Volume Four: A Gale Sweeps Away the Clouds and Dust; The Four Continents Sink Beneath the Waves Chapter Nineteen: Reunion

A towering wave crashed toward the army of the Cloud-Crowned Heavenly Palace.

Lin Bai rode the Crimson Beast and swung the Primordial Blade in his hand, sending a searing surge of force straight into the oncoming swell. There was a sharp hiss, and countless sprays of vapor rose at once, veiling the people before them in a misty haze.

Beside him, Qin Ying, mounted on the Seven-Colored Vermilion Bird, struck out with a palm and dispersed the water vapor in front of her. Muttering, she said, “On such a fair and sunny day, how could there be a wave like that? Could it be a volcanic eruption under the sea?”

“Right beneath us lies the Dragon Palace. If Lin Xiaoyun’s Dragon Palace is set above a volcanic crater, then how has he managed to live to this day?” Lin Bai drew back his blade and said to Qin Ying.

At that moment, Zhuo Hua arrived riding the wind, and hearing the exchange between Lin and Qin, found it rather amusing. He teased them, “Perhaps there is a volcano erupting beneath the Dragon Palace right now, sparing us the trouble of clearing out the traitor ourselves.”

Lin Bai and Qin Ying turned at the sound, and seeing that it was the Heavenly Lord, they both clasped their hands in salute.

Lan Sheng, riding Zhuo Hua’s Water-Shunning Mist Beast with Zhuo Yun, also came over and asked curiously, “Could it be that the Old Dragon King was really burned to death by a volcano? What a disappointment. To have failed to kill that villain with my own hand is truly a regret!” As soon as he finished, he noticed Lin Bai, Qin Ying, and Zhuo Hua all looking at him. Still unaware of his blunder, he was about to continue when Zhuo Yun, behind him, slapped his shoulder and rebuked him in a low voice, “You fool, what nonsense are you spouting before Palace Lord Lin?”

Only then did Lan Sheng come to himself. Hastily, he apologized to Lin Bai. “Palace Lord Lin, I am truly sorry. I, Lan Sheng, have never been careful with my words. Please do not take it to heart, do not take it to heart.”

Lin Bai waved a hand and said to Lan Sheng, “It matters not. I have already severed father-son ties with that old villain Lin Xiaoyun. From this day on, he and I are sworn enemies.”

Zhuo Hua patted Lin Bai’s shoulder and pressed it gently. “It is nothing. Everything will be all right. Hurry and take us in. The sooner, the sooner we may save your mother.”

Lin Bai nodded, then urged the Crimson Beast downward. The beast gave a low grunt and plunged toward the sea below. Zhuo Hua raised a hand, and behind him the stars and lords of the Cloud Palace, together with the two armies and eight guards, surged forward in a mighty procession.

Just as they were about to enter the Kunpeng Sea, everyone drew out a piece of transparent soft jade and slapped it against their chests. The jade melted away like malt sugar, slowly spreading over their bodies and even wrapping around their mounts.

Watching this miraculous change, Lan Sheng exclaimed, “The Cloud Palace really does have marvelous contraptions.”

Lin Bai, however, did not use the jade. Though he had long since left the waters, swimming and diving were in his very nature, and among the others he had one advantage in the sea: his ability to gather vital breath far surpassed that of the other stellar lords.

He swam at the very front of the formation. His Crimson Beast, a creature of fire, could not enter the Kunpeng Sea, and he himself happened to wish to relive once more the sensation of roaming freely here in the old days. Thus he activated his Breath-Settling Pearl and continually drove his qi backward, his speed somehow even a little faster than Zhuo Hua’s Water-Shunning Mist Beast.

As soon as Lan Sheng entered the water, he felt certain changes in his body. The power with which he could activate the Breath-Settling Pearl had weakened, and the lack of newly generated true qi made his chest feel tight and oppressed. He tried to speak, but instinct made his body seem rigid in the all-encompassing water. His mouth opened and closed, yet not a single sound came from his throat.

Now Lan Sheng found himself envying Lin Bai, born of dragon blood. In this Kunpeng Sea, his own immortal lineage seemed to have dwindled into that of an ordinary cultivator.

Before long, a massive fortified city gate appeared before them. Lin Bai descended gracefully before the tightly shut doors and turned back to beckon An Chenyu over.

An Chenyu, who had likewise not used the water-veiling jade, transformed into a black dragon, twisted forward swiftly, and then returned to human form beside Lin Bai. The others arrived one after another as well.

Lin Bai looked at the imposing gate and said to An Chenyu, “Chenyu, is this where you were shot and wounded?”

An Chenyu nodded. “At the time, the soldiers guarding the gate had received Lin Xiaoyun’s decree: no one of the An family was to be allowed out of the city. But I was desperate to deliver my message, eager to hurry to the Cloud-Crowned Heavenly Palace to see the Heavenly Lord and the Young Master, so I fought with them. Those men were no match for me, of course, but they actually lowered the Dragon-Severing Gate. Before the city gate had fully closed, I transformed into dragon form and fled out. I never expected they would then rain arrows upon me and wound me so. Alas!”

At the memory, An Chenyu shuddered with lingering fear. He began to worry for his father, brothers, and younger brother still beyond the gate; he did not know how his wife and children were faring now.

Lin Bai patted his back and comforted him. “Do not worry, Chenyu. In a moment we will break this Dragon-Severing Gate and go in to rescue your father and brothers.”

Lan Sheng landed beside Lin Bai and nudged him with his severed arm. “Palace Lord Lin, why must we go through the gate at all? There is so much open space above the gate; can we not pass there?”

Lin Bai gave a cold laugh and tipped his chin toward Zhuo Hua. “Then you must ask the greatest artisan under heaven what sort of spell he has laid.”

Zhuo Hua was speaking with Zhuo Yun on the Water-Shunning Mist Beast. Hearing Lin Bai say this, he did not even turn his head. “Aren’t you the one who wants to break the Dragon-Severing Stone? Why ask me about spells?”

Lin Bai was anxious to rescue his mother and had no mind to argue with Zhuo Hua. So he softened his tone and said, “Heavenly Lord, once the Dragon-Severing Gate is closed, it is nearly impossible to open it from outside, unless the entire fortress is dismantled. I am not saying that our Cloud Palace lacks the strength to do so—only that time is too short, and we cannot wait so long. I must trouble Heavenly Lord to lift the spell on this gate, so that we may hurry to save the family of Duke An Guo and Lady Consort Chen.”

Zhuo Hua nodded, turned, leapt into the air, and hovered there. After murmuring an incantation and sweeping a hand, he drifted back down and said to Lin Bai, “It is done. The binding spell has been removed.”

Half in doubt, Lin Bai asked, “That is all? But nothing happened.”

With his hands behind his back, Zhuo Hua turned away and resumed speaking with the little fish, no longer paying him any mind.

An Chenyu patted Lin Bai and said, “Third Prince, let me try, and we will know.”

Before Lin Bai could stop him, he transformed into a black dragon and swam swiftly toward the broad expanse of water above the gate. He passed through the fortress unharmed, descending beyond the gate and vanishing from sight.

Not long after, An Chenyu returned to the battlements in human form, waving a banner to summon them onward.

Lin Bai was somewhat incredulous and turned to ask Zhuo Hua, who stood beside him, “Did you really cast a spell here to prevent anyone from passing through?”

“Why would I do such a thing?” Zhuo Hua answered expressionlessly.

“But everyone in the Dragon Palace has been saying it! They say you placed a spell on the gate, and anyone who crosses it will be cut down head and body apart. Were they all lying?” Lin Bai asked urgently.

Zhuo Hua rubbed his nose and gave a light cough. “I did make some arrangements on this gate, but those hidden crossbows are merely tricky mechanisms. If anyone tries to force their way over the top, the defenders below need only strike the mechanism inside the gate tunnel, and once the device on the gate is triggered, the intruder will naturally be shot dead. But look! The banners above are in disarray, and so many arrowheads are stuck in the ground. Clearly, the mechanism has already been set off. Since he passed through after that, there is naturally no danger.”

Lin Bai was still unwilling to let it go. “But the rumors were so specific! And why, if you truly did not cast a spell, did you go through that whole performance just now?”

Zhuo Hua waved the army forward into the city, then answered, “That tale, or rumor, was probably spread by Lin Xiaoyun to mislead his subjects. As for just now, I only did it to allay An Chenyu’s doubts.”

“You...” Lin Bai looked at Zhuo Hua as he entered the gate and found himself speechless.

Inside the main hall of the underground palace, the storm and crashing waves had passed, leaving utter ruin behind.

The Dragon Lord of the Kunpeng Sea climbed down from a thick stone pillar. His clothes were torn to shreds, the crown atop his head was nowhere to be seen, and his hair streamed loose, drifting wildly through the water.

Lin Xiaoyun arrived in a miserable state before the enormous stone door of the underground palace and hammered at it again and again with his fists, weeping as he did. The whole of him seemed drained of spirit, and he slowly sagged against the stone door and collapsed. His heart-rending cries echoed through the palace as he kept shouting, “Open it! Open it!”

Lanling floated slowly past the seven sages and seven saints stone statues, now reduced to a scene of devastation. She touched down lightly and looked at Lin Xiaoyun, who was alone, weeping against the stone door. “Did you order these statues to be torn down?”

Lin Xiaoyun naturally recognized her voice, but at this moment he did not even want to turn and look at the woman who had once haunted him with nightmares.

“Did you order the statues to be torn down?” Lanling asked again.

Lin Xiaoyun gave a bitter, mirthless chuckle and answered her through his tears, “Yes, I ordered them destroyed. Kill me, then. Since I failed to open the stone door, death is no different for me.”

“Failing to open the door will cost only you your life. Destroy the statues, and I will annihilate your whole family,” Lanling said coldly.

“My whole family? What family do I have left? My eldest and second sons died in the Void Beyond. My fourth son lies half-dead and motionless in bed. My beloved Lady Si has been killed. My only remaining son wants to kill me. He has betrayed me, just as his mother did. Tell me! Tell me, what family do I still have?” Lin Xiaoyun turned around and roared at Lanling.

“Why did you destroy the statues?” Lanling seemed not to have heard his question and asked her own as if to herself.

“Hmph! Because I heard there were mechanisms beneath these statues that could open this damned stone door.” Lin Xiaoyun did not resent her disregard. Head hanging, he answered in desolation. “So I conscripted laborers from many nearby aquatic tribes and kept chipping at this door while tearing down the statues, hoping to find the marvelous mechanism that would open it.”

“Oh? You are so eager to open the gate?” Lanling seemed curious and in no hurry to kill him at once.

“Yes! I am desperate to open it! Once it is opened, I will seize the Desolate Cauldron for myself, and then I can extort and blackmail you and Zhuo Hua endlessly.” Lin Xiaoyun answered with half-bewildered, half-stupid sincerity.

Lanling shook her head and said, “Knowing you were such a fool, I would never have let you open this door no matter what. Do you think a door like this can be beaten open by brute force? I already told you to find the key. Why didn’t you have your son steal it back from Zhuo Hua?”

Lin Xiaoyun abruptly lifted his head and stared at Lanling with a look that seemed ready to devour her, but after a moment that fierce light dimmed. He muttered to himself, “My son does not want me anymore. My son does not want me anymore.”

Lanling shook her head, stepped forward, and seized Lin Xiaoyun by the throat, lifting him from the ground. “You desecrated the founder. To kill you like this would be too easy. But I do not have much time, so I cannot bother with all that now. Still, let every dragon in your line vanish from this void from this moment on.”

Just as Lanling was about to tighten her grip, a blade-like force came surging toward her through a burst of water. She raised a hand to block it, and the Primordial Blade was knocked flying away.

Turning back, she saw Lin Bai glaring at her in fury.

Lanling’s eyes flicked past him toward what lay behind, and she smiled faintly. “So you have finally come.”