Chapter 1057 — Two Thieves and One Constable Cross Blades

The Fire Celestial Venerable withdrew his palm and said indifferently, "You are still thinking of the reformation. You are as stubborn and unteachable as the Shen Celestial Venerable. Celestial Venerable Mu, the age of the Ten Celestial Venerables has come. The rotten ancient gods will in the end be buried in the tombs of history, and the age that belongs to obstinate men like you will never come."

Shen Mu clenched his fist and said loudly, "Where is the Southern Emperor's corpse?"

The Fire Celestial Venerable turned away. The wheel of flame behind his head madly drank in the rosy radiance of the Great Way, and the Southern Pole Forbidden Zone shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"It is the ancient gods who are the source of all the world's turmoil and upheaval. The Kaihuang Emperor borrowed the strength of the ancient gods and plotted rebellion, and so came the Kaihuang Tribulation. The Shanghuang Emperor had the support of the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign, who propped up the Northern Emperor: three hundred thousand years of war and slaughter, the people unable to live. And in the Chiming Era and the Longhan Era, it was the ancient gods behind the scenes, stirring up wind and waves!"

The Fire Celestial Venerable turned his head and said coldly, "And in your Jingping Era, were there no ancient gods behind the scenes churning up clouds and rain? Celestial Venerable Mu, if you still care this much about the Southern Emperor, then you make an enemy of me!"

The Southern Pole Forbidden Zone was shrinking madly, smaller and smaller; the rosy radiance of the Great Way along its outer edges gradually vanished, and even the Ninth Heaven of Dao Fire was thinning, layer by layer.

Shen Mu took out brush and ink and swiftly wrote out a letter of severance. He flicked his sleeve, and the letter flew toward the Fire Celestial Venerable. "Since you think I am making an enemy of you," he said indifferently, "then sign your name upon this letter of severance. I have already signed mine. Write yours, and from this day on, you and I have nothing to do with each other!"

The Fire Celestial Venerable pinched up the brush, and with three swift strokes wrote his own name upon the letter of severance.

The letter flew back into Shen Mu's hand.

Shen Mu took the letter, looked carefully at the Fire Celestial Venerable's signature, tucked it into his breast, and said loudly, "Where is the Southern Emperor's corpse?"

The Fire Celestial Venerable sat down and said indifferently, "Celestial Venerable Mu, you may leave. You are nothing but another running dog raised by the ancient gods. Do not force me to kill you. If I make a move, I will not fight you at the same cultivation stage. I will beat you to death with my own hands."

Shen Mu took out a mirror and shone it at the Hall of Wafting Incense in the sky, and said, "Fire Celestial Venerable, I ask that you give me some relic of the Southern Emperor. She and I were acquainted, after all."

The Fire Celestial Venerable did not stir, and his voice came to them: "The Southern Emperor's mortal body has already been refined by me. I will never give her, or any ancient god, a chance at rebirth!"

"Young Master..." Yan'er said, her voice trembling.

"Let us go."

Shen Mu took Yan'er's hand and walked out. The Southern Pole Forbidden Zone was already collapsing without cease, the rosy radiance of the Great Way pouring swiftly into the Fire Celestial Venerable's body; before long, he would drain dry all the energy that had given birth to the Southern Emperor.

The Ninth Heaven of Dao Fire was collapsing; the power of the Dao Fire too was steadily ebbing, like a tide rushing toward the core of the forbidden zone.

In the end, every ray of the Great Way's rosy radiance here would become the Fire Celestial Venerable's cultivation, and even the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird's own cultivation would become a part of his.

The Fire Celestial Venerable's power would be greatly enhanced!

Shen Mu walked out of the Ninth Heaven of Dao Fire, led the dazed Yan'er up into the palanquin, and said, "Long Pang, drive on."

The Dragon Qilin dared not speak, and silently drove the Celestial Dragon Palanquin away.

Shen Mu's palm was cold. He released Yan'er's hand, took the letter of severance from his breast, and then drew out a small booklet. He opened it: on its pages were the signatures of the Fire Celestial Venerable, the Ling Celestial Venerable, and other Celestial Venerables.

These were signatures he had shamelessly begged from the Seven Ancient Celestial Venerables when he had returned to the early years of the Longhan Era.

Shen Mu set the Fire Celestial Venerable's signature in the booklet beside the signature on the letter of severance and compared them one against the other. The two hands were exactly the same.

"He is still the same Fire Celestial Venerable as before, not the Grand Emperor, nor the Heaven Emperor. And yet he is no longer the Fire Celestial Venerable he once was."

Shen Mu sighed, tucked the letter of severance into the booklet, and asked Yan'er, "Do you have any relic of your mother? It must be a treasure that carries her vital essence. With such a treasure I can try to summon her soul. Even if I cannot call back the soul imprisoned in the Hall of Wafting Incense, I may still call back the shattered soul-fragments scattered between heaven and earth."

Yan'er shook her head. "I only met her a few times. She never gave me anything..."

Shen Mu frowned, then comforted her: "The Southern Emperor and the Moon Celestial Venerable were on excellent terms. Perhaps the Moon Celestial Venerable will have something of your mother's. Do not worry."

From outside came the Dragon Qilin's voice: "Sect Master, the Red Emperor requests an audience."

Shen Mu raised a hand, and the pearl curtain parted of itself to either side. Outside the carriage stood the Red Emperor Qi Xiayu, bowing. "Celestial Venerable," she said.

Shen Mu closed the pearl curtain and said, "Go. The Southern Emperor is dead."

Qi Xiayu's whole body shuddered. It was a moment before she came back to herself, and she said hurriedly, "Then, Celestial Venerable..."

Shen Mu's voice was filled with helplessness: "I cannot bring her back. Long Pi, set off. To the Yuan Realm. Heh heh... you people..."

Several days later the Celestial Dragon Palanquin halted outside a peach grove in the Yuan Realm. Shen Mu got down, entered the grove, Yan'er walking before him with a lantern on a pole.

Before long, the Moon Celestial Venerable's palace came into view.

"Yan'er, wait outside with Long Pang."

Shen Mu gave the order and went alone into the palace ahead.

"The Southern Emperor left no relic with me."

Yan'er faintly heard the Moon Celestial Venerable's voice: "Celestial Venerable Mu would summon her soul, and still he needs a relic?"

"Best is her mortal body; next best a relic. Without a relic, I cannot accurately summon back her remnant soul. And in any case, the Fire Celestial Venerable has a part of her soul imprisoned in the Hall of Wafting Incense, and there is nothing I can do about that."

Shen Mu's voice was very soft. "Moon Celestial Venerable, did the Southern Emperor split off a soul to be reborn?"

"That I do not know. Close as we were, a reincarnation body is a matter of the utmost importance; she could not have told me."

Shen Mu was silent a moment, then said, "Elder Sister, your spatial divine arts are vast beyond measure. Could you find a few people for me?"

"What people do you seek?"

"Two thieves and one constable. They are committing crimes right now throughout the various Heavens of the Yuan Realm."