Lind moved to Oz's quarters after letting the children play with him for a bit. The eting was coming up and the Dawn Imperium would not be quiet about the missing Adan.
The simple quarters were even more spartan than they were initially. The resting area was barren save a mat for cultivating and the bedroom had the bed only. The bath was likely only filled with soap at that rate!
The sole occupant was Adan.
His fine features were twisted in rage but he made not a sound.
"The binding holds his Qi, but why isn't he talking?" Oz shrugged his shoulders at the question.
"Nothing is wrong with him, he just won't talk. I think he wants to really badly but it is almost like he knows what is preventing him." Both n suddenly felt the hairs on their neck stand on end.
"That would be because he wants to yell about . I will need to keep this short as a day is not nearly enough for him to recover." Adan was speaking but the mannerism had changed.
"Senior." Lind cupped his hands and bowed. Even now, he could feel the aura was far superior to his own.
A laugh filled the room but then Adan swiveled to Oz. A massive smile spread as Adan looked earnestly at Oz.
Lind felt it was odd given the usual disdainful looks from the man but the quality his a chord with him.
"You are the wife?" The smile vanished before Lind felt pressure wash over him. Unlike before, however, he was able to resist it. He did not know how, only that his body was more prepared.
"Oh? You really are at the peak. You should not beco a Radiant Tier for obvious reasons but maybe you will live long enough to do so one day." The words inford Lind that the woman was not omniscient.
She only knew what Adan knew it seed.
"Answer
one question and you can spend all the ti you want with Oz." The old man balked but Adan practically beca so focused that Lind thought he would bow under the pressure.
"Ask." The word was not a request but a command.
"Where is the inverted mountain?" The mont the question left his lips the aura in the room changed. A frown crossed Adan's face but then a sigh left him.
"I will not lead such a promising seed to suicide just because of–" The voice froze as she seed to realize sothing. "What has happened? The air feels pure here! It feels like the old days!"
Lind turned to Oz and shrugged once more.
"We did not exactly want to talk near him. Also, I doubt Adan was paying attention. Likely cursing us in his head." A snort ca from Adan to confirm that.
"Are you able to intercept my thoughts?" A nod was all that was needed so Lind swiftly made a concise package of information. A blank look crossed Adan's face before shock crossed it.
A look of awe and wonder followed as Adan looked at Lind. He quickly demonstrated his harmony as the senior could have the true location of his end goal.
"Amazing. The 6 elentals of my mortal realm never amounted to anything but you solved it. You did not hoard this knowledge?" He shook his head and produced the usual copies of his theories and 6 elental Arts.
"I have been fortunate to have the support of wonderful people and other 6 elentals. I also had the good fortune of seniors long gone that left legacies behind that gave clues and ideas to make a better reality." Lind did not add to it as ti was of the essence for them both.
"The inverted mountain is a cursed place once held by the most powerful Fiend forces. Before the Corruption swept the land, they all vanished. We were in the midst of planning a raiding assault on that and other places when the world changed." Adan looked forlorn for a mont before sighing.
"I don't have the exact location but I know where it is roughly. You need to go west and north from here. The lands filled with the Banished Dragon Clan hold the inverted mountain." The words shocked Lind.
Banished Dragon Clan? Why was that the first he had heard of it? The other dragons never ntioned and Teegan had not either. In her case, it was possible she simply did not know but Lind knew the race mory should have sothing.
"A word of warning. The dragons and Fiends are the only issue in that place. It was once a place of vibrant life but an epoch ago it was reduced to ash and no life grows there. No life can endure there. Do you understand?" Lind tilted his head as that sounded damn familiar.
"Sothing like this?" Celestial Qi danced in his palm until an area devoid of all other Qi existed. Adan and Oz were shocked at how easily Lind produced what was described.
"That is not Fiend Qi, what is that?!" Lind felt slight confusion. Celestials had existed long ago but it seed like all knowledge was essentially lost. While wars and the Fiends themselves could have actively worked to make holes in history, the near complete wipe of Celestials was odd.
Further, the area matched the Ruin he first went into so long ago. If it was there, then it was not Fiend Qi but Celestial Qi that demolished the area. Its persistence also spoke of an artifact or natural treasure continuing to flourish despite the transformation of Celestial Qi into Fiend Qi.
He suspected the forr since the latter would have shifted by Heaven's will. The Ruin had remained after all so why not sothing else. It would be the first ti he ever encountered sothing still existing from before the Great One's rise.
The timing, however, seed odd. Only an epoch ago was far too soon from what he had learned.
It was only billions of years but the Fiends had been around far longer than that.
"Sobody tried to use it and it backfired? Only one way to know." He dismissed the small area and life returned instantly. "Nevermind, I can enter such a place as I have before. I will confirm it but if the inverted mountain is there, I can reach it."
Such clear landmarks were excellent. He could find them! He could finally find them!
He frowned as he thought about his companions.
Chu might be able to go but no one else. They would not like that but the effort to keep them safe would beco infeasible if they had to fight.
The strain of protecting Cyntilla back then had been taxing but doable yet they had only been walking! What if they had to fight? He only had so much Qi!
It would take further thought but he also did not want Chu to go for other reasons.
"Thank you, senior. I will leave you with–" He was about to keep his end of the bargain when a pained look passed over Adan.
"Blast. It was too much. Oz, I will be waiting in the place I promised so long ago. I could never find you but I am here! Please co for !" Adan shifted once more and an enraged look crossed his face.
"RELEASE ! You filthy people have no right to hold–" The instant Adan looked at Oz his mouth slamd shut.
"Ah, I see. A geass is on your soul. Your body is linked to hers and she protects you from the Corruption's effects to a point. Radiant Tiers would be far more resilient even with the tainted Qi. In exchange, however, she gets to use your body like a puppet to protect your life or perhaps to maintain whatever keeps her safe." Lind knelt down with a sneer as he looked at Adan.
The man tried to move back but could not due to the bindings.
"She is in charge, isn't she?" Adan wanted to shake his head but his muscles went rigid. It confird the nature of their relationship.
Lind then wove a sound and sight ward around Adan. He noticed it was far easier than before and used far less soul power.
He was liking the changes but had no ti to explore them.
"Oz, who is that woman?" The old man seed shaken, as if he had seen a ghost but then a small smile crept up his cheeks.
"I told you I was not always an assassin and that the current leader of the Divine Sword Sect tossed
out because I disobeyed him?" Lind nodded wondering what it had to do with the current events.
"I was given an order to hunt down what I was told was a wicked sect assassin. She had nearly killed him and I was the best at finding people in the Divine Sword Sect. I found her in the dium power of Atlantia. It is a wonderful place and protected by our sect." Oz smiled warmly at the mory before becoming grim.
"I found the woman easily. She was not even hiding and it only took a glance to know my orders were fishy. Still, it would not be the first ti a wicked sect could hide their true colors. I engaged in a duel." Oz summoned the cracked dagger once more and gently caressed it.
"We fought for weeks but it was not a bloody duel. No, I felt alive. I felt like I had found the answer to many questions of my soul. We smiled at each other in excitent as we danced on the edge of life and death. Fighting soone tells you everything about them and I knew the woman in front of
was not a wicked person." Oz then put the dagger away before looked at Adan in pity.
"She would not be against using shady thods to survive but she has a bottomline. That includes being chased by a man she has no interest in. That old coot tried to threaten her sect sisters as she ca from a subordinate power but she nearly took his head clean off!" Oz laughed but then beca sad.
"When I was kicked out for trying to reveal the truth, she did not react calmly. She beca a Radiant Tier and terrorized the man. Still, the rules stopped her from going too far as the Divine Sword Sect has plenty of those too. He was only an elder back then but they would protect him without proof. She tried to find
but I had my own ideas for revenge." The cold look in his eyes made it clear Oz only ant to enact his own revenge.
"May I know who she is?" He nodded before glancing at Adan once more.
"Seducer of Stars Immortal. The best swordswoman I ever knew." A Dao title was a bit distant but Lind suspected her na was only for Oz to know. He patted the shoulder of the old man and noted he would have a journey to go on.
It gave him so ideas but more information would be needed. He had a eting to prepare for and a future of an entire kingdom to preside over.
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