[Book II Chapter 59] DYLAN: The Coming Threat

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The sun had set by the time Chon Woosang led Dylan into Ghost Corrosion Sect’s Wushan compound. They stopped before a great oak door inside the largest building.

“Remember to be respectful.” Chon stated . “You’re meeting the freshly appointed leader of the Great Assembly.”

An otherworldly atmosphere engulfed Dylan as he entered. Hundreds of blue candles lit the room’s sombre decor, with mysterious artifacts scattered across various shelves radiated a subtle power. Yaozu was seated at the center surrounding by floating parchments. Noting Dylan, he smiled and waved his work away. “Sanwue’s newest hero. To what do I owe the honor?”

Taking a deep breath, Dylan installed himself across from the man. This was too rare an opportunity to keep secrets or gamble on half-truths. He began with what had happened to the Sacred Cloud Sect and his master.

“Han Xiao… I remember him.” Yaozu said slowly. “He approached me about an oddity in the souls of several prominent disciples. I was intrigued but never heard from him again, so nothing ever came of it…”

Dylan nodded understandingly. This outcome was likely their aim. He continued with his quest for revenge. Yaozu frowned but said nothing as he described his killing of Liu Mufei and Mingzhu Su. It was only when he relayed Bao Pan’s final moments that the old man reacted.

With a flick of his wrist, Yaozu summon a map of Sanwue. “Please show me where this occurred and the direction her soul was departing.”

Dylan did as requested, and Yaozu grimaced.

“Do you know what this means?” Dylan pressed, hopeful.

“I do.” Yaozu sighed. “Her soul was likely headed for the Hoshindai.”

“Living cauldrons weren’t Salazar Rook’s only innovation during his time in Sanwue. To offer a second chance to those who failed to cultivate to immortality, he researched transferring their souls into the bodies of children. In this most vile act, the will of the youth was consumed by the invading spirit.”

“These experiments initially had a high fatality rate for both participants. To remedy the situation, Salazar cursed his demonic practitioner volunteers, linking their essence with a giant rock he called the Hoshindai. This way, should their intended host perish, their souls would come to rest inside the stone until another could be prepared. Having negated the consequences of failure, Salazar perfected his technique through thousands of attempts.”

“This body snatching continued for decades until the demonic practitioners grew greedy, which drew the attention of the great sects. We were furious to discover our talented youths were being kidnapped for such a sinister purpose. All those involved were hunted down and slaughtered, including Salazar Rook.”

“What did you do about the Hoshindai?”

“Nothing.” Yaozu shrugged. “We slew all the reincarnated demonic practitioners and left their souls to rot within their stone prison. Everyone who knew how to call them forth was dead.”

“Then how are they out in the world again?” Dylan asked, failing to keep the anger from his voice.

“There is only one answer. Salazar Rook must have returned.” Yaozu responded. “Which is perplexing on many levels… The Great Assembly warned surviving demonic practitioners they faced extermination should they summon that wretch again. If they’d done so despite this, our spies should’ve given us word. What is more, Salazar’s actions have always been confined one place. I have never heard of him revisiting past locations.”

Dylan barely listened to these speculations. “Where is the Hoshindai?” If the boulder could be sealed away, he wouldn’t have to fret Bao’s return.

“Here.” Yaozu pointed at a spot on the map. “It was underground to begin with. After the Fracturing, it was lost in the Twisted Darkness. Locating it again would be a cumbersome undertaking…”

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Dylan grimaced. A warped land without light funnels, the region was famous as a lawless zone abandoned to demonic practitioners.

“So what do we do?” Dylan asked.

Yaozu sat back in reflection. “I will invite Lin Xiao and the Morning Dew Sect to stay as guests of the Ghost Corrosion Sect. With her help, I will uncover how far this infestation has spread. The eight you know of are undoubtedly not alone. Afterwards, I will consult the Great Assembly about how to proceed.” He paused, smiling. “The credibility the oath affords does simplify matters greatly at times like these.”

“So you intend to allow the surviving five to roam free?”

“It’s unavoidable at this time.” Yaozu explained. “Lin isn’t here, and saints are scheduled to depart tomorrow. Without her, it’s your word against five respected cultivators.”

Grinding his teeth, Dylan quieted his rage. Perhaps it’s better this way. Even if it might be simpler, he was reluctant to leave his vengeance to others. Having his remaining targets wandering the outside world would provide plenty of assassination opportunities. But first he had to search the Twisted Darkness for the Hoshindai. If he acted fast enough and reported back, Bao and the others might never get the chance to return.

Yaozu observed him carefully. “I hope you aren’t entertaining thoughts of fleeing before tomorrow’s departure. The Great Assembly held you up as an ideal to emulate. We’ll lose face if you vanish.”

Dylan dropped to his knees and put his head to the ground.

“My apologies, I cooperated with Chon’s request in order to secure a meeting with you, but I never had the making of a hero. My master’s wrongful death haunts my dreams even now. While I’m sympathetic to your intentions, my focus must be on vanquishing my enemies. Until then, I cannot rest.”

“Your enemies…” Yaozu repeated softly. “Let me show them to you.”

A pulsing lavender crystal drifted over to them and flashed brightly. Suddenly they were atop a great rampart with a foul wind assaulting them. Above, a raging brown sky blocked out the sun.

Yaozu stood and approached the crenelations. “Come glimpse at our future.”

This is a projection of the past, Dylan understood as a shouting soldier passed through him. They were on a wall which stretched out of view on both side. Horns rang out, and everyone stared at the landscape beyond the battlements.

A gray tide was flowing over distance hills. Dylan’s eyes opened in shock. He’d never seen so many undead. Behind them, giant figures emerged from the haze, their footsteps shaking the earth.

> Dowart exclaimed. Dylan mirrored the sentiment. Even in this recording, the primal dread of those undead colossuses still assaulted him.

Colorful meteors shot by overhead. The magical arrays behind the wall had opened fire. They were grouped apart by element, causing a rainbow of destruction to descend upon the skeletal army, halting its charge momentarily.

The nearest colossuses reach down and scraped the earth, flinging an avalanche towards them. Dylan instinctively braced himself as debris assaulted the wall’s protective wards. Most was repelled, but in several places boulders pierced through. The undeads attached to them pulled themselves together and attacked, striking down defenders left and right before being subdued.

The shadows of airships descended from the sky, and cheers burst out across the fortifications. As summons pored forth from the decks, human figures jumped down and raced forward. Saints and Immortals. Their charge was joined by a host of flying creatures, many with riders.

“The colossuses couldn’t be allowed to approach the wall.” Yaozu revealed. “The purpose of these advanced contingents was to drive them back.”

As the forces of the living and the dead collided, there was a far off thunderous flash. For miles, giant ice shards rained down across the battlefield. Dylan glanced to valley where they’d originated and saw two towering vortexes clashing violently, one white and one red.

“What’s that?” Dylan asked.

“Ethan Skyfell is battling the undead champion Sanguis Rex.” Yaozu answered.

Dylan was attempting to make out the two fighters when the closest colossus’s eyes turned crimson. Without understanding why, a chill ran down his spine and he suppressed the urge to run. A second later, red-tinged lighting exploded from the towering behemoth, blanketing the landscape. Hundreds of charred carcasses fell amid the burning remains of the ground forces.

“Every colossus is the amalgamation of hundreds of thousands of undead.” Yaozu stated coldly. “The magics they are imbued with is unpredictable. This particular one was a monster.”

As surviving saints and immortals fled to the airships and retreated, those on the wall panicked. Some fled. Others resigned themselves and bravely faced their fate.

Dylan grimaced as he watched the one-sided slaughter. The colossus smashed a giant opening in the fortifications and continued onward, still crackling with a ruby energy. Yaozu let the silence sink in briefly before waving his hand to return them to the present.

“Why did you show me this?” Dylan asked.

“To warn you of the coming threat.” Yaozu explained. “This time the undead hordes will travel the Darkland, rising from below to massacre the living. While we’ve done what we can to seal the entrances, much of the lower portion of Sanwue remain indefensible. It will be chaos.”

“The safest harbors to weather this storm are the shelters set up by the great sects, and space is limited.” Yaozu faced him squarely. “What is more important to you, your revenge or Lin Xiao?”

Dylan knew what his master would’ve wanted him to say. “Lin Xiao.” He responded.

“Then you will travel with Sanwue’s saints and aid the world. In exchange, Lin Xiao and the Morning Dew sect will be welcomed guests at the Ghost Corrosion’s Sanctuary.”