The Sword Dynasty Volume 3 Chapter 28 - Cage

Chapter 28: Cage

He clearly only had realm three vital energy power, but the sword marks criss-crossing in front of him released an essence that even realm seven cultivators could not understand.
For cultivators, when they encountered a situation like this, they would first ponder why something like this would occur. They would consider what Ding Ning’s identity was and what secrets he was hiding. But to the blind dragon who had been trapped here for an unknown number of years, it could only feel the presence.
It could not speak in human speech but it possessed high intelligence. When Ding Ning’s sword energy disturbed the formation of this blue structure and activated the blue lightning it was familiar with, it started to understand that it may be able to escape this cage.
Thinking of how it could possibly escape this cage, it could not stop trembling all over. Thunderous roars rang through its belly.
The rumbles in the stomach were because it was very hungry.
It was a carnivorous spirit beast, and relied on consuming blood and energy to survive. But the powerful cultivator who had trapped it here back then knew its ability to endure hunger, and had not provided it with any food. Over the years, its food had only been the insects that had lived in this blue structure and some birds that had accidentally entered the blue structure. While this was enough for it to survive, the hunger of many years was the greatest torment, even more when it could not have freedom.
It could see the blue sky outside, but could not leave.
Forefather Zhou and the king of Chu had waited decades, but how could they have waited as long as it had? Many years of waiting in exchange for today’s possibility. It looked at Ding Ning’s calm and authoritative stance. It trembled all over, and then sprawled to the ground, even its head touching the ground.
It was expressing its compliance.
Seeing the blind eyes on its head change from viciousness to compliance, terror, and pleading, hearing the thunderous rumbles in its stomach, Ding Ning’s eyes flashed with sympathy.
The blind dragon’s senses were many times more powerful than ordinary cultivators. It managed to sense Ding Ning’s sympathy, and immediately pressed itself deeper into the ground, as though it would bury itself under the rotten leaves.
“I sympathize with your situation right now, and I will release you. But you must first help me rescue my friend.”
Ding Ning looked at it, said these words and then added two simple words. “The Flesh Bodhi.”
The blind dragon could not completely understand the meaning in the first few words, but it had heard the term ‘flesh bodhi’ many times. In the next moment, its head immediately swayed in shock.
Ding Ning frowned slightly.
He started to make some simple hand motions as he said, “You mean to say the flesh bodhi also has a powerful formation so you cannot get close?”
The blind the dragon understood his meaning and started to nod.
Ding Ning took a deep breath.
He absolutely understood Forefather Zhou’s intentions.
Forefather Zhou only wanted to use him to lure away the blind dragon for a moment, so he could enter the formation protecting the flesh bodhi. As long as the blind dragon could not stop him from entering the formation protecting the flesh bodhi, he could successively obtain the flesh bodhi.
Therefore, Forefather Zhou was likely going to absorb the flesh bodhi within the formation.
If he managed to do so inside, on his way back he would encounter this blind dragon. Even if he suffered a little, he would not die here, he could still escape.
“Take me there.”
Ding Ning looked at the blind dragon and said in an unrefusable tone, “I will defeat the formation.”
The blind dragon lifted its head slightly.
It was slightly doubtful.
Ding Ning frowned slightly. He knew what he needed to do right now.
So he slowly breathed out, and released the countless invisible little silkworms hiding in his body.
The invisible little silkworms appeared out of his body, starting to absorb the surrounding primal energies of the universe.
The air was filled with hissing.
The scene in the blind dragon’s perception was completely different.
It seemed to have seen an enormous being at the top of the food chain, something that could consume all things. This kind of presence and the presence showing in the sword marks was the same, enough to make it shudder.
It no longer hesitated. It turned around, its enormous body travelling rapidly through the dense forest and creating a round path for Ding Ning.
Ding Ning followed. After ten breaths, the blind dragon stopped.
The trees and vines ahead of the blind dragon were the same as in any other part of the blue structure, but there was a clear green light ahead of it.
Many green crystals poked out of the dried leaves.
These green crystals gave off green light that formed a wave.
Ding Ning frowned deeply.
He closed his eyes, the countless little silkworms in his body once again flooded out of his body and gradually consumed the primal energies of the universe.
The spitting of silk scared the blind dragon into lying on the ground again.
As the invisible threads produced by the little silkworms spread through the air, some clear lines appeared in Ding Ning’s perception. A scene of cold wind blowing with snowflakes in the air appeared in his mind.
But there were countless green crystals spread through this cold scene like numerous ghosts waiting to surge onto fresh flesh.
“Starting now, we must trust each other.” Ding Ning opened his eyes and spoke, seriously and calmly to the blind dragon.
Then he reached out and placed his hand on the blind dragon’s head like he was touching a friend.
The blind dragon’s body grew slightly stiff, terrifying energies roiling instinctively around it. The air snapped and there seemed to be energy erupting out of the ground.
But Ding Ning’s hand landed without any hesitation.
The moment his hand made true contact with the blind dragon’s body, these terrifying energies disappeared. The blind dragon’s body was still stiff, but those blind eyes gave off more unusual lights.
“I will definitely get you to leave this cage.” Ding Ning pulled his hand back as he solemnly reaffirmed. Then he said, “I will break this formation, but I do not have enough power. I need you to believe me, and use some of your power to help me defeat this formation.”
The blind dragon was still stiff and did not seem to understand.
Ding Ning glanced at it and then swung his sword.
The Last Flower remnant sword left a sword mark on the ground next to him.
He then shot out a wave of vital energy from his left hand that landed in the sword mark
Then he pointed at the sword mark and said to the blind dragon,” Me.”
Then he produced another surge of vital energy that entered the sword mark and said, “You.”
The blind dragon was still for a long moment before … its body moved. It nodded.
Ding Ning flashed a hint of a smile. Even so, he was still in no hurry to act. He drew two figures using the remnant sword on the ground.
One was the figure of Forefather Zhou, the other Fu Su.
“Enemy!” He pointed at Forefather Zhou’s figure.
“Friend,” he said as he pointed at Fu Su.
The blind dragon hesitated for a moment, and nodded when it understood his meaning.
Ding Ning raised his head, but then he seemed to think of something. He bent down and drew a round figure on the ground.
This was the shape of the blind dragon.
Then he pointed at this figure and said to the blind dragon, “Friend.”
The simple word seemed to contain countless meanings to the blind dragon.
A strange sounded within its body. Its blind eyes constantly flashed with light. It was trying to sense something.
Ding Ning looked calmly at it.
It seemed to be infected by Ding Ning’s calm. The surrounding presences calmed down.
Ding Ning did not say anything else. He took several steps forward in front of it, and stood before the green line.
This movement caused the blind dragon’s body to quiver again. It instinctively nodded.
Ding Ning swung his sword.
The Last Flower remnant sword spread along his movement like a flower in bloom. Countless sword energies shot out following the sword threads and created minuscule paths in the air ahead.
Boom!
Astounding cold energy suddenly erupted in the calm air ahead. A snowstorm seemed on the verge of forming, to destroy everything.
At this time, the blind dragon suddenly leapt up.
The flesh whiskers on its head danced. Dim yellow waves of energy surged out of the ground and entered those minuscule lines.
Boom!
An enormous roar, like two ships colliding, sounded in the air ahead.
Crack crack crack …
Cracks immediately appeared in the numerous green crystals in front of it and Ding Ning. Then those green crystals split, the waves of light quickly disappeared.
In the center of this formation formed by these green crystals stood a tall fig tree. Its leaves were all strangely purple. Hanging from the roots was a human-shaped purple fruit.
This fruit looked like a curled up infant, its surface giving off light like jade but also flesh.
At this time, Forefather Zhou was sitting next to this fruit. His only movable left hand’s fingers were stabbed into this fruit. Waves of vital energy were absorbing the essence of this fruit and flooding into his body.
His countenance was that of avarice and ecstasy.
Fu Su, forced to stand by the side among the dried leaves, looked at the expression crawling up his face and felt immense hate.
Accompanying the terrifying roar was an astounding wave of cold energy.
All the leaves on the fig tree fell off. Forefather Zhou’s hair was swept up. He shouted in disbelief, “What is this!”
Translator Ramblings: Fig are naturally a dark blue/purple color. I imagine a purple fig tree would look very pretty but I don’t know of any truly purple trees in nature.