Chapter 78: The Sun Ship

Granny Si frowned deeply and immediately issued a stern order: "The entire city is under strict lockdown! Search for the demonic cultist! Gather everyone in the city, force them into the central square. I want to see who dares to cause trouble right under my nose!"

The divine arts practitioners from the City Lord's Manor immediately complied. They descended and herded everyone in the city, including visiting merchants, into the central square.

Qin Feiyue also frowned deeply. His failure to find the demonic cultist who caused the disturbance made him very uneasy.

"General Qin, there's no need to worry. This city belongs to me, Fu. No demon or ghost can cause trouble here!" Granny Si, wearing Fu Yundi's skin, chuckled: "By gathering everyone together, even if that cultist possesses great power and is skilled at concealment, they won't escape my grasp! Go ahead and invite the imperial army. The Great Ruins are full of lawless individuals who need discipline! Speaking of which, I, Fu, have long heard of the Grand Tutor's great name and deeply admire him. I eagerly await the chance to meet him and receive his guidance!"

Qin Feiyue suppressed his unease and smiled faintly: "Please rest assured, City Lord. The Grand Tutor always administers rewards and punishments fairly. With the great service you've rendered to the Yankang Nation, you will naturally be promoted and prosper, no longer needing to endure this desolate and harsh land."

Granny Si burst into triumphant laughter, then suddenly spoke fiercely: "That troublesome cultist doesn't know what's good for him. Once caught, he'll be executed by a thousand cuts, and his head will be hung on the city gate as a warning! Oh, and please, General Qin, put in a good word for me to the Grand Tutor. That cultist's disturbance just now wasn't my doing, Fu's doing, you see..."

Qin Feiyue understood and chuckled: "City Lord, please rest assured. I will certainly recommend you to the Grand Tutor."

Granny Si breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes glinting. She whispered: "To be honest, I've been operating here for many years and have acquired quite a few extraordinary treasures. After the Grand Tutor enters the city, perhaps General Qin could accompany me to admire them. If anything catches your eye, feel free to take it..."

Qin Feiyue was quite tempted. The Great Ruins were practically overflowing with treasures, even many artifacts predating the Dark Invasion. Fu Yundi, having operated in the Great Ruins for years, had naturally amassed countless rare and exotic treasures. If he could enter his treasury and select a few items, it would undoubtedly be a huge gain!

On the dragon pillar, Qin Mu watched the Deaf Elder drawing, using his art as a divine ability. He was mesmerized and filled with admiration. He had studied calligraphy and painting with the Deaf Elder since childhood, and read extensively, but this was the first time he had witnessed the Deaf Elder display such divine power.

To delay the advance of Yankang's army of over a hundred thousand troops by himself, this ability was truly astonishing!

If the experts from Yankang Nation hadn't deciphered the Deaf Elder's divine art, it was likely that all hundred thousand-plus troops would have perished under it.

"Is that Mu'er on the pillar?"

Suddenly, the Butcher's voice came from below. Qin Mu leaned over to look, only to see the Butcher slashing his pig-slaughtering knife at the dragon pillar repeatedly, yet not a single strike landed on it. He wondered why.

The Butcher swung his knife again and again, his body steadily rising. Soon, he landed on the dragon pillar.

"Grandpa Butcher, what are you doing?" Qin Mu asked curiously.

"I'm implanting a divine ability to destroy the dragon pillar."

The Butcher sheathed his pig-slaughtering knife in the scabbard on his back. He put his hands on the ground and moved to the dragon's head. Looking at the army marching outside the city, he said: "When the Yankang army enters the city, at midnight, my divine ability will activate. This dragon pillar will shatter into pieces, utterly destroyed by my blade light."

Yankang's vanguard had suffered countless casualties from the Deaf Elder's attack. Now, a second army was approaching from Yanbian Pass. The two forces would merge and head towards Xianglong City.

Although they had just been attacked by the Deaf Elder, with the two armies now merged, their presence was even more formidable.

Qin Mu jumped in surprise and blurted out: "Grandpa Butcher, are you planning to use darkness to annihilate the Yankang army?"

The Butcher nodded and said: "I've already implanted divine abilities in the other three dragon pillars; this is the last one."

Qin Mu felt a chill run down his spine. If all four dragon pillars were destroyed at midnight, then the Yankang army would face utter annihilation!

Countless people would be engulfed by darkness and die a tragic death!

Qin Mu hesitated: "Grandpa Butcher, what about the people in the city...?"

The Butcher chuckled: "Just now, the Deaf Elder performed his art and attacked the Yankang army. Old Granny Si ordered the entire city to be locked down and everyone to be herded to the city center."

Qin Mu immediately felt relieved. The city center contained many ancient temples, dedicated to various stone statues. Those temples would block the encroachment of darkness.

Clearly, Granny Si and the Deaf Elder had communicated beforehand, thus formulating this plan. Once the dragon pillars collapsed and darkness invaded, the city center, encircled by temples, would become a safe zone. With all the city's inhabitants gathered there, they would naturally be perfectly safe.

"By night, the Yankang army will be annihilated, and only a handful of powerful figures, like the Yankang Grand Tutor, will escape. That will be the time for our decisive battle."

The Butcher chuckled: "That's why the Village Chief is also here."

Qin Mu was puzzled. The Village Chief had no limbs; what could he possibly do?

The Butcher was somewhat excited, chuckling: "Tonight, we'll see the strongest sword of yesteryear meet the strongest sword of today! Damn it, I wish it were night already...! What is that?"

His expression suddenly froze. He stared blankly into the distance as if he'd seen a ghost, gasping, "Damn it, what in the hell is that?"

Qin Mu followed his gaze. He was slightly startled, seeing only a tiny black dot in the sky. He didn't know what had surprised the Butcher so much.

However, the direction of that tiny black dot was towards the Star Sea, two hundred *li* away from Xianglong City.

"Damn it, damn it..."

The Butcher continued to curse, then suddenly shot into the air and descended, calling out: "Stay here and don't move! I'm going to find the Village Chief and the Apothecary. I've lived in the Great Ruins for so long, and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this... damn it..."

Qin Mu was puzzled. This was the first time he'd seen the Butcher so flustered. Even when the Butcher went crazy, he didn't swear this much. His most frequent target for curses was usually the 'thieving old sky'.

He looked towards the tiny black dot again. He was startled once more, as the black dot had grown significantly larger.

The tiny black dot was steadily growing larger. It had started like a pinprick on white paper, but now it resembled an ink spot. And it was still expanding. Before long, the disc was already about ten feet across.

Soon after, the disc spanned several acres.

Tremors continually emanated from underground. The vibrations grew stronger and stronger. Standing on the dragon pillar, Qin Mu felt his legs go numb, as if an incredibly colossal monster was constantly shifting its weight.

He felt the air growing hotter and hotter. The temperature was rising steadily, as if the sun itself were unleashing fierce heat to scorch the earth. Yet, it was still spring, with two months until summer.

Then, Qin Mu saw what the Village Chief and the others were seeing.

A moving ship, approaching from the direction of the Star Sea, drew closer and closer.

It was indeed a ship that was moving purposefully. Above the ship, a steadily growing black sphere floated.

Qin Mu's expression was peculiar. The shock in his heart was unparalleled. After a long moment, he exhaled slowly, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Damn it..."

The Butcher glared at him: "Children shouldn't use foul language! Damn it, what the hell is that thing that's appeared?"

The ship moving towards them was unimaginably massive. It was a ship made of volcanoes. Towering mountain peaks, spewing thick smoke and flames, rose majestically into the clouds. Lightning and thunder pulsed within the dense smoke, with flashes of electricity constantly illuminating the sky.

The mountain's shape was also peculiar; it had no distinct peaks. From a distance, it somewhat resembled a tower ship, but instead of towers, it bore numerous magnificent, resplendent palaces. Despite being shrouded in thick smoke, they still gleamed with golden light, looking utterly spectacular.

On the mountain were thick chains, so massive that dozens of people would be needed to embrace one. They floated in the sky like kite strings. The ends of these chains were tethered to the colossal black sphere. As it moved through the air, the chains clanked against each other, making a rattling sound.

And when that incredibly dark, enormous sphere was dragged along, it emitted roars, shaking the very air into a hum, as if it were impossibly heavy.

At this moment, the ship was traversing the lower reaches of the Surging River. It caused this great river in the Great Ruins to boil and stop flowing. Fish monsters and aquatic creatures from the Surging River leaped ashore one after another, scrambling to escape!

"This is..."

Qin Mu was stunned, then blurted out: "The Sun Ship!"