Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3331: Heading Back To The Granite Crown Kingdom

Little Shrubby carried Lin Mu’s group through the skies as the sun glittered across the waves of the Seventh Sea, and then the calmer waters leading to the continent.

The floating platforms of the Shanhu Clan soon became distant specks behind them, swallowed by the horizon.

Although they could have easily reached the Granite Crown Kingdom in just a single day with Little Shrubby’s speed, the journey stretched to nearly three days because Lin Mu, Cattaleya, Meng Bai, and the twins decided they wanted to enjoy the scenery and the local wildlife before returning to the mainland.

It became a small adventure in itself.

Little Shrubby and the twin serpents darted across the surface of the water, sometimes diving below to catch colorful fish, sometimes leaping into the sky to chase flying manta rays.

Meng Bai, normally calm and wary of the twin’s antics, ended up joining the fun after witnessing a graceful Beamfin Dolphin leap from the water and twirl through the air like an acrobat.

He pointed at it instantly. "I want that one. It looks tasty."

The dolphin immediately sensed danger and bolted across the water like a streak of silver lightning.

Lin Mu laughed. "Good luck catching it."

Meng Bai took that as a challenge.

He summoned his water elemental Qi and rocketed across the surface, creating long jets of white foam behind him. The dolphin twisted, flipped, and dodged, but Meng Bai matched it move for move.

For almost two minutes they danced across the waves until the dolphin suddenly burst forward with blistering speed far beyond what Meng Bai could match as a Dao Treading Realm Cultivator.

Meng Bai sputtered. "Is that even fair?"

Little Shrubby and the twin snakes took the chase personally.

With a huff, Little Shrubby vanished in a flash of red-lightning, reappeared ahead of the dolphin, and flicked his tail. The water surface detonated, and the dolphin went spinning into the air like a wheeling silver coin.

Meng Bai then immediately grabbed it by the tail. "Got it."

Lin Mu snorted. "I had hoped we would not traumatize the wildlife excessively while on vacation."

Elyon crossed his arms and looked amused. "It is too late for that. The aquatic beasts are already running away from us."

Cattaleya rolled her shoulders. "Good. Saves time."

Unfortunately for the sea, Cattaleya soon decided she wanted to join the hunt. The moment she jumped into the water, the ocean trembled as if struck by a mountain. As if a stick of dynamite had fallen into the water, a powerful shockwave rippled outward from her entry point, stunning half the beasts within five hundred meters.

Several hundred fish and a couple dozen Immortal beasts floated belly up a moment later.

Daoist Chu stared with disbelief. "That was not hunting. That was a massacre."

Cattaleya swam back to the group carrying five stunned beasts under one arm and three more floating behind her. "What? I barely used any strength."

Lin Mu sighed but stored the beasts away for cooking later. The water would recover and this region was not fragile. They continued on after Meng Bai made the mistake of joking that Cattaleya might accidentally collapse an entire sea one day.

She considered the idea for a moment, then shrugged. "Only if the sea annoyed me."

Meng Bai immediately closed his mouth.

The group eventually left the playful seas behind and crossed into the airspace above the Granite Crown Kingdom. Their first sight of land after days of flying was the coastline dotted with black cliffs and narrow beaches of crushed granite.

The land beyond was a patchwork of grey earth and dark mountains. Even from far away, Lin Mu could sense the dense mineral veins that gave the kingdom its name.

But they did not stop at the capital city. Following Elyon’s guidance, they turned toward the North western region where the sky grew darker from drifting volcanic fumes.

The land soon became rough and uneven.

Cracked black stone covered the ground in jagged sheets like broken pottery. Fumaroles puffed out streams of red and green gases. Rivers of molten lava flowed in glowing channels, carving fiery paths down the slopes of a towering volcano.

The Gullet of the Lava God.

Meng Bai stared at the raging volcano with dread. "Why are we always going to places with lava? Or baleful energy? Or cursed energy? It has become a pattern."

Daoist Chu grinned mischievously. "And do not forget the deathly marshes. And the abyssal lakes. And the ice wastes that tried to freeze us."

Meng Bai groaned. "I want to visit a peaceful meadow. Something with flowers."

Lin Mu slapped his shoulder. "A meadow will come eventually."

Cattaleya added with a laugh, "Perhaps the meadow will be inside a volcano next time."

Meng Bai shot her a glare. "That does not make sense."

They approached closer. The heat hit them almost immediately. Flames gurgled in deep cracks. Smoke curled through the air like dark serpents. Ash drifted down like black snowflakes.

But to Lin Mu, this place felt almost nostalgic.

He remembered the first moment he had leapt into the Earth Fire pits of the Eastern Ash Pits, and how his Omnicore Ascendancy had happily swallowed the flames. He remembered meeting Elyon deep inside a burning cavern.

He remembered testing his endurance by swimming inside molten magma.

Compared to that, this volcano felt... cozy.

The others noticed.

"Lin Mu," Elyon said with amusement. "You are smiling."

Lin Mu shrugged. "It feels familiar. This is a good place."

Meng Bai raised a trembling finger. "The volcano is erupting every hour."

Lin Mu nodded. "Yes."

Daoist Chu clicked his tongue. "The air is filled with toxic vapor."

Lin Mu nodded again. "Yes."

Cattaleya pointed at a river of lava bubbling just beneath them. "And the ground might collapse at any moment."

Again, Lin Mu nodded. "Yes."

Meng Bai threw his hands up. "Then how is this a good place?"

Lin Mu simply smiled. "I like warm environments."

The group burst into laughter.

They moved deeper into the volcanic zone, passing the ten kilometer outer ring where plants still existed and small animals scurried about. Beyond that, life became scarce. Lava fields stretched endlessly.