Chapter 309 — Pulling Each Other Down

And ahead of the treasure ship, that enormous statue, half its body buried deep in the earth, was shaking too; the black stone upon it was blasted flying in all directions, smashing against the surrounding cliffs and cracking the rock walls with crack after crack — a terrifying sight!

Where the black stone fell from this statue, the hue of flesh and blood emerged as well, as though a petrified deity were about to awaken!

Ban Gongcuo rejoiced inwardly. He knew many hidden secrets unknown to others, and of the Wild Ruins he knew a great deal besides. In one of his past lives, while roaming the Wild Ruins, he had discovered a place of treasure, and while exploring it had met with an inconceivable turn of events.

At that time there had been a seal within the treasure place; he had thought there must surely be some earth-shaking treasure within, but never expected that when he forcibly broke the seal, what was sealed inside was no treasure but a demon god!

Yet just when he thought death was certain, a divine-beast statue placed in that treasure place suddenly changed from stone into flesh, as though the beast god had come back to life, and beat the demon god that was about to devour him half to death, sealing it once more.

Afterward, the divine beast returned to its stone platform, its body gradually petrifying until it became a stone sculpture again.

From that time on, Ban Gongcuo seldom set foot in the Wild Ruins; he knew that too many secrets, too many perils and deadly traps lay buried there, and that a single misstep could bring a death most inexplicable.

But this time, he was borrowing the uncanniness of the Wild Ruins to contend against this mysterious being!

The treasure ship was already lodged within the honeycomb seal; if the ship were moved, the seal would be broken, and then those gods and demons who had set the seal in those years would revive from their stone-statue state!

In this way, he could dissolve the peril before him!

Judging by the violent shaking coming from outside, matters were proceeding just as he had foreseen; soon the reviving statues would clash with this fearsome being that controlled them, and it would have no leisure to spare him a thought!

And he, too, could obtain this treasure ship, and this silver helmet that controlled it!

Sure enough, the trembling outside grew fiercer still. Though he could not see the scene, from the waves of collision he could imagine it: the reviving statues had discovered this fearsome being and were locked in combat with it!

"Ha ha ha, this ship is mine at last..."

Boom —

Before his laughter had died away, a fist slammed hard into his chest; the helmet flew from his head. Shen Mu, one hand seizing the silver helmet's red tassel, sent Ban Gongcuo flying with a punch and laughed aloud.

Ban Gongcuo flew into a rage; one after another the flying locusts rose with a buzzing of wings and attacked Shen Mu.

Shen Mu raised his hand; the Carefree Sword, with the other flying swords, blocked the locusts' assault, while he moved toward the cabin door. Ban Gongcuo guarded the door, his face full of murderous intent, striking to kill without mercy.

The two clashed once more, trading a thousand blows in an instant, when suddenly the treasure ship gave a gentle lurch and slipped free of the shattered honeycomb seal, falling into the dark world of Youdu.

Both were startled and hurried to look beyond the bridge. They saw the ship floating in the gloom, drifting silently, and behind it the honeycomb seal was crumbling away, its glowing honeycombs going out one after another, farther and farther from them.

Shen Mu hastily put on the helmet and tried to steer the treasure ship back. The honeycomb seal was their gateway out of the world of Youdu; if they drifted into the world of Youdu, no one knew what perils they might meet.

But no sooner had he put on the silver helmet than Ban Gongcuo struck him a heavy blow, sending him flying hard against the porthole; and the silver helmet was snatched off by Ban Gongcuo and placed on his own head.

Shen Mu sent a sword flying out and flipped Ban Gongcuo up; the next instant he flashed to Ban Gongcuo's side and snatched off the silver helmet.

The two landed and glared viciously at each other. Suddenly the last honeycomb seal shattered, its light vanished, and the treasure ship moved; both felt a chill in their hearts, for neither knew where the entrance to the real world might be.

"It's all your fault!" Shen Mu and Ban Gongcuo said in one voice.