Chapter 423 — The Last Echo in the Darkness

Dang— A long, resonant bell note came through the air, striking out in all directions; then the bell note went mute. Creation's Gathering of Divine Beauty had become a sound never to be heard again.

The light in the sky gradually dispersed; after the eruption came the darkness seeping in, slowly, from all sides. At last that star fell.

The Protector Elder bowed his head and said no more.

He was waiting for dawn, to gather the bodies of the two old men. In the sky, the eighteen stars paused for a moment, then went on their way east.

The Wasteland. The God-Severing Mountains.

On the snowy peak, the mountains sharp as knives and white with snow, a line of flood-dragons came flying swiftly toward that place.

The wind was strong, blowing the whiskers and manes of these dragons back in streaming banners.

Beside Shen Mu, Si Yunxiang was using the Heart-Vision Mirror to contact the young Patriarch; the Holy Maiden of the Dark Demon Cult stared blankly, lost in thought, then abruptly said to Shen Mu, as if out of nowhere, "The Patriarch says he isn't coming back. He says you needn't think of him.

" Shen Mu was taken aback. Granny Zhu turned her head away and quietly wiped the corners of her eyes.

"That old fellow.

He's gone before us.

" Li Zheng was stunned a moment, then sighed: "Still so impatient, after all.

" The God-Severing Mountains drew nearer and nearer; beyond them lay the Wasteland, shrouded in darkness. There, streaks of starlight moved across the sky, drawing toward this side.

"Shen'er, halt on the mountain!

" Li Zheng said suddenly.

At Shen Mu's command the flood-dragons slowed, stretching out their bodies, their claws digging into the knife-edged mountains, and came to a stop.

Their manes streamed, their bodies supple and strong; they crushed the Xuanji crossbows on the mountain one after another.

The snow was white, the mountain black, but these dragons were some white, some black, and others red, sapphire, and colors of every kind.

Precious light bloomed from their hides — the radiance bursting from the natural runes that flowed along a dragon's body — staining the snow in other hues.

"Let this battle be fought here.

" Li Zheng looked around.

"What do you all think of this place? " Kun Wang surveyed the surroundings. "Very good.

Only a bit cold.

" Tu Xingfeng leapt down from a dragon's back, tightened his clothes, and muttered, "This damned place — cold as ever.

The underground's warmer.

Emperor Shen, if you ever go down to the subterranean world of our Earthwalker clan, it'll open your eyes wide.

Our underground world is jade-glaze everywhere; great crystals hang from the vault, some six-sided, some eight-sided, clustered together like bouquets.

The lava light plays on them — beautiful beyond words.

And underground there are all sorts of plants that grow in the lava, tasting wonderful, like a fiery strong wine on the tongue — it burns the throat, but the aftertaste lingers. . .

" "Stop it. " The Teng Serpent on Xuan Shengwu's shoulder swallowed hard. "You've made me hungry. " Tu Xingfeng lifted his head and looked at the stars racing nearer and nearer, gripped his great horned hammer, and murmured, "I wonder if there'll be another chance to go back underground and taste that once more.

Our underground world has Blazing Fruits too, fruits bred from the geomagnetic vital force, and that flavor.

.

.

" Li Zheng looked at Shen Mu. "Shen'er, take these dragons and your little wife down the mountain. There's nothing for you here. Just remember to come and collect the bodies tomorrow. " Shen Mu nodded, called the flood-dragons to him, and led Si Yunxiang, Xue Hu'er, and Yan Jingjing down the mountain. In the sky, star after star drew closer and closer. "Are we to just stand by and watch them fight and kill for Jingping? " Si Yunxiang was unwilling to accept it.

"What can we do?

Is there truly nothing we can do?

" "We can go to the Wasteland! " Light flickered in Shen Mu's eyes. "We can go and find the Dawn Boat and the Soul Boat!

The only problem now is that this darkness blocks our way. But we still have one great bodyguard.

Where is the Dragon Emperor of the Surging River? " "The Dragon King is here!

" Below the God-Severing Mountains the river waters churned; out of the darkness a giant dragon rose from the water and coiled upon the river's surface, lowering its enormous head: "What does my lord command?

"