From the valley came a deafening roar. Though the Luminous Sacred Dragon had lost its divine abilities, on this untamed island it remained a fearsome beast of considerable power. If driven into a frenzy, it could sweep through forests and shatter mountain valleys without difficulty. Yet even such a creature now found itself in dire straits.
A brilliant silver light shot into the sky. The Luminous Sacred Dragon burst from the valley and circled above the treetops, bellowing in fury. It seemed to be searching for something, diving down again and again, casting vast shadows as it swept its blade-like wings across the forest. Great swaths of trees were flattened. Beasts fled in every direction, filling the air with panicked roars.
Finally, it flew over the Death Swamp, still roaring without pause. Its massive body stirred gales that sent dead leaves flying and shook the ancient trees rooted in the mire. Yet it did not linger long there before roaring off into the distance.
Xiao Chen pushed hard at Yanluo King and Qinguang King, but the two skeletons did not stir. All three lay stiff as common bones, feigning death. Only after a long while, when the region had fallen completely silent, did the three skulls cautiously sit up.
Flexing their joints, the peerless skeletons crowded around Xiao Chen, then settled beneath the enormous tree, gazing up at the little sacred tree rooted in its trunk. Within their skulls, the light of their souls flickered and danced. At last, they drew upon the radiance emanating from the sacred tree, pulling it through their eye sockets into their craniums.
The sacred sapling was wreathed in multicolored light, but the skeletons drew only a single jet-black beam—the light flowing from the leaf that glittered like ink-jade. That leaf, crystalline and dark as polished obsidian, gave off an aura the skeletons craved. They labored to absorb the luster of the ink-jade leaf.
This truly was a sacred tree!
Xiao Chen marveled inwardly. He too began to circulate his profound art, attempting to draw upon the brilliant radiance.
At once, the gloomy swamp blazed with light. Colored rays shone, and luminous mist billowed. From the two jade-like leaves, a milky white beam and a jet-black beam rose together, cascading into Xiao Chen’s body like rippling water. Two gentle flows of divine splendor enveloped him. His entire being felt warm and utterly comfortable. His organs, flesh, and bones seemed to undergo a holy baptism as the purest primal energy circulated slowly.
Xiao Chen and the three skeletons sank into a wondrous trance, steadily yet effectively absorbing the most pristine vitality. At last, the light gradually dimmed. The watery luster withdrew, and they all awakened.
The little tree still shimmered with colored light, but the giant trunk in which it had taken root had lost all life.
The towering tree, which would have taken five or six men to encircle, had gone completely lifeless. Cracks split its once-upright trunk. The green leaves had withered to yellow and were falling with the wind. In mere moments the ancient tree, which had brimmed with life, had died completely.
Xiao Chen was astounded. The three skeletons, however, remained perfectly calm, as if they had expected this. They uprooted the little tree with ease and pressed it against a neighboring giant tree. Brilliant light began to flow once more.
No explanation was needed. The little tree absorbed its vast vitality through the giant tree, and Xiao Chen and the three skeletons had indirectly drained the giant tree’s essence.
A miraculous little tree. A fearsome little tree.
The three skeletons seemed reluctant to stop, still wanting to draw more of the black light from the ink-jade leaf. Xiao Chen stopped them. It was time to act. The matter of Guluo and Zhao Lin’er could not be delayed. They had to resolve it soon.
He concealed the sapling in a dark corner of the swamp, and then set out with the three skeletons.
The dense primeval forest echoed with the howls of apes and the roars of tigers. Fierce beasts were everywhere. This was a terrifying island fraught with danger at every turn.
Following the direction they had deduced, Xiao Chen and the skeletons pressed on.
But after half a day, they found not a single clue.
In the afternoon, as they passed through a mountain range, they heard a thunderous roar ahead. A great waterfall hung like a river of silver pouring down from the heavens, sending up a vast white curtain of water. The sound was deafening. The cascade fell halfway down the mountain, surrounded by mist—a truly spectacular sight.
One could not help but marvel at the magnificence of Dragon Island, sealed as it was from the outside world.
As Xiao Chen neared the waterfall, he spotted two familiar figures.
Yan Qingcheng, peerlessly beautiful, stood before the magnificent waterfall. Her tall, graceful figure was clad in flowing purple robes, indescribably ethereal and agile. Her enchanting silhouette seemed like a dream.
Beside her stood Rand, the God-Blessed Curse Master, with his brilliant golden hair shining like a sun. The two were unmatched in beauty and transcendent in aura. They appeared perfectly matched, a harmonious pairing.
Misty water vapor drifted slowly. Xiao Chen halted. Behind him, the three skeletons concealed themselves in the forest, sensing danger.
Clearly, Yan Qingcheng, standing on the high cliff, had already spotted Xiao Chen. The drifting mist made her seem otherworldly, but her brief glance at Xiao Chen held undisguised contempt. It was not deliberate—it was the direct reaction of her heart. Without outsiders present, she had no need to hide her feelings.
“People should know their place. Staying within one’s bounds is the only way to survive. The Ancestral Dragon and the companion dragon are not prey for just anyone to contend for!” Yan Qingcheng’s voice was beautiful, but her tone was ice-cold.
Being scorned by a woman of devastating beauty—Xiao Chen could not pretend to be unmoved. Her words carried implicit killing intent. He felt a pang of humiliation. If he could, he would draw his sword and advance!
But he was no reckless fool, nor a hot-blooded youth.
In this world, many things had to be endured even when unbearable. Now was not the time for impulsive anger. He had only recently arrived in the World of Immortality and could not make enemy after enemy. Most importantly, he did not have the strength to fight two experts at once.
“I have no interest in the Ancestral Dragon or the companion dragon. I only wish to explore this island. If a ship leaves, I will depart with it immediately.”
No comments:
Post a Comment