nycdaug Chapter 626 An Upside-Down Wine Glass
Chapter 626 An Upside-Down Wine Glass
After turning a mechanical stone platform, Xu Ning discovered that the portal at the end of the passage remained completely still, and only then did he realize the purpose of the square pipes beneath his feet.
Lilupal laughed and said, "It's impossible to tell whether the pipe is filled with moist water or dry quicksand. You might as well introduce quicksand into it, which could open the door."
Xu Ning shook his head slightly. "It seems you said that your Zhenling clan has the ability to suppress sandstorms, right? In your usual places, you can turn sandy land into oases? If your power is restored, perhaps you can make the oases of the past reappear. Then let's keep the pipes here. It's just some water, I can still afford to use it."
Xu Ning found a gap in the broken pipe, reached into the wine gourd and summoned a stream of pure water that suddenly rushed into the pipe. The pipe, which had been dry for hundreds of years, seemed to awaken instantly. The gems embedded in the pipe emitted a glowing blue light, and then the portal slowly opened.
"Heh, the moment the portal opened, I felt a sharp pain, just like the feeling of being torn apart back then. It seems there are fragments of me in the hall over there..."
Sensing Lilupal's excitement, Xu Ning said, "We still need your guidance on the path to the oasis. If we can help you retrieve your lost soul first, it should make the journey easier, right? Why don't you take the lead and prioritize finding your soul?"
Floating in mid-air, Lilupal gently nuzzled Xu Ning's cheek and smiled, "I'm really growing to like you more and more, my lord."
According to Lilupal, the spirit that is part of her will surely turn the surrounding environment into an oasis.
This is a flaw that no spirit can change; they always unconsciously radiate energy outward to create an exquisite and still environment for their own dormancy. They can be said to be the most picky and most pleasure-loving race.
This quality undoubtedly made Lilupal's soul stand out like a beacon in the darkness of this land full of yellow sand.
Xu Ning and his companion found the same magic bottle as Lilupal in a small basement with almost no effort.
As Lilupal said, even in such a small room, the Magic Bottle still transformed the entire environment.
The ground collapsed, forming a puddle, with lush green grass and flowers surrounding the small magic bottle that seemed to be resting in the center.
"Those are fragments of me, my sanity and essence..."
Lilupal eagerly approached the small magic bottle, which transformed into a warm radiance that seeped into Lilupal's body.
At that very moment, Xu Ning felt as if a force was being drawn out of his body and merged with Lilupal's body.
However, in just a moment, this power returned to his body, along with a portion of Lilupal's memories, which were also integrated into his sea of consciousness.
That was the process by which Lilupal, under the command of King Ahmar, searched for the Human King; the memory ended with the clear, watery gaze of a shepherd boy.
The light within the Lilupal Bottle seemed to have become a little brighter.
"Phew, I feel so refreshed. I've regained some of my memories. My lord, let's move on. I think I can protect you now."
As they continued along the passage, they encountered several more portals. Xu Ning used the water he summoned from his gourd to open the doors, which made Lilupal laugh at her master, saying that he probably had to create ten oases in the desert by himself before he could even find an eternal oasis.
After the last door was opened, a huge underground plaza came into view.
"This is... an upside-down wine glass?"
In the very center of the vast underground plaza, a huge crystal glass is inverted, just like a wine glass placed upside down on a table when a drinker has finished drinking.
Perhaps because he had developed a liking for drinking, Xu Ning also showed extra interest in these drinking vessels.
Xu Ning jumped down from the high platform behind the door and walked towards the huge wine glass while drinking.
"This is the master's crystal glass. Legend has it that after the master bid farewell to joy, he left the glass here to hold sorrow and memories... and sorrow and memories guard the mistress's eternal slumber."
Hearing Lilupal recite poetic verses as if in a dream, Jade couldn't help but ask, "You mean you can find the eternal oasis through this cup?"
Lilupal shook the bottle slightly. "I'm not entirely sure either; my memories are still somewhat fragmented..."
Xu Ning walked to the wine glass and placed his hand on the glass.
He had a feeling that there was a familiar force surging within the cup, but it wasn't very clear.
But when he placed his hand on the cup, he finally felt that power.
What fills the cup is not sorrow and memories, but rather a violent force of sand powerful enough to overturn this vast land.
Xu Ning had a feeling that if he dared to pick up this wine glass and turn it over, an endless storm of fury would instantly sweep across the entire Sumeru. He feared that even the sand-proof walls built in the rainforest area back then would not be able to withstand such a violent sandstorm.
Even upside down, a wisp of sand still swirled in mid-air from the inverted crystal glass, making a bend before disappearing behind the large door on the steps leading to the front of the plaza.
Xu Ning thought for a moment, then stepped up the stairs. When he reached the door, it seemed as if the door sensed some kind of power emanating from him, and it slowly opened.
Jiede was taken aback and quickly followed Xu Ning through the gate.
"Ha, I've finally seen the true face of this sandstorm."
Xu Ning stood on the cliff behind the door, watching the wisp of sand behind him form a huge sandstorm vortex in the space in front of him, which broke straight through the ground above and danced wildly towards the sky.
Jade looked back at the crystal glass in disbelief and asked Xu Ning, "Is it the power from that glass that caused the sandstorm to swirl here, which is why there are constant storms raging on Mount Dama? Why would the Crimson King do such a thing?"
Xu Ning looked down at the center of the bottom of the sand vortex and nodded, explaining, "Naturally, it's to protect that painful memory."
Following Xu Ning's finger, Jade could vaguely see a dome-like structure at the lowest point of the storm's center.
"That's the entrance to the Eternal Oasis?" Jade couldn't help but exclaim with delight.
Xu Ning nodded, but then pointed to the distance, "Yes, but the power that created this storm is not just the wine glass behind us; there are two other sources over there."