Chapter 1229 — Junior, Stand Down

Lin Xuan sighed and said, "If I were to learn it, I would have to use the nineteenth form of the sword, the Tribulation-Answering Sword, to break apart the Heavenly Palace and the Seven Great Divine Treasuries that I cultivated through a thousand hardships. Under such crushing weight, who could come through unscathed? Who among men is as overbearing as you? They would surely be crushed to death.

" He paused, then went on, "And ordinary people probably cannot cultivate it at all. No one at the martial artist realm has such surging vital essence as to open up chaos, to cleave heaven and earth apart within the mind and establish a small universe there, much less gather the spiritual qi and spiritual power within the body to form a spirit fetus. " "How powerful are you? Yet even you have only now gained the ability to establish this cultivation system. Who else has such abundant capital?

" Shen Mu frowned slightly. Lin Xuan said, "If this art of yours is to be passed on, if it is to be handed down through the ages, then it can only be pared down, its threshold lowered.

And if the threshold is lowered, then those of later generations will not be as powerful as you.

" He thought for a moment and said, "Even so, it would still be far stronger than the Divine Treasury and Heavenly Palace system. " Shen Mu considered carefully for a while, then nodded and said with feeling, "You are right. I am a little too strong; I assumed others were as strong as I am, never considering that I have an Overlord Body.

" Lin Xuan's face darkened. He gripped the hilt of his Dao sword, itching to draw it and cut him down, then slowly released it and gave a cold snort.

"If I could beat you. . .

" At last, Shen Mu mastered the Innate Qi, but he could not cultivate the Great Numerology Dao Domain, so he took his leave. "I am thinking of making a trip to the Western Lands, to see Xu Shenghua.

" Dao Lord Lin Xuan's eyes lit up. With great restraint and utmost courtesy he said, "If Xu Shenghua challenges you, you must go all out; do not give him any opening.

" Shen Mu understood. "I know. Rest assured.

" Dao Lord Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and saw him off with great warmth, escorting Shen Mu a long way before reluctantly turning back to the Daoist Gate.

Shen Mu walked on, lantern in hand, and before he knew it he had come to the center of the Yuan Realm. The Yuan Tree stood lush and verdant, shrouding half the Yuan Realm; Heavenly Venerable Xiao's Heavenly Palace floated amid its crown, while Heavenly Venerable Yu floated to one side.

Shen Mu was about to pass by the Yuan Tree when a voice suddenly called out, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, halt! " Shen Mu stopped and turned to look. It was the master of the Heavenly Prison, the Left Junior Assistant Yan Shaoqing.

Yan Shaoqing looked as though he were seeing him for the first time. He stepped forward and saluted.

"Heavenly Venerable Mu, Heavenly Venerable Xiao wishes to see you.

" "Heavenly Venerable Xiao wishes to see me? " Shen Mu pondered for a moment, then raised his head to look at Heavenly Venerable Xiao's Heavenly Palace.

Yan Shaoqing watched him, uneasy at heart.

He was no ordinary man; his attainments in spiritual consciousness were the highest openly acknowledged in the Heavenly Court, and the Ten Heavenly Venerables all looked to him to create a spiritual consciousness art of the Emperor Throne level.

Of course, at least three in the Heavenly Court surpassed him in spiritual consciousness, only hidden in the shadows.

They were the Grand Emperor's Heavenly Consort Qiang, Gong Yun, Heavenly Venerable Gong, and the son of Heavenly Venerable Gong and the Heavenly Emperor, the Divine Emperor Langxuan. These three concealed their identities and kept a low profile, so on the surface it was still the Left Junior Assistant Yan Shaoqing whose spiritual consciousness attainments were the highest. Though Yan Shaoqing's cultivation in spiritual consciousness was high, it was too crude.

He had once fallen for the trick of Shen Mu and Jiang Baigui, and had nearly failed to walk out of the spiritual consciousness illusion. Later, following Shen Mu's advice, he had gone to Jingping to study the fruits of the Jingping Reforms, and over these years he had achieved a good deal, drawing ever closer to the Emperor Throne realm. "Heavenly Venerable Xiao must be that mysterious expert who ambushed the ghost ship on the Yong River.

" Shen Mu said in a low voice, "I made him retreat in the face of difficulty; he feared being trapped by the Dao of the Great Beginning and the Unchanging Divine Art, so he left. He has come to see me certainly for the things on the ghost ship.

Besides Her Majesty the Empress's physical body, there is probably Jue Wuchen's body as well, and, yes, that Yulin Army too, since he is the reincarnation of the Ancient God Heavenly Emperor. .

. " Yan Shaoqing shuddered with dread. He wanted to stop his ears and not listen, and cursed inwardly, 'The more you know, the sooner you die!

I am a dead man!

' Shen Mu glanced at him and went on slowly, "Fifty thousand Yulin soldiers, all geniuses of antiquity. With a little training their fighting power will surely advance by leaps and bounds, and they will become a mighty arm for him. And Her Majesty the Empress's body can be used to threaten the Empress; as for Jue Wuchen's body, heh heh, back then he never got his hands on Jue Wuchen before Heavenly Venerable Hao and the others killed him, so naturally he wants to lie with her. . . " Yan Shaoqing was in despair.

His legs lost all their strength, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. Shen Mu bent down, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "The Left Junior Assistant has still not sealed the Southern Heavenly Gate and severed his Spirit Bridge?

It seems you have no intention of throwing in your lot with Jingping. So there is no need for me to give you a chance to live. " Yan Shaoqing's eye twitched violently. He raised his head and said, "I am willing to destroy my own Spirit Bridge and pledge myself to Jingping. I beg the Heavenly Venerable to give me a chance. " Shen Mu laughed.

"What difficulty is there in that?

I have just sealed this place with my spiritual consciousness; even Heavenly Venerable Xiao cannot see through it. He does not know what we are saying. " Yan Shaoqing was struck dumb. Shen Mu picked up his lantern and walked on, saying unhurriedly, "However, you know this secret.

If you do not turn against the Heavenly Court, then I will tell Heavenly Venerable Xiao, and Heavenly Consort Yan as well, and you will still find no place to die. " He turned his head, blinked, and said, "I will help you keep this secret.

" Yan Shaoqing's face turned ashen. Shen Mu laughed heartily and departed, lantern in hand. Yan Shaoqing hastily called out in a loud voice, "Heavenly Venerable Mu, Heavenly Venerable Xiao wishes to see you.

Will you not go?

" "I will not! " Shen Mu's voice came from afar. "I am Heavenly Venerable Mu, one of the five great elders of the Heaven Alliance.

Heavenly Venerable Xiao is my martial nephew; at the very least he should call me Dao Brother.

He wants me to go and see him?

He should be the one coming to see me!

" Yan Shaoqing was aghast.

Shen Mu walked on with his lantern, and ten thousand mountains and rivers flashed past beneath his feet.

He strolled at ease, yet with Heavenly Venerable Yue's lantern in hand, even a slow step carried terrifying speed. Suddenly a ray of light came chasing from behind. It pursued him for half a day before catching up and barring his way.

The light dispersed.

Heavenly Venerable Xiao's face was gloomy; he looked at Shen Mu and said not a word. Shen Mu smiled slightly, put away his lantern, and said leisurely, "Xiao Weisu, I am not your subject. You have need of me, so you come to see me, and yet you would have me come to you.