Chapter 558 — Awakening the Dead Souls
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
The skeleton pondered bitterly and shook its head. "I do not remember."
Shen Mu's interest deepened. He stopped and smiled, "I have a divine ability that can open a passage to the Netherworld, summon remnant souls to gather, and bring the dead back to life. Let me perform the rite. Perhaps it will help you remember something. If you remember, then you must stop following me."
The skeleton was overjoyed and laughed, "If you can do that, I will surely repay your great kindness."
Shen Mu removed his hairpin, letting his hair fall loose. Suddenly his true form as the Star Lord Zhenxing appeared. Behind him rose a Heaven-Bearing Gate. In the marsh he performed the Soul-Pulling Art of the Nine Nether Gate, and a heavy, obscure demonic tongue issued from his mouth.
Halfway through the demonic incantation, Shen Mu's heart suddenly stirred. He felt strange information inexplicably welling up in his mind, and the demonic tongue in his mouth changed into another, older and more obscure language, which he could not help but recite.
The demonic qi around him grew thicker and purer, surging and rolling, filling the marsh like a vast black sea. The Heaven-Bearing Gate grew ever more majestic, towering in that sea of demonic qi.
Creak, creak. The immeasurably heavy gate slowly opened.
From the darkness came scream after scream, the wails of ghosts and the howls of wolves, indescribably pitiful. Countless spirits poured forth from the Heaven-Bearing Gate!
Shen Mu was startled. "So many spirits?"
Countless spirits swarmed out of the Netherworld. At the same time, innumerable remnant souls gathered in the great marsh. In an instant, countless will-o'-the-wisps, like stars, flitted through the dark demonic qi and burrowed into corpse after corpse.
How many corpses rose from that great marsh, staring around in bewilderment, no one could say.
The desolate marsh suddenly filled with tens of thousands of corpses and skeletons—some standing on the water, some floating in the air, some sitting on the marshland, all utterly lost.
"Who disturbs the Netherworld?"
Shen Mu was still performing the rite when suddenly a vast voice exploded in his mind. The voice left him dazed and muddled, and his power was cut off at once. The Heaven-Bearing Gate behind him swallowed the sky-covering dark demonic qi, sweeping it back into the Netherworld like wind rolling up scattered clouds.
Shen Mu hurriedly dispersed his true form as the Star Lord, but to his surprise the Heaven-Bearing Gate remained open, not closing. Faint points of light came from the darkness of the Netherworld.
They were lanterns hanging from the prows of boats!
Shen Mu's scalp went numb. He repeatedly reversed his technique, but the Heaven-Bearing Gate still would not close.
Those boats, sailing out of the darkness, were about to pass through the Heaven-Bearing Gate and come to this ill-omened land!
"I remember who I am!"
Beside him, the skeleton suddenly cried out in shock and joy, laughing heartily, "I remember! The South Dipper Star Division of the Southern Heaven of the Celestial Court—Qisha, the Star Lord of Seven Slayings, ordered by Kaihuang to guard Taihuang Heaven, Jiedushi Wei Liao of Taihuang Heaven! Where is my battle armor? Where is my ceremonial axe?"
Boom—
The great marsh beneath Shen Mu's feet suddenly churned. Boundless divine light shot skyward. Huge fragments of battle armor broke through the water and the earth, flying up from beneath the marsh.
Clang, clang, clang—crisp impacts rang out as piece after piece of shattered battle armor covered the skeleton beside Shen Mu, in moments sheathing its whole body. A broken helmet flew over and settled onto its skull.
Shen Mu was left gaping. Suddenly a great mountain in the marsh split apart, and from it flew several broken divine weapons. They assembled in midair, becoming a massive ceremonial axe, which came spinning with a howl. The skeleton reached out and caught it.