720 The Advent of the Dark Child! (2/2)

With a sweep of his right arm, the Lantern Oar flipped from its horizontal state to an upright standing position. He placed the Lantern Oar on his right. The tip touched the Dark Sampan, knocking loudly against the latter upon contact!

It was a clear, bright sound that thundered across the skies and sent the ground quaking. The world resonated with it, Mars shook, and a ripple surged through the cosmos. An imperceptible, near-inaudible song-like murmur traversed the vast expanse of time and sent ripples across the universe. It spread across the entire Federation through the screens.

It was a shocking sight to behold!

The sound of collision between Lantern Oar and Dark Sampan, the echoes of a song reverberating in space, they were like the chiming of bells that stirred something in the hearts of everyone in the civilization. They echoed in their heads, and in Daoist You Ran's head. He spat out another mouthful of blood and fell further back instantly. His guesses had turned into reality, everything had fallen into place. Waves of emotions surged inside him, and he was drowning in incredulity and disbelief, his mind on the verge of a mental breakdown. He gasped.

”Dark Child!”

Daoist You Ran's voice was filled with disbelief, which was, in turn, overshadowed by intense horror. He had clearly read about the Dark Sect in the many volumes of records in the Never-Ending Clan. The Dark Sect had existed a long time ago, and while it had existed, it had been empowered by the Heavenly Dao and been an extremely terrifying force. His reading of the records had seared that knowledge deeply into his mind!

Feng Qiuran was shocked as well, and her body trembled. Zhao Yameng and her father, Zhao Pinfang, experienced the same emotions!

Another person who was reeling back with equal shock, who was currently concealed in the abyss… was Zi Yue!

It was all because… of Wang Baole's current appearance. His Black Robe, his Dark Sampan and Lantern Oar, and the black flames that continued to surge from his person. He looked like the very personification of death!

Wang Baole's reaction towards Daoist You Ran's horror and shock was unexpectedly bizarre. He didn't strike immediately. Instead, he lifted his head and stared through his black robes, towards… the stars!

Only half of his face could be seen, his eyes were hidden from the others. No one knew what he was looking at.

”So, it's Pluto…” He shut his eyes as he murmured secretly. A sudden feeling had struck him the moment his hand had tightened around the Lantern Oar and his Dark Artifacts had resumed their rightful positions. He seemed to have lost all capacity for emotions—joy, anger, sorrow. He felt nothing for life and nothing against death.

The emptiness was terrifying and incredibly easy for one to get lost in. It was akin to a small raft being lost in a vast ocean and led adrift by the currents. Fortunately… at that critical moment, something had come rippling across space from Pluto. It had been something akin to a lighthouse, or perhaps an anchor. It had grounded him and guided him towards the light.

”It's like a summon…” Wang Baole muttered to himself. He wouldn't have sensed the summoning under ordinary circumstances. It was a feeling he could only perceive the moment the Dark Artifact was born, as he was fitted with the Dark Robe, his hand gripped around the Lantern Oar, and his feet planted firmly on the Dark Sampan!

Something seemed to be hidden on Pluto, something very important. It felt very old, very ancient, as if it had existed for a very long time.

Wang Baole was silent for a brief moment. Then, he took a deep breath and retracted his gaze. His eyes landed on Daoist You Ran, who was still recovering from shock and was frantically trying to draw back from Wang Baole. Wang Baole's eyes narrowed slowly. His right hand, which was holding the Lantern Oar, slowly raised upward, then dropped while pointing towards Daoist You Ran!

”Soul, come!”

Daoist You Ran immediately released a terrifying howl. The sudden intense sense of danger pushed all other thoughts out of his head. The faces on his body exploded at the same time, transforming into a terrifying power that permeated the air. His hands moved in a blur, going through a flurry of hand seals as he unleashed every mystic technique he had up his sleeves. He was burning his very life in exchange for great power. It wasn't to fight back but to… escape!

His self-preservation instincts told him that he shouldn't fight, they told him that he should run!

But… there was no use in trying!

As Wang Baole's voice rippled through the air, the face of the burly man appeared over the Dark Sampan, the face of the State Preceptor appeared on his Dark Robe, and the silhouette of the young boy slipped out from the Dark Lantern. The three souls turned towards Daoist You Ran and began to sing!

”When the heavens and earth separate, the cycle of fate stops…”

”Knowing what happened in the past, the one who suffers now is…”

”Knowing what's to come in the future, the one who is working hard now is…”