Chapter 187: Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake (1)
Shen Jingbin and company rode on the fish"s back for a short while before they arrived at a strange place.
Although the Shadow Snaring Pond looked small, there was actually a vast expanse beneath it. As they went deeper, the amount of light around them decreased. When they almost weren"t able to make out their surroundings any longer, the golden fish finally stopped moving and remained floating in place.
"What happened?" Pure Crane asked.
"We"re nearly there. The Dragon Mouth Catfish is breaking the seal," Replied the old man.
"There"s even a seal? Is it that important?" Shen Jingbin asked in shock.
The old man stroked his beard. "Of course. The heart is the source of all life in any vast body of lake, so there obviously needs to be a seal to protect it. In fact, this Dragon Mouth Catfish that resides in the heart of the pond actually serves as one of its Guardian Beasts."
Quiet And Steadfast was able to discern the main point of what the old man said. "One of?"
"Yes, it"s one of the Guardian Beasts. Something as important as the heart of the pond naturally wouldn"t only have just one Guardian Beast. The Dragon Mouth Catfish has a gentle disposition, yet it possesses the most powerful protective seal; so it naturally became one of the guardians. However, there are hundreds of thousands of humans who wield supernatural powers. There are also plenty of people who are capable of breaking the seal. Therefore, apart from the Dragon Mouth Catfish, a Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake also guards the heart of the pond…"
F*ck. The four of them cursed inwardly at the same time.
There exists a World BOSS called the Scarlet Marsh Snake in Thunder Marsh that possesses overwhelming attack power. But, why did this Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake… sound even more powerful than it?
The old man continued, "Do you know about the Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake? Back then, it had completed its cultivation but wasn"t able to complete its last lightning tribulation and transcend. It then fell into this Shadow Snaring Pond…"
Morning Glory Chime cut him off. "Hold on, the Shadow Snaring pond is inside the Ice Extermination Cavern, so how did it fall in?"
The old man glared at her. "Back then, neither Mochan Mountain nor Liangcang Peak existed, let alone the Ice Extermination Cavern. At the time, Shadow Snaring pond was just a tiny pond on this exposed piece of land."
Morning Glory Chime nodded her head in understanding.
"The Shadow Snaring pond isn"t all that impressive, but its heart is exceptionally powerful. If it weren’t, it wouldn"t have been able to remain unfrozen in this world of ice and snow. Even though the Dragon Mouth Catfish"s seal was strong, it can"t match up to the lightning tribulation"s strength. The Scarlet Marsh Snake sunk to the heart of the Shadow Snaring Pond when it fell in, and it was the true Shadow Snaring Water produced by the heart that saved its life. It even took the remnants of the lightning tribulation and made it a part of itself. From then on, the Scarlet Marsh Snake became the Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake, and it remained in the heart of the pond to protect the heart."
While he spoke, the Dragon Mouth Catfish finished breaking the seal it had placed. To Shen Jingbin and company, it felt as if they"d pa.s.sed through an invisible layer of protection and the pressure around them had now lifted. Though there still wasn"t much light, the scene before them was exceptionally clear.
What did having your "mind blown" mean?
What they saw before them was probably what it meant.
A vast and ancient city that stretched into the distance appeared beneath their feet. Dark green aquatic plants completely covered the mottled and derelict city walls, giving it a desolate and somber appearance of a timeworn relic. The residential district and lofts behind the city walls had long since been eroded by the pond"s water, making it impossible to discern what they"d looked like in the past. However, it was these indistinct shapes that genuinely underscored Mother Nature"s incredible artistry.
"How, how beautiful…" Morning Glory Chime muttered.
Despite not replying, Shen Jingbin and company nodded in agreement.
It was truly stunning; a flawless marriage of man and nature. The shock of being exposed to something as remarkable as this wasn"t something that could be described with mere words.
After a short pause within the water, the Dragon Mouth Catfish blew a large bubble. Then, with a swish of its tail, it swam towards the nearby city, causing the scenery beneath them to gradually change. Even though the majority of the city had eroded, Shen Jingbin and company had no difficulty imagining the underwater city"s previous magnificence.
After traveling several hundred metres, the Dragon Mouth Catfish finally stopped and started swimming downwards.
"Get ready, we"re about to reach the heart of the pond," The old man suddenly said. He then pulled out the Earth Warding Gourd he’d shown them previously and threw it at Shen Jingbin. "Listen to my instructions once when we reach the heart of the pond."
"Old mister, I have a question… do we need to fight the Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake?" Pure Crane asked.
The old man shook his head and gave them a confident smile. "With me here, you don"t need to be afraid of some Scarlet Marsh Thunder Snake."
"It might be presumptuous of me to ask, but who are you, old mister?" Shen Jingbin queried.
The old man shook his head and said, "The secrets of heaven must not be revealed."
Morning Glory Chime"s lips curled. "Tch, what a blue-baller."
The old man didn"t pick a fight with Morning Glory Chime over what she"d said. Instead, he pointed beneath him and said, "Look, we’ve arrived."