Tales of Herding Gods

Outside the black coffin, everyone waited for a moment and they saw no movement from the two red colored lights inside the coffin.

In the distance, the other people that had entered the ghost ship together were also taking note of the situation over here. They were waiting for the result of Ancestral Dragon King’s investigation.

They knew very well about how dangerous this ship was thus they were also glad to let others risk their lives while they reaped the benefits.

The silence in the surroundings was stifling.

Ancestral Dragon King threw a glance and that half-god understood. He mustered his magic power and he first applied a defensive divine art around his body first. The divine art transformed into a tortoise shield and the markings of black tortoise also appeared on his arms. Only then did he braced himself to go forward and stretched his hands carefully inside the coffin to feel about.

The coffin was very huge and his hand was still quite a distance away from those red lanterns. Gradually, this half-god walked into the black coffin and vanished.

No more activity came from inside and after a moment, the voice of that half-god came from the inside of the coffin. “They are really lanterns!”

Everyone outside let out sighs of relief and Ancestral Dragon King also relaxed slightly. They saw that half-god walking out from the coffin with a smile. “The things emitting the red light in this coffin are really lanterns, they are two paper lanterns. I could only find one so I took it out. There’s nothing dangerous inside… Why are you guys looking at me like this?”

That half-god carried a lantern and looked peculiarly in the surroundings. Everyone secretly moved back as though they had seen a ghost when they looked at him.

Ancestral Dragon King also took a step back and tightened his grip on his dragon head scepter.

Even he had never seen such a strange sight before so he couldn’t help becoming nervous.

Luo Wushuang and the rest far away were also silent. Those disciples of Spirit Elite Guards were slightly frightened when they saw the situation over here.

“Sword God, what is happening?” Dragon Rearing Sovereign hid behind Village Chief and asked with a trembling voice.

Village Chief and High Heavens were old foes. Dragon Rearing Sovereign had also almost died time and again in Village Chief’s hands. Even though there was enmity between them, Dragon Rearing Sovereign still respected Village Chief the most, therefore when he was in such a situation, he still subconsciously moved close to Village Chief when in such a situation.

As for Qin Mu who was his lord, Dragon Rearing Sovereign hated him down to his bones.

Qin Mu frowned as his gaze landed on the half-god who had walked out of the black coffin. This half-god was holding a paper lantern in his hands and the red light in the black coffin earlier was from this paper lantern. However, when it was in the darkness, it couldn’t help make people thought that they were two red eyes.

The paper lantern was very weird and it would spin when the wind blew. There was a face on the lantern which was staring with its eyes wide open, looking at its surroundings with a smirk.

However, this wasn’t what had scared everyone.

What had truly scared everyone was that half-god. On the neck of this half-god was another paper lantern.

His head had vanished without a trace!

His face appeared on this paper lantern and there was still nose and eyes. He continued to speak and asked, “What is wrong? Why are you guys looking at me with that kind of gaze?”

His face appeared on the surface of the lantern while light still continued to shine from the inside of the lantern. It was as if someone had sliced his face off and pasted it on the lantern.

The light was dim and his face was also flickering between light and dark.

Ancestral Dragon King suddenly raised his dragon head scepter and tapped on the void. The lantern on the half-god’s neck suddenly extinguished!

Pa-thud.

The lantern dropped down onto the ground.

There was nothing left on the half-god’s neck and divine blood suddenly spurted out furiously. His body swayed and he collapsed onto the ground without any breath remaining.

“You will all die…”

The paper lantern that was in his hands dropped on the ground and rolled two rounds on the ground. The face on that lantern revealed a strange smile, “Heehee, you will all die here and receive eternal life, connected to this ship forever…”

Ancestral Dragon King stepped on the lantern and extinguished the light in the lantern. With a solemn face, he said, “Dressing up as god and playing the devil! I’m a great god on Numinous Sky Realm, you truly not know death by trying your tricks in front of me!”

He roared and the dragon head scepter in his hand smashed ruthlessly into the black coffin in front of him. That huge black coffin instantly shattered into pieces and gave off thumping sounds as they fell to the ground.

His battle power was astonishing and even the black coffin with the seals of the four deities couldn’t withstand a blow from him.

The dust dispersed and miserable screams came from the pieces of the coffin on the ground. Fresh red blood started to pour out from the wood of the coffin.

Everyone was astonished and they hurriedly rose into the sky. They didn’t dare to land on the ground.

Seeing the fresh blood coming out from those pieces of wood, they could actually see living human embedded on the planks as though they had been fused together with the coffin. Some of them revealed their faces and looked like relief sculptures. Some revealed half of their chests while numerous arms also grew out from the coffin.

These hands tried to grab here and there as though they were struggling to grab something. Some of these faces were warped as though they were finding it hard to breathe.

Countless miserable screams rang out. “Save me—”

Ancestral Dragon King was at a loss.

Suddenly a face cried out. “Ancestral Dragon King, it’s me! It’s me! I’m God You Fang, you had sent me here to investigate this ghost and now I’m trapped here. Dragon King, please rescue me!”

Ancestral Dragon King was astonished and he hurriedly looked at the half-god who was fused with the coffin. It was indeed one of the gods he had dispatched to investigate this ghost ship!

He had already dispatched five to six groups of strong half-gods to investigate this ship. There was no lack of existences on Jade Pool Realm and God Execution Stage Realm yet like clay oxen entering the sea, none of them had come back!

Never would he expect one of them to appear in the black coffin and was actually fused with the black coffin!

Suddenly, another voice cried out. “I’m General Pan Qiong from Celestial Heavens’ West Gate of the Military Camp, quickly save me!”

“I’m East Deity’s disciple Qing An, I’ve been trapped here for god knows how many thousands of years, if you can save me, East Deity will reward you handsomely.”

“I’m Light Emperor Crown Prince Chi Xiao! Who is coming to save me? Light Emperor will definitely reward you handsomely!”

…

All kinds of cries came out and everyone on this ship was at a loss. They saw that the faces of the wood quickly shrivelled up and their voices became softer and softer. When the fresh blood finally finished pouring out, they had all turned into dried corpses that had died with a remaining grievance.

More and more fresh blood flowed out and they slowly covered the other seals on the deck.

Qin Mu said with a low voice, “Village Chief, look!”

Village Chief narrowed his eyes and replied softly, “Those seals on the deck are absorbing this blood. We can’t remain on the deck any longer, we have to leave as soon as possible!”

The deck of this ghost ship was covered with circular seals and the blood was currently being absorbed by the markings on these seals. The seals gave off faint green light.

The runes that formed the seal gradually became darker as the runes swirled. Black colored coffins slowly grew out from the bottom of the deck.

Qin Mu and the rest had predicted the situation ahead of the rest and had already rushed towards the building on the battleship. The other people also reacted over and rushed there.

Behind them, huge black coffins grew out from the deck. They increased in number and were like a forest of black coffins. Banging sounds rang out as the lids collapsed to the ground behind them. Those were the sounds of coffin lids landing on the ground.

Qin Mu turned back to look but he saw nothing jumping out after the coffins had opened. There was only black gas coming out and they scattered around like pythons with no bodies.

There were half-gods that ran slow and got into contact with the black gas. They gave off miserable screams as their bodies melted and broke down quickly. However, their faces remained and only their melted bodies had fused into one with the coffin, transforming them into faces on the coffins.

Village Chief also saw this situation and couldn’t help shuddering. He saw the black gas scattering quickly and filling up the entire deck. In front of them were also black coffins that were standing upright. The coffin opened up and black gas spread out.

The coffins in front formed a forest and the black gas were like venomous pythons that had scattered in all directions. They couldn’t guard against the gas. Some half-gods roared loudly and their primordial spirits stood above Jade Pool. They executed their paths, skills and divine arts that had terrifying power but when they got invaded by the black gas in the next instant, their corporeal bodies quickly melted!

Village Chief felt another chill down his spine and shouted, “Mu’er, go slightly faster!”

Qin Mu seemed to be in deep thoughts as he talked to himself. “This kind of black gas seems like a kind of creation divine art… It is creation divine art, however, this creation divine art seemed to have linked those with life and those without life together…”

“In such a situation, you still have the mood to think about these?”

Village Chief was furious and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him along. His mind moved and beams of sword light paved the path for him as they cut down the vital qi.

Although the black gas was sliced in sections, they couldn’t be eradicated.

Village Chief could only grab Qin Mu to dodge left and right while grumbling bitterly to himself.

Dragon Rearing Sovereign hurriedly followed after them and he saw Qin Mu looking like a kitten that was being grabbed by the nape of his neck. He didn’t move as he got lifted up but he still turned to the back and observed those scattering black gas, muttering something under his breath.

‘My Lord is a Dao maniac!”

Dragon Rearing Sovereign executed his divine arts to block the black gas but he couldn’t block them down no matter what. He cursed at him in his mind. ‘A Dao maniac who doesn’t know death!’

Qin Mu’s gaze sparkled and he continued to mutter to himself. “If it’s creation divine art, in that case, what is this creation divine art used for? Why would it be out of control? Why would so many black coffins appear? What is the time travel incident of Feathered Forest Guards about… What is the reasoning behind this kind of creation divine art?”

Black gas spread out in front and all of the black coffins opened up. The black gas shrouded the entire building on the ship so others couldn’t see where the building was.

Darkness surrounded them and beads of cold sweat rolled down Village Chief’s forehead. He stopped in his footsteps and leaned his back against Dragon Rearing Sovereign to guard against the surroundings.

Right at this moment, a bright moon lit up in the darkness and Luo Wushuang executed a treasure. That treasure gave off the awe of a deity of that light actually forced by the black gas. Luo Wushuang brought the remaining few disciples of Spirit Elite Guards to rush at the moonlight.

“There’s a treasure forged by a great deity on Divine Knife Luo!”

Qin Mu exclaimed in admiration. “No wonder he is so calm and composed. Luo Wushuang, I’m here, do you still remember who had chopped off your arm?”

Luo Wushuang ignored him and brought his disciples to continue forward, leaving this place.

And at the same moment, the stone coffin on Feng Qiuyun’s back opened up and the awe of the emperor overflowed into the surroundings. In the coffin, the god emperor of the half-god sat upright and forced back the black gas.

“Sister Qiuyun!”

Qin Mu shouted, “Do you still remember me?”

Feng Qiuyun’s voice came from afar. “Of course I do! You have betrayed Mother Earth and Mother Earth can’t wait to take your life!”

Qin Mu’s face turned black. Crimson Light Son of God’s body also transformed into a beam of red light and sped through the darkness. He ignored Qin Mu.

“Son of God also has no code of brotherhood.”

Qin Mu shook his head and everyone on the ship took out their means of protection. Even those visitors from the celestial heavens that had slid down the rope also had all kinds of treasures to protect them.

Qin Mu took out the commander’s seal and the moment the commander’s seal was out, the black gas suddenly froze in place. Next, wisps of the black gas quickly flew back into the coffins and he heard continuous bangs as the coffin lids automatically covered themselves back on the ground. The black coffins gradually sank back into the deck of the ship and vanished without a trace.

Village Chief blinked his eyes and looked at Qin Mu. He asked in a low voice, “Is this jade pendant of yours really a treasure to control this ship?”

Qin Mu shook his head and answered honestly, “I don’t really know as well, I had guessed it…”

“You!”

Village Chief was helpless and he said, “Let us continue forward.”

Suddenly, a lantern floated down from the mast and came to Qin Mu. That lantern was circular and it swirled a few rounds around the three of them.

Village Chief was alarmed and he examined this lantern with narrowed eyes and hand on his sword. He was ready to burst forth with an attack anytime.

Creak.

Sound of doors opening came from the lantern and Village Chief was astonished. He actually saw two doors on the lantern and a bird-headed mutant that was only an inch tall pushed open the door from the inside. He gave a few looks at them.

The light coming from the back of the tiny human was intense and extremely dazzling. When the three of them looked inside the lantern, they saw that it was actually a blazing sun that was behind the back of the one-inch tall human!

“Feathered Forest Guards General Lin Xiao, pays my respects to Commander!”

That tiny human paid his respects in front of the door and he looked very convincing. “Commander has become younger again.”

Qin Mu blinked his eyes and said vaguely. “En. Lead the way.”

“As you command.”

That tiny human sat on the door sill and the wings behind him flapped. The lantern lighted up the front and flew forward.

Village Chief was puzzled and his consciousness rippled to ask Qin Mu. “Mu’er, what is going on?”

“I have no idea.”

Qin Mu was at a loss. “Maybe he had recognized me wrongly…”

In front of them, buildings were in sight and in front of a building was a huge dragon’s head which was actually still alive. Its body had fused with the ship and his blood and flesh were connected to the wood. The face of the dragon was distorted and he seemed to be crazy. He was in a lot of pain and he began to cry out. “Heaven and earth changes, the unchanging constant of thirty-six people! What is the meaning of this? Tell me, what is the meaning?”

“This is another ancient god that has been merged with this ship by the creation divine art, however, he seemed to have gone crazy.”

Dragon Rearing Sovereign thought to himself. “The abilities of this divine dragon seems to be much powerful than me…”

“I’m not crazy.”

That crazy divine dragon suddenly lowered his head to look at them and chuckled. “You guys will become like me sooner or later, you will fuse with this ship and become part of this ship… the unchanging constant, the unchanging constant, you can only leave if you solve the unchanging constant…”

“There are records left by someone here!”

Voices rang out in the building. Qin Mu and the rest hurried over and they saw quite a number of people already gathered in the building. Crimson Light Son of God, Feng Qiuyun, the visitors from the celestial heavens, and the rest were all here and looking at the wall.

Qin Mu also looked at the writings on the wall and he was stunned. ‘Big senior brother’s handwriting!’

On the wall were writings left behind by Founding Master Wei Suifeng and they weren’t about the ghost ship, it was describing something else.

Qin Mu read in detail and he was startled. “Celestial Empress of Dragon Han Celestial Heavens had died? Why has big senior brother written about this incident on this wall? What has this incident to do with Feathered Forest Guards’ time travel?”