Chapter 369 — On the Brink of Catastrophe
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
Around and about the dragon nest, molten golden liquid flowed ceaselessly down into the magma, making Shen Mu secretly lament the waste. As the dark-gold essence ran down, more of the jade rock was exposed, and lit by the glow of the magma it gradually took on a crystal-like five-colored radiance—yet far more gentle and lustrous than any crystal.
"The one who took away the True Dragon Sovereign left the dragon nest behind, surely so that the nest might continue to draw in dragon qi.
When the nest's store of dragon qi was sufficient, he would come to take away the nest and use it to nourish the True Dragon Sovereign—thus preserving both nest and Sovereign! " Lord Dragon-Keeper laughed coldly again and again, and gazing down at the dragon nest that was gradually revealing its true form, he said proudly: "But it is useless!
He never expected that I would come here and take away the nest a step before him! He took the True Dragon Sovereign and refined it into a dragon-jue; but I hold the dragon nest, and with the nest I can overcome the jue.
If I obtain the nest, I can sense the dragon-jue's whereabouts, find the dragon-jue, and make the dragon vein of the True Dragon Sovereign whole again!
" Shen Mu touched his chest. The jade pendant at his breast suddenly grew scalding hot, burning him most uncomfortably.
He had two jade pendants at his chest: one was hereditary, the jade pendant of Carefree Village; the other was the Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor, which the Lame Elder had forced upon him. This Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor was growing hot, burning him somewhat uncomfortably. "Wait a moment!
" Shen Mu blinked and clutched at his chest. The Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor the Lame Elder had given him—it seemed to be a dragon-jue-shaped jade ring! His heart abruptly thumped hard twice. The Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor was a jade ring, carved with many obscure and incomprehensible symbols, characters, and designs, flickering and shifting without cease. The Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor was said to be a treasure granted by the gods to the Ling family, a symbol of imperial power and rank; for stealing this thing, the Lame Elder had had a leg struck off by the single stroke of the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping.
Yet after the Jade Tablets came into his hands, the Lame Elder had studied it for decades without divining its secret, and so had ceased to care about it.
The Jade Tablets were of no use to him, and so the Lame Elder had forced them upon Shen Mu. When Shen Mu returned to the village he meant to give them back, but the Lame Elder would not take them; he had got his leg back, and had lost all interest in the Jade Tablets.
So the Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor had hung ever since at Shen Mu's neck, tied together with his own jade pendant.
"It cannot be such a coincidence, surely?
" Beads of cold sweat stood out on Shen Mu's forehead.
There were indeed symbols, characters, and designs on the Jade Tablets somewhat like those scattered all over the dragon nest, also ceaselessly flickering and shifting, wholly beyond comprehension. "But this Jade Tablets of mine is no dragon-jue—it merely resembles one, and has no gap.
Perhaps the writing on the Jade Tablets only happens to resemble the symbols and designs of the dragon nest; it is mere coincidence. " Shen Mu steadied his mind and meant to watch how Lord Dragon-Keeper would take away the dragon nest, but the Jade Tablets at his chest grew hotter and hotter, until he could scarcely bear it.
Suddenly Shen Mu felt something at his chest move, and the youth's heart again thumped hard twice beyond his control; he reached out and touched it.
The Jade Tablets of the Heavenly Emperor had split open—it had become a dragon-jue! Not only split open: he also felt the jue become slippery and smooth, as though it had turned into something alive, a little dragon!
"Thump!
Thump!