Volume Two: Mountains and Rivers, No Path Ahead Chapter Twenty-One: Rushing to Aid

The raging wind over the sea whipped Lin Bai’s white robes into a flurry. A moment ago, the sudden appearance of the Azure-Gold Bell had dispelled much of the hurricane summoned by the three monstrous sharks. Now, sunlight once again bathed this stretch of ocean, restoring it to a state of tranquil clarity.

Only then did the two inside the Azure-Gold Bell manage to collect themselves. Lan Sheng called out to Jiao Mu Jiao in his muffled, booming voice through the bell, “Lord Lin, why did you trap us under this giant cover? Hurry and let me out. Those three old sharks are as good as caught!”

Jiao Mu Jiao ignored him, his eyes fixed on the three burly, coarse-featured shark brothers not far away. His feelings were conflicted. During the ancient wars of mythical beasts, the Dragons and the Sharks had once been allies—he had even addressed these three as uncles. But now, they had turned traitor against the Pinnacle Palace, becoming unforgivable enemies. According to the palace’s code, traitors were to be exterminated, and these old sharks were certainly guilty. But what of the other aquatic clans—what crime had they committed? Jiao Mu Jiao wrestled with himself for a moment before steeling his heart and muttering, “Those who break the heavenly law are to be killed without mercy.”

With righteous fury, Jiao Mu Jiao called out to the three shark spirits, “Li Tong, Li Da, Li Xian! You swore upon the sun to serve the Pinnacle Palace, to be lawful lords of the Lingbo Sea. Yet today you betray your oath and ambush the palace’s disciples. For the sake of our former alliance and kinship, I’ll plead for mercy for your clans if you take your own lives here and now. But if you dare resist, your Eastern Sea Shark Clan will be wiped from existence.”

His words rolled like thunder over the vast blue waves, but when they reached the Li brothers, they erupted in rowdy laughter.

The youngest, Li Xian, sneered, “You little lackey of the Zhuo family, don’t think you can threaten us. When your father Lin Xiaoyun led the world’s dragons as the four-tribe alliance lord, he treated us as equals and called us brothers. And you, little whelp, just because you’ve dined at Zhuo Hua’s palace for a few days, you think you can spout such nonsense? If you’ve got guts, show it in a real fight.”

The second brother, Li Da, chimed in, “Little Lin, if you get bullied by your brothers, you run crying to your father. If your father won’t help, you beg Zhuo Hua to clean up your mess. If even Zhuo Hua won’t help this time, come to your uncle—I’ll give you a sweet to eat.”

Jiao Mu Jiao’s anger boiled as their ridicule reopened old wounds from his exile. Without another word, he activated the Qi-Fixing Pearl and charged straight at the three sharks.

Inside the Azure-Gold Bell, Lan Shan cried out inwardly: This is bad, that fool has fallen into their trap.

Seeing Jiao Mu Jiao barreling toward them, the Li brothers exchanged a glance and retreated into the storm clouds.

Lan Shan, trapped within the Crystal Raiment, shouted desperately to Lan Sheng, “Lan Sheng, hurry and untie me! Lord Lin is in danger!”

But Lan Sheng was unconcerned. “Ah, Shan’er, don’t make a fuss. Stay put and don’t cause trouble. Lord Lin is a god-tier master who’s survived the Auspicious Cloud Tribulation; three mere shark spirits are nothing to him. Besides, we’re stuck in here without the incantation—there’s no way out.”

Lan Shan was frantic, yelling, “You don’t understand! How long did it take us to get here from the Pinnacle Palace? And how long from when the Red Lamp was released to Lord Lin’s arrival? He must have spent an enormous amount of energy to reach us so quickly. He hasn’t even caught his breath before plunging into battle—”

Lan Sheng cut her off, “Exactly! It’s pitch dark in there, and the Qi-Fixing Pearl is limited. If the Sunstone’s power runs dry…” He slapped his thigh. “It really would mean certain death!”

Lan Shan rolled her eyes, losing all faith in this blockhead. All she could do now was pray that others from the Pinnacle Palace would arrive soon. By palace protocol, the Red Lamp they released required the combined strength of both divisions for rescue; with only Lin Bai here so far, others would surely follow.

Now Lan Sheng had started to panic, circling the Crystal Raiment anxiously. “Shan’er, what should we do? We can’t get out—the bell is heavy as a mountain and won’t budge. What do we do?”

Lan Shan closed her eyes, ignoring him, silently praying for Lin Bai’s safety.

Meanwhile, Lin Bai dove into the hurricane array conjured by the three sharks. Inside, it was pitch dark; howling winds and torrential rain battered him, lightning crashed against his protective aura with deafening force—a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

He shouted, “You three cowardly turtles, hiding behind clouds and using such base tricks—have you no shame? Come out and meet your death!”

His voice rolled through the heavy clouds but met only silence.

Enraged, he shattered two bolts of lightning and roared again, “You despicable scoundrels, even when you allied with us dragons you plotted in secret. If you hadn’t betrayed us first, how would my clan have been left so isolated?”

Only the shrieking wind and the crack of lightning answered—no reply from the Li brothers.

Lin Bai threw two more punches into empty air; his energy dispersed with the scattering clouds. The sense of impotence and rage gnawed at him—a fight against phantoms.

As Lan Shan had feared, Lin Bai had rushed here from the palace with no thought for conserving his strength; every drop of his Sunstone’s energy was spent. He surveyed the surroundings: utter darkness, not a hint of sunlight. He tried to rouse the Qi-Fixing Pearl, but the energy it produced was thin and weak, unable to muster any real force. By his estimation, if this went on for another hour, the three sharks wouldn’t need to lift a finger—he’d be struck down by the thunder, his spirit utterly destroyed.

He began preparing to break out of the array, launching himself repeatedly at the hurricane’s wall, but either his energy was insufficient to pierce it, or the lightning forced him back. Then, from the dense black clouds, the eldest shark, Li Tong, spoke with a deep, booming voice, “Nephew Lin, save your strength. Surrender now. Our cultivation may only be mid-tier, but this Thunderstorm Array is designed to counter your god-level masters of the Pinnacle Palace.”

Lin Bai cursed, “Shameless cowards! Three against one—you call yourselves heroes? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at by the world for such filth?”

Li Da’s chilling voice replied with a laugh, “Everyone knows the Three Sharks of Lingbo stand together, whether facing one or a thousand enemies. We’ve always fought as one.”

The youngest, Li Xian, grew impatient, “Brothers, enough talk. We only came for the Crystal Raiment—he chose to meddle in waters that weren’t his.”

Lin Bai seized the lull to gather what little strength he could, deliberately provoking them with idle conversation to buy time.

He said with a laugh, “So you three old sharks are set on making this a life-or-death battle with the Pinnacle Palace?”

Li Xian immediately retorted, “Once the Anli Tribe arrives, what will your palace amount to?”

Li Da chimed in, “Exactly—once the seven clans’ sacred relics are gathered, the Anli Tribe will open the Desolation Cauldron. Even the void itself will vanish—what palace, what empire will be left to speak of?”

Li Tong scolded, “How can you share such secrets?”

Li Da dismissed him, “Lin Bai will be dead soon—telling secrets to a corpse breaks no rules.”

Lin Bai, straining to recover, was thunderstruck by their words. The Anli Tribe descending? Seizing the seven clans’ relics? Opening the Desolation Cauldron? The Celestial Lady? Who was she, and where did she come from? These questions battered his mind like a battering ram.

One thought crystallized: he had to escape this hell and bring news back to the palace. The sooner Zhuo Hua knew, the more they could prepare, and the fewer would be lost. So, he began to feign friendliness, hoping to coax more secrets from the sharks.

Feigning curiosity, he asked, “So, you’ve pledged yourselves to the Anli Tribe?”

Li Xian preened, “Of course. We may not agree with the tribe’s methods, but we believe in the Celestial Lady! She promised that once this is over, she’ll take us to a paradise in the void—seven parts water, three parts land—where we can live as we please.”

From his tone, Lin Bai heard genuine yearning and cursed him for a fool. Still, he kept up the ruse, his face full of longing. “Such a promise is truly enticing! Would you three uncles introduce me to this Celestial Lady? I have no ties left in this void—wandering to such a paradise would be a joy.”

Li Tong’s deep, emotionless voice replied, “Would a member of the Pinnacle Palace need us to introduce you?”

Li Da added, “That’s right! Would Lady Lanling need our recommendation for you?”

Lady Lanling colluding with the Anli Tribe—to destroy the very realm she created.

The thought flashed through Lin Bai’s mind, freezing his blood and casting him into an abyss of despair.