Chapter 361: Dragon Palace Ruins
The stone boat slowly floated upward in the deep sea, the surrounding currents gradually becoming gentle. Lin Wan sat cross-legged at the bow, forming hand seals, the immortal essence within her body like a trickling stream, little by little repairing her damaged meridians. Her breathing gradually synchronized with the rhythm of the tides, and every exhalation and inhalation caused the surrounding water to ripple slightly.
Just then, a patch of magnificent lights came into view.
That light did not seem naturally formed, but was woven from countless bright pearls, coral, and glazed glass, outlining a continuous silhouette in the dark deep sea. Lin Wan opened her eyes, and curiosity drove her to turn the bow and sail toward that light.
As the distance closed, the scene before her eyes became increasingly clear—
It was a palace complex submerged in the deep sea. The glazed tile roofs had long since shattered, but the remaining fragments still refracted seven-colored light. The white marble steps were covered with glowing water plants, each blade looking like it was carved from the finest jade.
The palace pillars were tilted and collapsed, but the dragon patterns carved on the pillars were still lifelike, and the night-luminescent pearls embedded in the dragons' eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
The bow gently bumped into a plaque inserted diagonally in the silt. Lin Wan leaned down to pick it up, brushing away the sea sand accumulated over a thousand years, revealing four large gilded characters:
East Sea Dragon Palace.
Her fingers gently traced those characters, as if she could feel the majestic spirit of the writer from back then.
The stone boat slowly sailed into the Dragon Palace ruins.
Passing through the collapsed palace gates, the scene before her made Lin Wan hold her breath—
An avenue paved with pure gold meandered forward; although covered by coral and seaweed, one could still see the glory of the past. On both sides of the avenue, rows of bronze lamps floated in the water; the wicks had long been extinguished, but the lamps themselves were spotless, as if time had stagnated here.
In the distance, a huge Crystal Palace stood in the center of the ruins. The palace walls were built from whole blocks of transparent crystal, still crystal clear even after countless years of sea erosion. Through the palace walls, one could see a floating coral throne inside, and hanging above the throne was a canopy woven from thousands of pearls, each pearl the size of a fist, emitting a soft fluorescence.
"How lively this place must have been back then..."
Lin Wan seemed to be able to see what a grand occasion the Dragon Palace was in ancient times, perhaps just as described in Journey to the West—
Shrimp soldiers and crab generals lined up on the golden steps, and the Turtle Prime Minister walked slowly holding a jade tablet. Dragon girls dragged their magnificent skirts shuttling through the corridors, and wind chimes hanging on coral trees jingled with the water flow.
High in the main hall, the East Sea Dragon King sat upright on the throne, his dragon whiskers lightly raised, imposing authority without anger.
But now, there were only silent ruins and swimming fish schools.
The stone boat continued forward, passing through the ruins of a garden. Various exotic flowers and herbs were once planted here, but now only glowing sea anemones and water plants swaying with the waves remained. A white jade bridge spanned across a dried-up stream, and the pattern of a carp leaping over the dragon gate carved on the bridge was still clearly visible.
Lin Wan reached out to touch the bridge railing, and a trace of weak spiritual power fluctuation came from her fingertips.
She closed her eyes, her divine consciousness spreading out following that fluctuation—
In an instant, she actually saw the scene of the Dragon Palace at its peak:
Immortal music floated, and bright pearls shone.
Dragon sons and grandsons played in the garden, and the Turtle Prime Minister held jade books recording the hydrology of the Four Seas. Clam girls held huge pearls shuttling between the banquets, and flood dragon guards stood solemnly on both sides holding tridents.
And in the most majestic Lingxiao Hall, the East Sea Dragon King was banqueting with guests from all directions. Immortals pushed cups and exchanged drinks, discussing interesting matters of the Three Realms. In the center of the hall, a group of mermaids were dancing, their singing penetrating the sea water, reaching the Nine Heavens...
The divine consciousness withdrew, and the prosperous scene before her eyes dissipated like bubbles.
Lin Wan opened her eyes, and all around was still the silent ruins.
She sighed softly, steering the stone boat to continue forward.
Passing through the main hall, behind it was a collapsed side hall. This seemed to be the Dragon Palace's treasure pavilion; countless broken jade boxes and wooden chests were scattered on the seabed, and occasionally one or two intact treasures could be seen glowing in the silt.
An incomplete jade slip attracted Lin Wan's attention. She retrieved it from a distance and found it recorded some ancient artifact refining method, but most of the content had been blurred by sea water erosion.
"What a pity..."
She put the jade slip back in its original place, her gaze sweeping over this ruin.
This place was once the most prosperous place in the Four Seas, but now it has become a paradise for deep-sea fish schools. The great power of time, even the Dragon Palace could not be spared.
The stone boat slowly sailed out of the Dragon Palace range, and the light behind gradually faded away.
Lin Wan looked back one last time; that Crystal Palace still emitted a faint light in the darkness, like a dream unwilling to wake up.
The stone boat moved slowly in the deep sea, the residual shadow of the Dragon Palace gradually disappearing into the darkness behind. She stood at the bow, her eyes still holding emotion for that ruin.
"Although the Four Seas have fallen apart..."
The old man's hoarse voice suddenly came from behind. Lin Wan turned back and saw his hunched figure leaning against the ship's side, his turbid eyes actually holding a trace of faint light at this moment.
"But in the Upper Realm's Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, there is a place called the Taiyuan Creation Land." The old man said faintly, "There, a nearly complete fragment of the West Sea is preserved—the seabed has an intact West Sea Dragon Palace, and the Dragon Clan lives there, said to be the descendants of the West Sea Dragon King from the Primeval period."
A trace of surprise flashed in Lin Wan's eyes: "You remembered?"
The old man suddenly froze, as if startled by his own words. He looked around blankly, then lowered his head to stare at his trembling hands: "Just now... these memories suddenly popped up."
He raised his wrinkled face, his eyes revealing a look of interwoven confusion and hope: "Perhaps... coming into contact with more familiar things, I can remember more..."
...
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