild only barely restrained events after that, yet it was a small bandage on a massive hemorrhage.  It was as if all enmities and grudges had boiled over and started to fly on the air across the Floating Isles.

After a century, things became ugly.  The previously safe havens of Moebius Sect or the supreme powers now had assaults on all sides.  While some might be honest fear making poor choices, many suspected jealousy or greed encouraged the others.

The Heavenly Maiden Sect brought down the hammer on any attack and reminded all just how powerful they were.  Hellfire Sect seemed to enjoy the attacks and the Wilds were not far behind them.

The 3 supreme powers quickly returned to peace as they could not be touched without massive loss of life.

The Moebius Sect, however, faced far worse conditions.  While they controlled the teleportation array and tunnel, they suddenly lost contact with disciples moving in the Floating Isles at large.

They could not stand for that.

Sect Master Ethry, unanimously selected by the elders and her sister wives, had become a Star Tier.  Compared to other aether beasts, she was unrivaled but she showed no signs of ascending despite already had all 6 elements.

Many wondered what was up with that but her power was unstoppable so few would dare harm a disciple easily due to her existence.

Ironically, it was the Sword Breakers Sect that informed them that a new power that rose from the unification of several human sects had kidnapped their members.  Ethry had wanted to head over and smash them open but Lysanna had told her it was exactly what their enemies wanted.

Still, they could not ignore the situation so Shoti and Annabelle went to handle it.

The Pure Sect was almost mocking because the purity it referred to was human domination of all other races.  It spoke at length how only humans should be leading the cultivation world and similarly idiotic things that denied reality.

Oddly, they loved aether children but said it proved that Heaven and Earth favored humanity as its manifested children were human shaped.

Both women were tier 9 Sky Realm so few could threaten them with their skillset but the Moebius Sect had underestimated how prepared the Pure Sect was.  Further, they did not understand what was at the core of that sect.

Annabelle escaped a trap but Shoti was taken prisoner.  Ethry refused to listen to anyone at that point and honestly the other beast lords wanted to fight too.

The Heavenly Maiden Sect also responded which shocked everyone.  Shoti had not been a Maiden for centuries yet they came for her!

A vicious and horrifying battle followed that killed so many that nearly a third of the Floating Isle population was decimated.

At the end of it, Shoti was found partially refined by a Fiend agent!  She was still alive but she was no longer entirely there.  She could not really speak nor do much of anything.  The agent had killed themselves so there was no hope of recovering what they took!

After 250 years of chaos, things finally began to settle down as there was simply no one left to fight!  The Moebius Sect and Heavenly Maiden Sect made up and became allies once more after that.

Anyone 7 days dead knew better than to provoke such a combination of powers.

It also cemented Moebius Sect as a new supreme power.

As everything began to settle, a message came out that shocked the whole world.  Lind Frey was alive!

His projection form was seen in the Heaven Realm and had driven back the Fiend forces single handedly but only a message was sent that he was coming home.

Almost 30 years had passed since then with no further message but the gloom from before seemed to thin just by that message alone.  The man had changed the cultivation world so many times and come back from certain death seemingly just as much.

Severis Island was left abandoned but under guard ever since that final battle.  The dias was nearly indestructible to them.  It was confirmed the material was simply beyond them.

Many wanted to claim the resources but at the time there were greater issues and when things finally calmed down, Lind Frey was found to be alive.  The Starfire House had requested that the dias be left alone just in case.

It was a giant leap but Starfire House had enough mercantile power to get their point across.  If Lind was a Star Tier, something that made more than a few terrified at his speed, then he would come down from the Heaven Realm.

If he was still only a Sky Realm, he likely would use his professions to try and connect to the array he knew.

It had been 290 years and the guards were bored.  There was nothing to do.  No brothels, no taverns, and no good food!  It was prestigious and the reward was bountiful but the time to get it was moving slower than anything they could conceive.

"On watch again Bryth?"  A grizzled man with white barely at his temples smiled at a young woman staring at the array.  She was new to the watch and like many before her, she was hoping today was the day something would happen.

"I am fine, sir!"  The older man simply smirked but waved it off as he left a steaming cup of soup for her.  It was not the best but any stretch of the imagination but it was better than the bricks they called bread.

They did not need to eat as much being Sky Realms but it was just too boring not to break it up with something as simple as meals.

Bryth happily took the soup but never moved her eyes.  Few knew, but she was from the Moebius Sect.  She had never seen the former Sect Master but his touch was everywhere.

The Demon Heart was his creation for instance that allowed the Moebius Sect to be fairly independent from outside trade.  Many 6 elementals were slowly reaching tier 7 of the Sky Realm and Moebius Sect had the most of them.

The lessons at the sect were far better for them than any other kind of cultivator.

Bryth was one of those that ascended from the lower world with a cerulean harmony.  She was ever so grateful to Lind Frey as she knew the history of 6 elementals before he came along.

She had volunteered for the guard job since the message was confirmed that Lind Frey was alive.

She wondered what it would be like to see him return. He would be glorious and roar at the Heavens as trumpets welcomed him home.  She was seeing the vision so clearly that she almost missed the crack in the air.

The second she confirmed it, she infused Qi into the shield artifacts around the array.  Just because they hoped who it was,  did not mean they could assume it.  The other guards looked over smirking at first as it was not the first time a newbie set up the shield.

All became grim as the air tore open into the void.

They pulled out their swords, spears and so forth and sent out a warning to the various powers.

Just as they got a response that help was coming, a bloody hand suddenly flopped out onto the dias.  As they watched, the array began to crack as it seemed to strain but a man clawed his way out.

His robes were shredded and he was covered in blood but he was human.

Before they could ask anything a jade vial appeared in his shaking hands and was deep crimson.  They quickly confirmed it was a peak Heaven grade 5 elixir!  It was shocking to see and all suddenly had hope in their eyes as the tear snapped shut and the array shattered.

"W-where am I?"  A hoarse voice called out and Bryth answered with tears in her eyes.

"Severis Island, Master Frey!"  She bowed low as the man slowly sat up and they all saw his dark green eyes before he smiled wide at them.

"Please take me home to my wives and family."  He then slumped over and Bryth dismissed the shield as they all rushed to check him over.  They were all stunned to feel tier 8 aura off of him!  He was high tier 8 from what they could tell.

Lind Frey had returned!