novelraw Chapter 614 - 613 - False Reality
Chapter 614 - 613 - False Reality
Lili slowly woke up to the chirping of birds and rustle of leaves. She took a while to understand why she was not in her cell as the last thing she saw was too shocking. She saw Lind Frey cultivating in what seemed to be branches of a tree.
The leaves were vibrantly green and she felt the profound cultivation of it. As she looked on, she was stunned to see the plants and animals rejoice around Lind. They seemed to dance under the sunlight in regards to the plants while the animals looked on respectfully.
She saw the highest cultivation was only in peak Diamond Tier but none came near them at all.
She enjoyed the warm breeze but then her memory made a rude incursion to her current peace.
A living Fiend, a peak Sun Tier at that! The vile and overpowering sensation made her own Sun Tier foundation a joke. She recalled comparing Lind's Moon Tier to others and found him far more profound and powerful compared to any Moon Tier she had met.
If it was just him, she could console herself that his journey in a mortal realm made it possible but the entire forces of the so-called Two Rivers Empire also were just as terrifyingly powerful.
He had pulled off such results in just over 50 years! While his population was far below any of the individual empires, she had seen the stunning improvement of the demon slaves in just 15 years as well!
It was like Lind held the key to a more profound grasp of elements and cultivation unlike any ever before. Still, her body was sweating just from the memory of the terrifying creature.
Puppets were nothing compared to a true living being!
"Lind…Lind Frey!" She needed to talk to him because even in the warm sunlight she felt only cold. A warm flow of emerald Qi flowed over her and it finally stopped.
"Sorry, I forget how terrifying they can be in person." He slowly opened his eyes but unlike the few days in Celestia, he now seemed very calm. "Focus on cultivating and you can purge the rest. Their Qi makes us feel sick and weak if you do not actively keep it out."
Lili did as instructed and she felt immensely better.
"Fiends are, by their nature, deadly to us. They consume cultivators to increase their own foundation." Lind spoke on all he knew. He told of his adventures in the Barren Realm and also about the few things he had learned about Celestial Qi.
He knew they were related somehow he just did not know why.
The Ruin he had found so long ago in the Lotus Academy entrance ceremony seemed far more profound the more he thought about it. It was entirely possible it was from a Divine Inheritance.
It would last far longer but even Skinwalker would not tell him about the Divine Lands much.
Lili slowly sat there as the sun began to set which was quite beautiful but she felt like she was a frog in the bottom of a well. The world it knew seemed vast and fully grasped but it was just a tiny speck of reality.
"So, why is Xing kept in the Core Hall but this Timat can walk in the open?" She no longer doubted Lind. The similarities of Fiend skills to Soulmancer techniques was too clear. She understood them far better than Lind and could see how they were adapted to cultivators.
Her discomfort with the black robes personalities made far more sense.
The only thing Lind held back was about Shi. Still, he looked at the twinkling stars and narrowed his eyes. Any doubt he had about Earth connections were dismissed by the stars in the 'sky.'
Orion, the Big Dipper, and so forth were readily recognizable to him and confirmed what he suspected.
"I think we are inside a partial realm. It is part of the real world but imposes a false sky and cuts off the Law Binding. It had to be grade 7 to do that." Lili nodded at his words. The Law Binding would impose its will normally but something subtle like that could be hidden by another Immortal.
"What do we do now? They are looking for us and we can't go back?" Lind frowned as that was the real question. They had been lucky but it could not last. Their simple mission to gather intelligence had turned very dark and very deadly far too quickly to adapt.
"For now, we need to move. I do not credit Fiends with a lot of wisdom at times but they are about the details. They let their drive to win leave openings, but they are damned thorough bastards." They then flew carefully at the top of tree level.
They had only been flying just past the forest when several shadows suddenly appeared in the sky where they had been! Lind stopped instantly but they were in the open! If his artifact failed, they would be dead!
They saw 1 man and 2 women but they were as vibrant as the last one they saw. Lind noted how carefully they scoured the forest but it was normal Qi. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he had more confidence against that.
Still, they were all Sun Tiers so they had the strength to pierce his illusion. He carefully flew up until he was above the Sky Realms.
As expected, they only looked below their height. It was clear they had never had a real intruder in some time.
Once the 3 moved farther out, Lind simply waited but Lili was about to sigh in relief when he looked at her harshly.
As if he could see the future, the oppressive figure of the Fiend Timat returned! He looked satiated but Lind was relieved to only feel the same cultivation as before. No one died but who knew what nightmare had ensued otherwise.
"I know you are there, dragon. I am unsure how you are hiding from my toys but threatening them would do no good either. I have no way to confirm if you are that old hag from the laughably named Death Mountain, but I doubt it." Lind felt a chill down his spine.
He had only flared his aura to keep the beasts inline but that moment was enough to expose them! Still, he did nothing.
"Sigh, you are making this hard then." The Fiend then landed in the forest. Before either of them could grasp why, his hands turned darker than any darkness or shadow Qi could achieve.
He then pierced the tree they had used to rest and Lili was horrified as the tree withered visibly but the animals died as well!
"Now, I can kill everything here and it is simply a bitter snack to me. Reveal yourself or face the consequences." Lind shook with rage. His soul and moon were one. It actually grew as it wanted to lash out at the Fiend!
[Do nothing! He can't find you! Hold still!]
A voice suddenly entered both Lili and Lind's mind. Before they could react, another person appeared.
He was a young man but Lind was shocked. It was another Fiend but he felt nothing like any Fiend he had ever encountered.
His skin was actually only very pale and his hair was white with black tips. His eyes were also very pale yellow yet looked healthy with his handsome face. What was going on?!
"Great Father, why are you chasing a phantom? We are missing 2 humans below, they are far more likely to be our intruders." Both of them stilled their hearts in that moment. It was the same voice!
Timat sneered but then paused.
"Are you suggesting that the flare was a distraction to let intruders pierce our palace?" The quick nod actually made Timat consider and slowly nod. "That is more realistic. I am so tired of being stuck in this fantasy I am willing to embrace the impossible."
Timat then killed everything in 5 meters as if to vent his frustration.
"Aiden, you are not a waste of time after all. You really should consume a soul soon to increase your cultivation. You do no good as you are." The other man nodded and only then did Lind realize the other Fiend was only in the Star Tier!
"I can go outside as I am, Father, which is key to getting you out at this point. The woman in the control node is wasting resources over her goals." Timat laughed before patting his son on the shoulder and leaving.
Aiden then turned and flew directly at Lind and Lili. They could do nothing but then he simply grasped Lind's robes before continuing his flight.
[Say nothing, not even telepathy.]
They were taken across the plains and over courtyards where parties were going on but they were terrifying to watch. The stench was awful as humans were eating feces as well as other rotting meat or things that might have been fruits and vegetables.
Lind did not seem too surprised but he noted no one was harmed technically which was rather tame for a Fiend.
Finally, they came to the pristine white palace and noticed a change. There was a subtle barrier before they were forced to land. Lind kept floating which made Aiden's eyes snap wide before continuing after adjusting his grip.
Soldiers in the silver and black of Orwellia bowed to him but Lind noticed they were more of the bland faces even though they were at the Sky Realm now.
After walking through opulent halls full of gaudy gold, jewels, and other artwork that was clearly far more than any palace needed, they came to an area looking down at what Lind would expect for normal activity.
Soulmancers and other cultivators moved around in meetings, discussions, and even an Imperial Prince was escorted by his entourage. Lili even looked relieved at what she saw.
They then ascended one of the towers lined in red carpet with low grade 7 formations all along it but clearly the Fiend protected them until they came to a luxurious room with an open balcony to the now bland day time they were used to.
"Wait a moment." Aiden then activated several formations and Lind had his final shock. It was not Fiend Qi at all! It was Celestial Qi. It was much lower quality than he could produce but there was no doubt in his mind Aiden was using Celestial Qi.
"The defenses are activated, please reveal yourselves." Aiden then sat weakly and Lind dismissed his artifact but before the boy could react, he also summoned Celestial Qi. "I KNEW IT! I knew my father was wrong!"
Lind felt shocked but Lili was just mystified until he said a sentence that left all of them floored.
"Fiends are Celestials!" Silence followed and no one knew where to go from there.