Dark as ink, drifting clouds; wild as madness, raging winds.
The Heaven-Piercing Great King Lotus stayed evergreen through all four seasons. A soft cap of snow, three inches thick, blanketed its leaves, swaying unsteadily as the snow along its edges continually cracked apart, slid into the Great Marsh, and melted away.
"Great King, Great King, it's overcast! It's terribly overcast outside!"
"It's so gloomy and so cold. I've got a bad feeling about this."
Da Pang and Er Pang hopped into Frog King's Cave, shivering as they spoke over one another.
Behind them, the Great Monster Spirits with frog heads surged in, croaking without pause.
"Great King, is the Elder advancing?"
"Are we going to get struck by lightning?"
"I'm afraid of pain, croak."
"Don't be afraid. Perhaps the Elder has achieved great merit, and the lightning tribulation is about to descend. As long as he withstands it, we will be reborn anew." Frog King gripped the dark-red Great Anchor. Though unease filled his heart, he remained composed before the frogs. "Follow the drills from before. The old, weak, sick, and disabled, burrow underground if you should burrow underground; hide if you should hide. Great Monster Spirits, form formation and resist together!
Da Pang, hurry to West Water and inform Turtle King.
Er Pang, hurry to Northern Waters and inform Jiang Shang.
Legless Frog—wait, Legless Frog isn't here. Er Bao, go to Dragon Palace.
Da Bao, take the lead and command the other Great Monster Spirits. Da Ban, evacuate the clan frogs."
"Understood!"
Da Pang and Er Pang pressed their webbed feet to their heads at ninety degrees. The muscles in their frog legs bulged, suddenly knotting like twisted roots. They kicked off the ground and shot away, each leap spanning dozens of li as they raced over the water.