Chapter 222 — Encircling the Lord of the Demonic Path
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
"Once we fly out from under this cloud cover, we'll be within the borders of the Wasteland Ruins.
From there it's not far to the village — only a thousand li or so. " Shen Mu dispersed the Yinghuo Star Lord form and came to the bow to look ahead. The sea of clouds still showed no end.
The treasure ship was still swift, and the cold rushing at his face was still bearable. Just then, above the dazzling sea of clouds, he saw a strange sight: some ten li away, lights of every color were spinning without cease, casting radiance in all directions.
As the ship drew near, Shen Mu saw that the source of these lights was a host of ice pillars.
Like enormous ice swords, they caught the sunlight and threw back colors of every hue, blazing bright above the sea of clouds. Each of these ice swords was immense; a dozen men with arms linked could not have encircled one.
If they were meant to be wielded as swords, then whoever wielded them must be a giant beyond all measure. The ice swords seemed to grow out of the sea of clouds, but what was strange was that they hung there straight and spinning, refracting the sunlight into every color — clearly not a natural formation.
Shen Mu's expression shifted slightly.
Then he put the helm hard over to starboard; the tower ship of dark iron heeled until her deck stood nearly perpendicular to the sea of clouds, carving a terrifying arc as she howled past the edge of the ice-pillar grove. "Ling'er, open the elixir furnace to full blast! " As Shen Mu's shout went out, Xue Hu'er's grumbling came from the cabin: "Young Master, you always want full blast.
At this rate we really won't make it back to the Wasteland Ruins. There's truly not much medicine stone left. .
.
" Shen Mu turned a deaf ear.
He suddenly spun the helm, righting the treasure ship, and looked to the left: the huge ice swords had abruptly moved, as though a many-armed giant had suddenly drawn his blades. One after another the great ice swords clove the air with a mighty roar and hacked savagely down at the treasure ship! The treasure ship leaped forward.
Shen Mu steered her in a hair's-breadth dance, dodging one falling ice sword after another, and in his haste glanced back: among the giant ice swords walked a woman in a blue skirt, very lovely, but cold as frost and ice. The blue-skirted woman's vital essence was water-blue as well; she had shaped it into a dozen-odd arms that ceaselessly made hacking and thrusting motions, and the great ice swords answered with matching strokes!
"Good thing she can't catch me.
. . " No sooner had the thought crossed Shen Mu's mind than the blue-skirted woman's speed suddenly surged, and she came racing over the cloud layer.
As she ran, she scattered strokes at random. Shen Mu was briefly startled, and then a great crack sounded from beneath the ship; the treasure ship shuddered, tumbling and rolling through the air, nearly flinging him overboard! Shen Mu clung desperately to the helm.
When the ship steadied, he saw that above the sea of clouds ice swords were being born from the mist, hissing up through the surface of the cloud sea. The ship had just crashed into one of them; the ice sword had been shattered, but the treasure ship had taken no light hurt either. "This woman is extremely strong — a cut above that monk — and fast besides! " Shen Mu steered the treasure ship clear of one ice sword after another, but more and more ice swords kept growing from the surface of the cloud sea, making escape ever harder.
Shen Mu raged: "Where is the Dutian Demon King? " "What do you want with me? " The Dutian Demon King sauntered out of the cabin, wearing the look of a man who would sooner die than lift a finger.
At the sight of him, Shen Mu's anger flared.
He shouted: "Still want to kneel and lick toes?
If you don't want to lick, then come help! " "You think I'm afraid of you?