Chapter 79: Great Desolate Shepherds of the Day

The Village Chief, Apothecary, and others all looked at him, puzzled. The Apothecary asked curiously, “Mu’er, have you seen this ship before?”

“I’ve seen it on a map of the Grand Ruins…”

Qin Mu also felt a tremor through his body. This colossal object, which looked like a ship, must be the Sun Ship he had seen on the map in the Central Palace!

He had been puzzled by the term "Sun Ship" before, unsure why it was called that, but now he understood.

The Sun Ship was a ship that pulled the sun!

And the sun was likely that massive black sphere being pulled by chains from the Sun Ship.

This large black sphere must be an extinguished sun.

It seemed that before the darkness descended upon the Grand Ruins, there must have been a Sun Ship pulling a burning sun across this land!

Qin Mu was startled. Why had the sun pulled by the Sun Ship extinguished?

If the Sun Ship pulled the sun, then what about the Moon Ship mentioned on the map? Was it a large ship pulling the moon?

And what about the Sun Well? And the Moon Well?

Rumble, rumble.

The Sun Ship was approaching. This incredibly massive ship had legs as thick as mountain peaks, also made of lava. Firelight could even be seen through the cracks between the lava segments.

Those firelights were magma, like the Sun Ship’s blood.

This colossal ship had twenty-four legs, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms.

Its legs looked sturdy, but each step covered a distance of six or seven li.

The appearance of this gargantuan object was truly awe-inspiring.

Deaf looked at Mute, whose eyes glowed with fervor as he gestured. Deaf said, “That’s not a real sun, but a treasure refined by the people of the era before the darkness descended. Mute, I think you’re right…”

The enormous Sun Ship drew closer and closer to Inlaid Dragon City, making the air increasingly hot. Qin Mu looked up, almost unable to see the ship’s top.

The ship was too vast.

The resplendent palaces on its deck came into his view, appearing normal. But for them to look normal from such a distance was precisely what was abnormal; it implied that up close, these palaces must be truly immense, making an adult seem minuscule inside.

“That is where the gods reside,” the Village Chief said softly. “I heard they are called Sun Herders, and their god is the Sun Guardian.”

“Sun Herders?”

Everyone was slightly stunned. The Village Chief was the longest resident of the Grand Ruins, having lived there for several centuries, and thus knew the most. He had clearly heard of the Sun Ship and some of its secrets.

“I wonder if there are still descendants of the Sun Herders on this ship? Is a Sun Guardian still aboard?” the Village Chief murmured.

The Sun Ship passed by Inlaid Dragon City and advanced towards the Yan Kang Nation’s vast army. The scene was so grand and spectacular that the army forgot to advance, countless soldiers staring up at the colossal object in stunned silence.

It was terrifying, utterly overwhelming.

Thud—

One of the Sun Ship’s legs descended, its mountain-like limb crushing countless soldiers into pulp. When the ship’s leg lifted again, a small lake had formed beneath it.

“Run for your lives!”

Only then did some react, screaming and fleeing backward. The soldiers behind them hadn't processed what was happening, leading to a crush of people, trampling each other. By the time those further back realized and tried to scatter, it was already too late.

This colossal Sun Ship moved along the Yan Kang army’s path toward the Yan Kang Nation’s border, trampling countless soldiers along the way. Even the generals’ divine arts and flying swords striking its body couldn’t budge the mighty ship in the slightest.

The two Yan Kang armies had merged into one, their numbers immense. At this moment, there was no escape. Even divine artists who ascended into the air were struck by the Sun Ship’s raised legs, as easily as swatting a fly.

The giant Sun Ship continued its advance, crushing and striking down countless soldiers. General Lu attacked the Sun Ship with all his might, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, unable to move the great ship even an inch.

At the formidable Yanbian Pass of the Yan Kang Nation, streaks of sword light flew out, striking the towering ship-mountain, causing sparks to fly. Yet, they could not harm the Sun Ship. When the swords were recalled, the powerful cultivators at Yanbian Pass paled; their swords were burnt red, some even beginning to melt!

Within Yanbian Pass, tens of thousands of divine artists conjured raging winds, torrential rain, and rolling thunderclouds. But before they even reached the ship, the intense heat dissipated them.

Although the Sun Ship pulled an extinguished sun, it was still a sun, and its heat was simply too immense.

With its twenty-four legs, the ship moved swiftly. In a short while, it reached Yanbian Pass. A grating, creaking sound filled the air as the Sun Ship gradually halted.

Then a humming sound came from the sky as the black sun drifted with inertia, almost entering the Yan Kang Nation’s territory.

Countless soldiers in Yanbian Pass gazed dumbfounded at the colossal object spanning the pass. Yanbian Pass, though grand and imposing, seemed minuscule compared to this unimaginably massive entity.

Some generals turned pale, their bodies trembling, almost unable to stand. Even the soldiers in the pass, despite being skilled warriors and divine artists, were utterly terrified by the sight.

“The Sun Ship created by the beings of the era before the darkness is indeed extraordinary.”

The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor stood on the observation tower, gazing at the magnificent Sun Ship. This splendid ship exuded an unparalleled sense of oppression, causing even him to feel a tremor of fear.

At the very top of the Sun Ship, in front of the opulent palaces, he saw figures standing there.

He looked up at the black sun.

Although this black sun was not as immense as a true sun, it was still breathtaking. One could only imagine what a spectacular sight it would be if this sun were to reignite!

Even though this sun was extinguished, sending the Yan Kang Nation’s army to clash with such a behemoth would be akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot – a futile overestimation of their own strength.

He sensed the aura of a god emanating from the Sun Ship.

“There are still living gods. The mysterious Grand Ruins should not be easily trespassed upon…”

The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor raised a hand and ordered, “Issue the command: retreat. We will not set foot in the Grand Ruins for fifty years!”

Behind him, the various generals felt a slight shock but immediately relayed the order.

The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor looked up at the palaces and murmured, “The Sun Ship cannot protect the Grand Ruins forever. Gods will die, and the Sun Herders are merely a declining race. Fifty years from now, my Yan Kang Nation should possess the power to unify the Grand Ruins. Now is not the time for a head-on confrontation.”

He turned and descended from the city tower.

Urgent gong sounds echoed from the city. The soldiers outside Yanbian Pass heard the retreat signal and, relieved, rushed back towards Yanbian Pass.

And the giant Sun Ship slowly lifted its legs, turned its direction, and rumbled back towards Inlaid Dragon City.

Soon after, the remnants of the Yan Kang army returned to the border, and the Sun Ship arrived at the edge of Inlaid Dragon City. Qin Mu looked up at the towering ship, stretching into the sky, pulling a black sun—a scene he had never even dreamed of.

The Sun Ship stopped, its twenty-four legs slowly bending, gradually kneeling down.

On the Dragon Pillar, everyone wore strange expressions. This Sun Ship didn't resemble a vessel; it was more like a living creature with twenty-four legs!

The ship’s close proximity to Inlaid Dragon City caused waves of intense heat, making the city walls glow red, seemingly on the verge of melting.

It did not leave immediately, presumably waiting for the Yan Kang army to fully retreat.

“Is there still a Sun Guardian on board?” Qin Mu murmured.

“Yes, I sense a divine aura,” the Village Chief said gravely. “The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor wisely retreated and will not easily venture into the Grand Ruins for decades. Butcher, withdraw your blade intent, or the Dragon Pillar will collapse and this place will be destroyed.”

Butcher nodded, looking up at the Sun Ship excitedly. “We prepared for this battle for so long, but the Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor was scared off by the Sun Guardian! We didn’t get to fight that old fellow! Why don’t we go aboard and fight the god ourselves?”

Everyone gave him strange looks and shook their heads. This madman was truly reckless. If a Sun Guardian truly remained on board, Butcher, with just his upper body, would likely be crushed to death.

The Village Chief and others descended from the Dragon Pillar. Qin Mu looked up, his eyes sparkling, eager to climb this magnificent Sun Ship and see what was inside.

“What kind of era could have created such a colossal object, capable of pulling a sun as it travels?”

Just as he thought this, the bow of the Sun Ship suddenly lowered obliquely.

Qin Mu was stunned. The immense bow, almost the size of Inlaid Dragon City, hung down at an angle, as if it were incredibly light, completely weightless.

At that moment, he saw the scene on the ship: there were mountains and water, flowers and grass, and magnificent golden palaces standing tall, like a divine sanctuary. There were also many tall people; even the robust Apothecary would seem like a mere child compared to them.

Qin Mu estimated that these people were at least ten zhang tall, comparable to the strongmen of the Heavenly Devil Cult.

Strangely, despite the lowered bow, the lake water on the ship remained level and did not spill out.

“Your jade pendant is very strange; it has a sacred and extraordinary aura…”