At this moment, other than the people at the Flaming River Trading Point, a portion of the travellers who were supposed to leave was also keeping an eye on the king beast’s movements.
How many of these people who left first truly planned to leave anyway? How many planned to hide and then rob the trading area and it was vulnerable?
The Flaming Horns had a lot of good stuff and they were jealous. Usually, they did not dare steal anything in fear of the Flaming Horns. Wasn’t this a great opportunity? They must take advantage of this situation, or how would they ever live with themselves?
Although it was risky, this risk was necessary for great reward. However, the situation did not go as imagined and they still could not attack.
The travel groups who truly left the trading point also sent scouts to keep an eye on the surroundings. Although there was a delay in the information chain, they still knew the general situation at the trading point.
Meanwhile, Shao Xuan had no time to care about everyone’s feelings. His focus was on the king stoneworm behind, confirming that it was still following him.
After passing through the forest, Flaming River was just ahead.
Perhaps sensing the king beast’s presence, the usually active piranhas in the river had disappeared far away.
Still running, Shao Xuan took a deep breath and whistled.
Cha Cha, who had been following them in the air, dove immediately.
Shao Xuan grabbed one talon and was brought away from the riverbank across the river.
This was the most important part of the plan. The king stoneworm’s next move determined the success of this plan!
Within the forest, Gui He and the rest of the people watched anxiously, not daring to breathe as they prayed silently. May the ancestors protect us.
This was not the small stream from before. The Flaming River was hundreds of metres wide, almost a thousand. How was the king stoneworm going to cross this gigantic river?
Actually, Shao Xuan also had other plans if this did not work. They could take another route.
It was not a must to follow this route. However, it was best if the stoneworm could cross the river. It did not matter how the king stoneworm crossed the river.
Would it cross directly on the surface or dig underground? Or…
Shao Xuan looked at the king stoneworm that stopped by the river bank, one arm grabbing Cha Cha’s talon.
Come!
Come quick!
This way!
Shao Xuan screamed in his heart. Within his consciousness, the light shell around the Flaming Horn’s totemic flames shone brighter.
The king stoneworm lifted the front half of its body, as if wanting to survey the situation in front of it.
The people hiding in the forest only had a partial view. They only saw its gigantic head that was already far taller than the tallest tree here. No one could miss it.
To the king stoneworm, in the face of such foreign surroundings, it naturally wanted to follow this energy similar to its own fire seed aura. However, the riverbank caused it to halt for a moment.
Just a moment. Soon, the river surface around it turned grey and it lowered its head, wriggling ahead once more.
All the water where it touched turned to stone with clear lines that resemble flowing water, maintaining the ripples on the surface formed from the gentle breeze blowing.
However, as the king stoneworm wriggled along, the ripples were flattened and replaced with the iconic ridges.
Crack-crack-crack—
Stone extended across the river surface, with the king stoneworm as the origin point.
However, compared to the large-scale petrification at the forest, the petrification was more concentrated to the space on both sides of the king stoneworm.
Its entire body was now on the river surface.
Shao Xuan took a deep breath, happy with this outcome. His plan was going smoothly!
The king stoneworm did not sink, nor did it burrow underground! It was crossing mightily across the river!
Nothing could stop it, nothing! Even a thousand-metre wide river could not!
Something humans could never achieve was done so effortlessly by a worm.
This was the power of a king beast!
It lived up to its name indeed, ‘king’!
As it ambled forward, Shao Xuan had Cha Cha bring him to the other side of the river. They controlled their speed and direction, never straying away from the route and maintaining a fixed distance. This was the only beginning.
A pencil-straight bridge materialised right before everyone’s eyes as the gigantic worm inched forward.
In the air, Wu He was still watching. He almost fell off his long-winged bird when he watched the worm cross the river.
“H-h-he…”
Indeed!
So that’s what he’s trying to do!
They’re making a king beast do their dirty work for them!
How did he even come up with this idea!
A bunch of madmen!
Not just Wu He’s jaw dropped, other outsiders and Flaming Horns, including Duo Kang, were stunned as they rubbed their eyes and slapped their heads. They had to make sure they were not hallucinating from fatigue.
Although they knew of Shao Xuan’s plans, they did not expect this!
A stone bridge was slowly forming across the Flaming River!
It could even turn water to stone!
At the same time, they wondered how this heavy king beast could travel across the surface. Even if it could petrify water, the rock layer might not be able to support its weight.
Unless the stone layer had already reached the riverbed, forming a stone bridge cutting the river in half?
That’s not possible! The Flaming River is very deep, how could it be cut off that easily? And the currents did not look like they had been cut off either.
So is the bridge floating then?
But how was it supporting such a large beast?
But how can stone float?
Everything was against logic, driving everyone insane.
This is unbelievable!
They thought the Flaming Horns would lure the king beast away but now it was back and crossing the river. They finally understood why.
These Flaming Horns were cunning!
If the Flaming Horns knew what they thought, they would say it was all the Grand Elder’s idea. They were just following instructions. They were as shocked as everyone else!
At the top of Flaming River Tower, Ao and a group of Flaming horns watched the king stoneworm. However, as Shao Xuan flew further, they faded from view.
Ao held a telescope, watching the Flaming River with the occasional comment. “How?” “How is that possible?” “I can’t believe this.” “So Ah Xuan was planning to do this…”
Everyone scratched their heads, fixing their gaze on Ao as they thought to themselves, ‘Elder Ao, can you describe the situation or something? Or at least pass the telescope around!”
If their former chief was this shocked, then the situation must have exceeded his expectation. Everyone could not wait to run to the river on their own but they must guard this place, especially the castle. They must not let anyone steal from them during this critical time.
Unfortunately, Ao was too distracted and did not realise how everyone felt. He did not intend to share the telescope at all.
The rock forming on both sides of the king stoneworm was at least seven to eight metres. Adding the worm’s own width, the stone bridge was on average at least twenty metres wide.
If they wanted to build this bridge across the river, even if they had technology more advanced than what they had right now, it still would not be an easy task. This bridge did not have any piers. It looked very stable too. The king stoneworm continued to wriggle forward at a constant speed.
Very good! The risk was worth it!
Shao Xuan watched the grey bridge form with excitement. He could not wait to go check its sturdiness.
He let out a long exhale. There was time. He could check after everything was settled.
Shao Xuan had made preparations but everything was going perfectly along the best route.
He had underestimated the king stoneworm.
Although it was a little dumb, its mighty abilities were undeniable.
One fifth…
One third…
Half…
Two thirds…
The miraculous bridge was almost finished.
Everyone stared at the surface of the river, not daring to blink so they would not miss anything important. They were grateful for coming, to be able to witness such a miracle.
A strong gust of wind blew. Waves crashed into the long stone bridge behind the king stoneworm.
Crash!
The waves turned into splashes.
Despite the waves, the stone bridge above the surface of the water did not move, as if proving to the world its sturdiness.