novelraw Chapter 668 - 667 - Purpose
Chapter 668 - 667 - Purpose
"Will the sleeping lady be ok?" Lind smiled down at Lua. She had only known her name and been so happy to be alive when she woke up that she cried for 3 days straight. He had helped her play games like she used to at an orphanage with others.
It seemed until the age of 4 or 5, the small children without parents would be raised normally until they were tested for potential to cultivate. If they had minor talent, they would be returned and nurtured enough to help run merchants or other businesses including the orphanage itself.
Those with better talent would be taken by various powers after other testing or application if the orphan wanted to go somewhere. Those deemed worthless were sent back and then the orphanage simply left them in the street.
Lua had not understood what was going on really when all the formerly kind adults acted like she was a disease. No one helped her, not even the once close friends she had.
Lind had comforted her and simply let her find joy as he taught her. When he saw how easily she absorbed Qi, he had been confused until she told him the event that changed things. The 'strange floating sphere' did not glow over her at all.
His best guess was it was based on both the flawed theories as well as looking for something specific. Narrowing the filtering so much in a mortal realm might be correct, but in the Heaven Realm, it was damned rare that no one had talent.
To simply survive as a mortal in the Heaven Realm took a tolerance to such high quality Qi that they would be powerhouses in the mortal realms.
After leaving Seras, Lind traveled to other places. In less than a week, she broke through into the Body Tempering Realm and then got through 5 layers like it was nothing! No talent, indeed!
The Wards were more heavily populated but he noticed the Ward of Peace was much closer to what he hoped for things to be. They tested mortals by seeing how they progressed through the Body Tempering Realm.
Lua was enjoying the journey and he did not even try to drop her off. He had another idea.
He then went to the other Wards but saw signs of distancing from the Two Rivers. It was not so overt to be independent but they wanted to stand on their own.
That particular stance was fine so long as peace was kept, but he knew it would not last. Eventually war would break out once more. Battles had indeed happened from what he could see.
Gravis had worked hard but aside from his involvement in what Lind did before he went to sleep, the man was a soldier more than anything.
As he saw the suffering of many due to the restriction of resources, Lind felt anger rise. They simply did not want to work to increase some that could be increased as it would be 'too difficult' to do so.
Still, he looked at the good to.
Communities rose up that carved out their own path. The aether beasts worked with them and both could live together. Demons were not pariah's but part of society. Aether children were treated as equal members.
There was good in the world that was not being affected by the desire to be independent.
Still, Lind was just as greedy but not for resources.
Lua followed him as they came to a temple in the Ward of Justice. It was a place set for those devoted to studying the various aspects of Heaven and Earth. It was founded after Lind proved that demonic and natural Qi were tied together so others had come to study how all things were connected.
They were close to ascetic priests from what he could tell.
Lua was nervous but he held her tiny hand as they saw a man with no hair at all and open vests showing his well built chest speak on earth and metal. His words were pretty close to Lind's own theory but from a different aspect.
Lind nodded along at the back of the small group before he noticed a young boy staring at them.
Rather, he seemed to be staring at the weavings Lind had up to hide the pair. He was curious as he sensed the Soul Realm from the boy.
"Mister, he is scary!" Lua ducked behind him but he patted her head before resuming holding her hand. The bright blue eyes looking at them seemed confused but Lind smiled.
"He is not aware of what he is seeing. It is fine." Lind moved on and went deeper into the temple. He felt someone familiar deeper inside.
"Father, I know you wanted me to follow a different path but this is what I want to do now." A young woman, near the peak of the Sky Realm, was talking to a Moon Tier like they were not above them in cultivation at all.
Her address of him made Lind smile. He saw Keke looking frustrated as his tan robes showed he was still in the army but as one of the masters at arms. He also had some very slight gray at his temples but that might be due to stress more than age!
Being a parent was not all sunshine and rainbows as evidenced by the tension between them.
"I do not care what you choose to do but I did not want you to make a choice simply to make your mother angry. Can you at least promise me you are happy?" A frustrated look flashed but then followed by a gentle look.
"Yes, Dad, I am happy. I am enjoying my studies here. Aunt Melody already tried to guilt me into following her but I am staying here." Keke sighed but nodded.
"Fine, but promise to send letters home. If you ever need me, I will come." Lind smiled wide as Keke echoed the very words he once spoke to Melody and he so long ago. She rolled her dark eyes at him before they hugged and Keke left.
Lind almost followed him but another man appeared that made him frown. He was not wrong in the sense of Qi but his pale gray eyes looked possessively at the young woman. Not as an equal, but as a possession.
"Junior Daye, you should know our order encourages the cutting of all ties to the outside world." Daye jumped out of her skin as one of the senior priests appeared. His well built shoulders were enticing to the old her but she felt nervous around him for some reason.
"I am not yet a full priestess and I am not ready to take my Vows yet. Until then, I maintain my familial connections at most as is my right." She spoke the words but felt the disapproval from her senior. Still, she was correct.
An acolyte could only be up to a Sky Realm before they officially took their Vows. It was why her father had suddenly showed up as time was running out for her to make a choice. Most seniors were understanding, but this one was not.
"It would be easier to begin now as it will only get harder. I would hate for you to waste your great potential." The man was getting closer but she saw no way out of it when the patter of small feet drew their eyes.
A panicking little girl softened Daye's heart and the elder priest hid irritation quickly. He wanted to send the child away but suddenly found himself frozen! He was at the mid Moon Tier but something held him completely still?!
"Hello, little one. Are you lost?" Daye leaned down as she held her arms open. The little girl paused, then smiled as she leapt into her arms. Daye felt like she was back home for a moment but simply comforted the child.
She went to inform her senior she would help the child but was shocked to find he was frozen.
"Mister doesn't like him. He is like the bad men." The innocent voice made Daye look confused until she saw the man in the black robes and hood standing where no one had been before!
"Apologies for using Little Lua as a distraction but I did not want to scare either of you." A powerful voice came from the figure but the little girl laughed and waved at him so Daye did not feel scared.
"Take Lua and show her the temple. She has much to learn and a wide base makes a good foundation." Daye nodded as she went to leave but she felt the girl shiver suddenly. They stopped just around the corner and watched as her senior and man faced each other.
"You can speak now." The senior tried to shout but nothing came out. "Talk, not call attention. Or do you think you can do something about me?" The power of a Sun Tier suddenly came from the man which should have scared Daye but she felt safe with it. Why?
"Who are you?!" The elder priest was angry but still stuck clearly.
"Unimportant. What is important is that you are not a true priest. You have hurt how many exactly, or as you might call it, blessed?" Daye felt her heart shiver as a sneer crossed the elder priest's face.
"I hardly think you are–" The hood was pulled back and the priest lost all color but Daye could not see anything. "Y–y–you—"
Fear was engraved onto his face before he collapsed.
"I simply see the value in good vessels. Is that so wrong?" Daye felt disgust but why would the priest reveal such a vile thing?!
"And how many have been purged since you made them pregnant?" The man in the hood was merciless with his aura and elder finally broke. It was only then that Daye realized natural and demonic Qi was in that aura!
There was something else too but she could not make it out!
"Mister is angry but he is kind!" Little Lua spoke up but she was looking sadly at the pair.
Once the elder priest was done speaking, he was released as a jade slip appeared and disappeared very quickly. Spatial manipulation?!
"You will not run from this spot or face the consequences." The priest nodded as the hooded man turned to Daye.
"I did not want you 2 to see that." Lua got antsy before Daye let her down and she rushed to him. He patted her head gently. "So, have you changed your mind?"
His question made her jump but she understood. She thought about things but slowly shook her head.
"I chose to come here on my own when I had questions about Qi no one seemed able to answer. I really want to pursue this path." He nodded before escorting them to the entrance of the temple.
"You will face some hardship but hopefully only a little. Keke is a good father and simply wants his family in sight. He watched his die far too young. Melody was all he had for a long time so just remember before taking your Vows that he may not get to see you as his daughter again." His words shook her unlike anything before.
She slowly realized the cost of her path and why her parents were so against it.
"The Dao has many paths and a lot of them are parallel. Be sure this is the path you want to pursue or if you want to make your own." The man then picked up Little Lua who squealed in joy. He was about to leave when Daye suddenly spoke up.
"I still want to know! I want to find the truths behind all the Qi working together!" The man paused before he finally turned to her fully. Shock filled her heart as familiar emerald eyes looked at her.
"Then keep seeking but make sure it is the path you are willing to walk to the end. I hope to see you again, young Daye, daughter of my friend Keke." Shock filled her as the pair vanished! Lind Frey. It was Lind Frey!
He was back and all she had assumed was shaken loose. She had much to consider as the small storm of scandal broke inside the temple. A certified jade slip had been given to the discipline hall and now an elder priest was proven to be a predator!
Only Daye knew who sent the evidence and why. It was only a few days later that she walked away from the temple to find her own purpose but she still held the dream of studying the Qi itself for its secrets. The path shifted a bit but was not changed. She went home to talk to her family and decide how the rest would unfold.