Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 924 - 923 - Preconceptions

Lind was administering his pseudo-Inheritance from an observation room setup in a replica of his Clan Hall.

The first 2 tests were straight forward for the most part. Cultivation level was fairly straightforward but Sally had surprised him. She had advanced slower than her siblings but clearly had polished her foundation better.

She was able to advance the most to the last arch.

Each arch applied the pressure on their foundation and the better it was, the more stress it could take. None were in danger for that test but the comprehension test had unexpected results.

His direct children passed with flying colors but after that he saw some stumble and even suffer deviation when trying to simply affirm their own path! He frowned as he tried to understand and saw the error.

He was fallible and his assumptions damaged his descendants unintentionally. Still, he was able to help them recover with a few elixirs and pills.

It eliminated 30 right off the bat as clearly they had issues to address.

That left him with 97 possibilities but it also showed he had far to go to design even simple trials.

"The next part will be safer." He spoke aloud as the final member failed as he expected. He noticed the vast majority came from his grandchildren but the great grandchildren did better. He made a note to look into that.

Cultivation and comprehension were fairly easy to test but knowledge was more flexible.

Not all of them studied the same subjects so he made it a little plain. An exam that forced them to find a resource to answer the questions was put forth.

It would also be under a time limit.

He let it play out and saw a reverse of the previous results. His great grandchildren excelled massively to quickly find what they needed but his grandchildren seemed to rely more on their own knowledge.

His direct children were all right but areas they were weak in showed they still had retained the knowledge from his lessons.

They had to review the least out of them all so he was unsure if they knew how to research at all.

Still, the test was only the start. Theory was useful to have, but practical application was needed too.

He saw a sharp decline in the passing grade as only 63 passed!

Those that failed were sent out to the entrance and his wives took over from there. The current round was not simply elimination but a chance to see where they were weak.

His 9 children were walking through it all without issue but he could see how close they came to failing!

"I have much to learn. This will need further thought." He began to appreciate the records of several Inheritances that seemed harsh but he realized it might be the creator had not been able to test their trials!

The data was helpful while pushing his potential heirs hard.

The final section was a wilderness test. The knowledge they passed would now be put to the application of reality. It was not simply a simulation, but a space he had created temporarily for the purpose of fulfilling the first round of testing.

He gave them a month to survive and the 63 participants did not disappoint. Some formed alliances while others prepared adequately to survive on their own.

There was no wrong answer to the survival test but he did test their ability to apply the tested knowledge to their situations.

He was happy to see what occurred and all 63 passed that time.

[Congratulations. All 63 of you have passed the first round. Ponder on what you have faced and prepare for what is to come.]

He sent out the message and then returned them to the physical world. The testing realm was then dismantled as it had served its purpose.

[Master, it was far more impressive than your original attempt but it could not exist on its own without you,] Haro gave his opinion and he nodded. It was a good test but it depended on his direct support.

"Thank you for that. I am not ready to create a permanent space like that but I am getting valuable data." He smirked as his wives welcomed the exhausted participants once more.

He felt tired as it had taken over ⅔ of his Qi and Laws to sustain the tests.

It gave him a gauge for the simple construct he made and how much he had to invest to create a self-sustaining Inheritance.

What he made in the Heaven Realm was child's play compared to his current projections.

[Many Immortals make the mistake of thinking they know better. You are wise to test your ideas and this search for an heir is a very good method. It is similar to how you would test those coming for your legacy.] Haro spoke up once more and he nodded.

Immortals became arrogant in more ways than one.

They assumed they were masters of their Laws and skills. They needed no testing of their Inheritances and would simply build them without thought to the practical issues.

He had heard of such Inheritances that had a failure rate of nearly 99%!

Many Ruins came into existence because the resources ran out to sustain it as the Immortals failed to recall how weak the lower realms were.

Lind was very young for an Immortal but he learned he too had fallen into those preconceptions.

He was used to his level of strength and the lower realms were not as easy to recall in comparison. He smirked at his failure but glad he was testing his ideas while finding an heir.

The first 2 rounds were easily adjusted for a few issues as it was his fault but still useful. The last test, however, was far more informative of the candidates.

Knowledge was something he valued so the theoretical and practical tests went very well.

He then got up and made for his quarters to cultivate and examine himself more deeply. He had some insights after the trials as well!

⬧⬧⬧⬧

The sound of shattered glass filled a darkened room.

The King of Skulls was reviewing the latest reports and it was all bad! The spirits cursed Golden God Alchemy Sect had lost their minds!

After suffering a major loss of nearly all their Immortals, they chose to try and assault the Rasker City once more!

The ascension pools were now heavily guarded! They stood no chance as they were wiped out!

His large body moved with surprisingly agility as he stormed from his quarters to a meeting room. He had given up on the idiots but his spies reported more issues.

It called for a more subtle action from them.

The dark halls had no sunlight but he still easily made his way through them as if it was the middle of the day.

The oak door was slammed open as he stormed in. A slim woman leapt up and bowed low until he sat across from them.

"The Golden God Alchemy Sect is as good as dead. I understand those demons are acting in the south. What have you got to say for yourselves?" The slim form was green and sapphire colored.

Aether children were not usually free to act on their own but if they did, they were clearly part of a certain organization.

"The Silverblood Sect has made inroads as you stated, Majesty, but they are forced to be far more careful as they are dipping into the former Alliance powers. If not for the, ah, slipup, we could be in a far better position." The King frowned at the man's words.

He did not expect such obvious drivel from them!

His anger must have been clear as the slim aether child then produced a jade slip.

"Rasker is a lost cause but there are other areas we can still apply ourselves. It will also be much faster." The King examined the slip and slowly began to smile. The benefits were clear and proven already!

"What is the price they ask?" He was not a fool. Such good results would not be free!

"My agents already confirmed it is not steep but we have plenty to give. They want souls, Majesty. Where they come from is not important but the number and quality are." The King slowly nodded.

"Have your Iron Blades Guild tell this Widow, we can make a deal." The King was smiling as he left the room but he missed the blank look on the slim aether child's face.

The man left the room before leaving the castle and heading down into the dark underworld of the kingdom. Thieves, murderers, and other horrific things thrived there but the man was not stopped.

Instinct screamed at such people not to impede the figure before they arrived at a seedy tavern. The door was barely on the hinges as they passed through the entrance.

The wasted body of the bartender did not even glance up as the aether child moved past them. They found a door that should have been storage of some kind but opened to a stairwell that led into the ground.

They moved down before kneeling with their head on the ground in front of an altar.

"Mistress, the King has agreed to the deal." He said nothing else but a vile feeling filled the room shortly before a voice cooed into it.

"Hmm, excellent. You have done well. Your sister will live another month. Do not test me and keep up the good work." Widow's voice left him no room to maneuver but he could not fight them!

They were too powerful!

Fiends may not have waged war in that part of the world, but their tendrils ran deep. Now, a seed of horror was starting to bloom.