Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 939 - 938 - Broken Dreams

Mortal Lind looked at the empty mountain. Sebastian was laying at the foot of his throne in the throes of a delusion. It was not his doing, but the boy's own mind having a severe reaction.

If he was still a cultivator, fatal Qi deviation would have occurred.

The moment Abby solidified her choice, the trial was over. Sebastian had thought he had won but the reality was far from it. When confronted with that revelation, it broke him.

"How long will we keep him here?" It felt odd to ask himself a question but in a real sense, he was separated from that part. He looked up to see the emerald hair and eye version of himself float down before frowning.

"If we take him back, he will die before even we could save him. Still, he cannot recover like this." The Mortal Lind nodded before he knelt down and easily picked up the boy.

Unlike his original body, the trial version had the strength of almost 10 men.

He had no Qi or Arts but pure physical strength. He was the moderator of the trial, nothing more.

"Why did you give them that hint at the end?" Immortal Lind asked as it was not in his original plans.

Mortal Lind smiled and shrugged.

"You had made this place to remind them they would always be mortal underneath but you forgot something basic. The whole point of the trials was to find an heir but an heir cannot be a carbon copy of us. We forge our own paths." Immortal Lind arched an eyebrow before a chagrined look crossed his face.

"It was not useless though, to refine them this way?" Both Linds nodded in agreement on that point.

"We have much to do. Fix the boy and merge us back." Mortal Lind seemed strangely in charge but Immortal Lind could only smile. He deserved the humility as his Qi and Laws carefully began to work on Sebastian's mind.

It was delicate work but easy for him to fix a Sky Realm mind.

⬧⬧⬧⬧

The air tore open and a bloody and sweat covered Sebastian was unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

Surprise covered most faces save one.

The light young woman had been replaced by a much fuller figure but still fairly thin. Her red and black hair stood out to him as it had finally grown back in once Qi was restored to her body.

Lind emerged before the space safely collapsed behind him. A few materials were collected but nothing else remained of the special realm he had created.

"Treat him for Qi deviation but check for a heart demon as well. I have done what I can for him. " The healers bowed in their white robes before taking Sebastian away on an artifact in the shape of a disc.

"Lydia, your brother will recover but he will not be the heir. He lost his way at the end. What he chooses to be will need a bit of contemplation and possibly starting over his cultivation. Guard him well as always." The rail thing girl smiled sadly before bowing low and hopping on her sword to follow the artifact.

"Yuve and Yuva, your techniques are excellent but I trust you see the glaring weakness now?" The twins bowed low before quickly leaving as well. They simply chose to run but it was still a mirrored gait of each other.

He watched them leave before slowly turning to face Abby.

"I know I made the right choice but then why me? Why am I the one you chose?" He laughed at her words.

"You have it backwards. I did not choose you. You chose yourself." He stepped over to her as the knee high grass parted yet left no sign of his passing. The blue sky was starting to turn crimson as the sun set.

He tore through space and took her to his office. No one else was there and he sealed the wards as he had much to discuss.

"Take a seat. I will make some tea." Abby looked nervous at his invitation but quickly went to the dark leather couches around the short wooden table in the middle of the large office. Shelves full of jade slips, scrolls, and even maps drew her eyes but she asked no questions.

They quietly sat and enjoyed the tea as Lind let her collect her thoughts.

"I do not want to be the heir. I have not changed my mind." He smiled as he sipped at the minty tea. It was Cooling Shade Tea. It was a simple tea to relax and recover mental stamina.

"I know, but you are the heir. Do you understand why?" She shook her head as her now very dark eyes looked confused. He noticed a thin trace of crimson in the vertical slits.

She poured a new cup of tea and added a cube of sugar to it. The sugar was just that, a simple sweetener, but even cultivators have a sweet tooth.

"I understood I wanted to prove I was worthy but at the end, I did not want to replace you. I am me and you are you, Founder. I can never become you so how can I be the heir?" Lind smiled wide before nodding.

"You all misunderstand what I want. I had to learn myself what I was looking for. Compared to how I started, I learned a similar person would not be a wise thing to have. I needed someone that was their own person." He smirked as he recalled her coming to his tent to try and withdraw from the trials.

"In the future, you can decide how you want to choose an heir. The trials I created will never happen again. I also will not restrict it to a blood relative if that helps." Shock crossed Abby's face!

How could a non-Clan member possibly lead them?!

"No one would accept that!" She practically shouted but he waved at her to calm down.

"Not my problem. However, no Clan can endure forever. Everything can fall from the great heights they once held. The history you were taught should show that. The Fiends were not the only cause of powers to vanish from the realms." She nodded slowly.

Wars were not the only cause of collapse. Ineptitude, rebellions, and even just the loss of talent would cause once great powers to shatter and vanish.

"So, what exactly will my duties be?" Lind was happy at her question. It meant she was willing to accept it.

"Obviously, I will teach you many things but I will also have you learn from your grandmothers the various lessons they once taught me. In return, you will also show me how you wish to rule the Clan. The restrictions on Immortals means you will become the face of the Clan." Abby swallowed hard as she began to grasp he was serious.

"Will I ever get to simply walk the garden and crystal farm again?" He shook his head.

"Part of growing up or cultivating is to realize dreams will break. You cannot hold onto a static existence unless you are dead. Even if you were not chosen, that life would end one day." Abby slowly nodded as she acknowledged the truth of his words.

Her dream had always been impossible. Not even mortals could cling to the dreams of comfort they found. Life never stopped and both internal or external factors would alter the path they were on.

Abby closed her eyes and recalled her bloodline.

"Did you know my bloodline would awaken?" Lind shook his head.

"The Mortal Mountain was a unique trial that would push your bloodline to respond but I felt it. You are the first to awaken my dragon blood from just a human start. I suspect there will be others. I will help you understand what is to come in the future." She blushed to realize it had always been there but would have likely stopped her advancing if not awakened properly.

"What am I then?" She was still human in form but she could feel the power in her veins. She also felt the desire to fly very strongly.

As if reading her mind, he held out his hand and pulled her up. They walked to a balcony and looked out over the Clan.

"Follow the feeling in your heart. It will be the first step." Lind then stepped back and saw her think for a time before the sun set and the lights of the city lit up the skyline.

Abby closed her eyes and a feeling resonated with Lind as she slowly flew up! A smile bloomed as she shot skyward like a bullet!

He easily stayed with her but he noticed her skin shifted to scales much like his once did using his dragon abilities.

Her speed was nothing to write home about nor was she able to maneuver easily, but she was flying at the Sky Realm!

The pair flew for a short time before he had to swoop in and catch her as she was exhausted.

"It takes it out of you if you overdo it. Practice and you will be able to enjoy flight immensely. Lessons will come but for now, let's master your dragon powers." He was truly curious what she could do, but the focus would be preparing her to assume her duties.

It would be a few decades before things settled but Abby would lead the Frey Clan in the future. He would then focus on his advancement and creating his Immortal Inheritance. He had learned a great deal from the trials and now just had to make it.

The future would unfold and hopefully he could find out what the other layers were like. His ultimate goal remained unchanged as his face flickered to a grim look.

In his eyes was the dark shadow with white eyes. He would kill that thing, no matter what!