That giant stone divine statue rose higher and higher under the watch of countless stunned and dumbfounded eyes. Xie Lian saw that it was in perfect condition without any damage, not even a trace of that leg White No-Face had broken before could be seen, and he said delightedly,
"San Lang, you fixed it?"
Hua Cheng smiled, "If I have to come to the heavens to pick gege up, I can't come
empty-handed. Let's go!"
Xie Lian nodded, "Everyone, hurry and get on it!"
However, only then did the crowd of heavenly officials saw clearly that it was Hua Cheng next to him, and they almost fell to their knees, "YOUR HIGHNESS, THE ONE NEXT TO YOU IS???"
The distress between Feng Xin's brows was growing more apparent, and he finally started calling out, "JIAN LAN! JIAN LAN!" No one responded. Lang Qian Qiu saw Qi Rong was sneaking around hiding in the street corner and was just about to go and capture him when unexpectedly, just as he passed by the Palace of Tai Hua, the entire palace suddenly rumbled and collapsed, as if something inside had exploded. The heavenly officials were all startled, and when they turned their heads to look, they saw amidst the rubble and ragings fires, a figure was standing there, head down and silent, Jun Wu had broken out of the silver butterflies.
As expected, he couldn't be stopped!
Qi Rong hastily scuttled behind Jun Wu, and shouted cockily at the crowd, "GARBAGE! TRASH! COME OVER HERE IF YOU'VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES!"
Only he still dared to go close, ignorant of his own demise; none of the heavenly officials on the side dared to speak!
Upon the body of that white clad martial god, black aura roared to the skies, and white light blinded at the same time, these two colours ever-changing and unpredictable. The heavenly officials all felt this Jun Wu to be infinitely foreign, and they stared at him, not even daring to breathe harshly. Meanwhile, he watched Xie Lian intently, and slowly walked towards where the people were gathering.
With every step, the flames of war would burn beneath his feet. At first it was lively kindles, then soon after it'd spread madly in all directions, growing into raging flames blowing to the heavens.
That flame had caught onto Qi Rong, and he howled demonically, fleeing rapidly with Gu Zi in his arms. Quan Yi Zhen was carrying Yin Yu's dead body on his back, standing in the middle of the street with his face covered in soot, and when he saw Jun Wu, raging fires burnt in his eyes too. He didn't even put the corpse down before he started walking towards him, and it was Xie Lian who pulled him back.
Another wave of silver butterflies lunged forward, and using this chance, Xie Lian shouted, "HURRY! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!"
The heavenly officials all hesitated for a moment before finally, they each answered the cry one after the other. Hundreds of heavenly officials leapt onto that giant stone divine statue, like a band of black ants climbing on, crowding by its shoulders and chest. If there were no places to stand, then they could only grab onto the hems. If it was going to fly, it couldn't just depend on those Blessings Lanterns and silver butterflies, but there were too many people present, Xie Lian couldn't make a move on Hua Cheng. Ideas come in emergencies, and Xie Lian randomly pulled a heavenly official over, and behind him, Xie Lian cupped Hua Cheng's face and kissed him deeply.
Time passed, and Xie Lian's whole body was instantly filled with spiritual power, and that heavenly official who was taken for a screen had stiffened completely, and he cried in shock, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING BEHIND MY BACK???"
Countless eyes also came flying over in shock. Only then did Xie Lian discovered that the one he pulled over to block the people's view was actually Lang Qian Qiu, and Xie Lian deeply repented mentally, what a sin what a sin, this mustn't be seen by this child, and he exclaimed, "WE'VE DONE NOTHING! NOTHING YOU SHOULD SEE!" Then he turned around and shouted at that divine statue, "FLY!"
That divine statue seemed to have heard his call, and as if something was activated, its squinted eyes suddenly flashed open, and the smile on its face grew deeper.
The silver butterflies and the Blessings Lanterns scattered abruptly, but it still floated steadily in the sky, its long hair, sleeves, and hems also seemed to be fluttering in the wind.
It's flying!
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng also leapt up, and stood upon the jaded crown platform on the top of that divine statue's head, and Xie Lian shouted, "EVERYONE STAY STEADY! HANG ON TIGHT!"
Just as he finished, the body of that divine statue sank then shot forward with force! Xie Lian and Hua Cheng stood at the highest point, and along with the divine statue, carried the many heavenly officials far away from the Heavenly Capital. However, there were quite a number of heavenly officials who had kept years of savings in the Heavenly Capital, so they kept looking back, despairingly and dejectedly.
After calming down for a bit, Xie Lian suddenly remembered that things were in such a flurry earlier that there wasn't any time to take count, and said, "Has everyone boarded? Where's Guoshi? General Pei?" Who knows if General Pei would fall to his misfortunes. He was just searching for the shadows of those he was familiar with and he cried, "MASTER!"
From far in the distance came Guoshi's voice in response, "I'VE COME!" Only then did Xie Lian felt slightly relaxed. Just then, someone suddenly cried, "IT'S CATCHING UP! IT'S CATCHING UP!"
As expected! Behind the back of this giant divine statue, something crimson was in pursuit, like a life claiming red light.
It was the Heavenly Capital! The original Heavenly capital was wrapped and encircled by propitious and auspicious clouds. Right now it was instead burning with the flames of war, and had transformed into a fiery demonic fortress!
Someone said in terror, "It's the Emperor... the Emperor is moving the Heavenly Capital... he's going to annihilate us all..."
"He's going to catch up!"
However, Xie Lian shouted, "NOT SO FAST!" His hand seals changed rapidly, and the eyes of that giant divine statue flashed. The wind whipping around the heavenly official's ears blew faster, howling like mad, and the red light chasing behind them was instantly pulled away for a large distance. The divine statue was now flying even faster!
While things sped up on this end, that red light didn't give up either, and its speed suddenly exploded, rumble rumble, and it was now even closer, making many heavenly officials cry out in alarm. With this distance, they could almost see clearly the figure standing within the Heavenly Capital!
Meanwhile, the mortal realm had no idea what was going on at all; children were laughing and playing, and when they saw in the sky a white light dashing across and a red light flying past, they all hung their mouths open and clapped, "So pretty!"
Xie Lian knew things couldn't go on like this, and that the must speed up again, but he was feeling slightly dizzy. He had flown for so long after all, all on a single breath. Hua Cheng was helping him up, but before the two could exchange words, they heard down below the Guoshi yelling, "WHAT ARE YOU ALL STANDING THERE FOR? A BUNCH OF HEAVENLY OFFICIALS STILL NEED TO BORROW SPIRITUAL POWERS FROM A GHOST KING TO MAKE YOUR ESCAPE? AREN'T YOU ALL EMBARRASSED OF YOURSELVES?"
Some heavenly officials didn't appreciate the tone and exclaimed, "Who are you? What right do you have to lecture us?"
Guoshi countered, "It doesn't matter who I am, even though when I was in the Upper Court you were still playing in a sandbox somewhere. The point is, hurry and place your delicate, golden hands on this divine statue, and give as much spiritual powers as you all can! Only then can this divine statue fly even faster, unless you're waiting for him to catch up? Are you all so used to watching from the sidelines that you've forgotten your lives are on the line? You all still need me to remind you of something like this?"
With his reminder, senses finally returned to the heavenly officials, and they all yelped much ashamed mentally, that they actually forgot they could use this method to give support. Thus, they all went to work, putting their hands on the divine statue, yelling, "YOUR HIGHNESS, THIS LOWLY ONE WILL, UH, GIVE YOU A HAND!"
"Ah, then me too..."
"There's not much... but we'll do what we can."
With that, with seven to eight hundred hands and feet, the divine statue was injected full of spiritual powers again, and Xie Lian felt himself re-energized. That divine statue powered up once again, and this time, with a large rumble, it left that red light far, far behind for dozens of miles!
The heavenly officials all deeply sighed in relief, and each wiping away their sweat. Suddenly, Hua Cheng spoke up, "Gege, go down below."
Since he spoke up, Xie Lian didn't ask why either, and moved downwards directly. The divine statue broke through pitch black layers of clouds, and what was down below was also a field of darkness, not even a bit of light or smoke could be seen. The heavenly officials were all agitated, "What... What is this place? Why is it so dark? It's pretty scary."
"Your Highness, why did we come down here?"
"I don't think we should stay here for too long!"
However, Hua Cheng said, "We will stay here, and don't move. Let's wait."
That giant divine statue thus floated in mid air, and Xie Lian said, "En. What are we waiting for?"
Hua Cheng replied in a whisper, "Wait til he catches up, and fight a round."
Just as the words left his lips, from above the clouds of the black night a red light broke through, and it also came sinking down. Each man a fortress, and they faced each other in the night sky.
Each heavenly official watched with unblinking eyes the approach of that red light, chills going down their backs, and they all questioned, "Your Highness, why aren't we leaving??"
"You can't be thinking of fighting him head on? There's no chance at winning!"
"He's gone stupid again! I just knew it, this guy just loves going stupid!!! It's been hundreds of years, and it's always been like... Who kicked me!"
"Me." Guoshi said, "Say one more word and I'll push you off directly."
"JUST WHO ARE YOU??"
That divine statue might be a giant object, but the Heavenly Capital was even more majestic, and if they really did fight head on, then by the size of this giant divine statue, it would definitely be crushed. However, Xie Lian had complete trust in Hua Cheng, and he watched without a word. Just as that red light had come not a half a mile away, Xie Lian suddenly felt something beneath his feet was being triggered.
When he looked down, he found it was the darkness beneath his feet that was moving, spash spash, rising and folding, practically like... Waves. Xie Lian suddenly knew where this place was.
There were also heavenly officials who noticed, and someone said in terror, "My heavens, this place seems to be... the Black Water Demon Lair! We've been brought to the lair of demons!"
Just as the words were said, down below there were suddenly several white strips breaking through the darkness and leaping into the air!
Four sets of eyes, eight giant eyes as big as ghost fire lanterns were hauntingly green, and they stared at that fiery demonic fortress, letting long, and malicious howls, as if they were very displeased by that rude intruder, Their giant tails whipped back and forth, slapping at the surface of the sea, exciting waves of thousands of feet high.
It was those four Bone dragons! The moment they raised their heads to the demonic fortress, a rapid current shot out of their mouths, its striking powers immense, and even iron and steel walls would be broken through by such a giant water gun. Xie Lian couldn't help but reevaluate his impression, "The last time we saw them they were a little... haha, I didn't think they were actually this ferocious."
From the pitch black surface of the sea, new corpse bones of the giant monster continued to break through the waters, and the fish flew with a whishing, like they were catapulting boulders to the fortress. When the heavenly officials saw, they were completely confounded. Jun Wu was chasing after them to kill them, while Hua Cheng and Black Water seemed to be helping them.
A scene such as this, truly curious.
The four Bone Dragons surrounded that demonic fortress and shot at it wildly, but it wasn't very effective, since the raging flames of war certainly could not be extinguished by mere water. The more the fish tackled the more the fire became enraged, and it burned all the way to the waters. On the sea surface of the Black Water Demon Lair, raging fire grew, and the firelight danced wildly with the waters, and down below in the waters came the howling and wailing of ghouls. A sweat drop rolled down Xie Lian's forehead, "Is... it okay... that we brought such a mess to Black
Water's domain?"
"Don't worry about those things." Hua Cheng said, "He owes me money. Fight however you
will."
Xie Lian, "???"
Suddenly, someone pointed ahead, "WHAT... WHAT IS IT DOING?"
Xie Lian also turned his gaze over, and when he saw, his heart also jolted.
———
●MXTX Author's Note: Black Water does indeed owe Hua Cheng a huge debt, a very poor Supreme. He's severely dragged down the income average of the entire Supreme rank (although there's only three), but it's not all owed from eating too much.