Ink-black clouds piled thick, and profound Ren Water mysterious radiance cleaved through them, opening a gateway with a thunderous roar across the heavens.
Xu Xuan stood motionless, his purple robes snapping in the wind. Sword qi glimmered at his reverse scale, condensing into a dazzling point of purple light that flickered in and out. His aura had already reached its peak.
Jin Xiu stood respectfully beside him, unable to hide his excitement. Eastern Vast acted with such tyranny that having someone powerful enough to deal with them on behalf of Heaven's Eclipse had finally let the many Scale Serpents vent their pent-up resentment.
"My lord, the gateway is open. You may depart."
He attended Xu Xuan at his side. Behind him, two ranks of demon soldiers lined the road in ceremonial formation, holding great banners patterned with dark clouds and dragons that fluttered endlessly in the heavenly winds.
Xu Xuan glanced back and saw the two dragonkin, Jade Gloom and Turbid Current, standing among the clouds, bidding him farewell from afar.
He was glad to leave this land of trouble sooner rather than later. He still remembered Vast Marsh's warning: if he remained in this grotto-heaven too long, he might suffer the same fate as the blood descendants of the Dragon Court, retaining less than a tenth of his divine abilities once he left.
With a thought, he stepped out of the grotto-heaven, just as Vast Marsh offered one final instruction.
"Reclaiming Heaven Pool will depend on your own methods. If you welcome Ren Water back, our Dragon Court will surely nominate you and yours to ascend to the seat of shock thunder."
Black clouds churned, and the vast Dragon Court vanished into the Great Void in an instant. [Mistcloud Heaven] seemed never to have appeared at all, leaving only