novelraw Chapter 983 - 982 - The Other Side of the Desk
Chapter 983 - 982 - The Other Side of the Desk
The sect was a wonder of nature. The trees and plains had been left in place and incorporated into the design.
The pathways and roads were far more organic than a strictly laid out blueprint yet Lind never felt inconvenienced. They came to some stables where they put up the horses and left the carriage.
Lind made sure to leave a few surprises as his instincts kept telling him something was off. The Thunderhooves also let him place a few weavings on them.
Their trust in him was unbreakable at that point and he patted their heads. He promised himself to make them more powerful if he could.
Their guide let them deeper into the sect until they came to an open auditorium. It was exposed to the air and the seats were a combination of grassland and fallen trees. He would have suspected they were planted in place but the gentle slope showed where old damage from lightning strikes was clear even to his eyes.
"This is the place we allow guests to give a sermon. Does it meet with your approval?" Lind did not nod right away. His feeling of unease had heightened as they approached this place but he could not place why.
It was not danger but it was not simply discomfort either. He then snapped his fingers closed on a nearly invisible thread at his eye level.
"Ah, the Cloud Spiders have hatched!" The beast was happy but Lind was stunned to feel a sting in his fingers! The spider silk had cut his fingers! "Give me one moment, Maester Cord!"
"Master, what are those Cloud Spiders?" Sorcha asked but Felica was the one who excitedly answered.
"They are precious arachnids due to the spidersilk they make that can float perfectly in midair. They are so light they can create intricate paths and natural formations that are easily grade 3!" Lind nodded but narrowed his eyes as 3 more threads came into his range.
They were being isolated!
[If you continue, I will kill you all.] He sent out his message and the threads froze. The threads then fell back and he noticed the beast seemed disappointed. Something was very wrong here!
"Myr, that is enough of your games. Go back to your room." A man suddenly seemed to appear from the air but Lind appreciated it was a type of camouflage effect rather than illusion. The man was in good shape but not overly muscled.
His hair was cut short but still neatly tied back. It was a pale blonde with gray eyes.
"I was merely guiding the Maester–" None were prepared for the backhand the man gave the beast.
"You were to guide them but you brought them to the active nest of Cloud Spiders to see them bleed. Do not hide your nature from me." Felicia and Sorcha ducked behind Lind but he felt things were not as they seemed.
Myr had been suspicious but not malicious. He slowly looked around and understanding flooded him.
"Each are true to their nature." Both men froze and looked at him in surprise.
"Maester Cord has excellent comprehension ability." A familiar woman's voice made the 2 men kneel while the girls followed suit. Lind, however, took in the older woman.
She was serene but underneath it was the feeling of violence waiting to be unleashed.
He nodded in understanding as it became clear.
"The duality of nature is followed by all of you. Creation and destruction but still a cohesive cooperation as insects and animals are part of the life cycle of plants." It was chaotic but a broad smile came from the older woman.
The 2 men seemed stunned.
"Myr, you were warned not to endanger Maester Cord but you ignored it. Punishment will come later." The beast nodded and Lind understood.
"You are not a dragon but a Shadow Stalker Rattler." Myr was now truly shocked.
"How did you discern that, Maester Cord?" The Sect Master asked him and he felt it was ironic. How often did he teach others with such a method?
"Even if his parent was a dormant divine bloodline, his transformation is not sickened or showing any other issues. I once lived with the tribes of Illusion Pythons and they could assume a humanoid form with their gifts." Lind then snapped his fingers as Myr jumped up!
It was at that moment his tail was exposed showing it was wrapped up to make it quiet!
"The Shadow Stalker Rattler shares a similar gift of imitating an unobtrusive sound or safe background noise before striking its target. The Cloud Spider is also known to live in harmony with them." She nodded with a wide smile.
"Very good! You 2 are dismissed." She sternly dismissed the 2 men who left quickly.
"The auditorium really is where we hold sermons. It has grown over time with the felling of trees by lightning or rot. We care for them so they are quite powerful trees when they die." He slowly nodded but then finally felt the threat fade.
"Is the sect all like that?" She nodded as she felt no disdain in his voice. He glanced at the 2 girls in concern. "Do not wander far from me. There are 2 more dangerous insects here."
The Sect Master was surprised but then happy.
"They are used to humans, so they will not attack." Lind flashed his scales and pointed at Felicia.
"Both of us carry beast blood in our bodies. Can you certify those words will hold?" The woman frowned but then shrugged.
"That is harder to say as each bloodline is treated differently. In your case, Maester Cord, you will be fine. Junior Felicia should be fine but she will need to rein in her scent better." Felicia blushed deeply but Lind was not amused.
"I understand nature is objective but cruelty like that is far more human." The sect master frowned but then nodded.
"We invited you, so that is fair. Please, come with me." She turned and the trio followed after her.
He finally grasped the problem he was having. It was not just Myr but the entire sect likely had the duality of nature. He realized how powerful they could be if they stripped away the lies all people lived by to be civilized.
Progress meant suppressing basic instincts which was not bad but could include accepting the negative aspects of a personality. Anger abused was bad but denying anger was not good either.
By pursuing nature, the Eternal Blossom Sect would not yield to such a convention.
Still, they had to work together and had done so successfully to become a peak sect.
The structures improved as they moved inward but it was the quality of materials, not the design that changed. Fusion with trees and some open designs as well where a massive bed of herbs and flowers were free to take in the sunlight.
The pragmatic side of him found it highly inefficient but the Laws and natural formation strength was so impressive, he could not deny their results.
The massive tree loomed over them as the sect master commanded wind to carry her up. It was not only her doing the work as the natural formation near the tree took the load as well.
Lind found it interesting but decided to try something.
"Hold on to me." Both girls grabbed onto him and he encircled them with his arms. It was safer than the normal way he would do it but based on his previous testing, it was necessary.
Not a whisper of wind came as the trio lifted into the air. Every Immortal, including the Sect Master froze. Flying had been lost for over a million years. Whole continents had collapsed when the Corruption spread across the lands, yet now an Immortal was flying!
The rumors about Maester Taren Cord took on credibility even more!
Lind felt his Qi draining like a torrent but his draconic stamina was not much better. He was using his Qi to secure the girls and reduce their weight by manipulating gravity.
Both were in wonder as they rose into the sky until he came to an area that was clearly inhabited by the Sect Master. He saw a desk had been built and some branches were well placed to act as seats or a table depending on how they were used.
He felt quite tired but had used half his crystal worth of Qi to get all 3 of them up there. It was more inefficient than he had realized but better than anyone else could do.
It was also the first time the Sect Master looked at him with extreme greed. The gift of flight was taken for granted by Immortals who could remember it so when it was lost, they felt less.
"It seems you have much to teach us, Maester Cord." Lind could only dash her hopes.
"I am afraid this was an unexpected benefit I cannot replicate at the moment. I have tried but thus far I am unable to pull it off." She seemed to grasp his frustration and nodded but hope bloomed that he was working on it.
"Very well, let us discuss what we expect and see if we can accommodate your needs while you are here." The trio took a seat on the branch to her left and negotiations began.