Chapter 1306 — Mistakenly Aboard the Owl's Boat

Shen Mu strode quickly forward and studied the shattered length of root; there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. "Whom did I ever wrong?

I come back and walk straight into this sort of thing. Shot at with all those arrows, and now someone wants to take my life.

.

. " He could not help shaking his head.

Hard times, and the hearts of men are not what they were. The Egg of Taishi rolled back and forth around that length of root, examining it, and said, "That man truly has vanished. Strange. Truly strange! " Shen Mu slung the divine bow over his back and was just about to leave when something stirred in his heart; he saw a little girl with two horn-like braids come skipping over.

She came to the tree root that the divine bow had shot through and looked it over, then shook her head with the air of a doting elder, her two plaits swinging like a rattle drum.

"You. You.

.

. " The girl with the horn braids shook her head and sighed.

"Barely back, and you stir up this sort of trouble.

What is to be done now? " Shen Mu studied the girl suspiciously and ventured, "Taiyi? " The Egg of Taishi recognized her as well, and laughed. "Old Daoist brother, why have you taken such a form?

" "It is merely convenient for meeting people. " The girl Taiyi said, "Celestial Worthy Mu, you have shot through the root, angered that man, and opened a passage for him besides. Tonight he will be able to crawl out of the tree root, and once he is out he will take back his divine weapon and shoot you dead! " She could not help shaking her head and sighing.

"Since the cosmos was opened he has meant to crawl out. Billions of years of crawling, and he has managed only one arm. And you, you no sooner arrive than you clear the passage for him.

Tonight he will be able to come up!

" Shen Mu felt a touch of guilt and ventured, "So this fellow is a being of the previous cosmos?

He sent his bow over first, and now he means to squeeze himself from the past into the present? " The braided girl nodded gravely.

"How does he squeeze his way out of the tree?

" Shen Mu asked, puzzled, seeking instruction. "Mass-energy conversion I understand, but why must he squeeze into this cosmos through the roots of the Great Black Wood? " "Because when the previous cosmos was destroyed, only this tree did not die. " The girl Taiyi sighed. "The substance of this tree is unchanging, whether in this cosmos, or the last cosmos, or the one before that.

And so a passage was left behind, by which creatures of a past cosmos can climb here through this tree.

" Shen Mu understood a little. The situation was much like Celestial Worthy Ling's divine ability of immutable matter; both made use of the unchanging nature of matter to cross over.

"Then why is this tree dead? " Shen Mu caught sight of the First Ancestor and the others flying toward them, and pressed on.

"I cut it down.

" The girl said it carelessly.

"And after I felled it, I set a fire.

" Shen Mu and Taishi within the egg shuddered with dread. The girl Taiyi said, "Daoist friend Taishi, in those days you were still muddled, without consciousness born in you, and the Creator had not yet come into being. I realized that so long as this World Tree stood, calamity would flow from it without cease, so I felled the World Tree and burned it. I only never expected that even so the World Tree would not perish utterly. " Shen Mu glanced at the Egg of Taishi; no doubt at that moment the Egg of Taishi was looking back at him. "This time Celestial Worthy Mu's single arrow has made the root of calamity show itself ahead of time.

" The girl Taiyi stroked her braid and mused, "Tonight, that expert of a bygone age will climb up, seize back the divine bow, and shoot Celestial Worthy Mu dead.

" Shen Mu went pale, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Does not Daoist brother Taiyi have that miraculous water? Could you draw a bucket and patch the root up? " "Do you think that water comes from nowhere?

" The girl Taiyi shot him a look. "One small bucket of that water a day, no more, and today's is already used up. Gone.

" Shen Mu's face fell.

The girl Taiyi turned to leave. "Tonight stay here with the bow and wait for that prehistoric being to descend.

When the earth quakes and the mountains shake, that is when he tries to descend.

Wait for the quaking to begin, count to ten, then draw the bow and loose an arrow at that place. If he has not come out by dawn, he will not come out at all. " Shen Mu's heart thumped with unease, and he said hurriedly, "Daoist brother, you. . . " "Set your mind at ease.

Tonight I will come and lend a hand.

" The girl vanished from sight in an instant. Shen Mu gripped the divine bow tight, steadied himself, and let his heart settle.

"Taiyi is, after all, the most ancient of the ancient gods, and has already attained the Great Transcendence; he is no weakling like Taishi. With him here, tonight is certain to pass safely. " The First Ancestor, Silent Craftsman and the rest came hurrying up, and Blind Elder asked with concern, "Shen'er, are you hurt? Let the Alchemist have a look at you, quickly!

" Shen Mu rolled his eyes at them and recounted what had just happened; they were all aghast. A hopeful look came over Shen Mu's face.

"Who will stand watch here with me tonight? " Blind Elder turned and walked off.

"We have proper business of our own. Silent Craftsman, come, let us go on refining the treasures within the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner.

" Silent Craftsman followed him. "Just so.

There are far too many precious things in the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner; years of work yet, I fear, before they are all refined. Alchemist, have you not spirit pills still to refine? " The Alchemist hurried after them, then looked back.

"Fat Dragon, Yan'er, come help me light the fire! Yun Jian, you stinking brat, what are you bustling over here for? Your godfather is courting death, do you want to die too?

" Dragon Qilin hesitated a moment, then shook his head and wagged his tail and followed, leaving Shen Mu where he stood. Yan'er thrust the Moon Celestial Worthy's lantern into Shen Mu's hands.

"Take care of yourself, young master! " With that she fled like a puff of smoke.

Shen Mu looked toward the First Ancestor and the Human Emperors Yishan, Qi Kang and the others, and his face lit with joy. "The Human Emperors take the future of every race as their own charge, shouldering the future of the human race. .

.

" "We are former Human Emperors. We shed that duty long ago. " Human Emperor Qi Kang patted his shoulder and said, with weighty earnestness, "It is time you took a disciple. Dump the burden on your disciple's shoulders; that is how all these old fellows did it back then.

. .

Off we go, off we go. Do not disturb Shen'er in his pure cultivation! " The First Ancestor, Human Emperor, walked last.

He came before Shen Mu, thought a while, sighed, shook his head, and followed the other Human Emperors. Shen Mu stood there woodenly, and after a long while he sighed and said in a low voice, "True feeling shows itself in adversity. Only Daoist friend Taishi is a friend who knows my heart, and will walk on with me. " The Egg of Taishi struggled with all its might, trying to break free, but Shen Mu's palm clamped down on it and it could not escape that place. It raged, "You who are surnamed Shen, the disaster is of your own making, so bear it yourself.

Why drag me in?

I have not yet been born into the world; I have no such power! " "You are the only one who treats me well. " Shen Mu spoke with utter sincerity.

The Egg of Taishi truly could not get away, and so resigned itself.

"Fine, I will keep you company. It will be something to see, after all, an expert of the previous cosmos.