Chapter 652: Underworld Ship (1/2)

Chapter 652: Underworld Ship

As the voice echoed out, all of the hair on Meng Hao’s body stood on end. An indescribable feeling washed through him, and it felt as if some ancient, icy hand were gently caressing his neck.

An aura of putrefaction filled the area. As for the ship he was on… everything suddenly seemed to slow down. In one fleeting moment, it seemed as if thousands of years had passed.

Everyone on the ship went pale white and began to shiver. Unprecedented expressions of fear could be seen on their faces. Even those who didn’t know of the yellow springs Underworld Ship could tell from the current situation that they were in a situation of critical danger!

Terror filled the hearts of the three old men. They employed all of the power of their Cultivation base, and even consumed medicinal pills, to push the boat forward with all the speed possible.

Meng Hao took a deep breath and rotated his Cultivation base to dispel the intense coldness. One of the three old men who sat nearby yelled out in a hoarse voice: “Don’t look back! All of you, listen to me. Under no circumstances look back!

“One must not gaze upon the path to the yellow springs! If you turn your head, you’re done for!”

There were a few people on the ship who had been contemplating turning to look back. However, after hearing the old man’s words, they sat there trembling, not daring to turn their heads even a little bit.

Meng Hao’s eyes flashed. Behind him, he could hear sobbing sounds rising and falling. It sounded like the weeping of a crowd of countless people. Gradually, everything around grew even colder. In the dim light, it was possible to make out strands of white fog that looked like hair, swirling about in the air.

“The end of my Dao… is nigh….” said the voice, filled with an aura of decay. It seemed to be getting closer.

A cold gleam gradually appeared in Meng Hao’s eyes as he stood there on the prow. Although he didn’t turn his head back, the energy in his body gradually grew more and more focused.

The ship picked up speed, but everything around it was motionless. Even if it moved much faster, it would still be incapable of escaping the white strands that filled the area and were continuing to grow more numerous.

It almost seemed as if the ship itself were mired within a painting, a painting in which everything was motionless. It didn’t matter if the three old men went all out with power, they still weren’t moving fast enough.

The aura of rot grew closer, as if the Underworld Ship that the old men had talked about was getting closer and closer.

Even though their own ship wasn’t moving, the passage of time on board seemed to be speeding up. Everyone trembled, as they sensed signs that their life force was beginning to drain away.

Despair welled up in the hearts of the three old men.

Meng Hao silently lifted up his right foot and then stamped it down softly onto the deck. Instantly, his Cultivation base rumbled, and power poured into the ship. Much of the deck directly shattered, but at the same time, the ship surged forward with incredible speed.

The speed was such that it seemed they would break free from the world of motionless within which they were stuck. The three old men gasped, and hope appeared in their faces as they assisted with all the power they could muster. It finally seemed that the ship would break free from the painting. Movement in their surroundings even became visible.

Eventually, they reached a speed that was capable of combating against whatever law it was in the area that caused everything to remain motionless. The air began to move, and the stillness seemed to be on the verge of shattering. It was at this point, when everything seemed to be just about to begin moving again, when Meng Hao heard a sigh in his ear.

Then he heard the voice of a man, a voice filled with boundless love. “Hao’er… have you been safe and sound all these years…? Back then, your mother didn’t agree, but as your father, I… I insisted that it must be this way. Don’t blame your mother….”

Meng Hao trembled. He recognized the voice. Bits and pieces of it actually remained in his memories. Even after so many years had passed, he recognized that this was the voice of his father!

He stood there silently. He didn’t look back as the ship sped forward. The motionlessness in the area was rapidly giving way to movement. The white strands that floated in the air were slowly moving backward, freeing the ship.

Just then, though, Meng Hao heard another voice.

“Hao’er… do you… still remember me? I’m your mother…. Look back, let me see your face. It’s been so many years…. We’ve missed you.”

Meng Hao’s entire body trembled, and his head moved slightly. A complex expression appeared in his eyes as he stood there breathing. He didn’t look back; instead, he focused all his energy on controlling the boat. A rumbling sound could be heard as the front of the boat finally pierced out of the painting of stillness.

Meng Hao could see the border of the still region just up ahead; they were almost out of the painting.

“Deep in your heart, is obsession.” This voice was not the voice of his parents that existed in his memory. It was the ancient, decaying voice.

The voice seemed confused, as if it it, too, were filled with infinite obsession.

“You are a living being that I have encountered on the path to the yellow springs. I can… help you to fulfill your obsession. Look back, and you will be able to see what your parents look like.”

Meng Hao’s Cultivation base suddenly stopped moving. He poured no more power into the ship, but instead stood there on the prow. Directly in front of him was the edge of the painting of motionlessness; after passing beyond that border, they would be free.

Meng Hao well knew that if he looked back, something untoward would likely happen. However, the words spoken to him just now had left him completely shaken.

No one else could hear the words spoken into his ear just now, not even the three old men. Everyone just sat there, trembling and in a daze. Meng Hao was the only lucid one among them all.