Chapter 139: Oh Yes, He’s been Expecting you
The descent into the Abyssal Trench began as a gradual spiral, winding along a path carved into the cliffside. At first, the ledge was wide enough to accommodate Ao Shun’s dragon body, but it steadily narrowed until it was little more than a series of handholds and footholds chipped into the darkening ice.
"Stay close," Ao Shun commanded, his voice echoing strangely in the confined space. "The ice here is unstable. One wrong step and you’ll fall into depths that have no bottom."
Grim pressed himself against the cliff face, feeling the cold air in his bones and skin even though he had received special gear to keep him warm.
"How often do your forces patrol this area?" Bi’an asked, as his claws pierced the side of the cliff.
"They don’t," Ao Shun replied grimly. "The Trench patrols itself. The creatures that live here have learned to distinguish between those who belong and those who don’t."
As if summoned by his words, a sound echoed from the depths below—something between a whale song and the grinding of massive gears, deep and resonant enough to vibrate through the ice where they were holding on.
"What was that?" Suanni asked.
"Leviathan," Xu Wu answered, his voice tight with fear. "The guardian of the deep trenches. I’ve only seen it once. It was magnificent and terrifying at the same time."
They continued their descent, the path growing ever narrower and more treacherous. The walls of the Trench rose on either side, creating a canyon of black ice that seemed to stretch infinitely upward and downward.
"Tell me about the criminals you’ve sent here," Grim said to Ao Shun, curious about who had been sent down in the trenches.
Ao Shun’s ancient eyes grew distant. "The worst of the worst. Dragons who broke the laws, kinslayers, and other criminals who were just too dangerous."