Chapter 142: Don't compare your Western little crawling insects with Eastern dragons
〜Journey To The West World〜
"Is this… Dan Heng when he was a child?"
Inside the Abyssal Prison, Ao Guang looked at Dan Heng, who was holding his forehead with a pained expression in the light screen, with a stunned look:
"Is he… the High Elder?"
Ao Qin swam over from the side and snorted disdainfully,
"Big brother, have you forgotten? Although the Vidyadhara are Scions of 『 Permanence 』, only a very few can transform into dragons. Dan Heng has been traveling with Stelle all this way, where is there even a trace of the High Elder?"
"In my humble opinion, Dan Heng is indeed a Vidyadhara… but in the end, he's just an ordinary Vidyadhara, still miles away from being the High Elder!"
"Hmm…"
Ao Qin's words made some sense, but Ao Guang still shook his head and doubted,
"What if Dan Heng has some hidden power he hasn't used yet?"
"Big brother, have you forgotten the scene when Stelle and the others fought against Cocolia and the Engine of Creation?"
Ao Shun interjected from the side,
"At that time, Stelle was pierced through the chest by Cocolia's spear. At such a critical moment, even if he had hidden power, he should have used it, right? How can a companion be in mortal danger while one hides one's own abilities?"
"Is it that Dan Heng didn't want to save people? It's clearly that he himself had no strength left!"
"Hmm…"
Ao Guang finally nodded,
"You have a point."
Although this reason convinced Ao Guang, he couldn't help but wonder what this High Elder would look like. Although Dan Heng had never shown the power of a 'High Elder' from beginning to end, he still greatly appreciated the young man's composure of 'remaining unperturbed even when a mountain collapses before him' and his almost divine spear techniques.
—
「 Dan Heng continued forward. When he arrived at the seaside, he saw two blue specters standing by the railing, gazing at the distant sea.
Past Echo Elderly voice: All the elixir crucibles that the Vidyadhara helped to construct contain cloudhymn magic. You should take this chance to learn more, young master...
Past Echo Young voice: Is that so? But I don't need any sort of device to help me command water. What more is there to learn?
Past Echo Elderly voice: You are indeed the chosen one, with endless potential... yet cloudhymn magic is just the beginning.
"A Vidyadhara Mirage Echo... Have these shadows of the past yet to disperse?" Dan Heng shook his head, "These memories… no, these matters have nothing to do with me anymore."
Dan Heng continued forward, and by the roadside were two more child-like specters.
Past Echo Girl's voice: They say that you are Long's power incarnate. Is that true?
Past Echo Boy's voice: Hmph…
"Aargh... Long..." Dan Heng seemed to be sharply struck in the heart by this word, and a trace of sadness flashed in his eyes: "Now I have been exiled from the Xianzhou, I am no longer one of the Scions of 『 Permanence 』..."
Arriving at the seaside, Dan Heng encountered a mirage that had been waiting for him there for a long time. Unlike other shadows, it could actually communicate with Dan Heng.
Past Echo Female voice: "This surging power... It's you... You've returned, High Elder."
Past Echo Female voice: "Something terrible is happening in Scalegorge Waterscape. Please don't go any further... Your enemies... Your enemies are waiting for you."
"I'm sorry, I cannot stay here. My friends have already left, and I must catch up with them." Dan Heng said without hesitation.
"You are still going your own way, you refuse to listen to us… just like back then." The woman's voice sighed, "It seems you already made your decision. There is a vessel bound for Scalegorge Waterscape located ahead."」
「 .....」
〜Record of Ragnarok World〜
"True dragon…"
In the VIP lounge on the side of the gods, Hades was patiently observing Dan Heng's every move. As a Western god, when "dragon" was mentioned, he immediately thought of the black dragon—Níðhöggr—that old man Odin had told him about.
In Norse mythology, Níðhöggr constantly gnaws at the roots of the World Tree, Yggdrasil. When the World Tree is completely gnawed away, Ragnarök will come.
"…Is it a dragon similar to Níðhöggr?"
As Hades was contemplating, a dazzling golden light emanating from behind him suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
The door to the lounge was pushed open, and a man with a cola-flavored lollipop in his mouth slowly walked in. He was wearing a blue vest with rabbit patterns, a pair of flamboyant pink glasses on his nose, and his handsome face was full of cynicism.
Facing the golden Buddha light behind him, the gods of both East and West in the lounge all squinted their eyes in unison.
"Shaka, put away the Buddha light behind you."
Zeus, the King of the Gods, raised his hand,
"You're only arriving now, do you have any complaints?"
"Ah, not really."
Shaka looked at Hades, who was sitting on a luxurious chair,
"I just accidentally overheard you discussing Dan Heng's reincarnation as a true dragon outside, so I couldn't resist coming in to interject—"
"…Don't compare your Western little crawling insects with Eastern dragons."
As soon as these words were uttered, it was as if a calm before a storm, and the entire conference room fell silent.
The first to break the silence was Göll, one of the Valkyrie's 13 sisters. She finally couldn't help but let out a giggle:
"Little crawling insects… Pfft, that name… is a bit cute."
But she quickly realized that the atmosphere was not right and quickly covered her mouth.
Odin slowly walked to Shaka's side. The aura of the King of the Gods made the ravens on his shoulders tremble:
"So, you've seen Dan Heng manifest his true dragon form? Or… have you seen the Star God of 『 Permanence 』?"
"Of course not."
Shaka spread his hands.
"Then what is your basis…"
"…Intuition."
Shaka gently tapped his forehead, the smile on his face becoming even more unrestrained:
"…Anyone with half a brain could guess this, right? The dragons of the Xianzhou must naturally be in the form of Eastern dragons. Those guys who can't fly without wings, how could they possibly be worthy of being Scions of the 『 Permanence 』?"
—
「 Dan Heng boarded that small boat, slowly sailing towards the Scalegorge Waterscape.
A moment later, Dan Heng finally set foot on this familiar yet strange land. However, he had barely taken two steps in the Scalegorge Waterscape… ( even through the light screen, everyone in all myriad realms felt an extremely intense killing intent. )
Inside the Scalegorge Waterscape, Blade and Kafka stood side by side.
Suddenly, Blade spoke, "He's here."
"Mm, just in time." Kafka's voice was rather languid, as if she were tired of waiting.
"...That feeling, Kafka — it's welling up within me. That feeling! I—It's..." Blade covered his face, and a hint of madness gradually appeared in his crimson pupils.
"Don't resist. Let the 'Mara-Struck' strike you..."
As soon as Dan Heng disembarked from the ship, he ran into Blade and Kafka. But he had already prepared himself mentally for this, and seeing Blade again after a long separation… he was not surprised.
"You've arrived."
It seemed that Dan Heng's face invisibly eroded Blade's sanity, and he suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh: "It's time to pay the price! The time has come!!"
"You think changing form will help you escape!? Escape..."」
「 .....」