Chapter 394 — Rekindling the Blazing Sun
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
But judging from the wounds on these Sunherd warriors and this demon-god weapon, the otherworldly power attacking the Dawnspring had attained an extremely high level in the demonic path, beyond the comprehension of even him, the Nether Demon Cult Leader.
"The Moon Warden of the Moonherds, when faced with the attack of otherworldly demon-gods, chose to flee, abandoning her people and running to Fengdu for refuge. But the Sun Warden is willing to stay with her people, to guard them even in death."
Shen Mu thought of that girl whose legs had been gnawed by the Dawnboat until they were pitifully thin, and he thought, "The Sun Warden's integrity is far above the Moon Warden's."
As they passed a stretch of ruins, they saw an enormous golden bell, inverted, over ten zhang tall. From within the bell came intermittent clanging sounds, and beneath it black smoke curled. Something formidable must still be suppressed inside. Beside the bell, several Sunherds were channeling the sun's true fire to refine the powerful being imprisoned within.
Besides that, some Sunherds were piling together the corpses of strangely shaped monsters and channeling true fire to cremate them, releasing wave after wave of nauseating stench.
Si Yunxiang and Ling Yuxiu both frowned deeply, not knowing what race this was or why they would attack the Dawnspring.
Shen Mu explained, "The Sunherds are the guardians of the Desolate Ruins. Many in the Desolate Ruins do not know how many dangers the Sunherds have fended off for them. Last time, when the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping invaded the Desolate Ruins, it was the Sunherds who drove him back. When god-demon races from other worlds invade the Desolate Ruins, they too must first get past the Sunherds and Moonherds. The Moonherds are already extinct; only the Sunherds remain."
Ling Yuxiu's face reddened slightly.
She had been among those when the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping attacked the Desolate Ruins, scouting the way, and it was then that she had come into contact with Shen Mu. If the Imperial Preceptor had truly broken into the Desolate Ruins then, what awaited him would likely have been an incomparably bitter lesson!
They came to the center of the Dawnboat and finally saw the Sun Warden.
Only Yan Jingjing's head and hands remained outside; her body had already sunk into the Dawnboat. Her four hands gripped four thick pillars, and a terrifying divine majesty radiated from her.
"Jingjing, that youth from Crimson Dragon City, Shen Mu, has come to see you." The old clan chief came to her side and said in a low voice.
"Is it the cowherd boy who's come to see me?"
Yan Jingjing released her grip on the pillars, wanting to break free of the Dawnboat, but her body had already merged with it and she could not escape. Panting, she said, "I can't get out. I can't see you. Come over here."
Shen Mu walked forward and came around to face her. Yan Jingjing's face still held a childlike innocence. She looked in Shen Mu's direction and smiled. "You've come? To see a childhood playmate again—how wonderful."
Shen Mu stood before her and looked carefully into her eyes. Softly he said, "I'm here. I've grown a little."
Her eyes were filled with raging flames, like two little suns, but she could no longer see. They had been completely filled by the sun's true fire; the structure of her eyes was gone.
She let go of the pillars, and her body rapidly shrank, but the floor of the Dawnboat shrank as well, always keeping her trapped.
So it was with the Sun Warden, and so it was with the Moon Warden.
As soon as one took up the duty of Sun Warden or Moon Warden, one would gradually merge with the Dawnboat or the Soulboat, entrusting one's life to the ship, letting it draw on one's life force until one became completely part of the vessel.