Chapter 553 — The Sun-Binder in the Flames
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Knowing things were dire, he clenched one fist and struck at the mirror while his other hand reached for Shen Mu, shouting, "Don't look at the mirror! He's using your eyes and the mirror's reflection to manifest himself! " Just then, a pair of black hands suddenly thrust out from the mirror before Shen Mu and seized his shoulders. In an instant, Shen Mu was like a paper figure, dragged into the mirror by those black hands.
The Black Tiger God's fist was about to shatter the mirror. He hastily pulled back, and his other hand grasped only air. He swiftly turned the mirror around. It was empty and vast within, save for those black hands and Shen Mu rapidly receding into the distance, growing smaller and smaller.
The Black Tiger God leaped toward the mirror. In the instant before he could pass through, there came a clang—the bright mirror shattered to pieces against him.
The Black Tiger God climbed to his feet, dazed and distraught. Yu He, Shu You, and the others were preparing to meet the enemy. Seeing this scene, they could not help but be stunned.
But the enemy had already attacked, and they had no time to think. They could only fight with all their might.
"The Sun-Binder has long wanted to capture our junior brother.
Back in Li City, when that wretch exchanged a glance with Junior Brother Shen, he had already planted his demonic divine ability in his eyes. . .
" Cold sweat poured down the Black Tiger God's forehead. The Sun-Binder's demonic divine ability was utterly undetectable. It had to evade the notice of terrifying beings like the Woodcutter Sage and the True God Pang Yu, and so the ability possessed no power of its own.
In other words, the Sun-Binder had merely imprinted his shadow deep within Shen Mu's eyes. That shadow held not the slightest strength—only thus could it escape the notice of the Woodcutter Sage and the other deities! Only when Shen Mu set foot in the demon race's territory and absorbed the demonic qi there would his shadow surface.
His shadow, having absorbed demonic qi, grew stronger and gained power, but it was still not enough to capture Shen Mu. For his shadow was only an imprint in Shen Mu's eyes, and the Sun-Binder within that imprint was reversed—exactly mirror-flipped from the real Sun-Binder, including his organs, his divine ability imprint, and the tiniest particles of his body. All were reversed. Only when Shen Mu raised the mirror and looked into it would the Sun-Binder in his pupils appear correctly oriented in the mirror.
Only then could the Sun-Binder unleash his divine abilities and arts, giving him the chance to cast his spell and abduct Shen Mu. It was Shen Mu's entry into the demon race's territory and his act of raising the mirror that had finally triggered the Sun-Binder's divine ability.
"If only we had discovered it earlier. .
. " Sweat poured from the Black Tiger God like rain, his eyelids like two dripping caves, perspiration cascading down like a waterfall. "This time it wasn't Junior Brother Shen who caused trouble—it was me. . .
I've lost Junior Brother Shen. How am I to explain this to the Lord. . .
I'm finished! " Shen Mu looked around.
He had appeared in a desolate place of unimaginable emptiness.
In the sky hung several enormous planets, some near, some far—broken, barren, silent. He stood in the midst of a great marsh, his feet upon the water's surface. In the distance, flames drifted up in blossoms, burning upon the water. He did not know where he had come.
All around, swirling, drifting demonic qi hung like mist over a swamp. "Sun-Binder! " Shen Mu called out loudly.
"You are a senior. Since you've captured me, why not show yourself for a meeting? " There was no sound from any direction.
It was as though only he remained in this place.
Shen Mu frowned and walked forward.
Crack—a sharp sound came from beneath his feet. He looked down.
He had stepped on a rotting corpse.