Chapter 1245 — The Old Emperor Returns

Di Yiyue, Zhuo Cha, the Azure Emperor, Yama and the rest exchanged glances, and saw that the Great Emperor had indeed gone — only he had not fully broken open the Lotus Continent; instead he had torn the whole continent up out of the Great Void, and treading upon it, he flew off with a whistling roar and was soon gone. Shen Mu wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said in a low voice, "Thank goodness my face carries weight, or the consequences would have been unthinkable. So then, Consort Qiang is in the Heavenly Court's camp right now. That little minx, the Great Emperor.

. . What are you all staring at me for? You pack of traitors and rebels — are you trying to revolt? I'll bring the Heavenly Court's army here this very moment and wipe out you remnants!

" And there, in the very presence of the Woodcutter Sage, Di Yiyue, Zhuo Cha, the Azure Emperor, Yama and the others gave a sound beating to Heavenly Venerable Mu, who had been shouting about exterminating them, this pack of rebels, until his face was bruised and swollen; Niu Sanduo squeezed in as well and got in a couple of kicks on the sly. Beaten into a sorry state, Shen Mu went to the Woodcutter Sage to lodge his complaint, only to find the woodcutter wiping the blood from his knuckles; seeing him come, the man hastily put his hands behind his back. "Good disciple, don't always provoke them — it's very easy to get yourself beaten," the woodcutter advised him kindly.

Shen Mu sneered and sneered. The Woodcutter Sage's expression did not change.

"Can you really drag the Great Emperor down to death with you?

" Shen Mu nodded.

"What a pity—" The Woodcutter Sage clasped his wrist and sighed long.

"A pity the Great Emperor is still faint of heart; otherwise he could have shot two eagles with one arrow and killed two birds with one stone, ridding himself of two scourges at a single stroke.

" Shen Mu said with a cold laugh, "Teacher, the only advantage you can take of me is with your lips.

If I hit you, my hands won't move, my feet won't move, my head won't move, my body won't move — only one finger! " The Woodcutter Sage felt that the beating just now had been too light.

"Are you really not going to see the Founding Emperor, but going to the Heavenly Court's camp instead? " he asked.

Shen Mu nodded.

"You and the Founding Emperor are old friends; if I went, I could only be a junior, and going would be a vexation.

If I return to the Heavenly Court's camp, I can still be a Heavenly Venerable in name — why not? I was worried about your safety all along; having escorted you safely to the Great Void, it is time I took my leave. " The woodcutter was rather displeased at heart, but he had to admit that Shen Mu made good sense; without Shen Mu's escort, their whole party would likely have been wiped out. "I'm off.

" Shen Mu waved his hand and was about to leave when he suddenly halted and turned back. "Teacher, you taught eldest senior brother with care, and you taught third junior brother with care, but you never taught me with care — you taught me nothing at all.

Now that you have seen what I can do, do you regret not having taught me properly?

" The woodcutter laughed in spite of himself. "Those words, that tone — they sound like what a disciple says before he betrays his sect out of grievance at a teacher's unfairness and comes back to finish the old man off. " Shen Mu said gravely, "I only ask whether Teacher has ever regretted it. " The Woodcutter Sage grew solemn and shook his head.

"Never. " Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.

The Woodcutter Sage said gravely, "I teach according to the student, and so I knew what to teach Wei Suifeng and what to teach Jiang Baigui.

Only you — I did not know what to teach.

You are a unique Overlord Body, born wise and martial, clear of mind and firm of purpose, your learning deep as an abyss; had I forced teaching upon you, I would only have held you back.

And as I expected, you have turned out more promising than your senior and junior brothers! I am well pleased. " A smile appeared on Shen Mu's face. "I knew that was why Teacher would not teach me. I'm off!

" The Woodcutter Sage watched him go far into the distance, and after a long while he let out a turbid breath.

"That brat always looks ready to betray his teacher and destroy his ancestors; if I hadn't flattered him a little, he might well have done me in. Still, come to think of it. .

.

" He smiled. "He is my most outstanding disciple.

.

. " Di Yiyue, Zhuo Cha, the Azure Emperor, Yama and the others came to his side, and Di Yiyue asked curiously, "Wen Tiange, does this disciple of yours really have such standing that he could make the Great Emperor withdraw? " "Standing is the equal of ability; without such ability there would be no such standing. " The woodcutter smiled.

"The Great Emperor is deeply wary of the Creators in the Great Void, and we have joined hands with the Creators, and so he wants us dead. Heavenly Venerable Mu has the means to perish together with him, and that is why the Great Emperor gave him this face — not because the Great Emperor truly does not want to kill us. " Zhuo Cha, the Martial Dao Heavenly Master, said with concern, "Is he really going back to the Heavenly Court's main camp?

Is he not afraid of being killed there? With the Heavenly Court and the Great Void at war, death on the battlefield is the commonest of things; killing him here would take no effort at all.

" The woodcutter's face was calm; he shook his head.

"Before, there was still a chance of killing him. Now, doing away with Heavenly Venerable Mu is not as easy as those people imagine.

" The others were filled with a thousand emotions. When they had first met Shen Mu, he had been only a minor divine ability user; who would have thought that he would now step into the realm of contending with the older generation, no longer to be taken lightly. The Fisherman Heavenly Master said, "The people in the Heavenly Court do not yet know he has grown to this point.

From the moment the Heavenly Court's experts discover it to the moment they accept it — who knows whether rivers of blood will flow in between. " The Ark of the Other Shore sailed out of the void and appeared above the land of the Great Void, and soon they saw many gods bearing a coffin flying in from afar; in the coffin sat an old man, who, on seeing them, was so stirred that he rose up out of the coffin and waved to them from afar. The woodcutter and the others too were stirred beyond words, their hearts surging, their blood racing.

Twenty thousand years — and at last the comrades of old were reunited!

And farther off still, a middle-aged emperor stood upon a tower, watching the Ark of the Other Shore draw nearer and nearer.

The woodcutter and the others looked at Founding Emperor Shen Ye, their faces complex, and after a moment they stepped forward all the same and bowed in salute.

"Wen Tiange, separated from his comrades in arms for twenty thousand years, begs to return! " Di Yiyue bowed.

"Your guilty subject Di Yiyue begs to return!

" The Martial Dao Heavenly Master bowed.

"Zhuo Cha, the defeated general, begs to return!

" Shitian bowed.

"Li Youran, the deserter, begs to return!

" Yama bowed. "Shen Feng, military commissioner of Fengdu, having guarded the frontier for twenty thousand years, has come to report on his duties! " .

. . Founding Emperor Shen Ye looked at them, and in those eyes, still as an old well, an emotion that could hardly be suppressed stirred and flowed; he drew himself up and bowed. "Shen Ye, your guilty sovereign, has failed in what was entrusted to him; bearing my guilt, I beg you all to return to your posts!