Kunlun Mountain Part 4 - The Return

Chapter 27 - The Bell of East Emperor

Time stood still for Mo Yuan as the Bell exploded above them all.  Once again he was thrown back to the past as the thunderous eruption of heat and sound broke through the barrier which was barely holding.  And once again her face came back to him.  It was the last thing he saw before he left her and it was the last thing he saw again when the Bell rose into the sky to once again throw its Heavenly fire and wind about the Heavens.  Only this time, their places had been reversed.

Someone screamed.  And then another.  Voices were being raised somewhere around him.  He could discern movement all around him, but the moment Ye Hua let him go to rise to his feet, time once again picked up speed.  It was slow, like watching an event unfold without the control of time to reflect the image back at its proper speed.  

So many faces that he knew surrounded him and like him they too were watching on in horror as the events unfolded.  His Disciples, Di Jun, Zhe Yan, The Emperor, The Empress, Honghui, the Celestials Princes and even Yan Zhi was there.  He briefly looked at each one before tearing his eyes away to look back towards the centre.

And then the sounds hit him.  Thousands of voices rose into the air, colliding with the barrier which slammed its echo back at him.   It was deafening.  Looking about himself again, he could see them all on their feet and pushing each other seeking to escape while their eyes remained fixed to the Heavens watching and hoping.  The fear was palatable, he could literally taste it.  The air reeked of it, but he could not move.

Somewhere from the side, he heard a voice calling her name.  It too was filled with fear and agony.  He knew whos voice it was, he had heard that same cry once before.  But he could not look his way least he once again be thrown back into the past and a different war, to a different woman.  All that mattered was that moment.  Turning his head again he watched her fly forward towards the young man who was waiting for her.

Stumbling to his feet, Ye Hua could see the barrier was weakening, so placing both hands against it, he release every ounce of the Orchid energy he possessed to strengthen it, while his eyes too remained on Bai Qian and Gaogui.  Slivers of purple energy filtered from his hands which spread rapidly through the barrier, changing the color from blue to purple in seconds effectively blocking out all sound and the Heavenly flame along with the raging winds from the Bell, and protecting them all.

Di Jun too stood and watched in awe.  He knew what they were doing, they had explained it all to him, but to actually be witness to it, and not be a part of it, was just as amazing as it was terrifying.  The sounds around him began to die as all eyes moved to the centre of the Desert Lands where the woman began to spin slowly and the boy raised into the air.

He could barely discern the bubble of energy he was holding onto, but as the boy rose, Bai Qians hands flared outwards sending a wave of energy out and upwards.  A bubble of immense power began to envelope them both.  And as she sped up her movements, he could see the boys mouth moving, chanting and hovering above her as the Bell spewed its wrath in every direction.

Suddenly the entire Desert lands began to throb and glow from the power of her barrier.  The rich purple tone of it was something no one had ever seen the likes of, it was beautiful and enormously powerful. 

Spinning, her hair wildly lashed about her face, her dress flared out and fluttered about her body as she spun faster.  To those who were watching, it almost looked as if she were dancing.  She looked just as beautiful and enchanting as her barrier that was widening and growing in strength with every spin of her body.  

 It was magnificent to watch, and even from behind the barrier Ye Hua had just strengthened, they could all feel the immense surge of her energy.  It was blasting against their own, like lightening.  It was just as terrifying to the thousands as the Bell itself.  And as his head turned to look down at Mo Yuan, he realized the man was now on his feet and pressed up against the barrier watching in awe and fear along with the rest of them.