novelraw Chapter 663 - 662 - Divine Power
Chapter 663 - 662 - Divine Power
Haim was pacing nervously in a side hall of his palace. He had been summoned by one of the few people he actually feared.
Emperor Frey was respected more than feared but the man was playing with fire with his missions of mercy. Still, it reminded him of the days the demons were freed from the Dar Empire.
A desire to fight rose in him but he held back as the click of the dark oaken door took his attention.
A demoness that had not been seen in centuries finally returned.
One crimson and one cobalt blue eye stared out at him as if expecting him to be just to the right of the door. Her hair was cut short but still glistened in the light of the torches to either side of the door.
He smelled the strong odor of incense but was wise enough not to inhale too deeply.
"The cracks broke open?" She asked a strange question but Haim nodded. She smoothed out her blue and red robes engraved with strange symbols. Haim could never remember what they looked like if asked.
"Then it will happen as I–" Seras was about to continue when the world went dim for her. The paths of bloody civil war shattered like so much glass in her head. Blood flowed from her nose and eyes as her lavender skin paled.
"What happened?!" Haim would have said it was backlash but he had felt no Qi from her at all!
"A power greater than mine has changed the future. A power fueled by pain only a few know and have survived. I saw, I saw a visage of power unlike anything I expected." She slowly turned to Haim as awe came over her face. "I saw all our Fates picked up and tossed to the winds of chance as easily as you or I would pick up straw!"
Haim felt his blood go cold. Was it one of the Immortals? They were far more powerful than anyone at the moment, but did Immortals even have that kind of power? If they did, how was Suzen used by a Sun Tier so long ago?
"Who has that kind of power?" Seras looked unfocused into the future before she was knocked back.
[Prying into my secrets is unwise, little demon.]
A voice only she could hear made her shiver in terror. She had tried to peel back the veil of the future as she had always done but she had focused on the source of the change. The instant she touched that particular thread, the potential broke a barrier she knew was very bad.
Something had saved her mind and soul from oblivion and warned her but she did not recognize the voice. Who was that?!
Seras passed out after that but the terrible futures she had been seeing since the formation of the Alliance were all gone. What had changed their Fate so easily?
⬧⬧⬧⬧
Lind had hoped never to hear or smell the tragic battlefield again so soon. He emerged past the wall and saw bloody fights with desperate men and women on both sides trying to win.
The defenders were protecting the weaker citizens trying to flee to the walls while the enemies were using that to kill as many as they could. Gravis was hung up, barely alive next to his son.
His daughter, thankfully, was safe but weeping in the fortress. Lind had put her to sleep as he did not want her to see if he failed today.
He had only recently pushed himself before but it had felt easy back then. What he was about to do was very different.
Normally, a Divine Bloodline only had the favor of Heaven and could borrow that power during tribulations or in his case, a progenitor celebration.
Thus, at those times, what would normally be the most dangerous moment for a cultivator would become far more perilous for any enemies trying to get at him. Heaven and Earth were fair but the favored children still got a few perks.
The catch, of course, was that he could neither go too far nor invoke too much. If he did either, he would die just as easily as anyone else or worse, simply become one with Heaven and Earth. He would literally cease to be himself.
Looking out at the battle, he knew instinctively what he was going to do would come with a terrible price. The path of cultivators was their own to walk. Their survival was on their own merits as individuals or groups as they chose.
"I know you are warning me. I can feel it." Lind had felt his dantian squirm. The small sun at the center seemed to shake as if resistant to being called on, but he looked up with gentle eyes.
"I am not asking for Wrath or Judgement. I am not even asking for tribulation. I am simply asking for help. I will pay the price, willingly, but I chose to become Emperor. I am responsible for the lives under me and I will do whatever it takes to save them." His words were heartfelt but where others only spoke of them when things were going well or when accepting death, Lind spoke of them for the suffering he looked at.
He had brought it on them but the enemy had also been building for some time. The arguments against loosening restrictions, opening up new areas of the Hinterlands, and robbing the Desolate Song of its crystals were all things they wanted and he denied.
He thought they even knew the truth of why he did those things but still did not care. His rage was long cooled as he knew it would only make him foolish.
He then flew up as emerald scales spread on his body. His aura flared and caused the entire battlefield to pause as a 12 meter dragon appeared above them all.
Before anyone could act, it blurred and 2 figures vanished from the poles they were attached to. No one died but the guards around those poles broke out in cold sweat! The flare of rage nearly killed them right there and they were mid Moon Tier!
"Adrin." A name was spoken and an Emerald Soul appeared. He administered elixirs but could do nothing for the missing arms of Gravis at that moment. "Take this, when Gravis is at his peak, it will regrow his arms."
Shock flooded the area as another elixir was handed over before the trio vanished. Such a powerful elixir was unheard of! Why was it not spread around?!
"So, you hoard the best for yourself as expected!" A voice spoke from the black cloaked crowd but no one showed their face. They hoped to hide, yet once more the dragon seemed to shimmer before a scream was heard.
A young man with blonde hair was now in Lind's claws.
"You are the son of Elam of the Gilded Path Guild. The elixir I just gave was created only for Gravis. I made it long ago when he lost his arm for the first time. It has to be tailor made for each person but I am currently the only person that can make it. Do you think I have time for everyone?" Lind did not sound angry but his pressure made the young man quiver.
It was reasonable. Elixirs, unlike pills, could have strange quirks attached to them. Their powerful effects sometimes came with such demerits.
"If you kill me, my father will raze your city to the ground! Your Alliance is shattered! Our forces will get all the resources you have taken from us!" Some cheered at the boy's words but Lind only sighed.
"That is all you understand, isn't it? Greed and self interest. You really believe I held back for my closest allies while the rest of you were so drained? If that was true, why can't the barrier be deployed rather than fight you all directly?" Lind's question was valid. The barrier of the Two Rivers Fortress city was legendary.
It had been far improved but key resources were missing to make it work!
The enemy knew that, hence they attacked. Yet his argument was ignored.
"We would catch you in your abuse of power if it lit up! You sacrificed your own men to keep the charade going!" Lind closed his reptilian eyes in depression. He had faced this particular issue before.
The very stupid and the very powerful have something in common. They do not change their view to fit the facts, they change the facts to fit their views.
Reality was what you wanted it to be and so long as you could justify it, you could keep going until the hammer of truth. Once all the cities fell and still no resources along with what they burned for these battles, they would be far worse off than before.
They would then have to invade the mortal realms to steal more resources even if they were of lower quality.
"Sacrifice? You think I would dare play with their lives so arrogantly?! You have no idea who you are dealing with!" Lind tossed the boy away before he did something really stupid.
He then looked at all the wounded and dying men on the battlefield. Both sides had lost so much for such petty people!
"ROOOOAAARRRR!" His dragon roar did not only cover the Two Rivers but also the entire Law Binding! The emerald glow to the binding grew brighter as suddenly the pressure of Heaven descended on them all!
An image was projected everywhere all at once by the Law Binding as Lind began to glow with golden Qi.
Any cultivator instinctively recognized it but then emerald began to blend with it as the pressure built and Heaven suddenly sucked it all away from Lind.
He was instantly left in human form as he tumbled from the sky. People wanted to save him, but the ability of flight was restricted as Heaven pushed back. Black clouds suddenly covered the entirety of the Law Binding.
All were stunned as they suddenly felt the temperatures plummet from the fairly warm day to a chill one before rain began to fall. It was not normal rain at all!
It was gold and emerald rain! It fell across the Law Binding and had several effects. People suffering from Qi deviation suddenly recovered. The battlefields full of dead and dying were rife with life and healing!
No distinction was made as all were treated equally. The once depleted herb gardens and exposed mines became flush with the aura of Qi like never before! Used up veins were enriched with the traces spreading like plants to make new veins of incredible quality.
The people were left in awe but then fear was lanced through them all. Black lightning began to dance around as those that had incurred karmic debt were causing an imbalance. The blessing of karmic restitution had tipped the scales to trigger it.
Most of them were those that had quietly abused their power to push things over the edge and gain power free from the Two Rivers Alliance. It was like all the lies were exposed in one moment for any to see!
They also felt death closing in when a voice boomed across the sky!
A bloody emerald dragon had appeared near the clouds.
[NO! I said I would take on the price. I meant it. Do it.] All felt the solemn vow in those words and Heaven's reluctance! Lind Frey was going to take on the karmic retribution?! He was going to die for them after blessing them?!
Guilt flooded many as all could see it but before any could try out, the black lightning fell in waves! Blood flew from his maw and scales shattered like glass. His once majestic mane was ripped asunder as his limbs were shattered.
The mighty sinuous dragon was laid low as black lighting ravaged him. Yet, he never fell. He stayed in the air until the last cloud vanished. He had survived!
[I have returned what I took and revealed how far I will go to see us prosper. If you are still unhappy with me, then leave the Alliance.]
His words ended with him falling once more. His shape returning to human once again! A mighty roar shook the skies as an azure flood dragon blurred to catch him. All felt humbled as Lanbao glared down at them but simply took Lind away.
Of all the counters planned for, none could have foreseen the terrifying power of a Divine Bloodline used to heal the land rather than to fight. New battles took place, but it was the overthrow of those that led the rebellion against Lind.
The Forge of Stars sect disintegrated in a single day and most of the mercantile powers followed. The Ward of War was decimated by the Ward of Blood, Hope, and Peace. The mortal realm continued to rage but the Law Binding fell to silence.