novelraw Chapter 768 - 767 - Concerns
Chapter 768 - 767 - Concerns
Justine had been alive for over 600 thousand years. She was a bit foggy in the beginning due to the fact she was a street urchin that got supremely lucky. A cultivator, a kind one, had seen potential in her but before that moment, her life was murky at best.
She did not care as it had not impeded her at all.
She had risen up in the Helion Trading Guild like a force of nature. Many had underestimated her and they were all dead or destitute.
Cultivation was not cheap, so no resources meant only a snail's pace could be achieved so death was just as certain when potential ran out.
Now, she sat in a rather subdued office considering her station. She decorated the various halls and rooms of the guild hall but that was for respect and meeting expectations. Anyone that met her in her office was always thrown off by it.
A few simple shelves with a sturdy but simple oak desk made it up. She had several exotic artifacts but they were more for quick access to knowledge in the auctions or guild in general than anything defensive or offensive.
If anyone could get to her office inside the many abilities of the guild hall was already far beyond anything she could get a hold of.
Her robes and personal artifacts were already impressive enough.
At the moment, she was massaging her temples as she reviewed the full fallout of the discovery of Emperor Lind Frey's ability to filter out even the most well hidden thrall.
It had always been a concern but the fact they had infiltrated her guild hall despite all the safety measures left her with deep concerns.
While Lind had supplied freshly charged artifacts, some powers were spamming them too much and needed replacements.
As if he was a seer, the Sanctuary Empire had more ready to go but with a stern warning that future replacements would be expensive if they burned through them again.
It was a shrewd business tactic she appreciated.
Giving it away for free proved the necessity and he was compensated with resources to make even more so profit was still possible depending on his failure rate. The genius was that warning.
Another replacement was ready but if they wasted it, they would pay and they were not cheap. Containing those harmonic Qi was very expensive material wise.
She appreciated it, but the need was just so damned high. She felt the same unquenchable desire to bombard every entrance with the artifacts but it was just not feasible.
That issue was only one side of the problem. The other was the extreme loss of personnel. All their bodies were left behind so evidence was irrefutable that they had been thralls.
The knowledge they could trick or force it on people made it muddier still. It was believed before it had to be willing but being tricked was not outside of that umbrella.
Many meetings had been held across the Alliance but Justine's current concert was the latest report over the last 3 months.
Not just 1 or 2 but all the remaining wives of Lind Frey had broken through. All of them were of at least supreme quality as well. Their range was odd too as no record existed of such powerful tribulations.
The Sands of Tribulation was now mostly glass where the Sanctuary Empire had marked off their space!
Most were now numb to it all but Justine was looking to the future. Lind Frey had proven he could not be kept down by the norms of 6 elementals at all. Also, once he figured out how to advance, the other followed in his wake.
She had done the math based on the advancement rate of 6 elementals and what she saw was terrifying.
Unlike other cultivators, 6 elementals could accept any treasures after a certain point, being the Heaven Realm, so where others struggled, they stormed ahead.
She now saw that the Imperial family was manned by enough Immortals to declare them a dynasty of Immortals! The children were also advancing at a frightening pace but their numbers were limited.
The 6 elementals, on the other hand, were growing at insane rates not just from a single mortal realm but from them all!
The rate of success was nearly 90%! It was unheard of!
She began to see a nightmarish shift in power none of them could fully imagine. Currently the Sanctuary Empire contained most of the problems but as other mortal realms had groups advance, there would be less cohesion.
The 6 elementals without exception were more powerful than even genius cultivators in the same realm. They simply had too much familiarity with using all 6 elements. No one could keep up!
"Guild Master, the current round of inductees is coming to an end. Some have been ejected but we have found a concerning thing." A young man entered without knocking. He was 1 of 3 assistants that had such a privilege.
He was only a Sky Realm but he was very useful to her. His advancement to the Star Tier was right around the corner but his freckled face made him look like a teenager.
"What is the report?" Issue in the Inheritance of Lost Knowledge was not totally unusual. There was always someone that thought they were fated for something more and that rules did not apply to them.
"When the group arrived, there was a flash of light but none noted the event itself. It was only later that someone was noted as missing but they assumed they had been ejected." Justine nodded as fools tried to smuggle in artifacts they should not have on themselves but she did not see why her aid was concerned.
"Guild Master, it was Emperor Frey." Her eyes stopped as she slowly sat up straight. His next words confirmed her worst fears. "He has not returned. I have confirmed fully before coming to you."
That was not good at all! Where had Emperor Frey gone?! If he was not in the Inheritance and not in the reception area, where could he have gone?!
No one from the Sanctuary Empire came screaming for her head so he was alive but then where was he?!
"Detail it all for me." She paid full attention to her aid who began to sweat but relayed all he could confirm. It was not a phenomenon they knew of, she was certain as it was a major source of income for them to regulate the Inheritance.
In the totality of their history with it, they had never lost a soul before today.
She began massaging her temples more but then took a calming breath.
"I want all slots accounted for. Anyone else that is missing needs to be known as soon as possible. Have a team ready in case he appears injured as the time is almost up!" She could only proceed with what she knew.
The 3 months was almost up. She also began to issue orders in case the worse came to pass.
If Lind did not return, his Empire would demand answers. They would be well within their right to as well. This man was costing her years off her life!
The aid left and she called meetings with several section heads to make sure all was monitored at least. She hoped it was enough.
⬧⬧⬧⬧
Lind had changed in the last 1000 years. His aura had become far more refined but he still could not take the final step. It was not bad, for a change, as he had things to prepare but he had to figure out what the final obstacle was to his progress.
It was possible he was holding back simply due to what he had to do. A strong subconscious desire could create a sort of safety valve that way but it was never certain.
He was worried he would suddenly try to advance when stepping out before but now he was assured he had some time.
He stood up and went through the motions of testing his body slightly. His power had magnified massively so even restricting his strength to Moon Tier was far more devastating than before.
It spoke volumes to how powerful the objects in the room were as they were not bothered at all.
Still, he would need to relearn to regulate his strength before interacting with anyone below the Immortal Realm.
[You are ready to leave?] The spirit asked but LInd was not quite ready to go.
"Senior, I thank you for all your help but I have one last question. Why this realm?" It was something he always wanted to know but could never find an answer to. Why did Inheritances move or stay still and why in certain realms?
[I am unsure how much I can answer but creators of Inheritances often can only leave behind an impression of what they seek. Finding an heir, passing on general knowledge, or whatever purpose making their Inheritance will dictate where it ends up.] He could understand that. [My creator wanted to facilitate Heaven Realm cultivators and Immortals to make better progress. The descendants were simply too weak. Many Immortals and Heaven Realm cultivators made Inheritances with that goal in mind.]
Lind smiled to have a long held theory confirmed.
[Why did you ask?] The spirit was curious as was her construction guidelines.
"Oh, just planning my own in the future." Shock did not only come from the spirit but Haro as well. "Afterall, even if I succeed, I am going to go somewhere no one has gone in over a million years."
Lind prepared to leave as he pictured the future ahead.
"I am going to the Celestial Fields." He vanished in a flash of light and left the spirit with hope for the first time in over a million years. The spirit was not truly alive but it hoped as much as it could that Lind Frey succeeded.