Lind was shocked at a few things. The fact Ryl could read in itself was not too stunning, but the inscriptions had been formations! They were full of intent and purpose.

Grasping arrays was not impossible, yet instead, Ryl figured out how to make the words they wanted! That was far harder! That took real intelligence but the simple sentences also told him there was a limit.

The contradiction meant Ryl could sift patterns and grasp them but it was a natural gift rather than true though!

Of course! The natural ability to cast illusions and extreme agility would require a mind to be powerful in seeing patterns quickly. The speeds at which Ryl moved were impossible without such a powerful mind!

Ryl, however, was still a child. Despite centuries passing, they were very much still a small child by the standards of dragons.

The simple structure of the sentences confirmed that as well as the use of the word ’play.’ If Ryl saw their current lifestyle as pure fun, it meant they could not yet comprehend the complexity of the world.

Lind was forced to re-think how he viewed Ryl and was reminded that just because they demonstrated incredible power, did not equate to growing up. A beast could be horrifyingly powerful and still be a child.

The main difference was how much of their instincts they could control. Ryl had some impulse control yet they clearly disliked his research sessions for himself. They wanted to play forever as in hunting, eating, and sleeping.

He patted their head and it made them whisk their tail so hard a small gust was generated.

"You have impressed me. You did well." His words were understood clearly as he could feel the muscles in Ryl flex as it wanted to leap up and jump around. He pulled back his hand and Ryl did circles around him.

Lind then became somewhat serious as he now had a frame of reference.

If Ryl was still infantile and essentially reaching the toddler level mentally, he could gauge that they had a lifespan far longer than he expected of either bloodline.

The third bolt at the end of the tribulation came back to him. The blending of the 2 bloodlines was clearly still in progress. What was Ryl becoming? Heaven and Earth were fair but he had assumed that balance for life had been blunted by the inability to reproduce.

What was happening to Ryl seemed similar to what happened to beast souled humans or demons. If a beast bloodline acknowledged a human or demon, they could be given a chance under extreme conditions to change their race from the soul outward.

His body had slowly changed as he progressed in his cultivation. Ryl was not like him, however, in that they absorbed 2 contrarian bloodlines.

The closest he could compare them to was Chu. Her race was a mix of dragon and tiger but he had no idea if it was his harmony that allowed her to reclaim that ancient bloodline.

Ryl was not as compatible for several reasons. Shadow dragons and shadow tigers had an obvious overlap that could allow a synergy and create a new race.

Snow dragons and wolves had zero overlap. Perhaps Ryl was not just growing up but maturing into a whole new race?

He did not like that entirely as Ryl seemed happy. Was their will being taken into account or was it the cost of being alive? If the latter was the foundation of the change, Lind could hardly complain.

He did not want Ryl to die. Yet, he wanted Ryl to understand what was happening to them.

That was easier said than done. Ryl had some grasp of the world but it quickly became clear that what did not interest them was not worth storing in their mind.

He sighed as that was classic small toddler mentality. He actually felt nostalgic as he began to use the tried and truth method since parents raised children for eternity. You had to trick them with new methods to get a lesson across!

Ryl was a beast so toys and other normal methods were off the table. Lind actually found it challenging as his own children had become somewhat more intelligent by the World Realm so that had worked for them.

Lind, instead, had to set up games. He created races, labyrinths, and other physical games that Ryl could participate in but were not straightforward hunting.

Ryl loved them. In fact, Lind had to get rather complicated before he found the limit of what Ryl could do. He actually had to construct a full dungeon before Ryl showed they had to think and learn.

The result was quite pleasing as it challenged Lind too. He was having to think in new ways he had never considered before.

He no longer tried to dig up the past but contemplated the present. The bottleneck on his Mystery had loosened! He could feel it. He was on the right track at last!

He did not yet know what it was but he realized he had been tunnelvisioned. He had been so obsessed with power and grasping the truth of the Divine Lands that he had neglected the simple fact that many of the most powerful Origin Mysteries were more mundane than any could believe.

They sounded like common sense with just the words but his thoughts behind them were what made them powerful. Lind had to figure out what it was that he was being drawn to but the progress was enough for the moment.

Instead, he planned out several more complicated games for later. His skill in Forging and weaving allowed him a massive amount of leeway to create things no one else really could.

He made artifacts that Ryl could put their claws on both flat and use more delicate work with their claws.

He also tested illusions with some of Annabelle’s formation plates. Her work was the current gold standard for just about everyone in the field.

If Ryl could pierce her illusions, it would give him a very good idea of how to stimulate them going forward.

The pair lost themselves in the fun that they did not realize it was drawing attention. Lind only noticed when he was sitting back as Ryl was currently in a kind of crystalized puzzle race.

They had to solve the crystal patterns or pierce an illusion to progress. Ryl had shown a remarkable learning curve in that regard.

Illusions from Annabelle were still far too hard, but everything else was only a matter of time. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Lind glanced to the south where clouds were gathering. They were not natural. He sighed as the peaceful life had been wonderful for the last few centuries.

Ryl was too weak to feel it but his aura was easily able to sense them. There was no malicious intent but that was not the only intent Lind would find annoying.

He flew up into the sky and waited as the clouds moved in. Eventually, they parted to reveal 3 people.

One had horns similar to Ryl but clearly of a much purer snow dragon bloodline. Their pure white eyes and robes were as crisp as fresh snow.

His skin was not pale, however but nearly a deep azure. Despite taking human form, he had stopped at the minimum needed only.

The other 2 women with him were similar. The middle woman was the shortest by far, barely at Lind’s waist yet he felt her strength. She was clearly also a Master Tier. She was not a dragon but some kind of avian.

Her robes were soft brown and her eyes were those of a predator. Small and powerful bird? Maybe a version of an eagle or hawk?

A beast need not be divine to gain power.

The other woman was a bit more willowly. Her hair was not separate from her body. It fused and became part of her back. Her almond shaped eyes and deep gold skin made him think of something native to the Northern Continent in the distant past.

"A jian?" The woman blinked before she smiled. She was a composite existence! A jian only had 1 wing and needed a partner to fly.

When they ascended, it was possible that they would fuse into a single being. He had only heard of it as it was rare.

So the jian had returned to the Northern Continent with its changes.

The one before him had to be from the other landmasses as it had not been long enough for a Master Tier to ascend naturally there.

The ice related beasts certainly had the range and time, but 2 of the 3 were clearly from far away.

"Why are you protecting the abomination?" The man spoke. He was then slammed into the soil as Lind’s fist fractured his ribs as well as broke arm. None of the 3 were able to track him at all.

A little time manipulation was the easiest way to catch someone off guard.

"Anyone else care to share an opinion?" The 2 women seemed to consider carefully before shaking their heads.

"His words are not ours. He has been whining about it as we followed you. We are more interested in what you are doing out here, Divine Lord Frey?" The jian spoke. Her voice was slightly distorted but smooth.

Lind looked at Ryl who was happily oblivious thanks to being in the middle of the puzzle.

"What I want to do is my business. What do you 3 want from me?" The man was out cold but the 2 women seemed to accept his declaration. He waited before the stout woman finally snorted.

"There has been a murder. Normally it would not be an issue but it was a Master Tier. We do not know how they died." Lind was confused. If a Master Tier died, they would fade. What did they want?

He sighed and knew his journey was going to be derailed once again.