Chapter 1320 — Probing into the Earth Veins

Consort Yan let her eyes rest on Shujun and said coolly, "Your foster son has such a big head that he cannot help but remind me of an old acquaintance. .

.

" Shujun bowed his head and dared not answer.

The Empress had indeed met him before, and knew him very well.

Shen Mu smiled gently, "Which old friend has Your Grace recalled? Perhaps I know him too. " Consort Yan shook her head, "He has been dead a very long time, you cannot have met him.

Celestial Venerable Mu, your foster son is excellent, but following you is a waste of him.

Your own abilities are not great and you can teach him nothing. Will you give him to me?

" Shen Mu laughed, "Giving him to you is not out of the question.

" Shujun's heart clenched, but Shen Mu went on, "Only, your white cat would be jealous, and if Celestial Venerable Xiao found out, I fear he would beat me to death. " Consort Yan snorted and was about to speak when she suddenly turned to look toward the celestial rift in the Ancestral Court.

Shen Mu felt it too and looked the same way, only to see a celestial carriage driving out of the rift to meet a fleet flying toward the rift.

"The Ancestral God King has arrived! " Consort Yan said with a half smile, "In recent years, void giant beasts have often gathered in packs to raid the treasure ships carrying our storehouses, plundering the treasures mined from our respective mining districts. It seems the Ancestral God King means to ferret out the hand behind them.

" Shen Mu's heart skipped a beat as he recalled Dragon Qilin riding a Void Mother Beast on patrol, and in a flash he understood what Dragon Qilin had been doing these past years. The Ten Celestial Venerables each held territory in the Ancestral Court, and though only the Taichu, Taisu and Taishi lodes had fallen into the hands of Celestial Venerable Xiao, Celestial Venerable Gong and Consort Yan respectively, the other divine gold lodes were by no means trifling.

Clearly, once Dragon Qilin had mastered the void beasts, he had run rampant through the Ancestral Court, and whenever treasure ships laden with riches left the Ancestral Court from the domains of the Ten Celestial Venerables, he led the void beasts to plunder them! And this time, the Ancestral God King must have laid a trap for Dragon Qilin to walk into of his own accord!

"That fatty is still not seasoned enough! " Shen Mu worried inwardly but said without betraying anything, "One who can command Void Mother Beasts to rob the treasure ships of the Ten Celestial Venerables must surely be Tai Di.

Your Grace, Tai Di hides among us.

That villain is treacherous and cunning, and most likely even robs his own ships to muddy the waters.

" Consort Yan said indifferently, "With the Ancestral God King acting in person this time, he can drag out the Tai Di hidden among us. " Sweat beaded on the back of Shen Mu's neck. If the Ancestral God King seized Dragon Qilin, would the Ten Celestial Venerables not conclude that Shen Mu was the mastermind?

Then they could pin the name of Tai Di on Shen Mu and kill him with perfect justification, even claiming prettily that Tai Di had possessed Celestial Venerable Mu, and that killing Shen Mu was avenging him?

Then he would have no place to plead his wrongs!

Suddenly the Ancestral God King's carriage did not meet his fleet but veered aside, speeding straight toward a certain place in the Ancestral Court!

"The Ancestral God King has found Earth Mother Yuanjun! " Shen Mu and Consort Yan both started inwardly, for only Earth Mother Yuanjun could make the Ancestral God King abandon that fleet!

Earth Mother Yuanjun had uprooted the Ancestral God King's power in Xuandu in one sweep, all but annihilating his forces!

Those forces had taken him untold years of cultivation to build to their present scale, and his hatred for Earth Mother may well be imagined!

Shen Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With a hum, an abyss opened in the void, Consort Yan stepped into it, and the abyss vanished.

Shen Mu's eyes flickered, Consort Yan must have gone after the Ancestral God King.

Shujun also breathed easier, glanced at Shen Mu and said with displeasure, "Foster father? " Shen Mu said in a low voice, "Careful, Consort Yan may not have gone far.

" Shujun started and had to swallow his anger without venting it, "Being taken advantage of a little will not kill me, let it be, let it be.

" After a moment, Shen Mu's face darkened and he sneered, "Brother God King, you are far too careless!

If not for me, you would be dead already!

This time first Earth Mother Yuanjun, then Consort Yan, you may be heedless for yourself, but you nearly implicated me as well!

" Shujun hastily smiled to placate him, "I know I was wrong, but did you not also take advantage of me?

I even called you godfather!

" Shen Mu softened his expression and said, "No next time.

" Shujun nodded repeatedly, then suddenly came to himself, "I meant to call him to account, but his interruption made me forget! This scoundrel grows ever harder to deal with! " Shen Mu asked, "Were you also startled by that Long Xiao and rushed here?

" Shujun nodded, "That was God King Boyang's mount, though mount is not quite the word, for Long Xiao's battle prowess is in fact far more formidable than Boyang's.

He is the ancestor of all giant beasts, one might call him the ancient god among giant beasts.

This colossus was a guardian god of the primeval age, whom even the ancient gods feared. I never thought he still lived.

I too was moved by greed, and the moment I saw him I hurried over to see if I might have a chance to subdue him.

" Shen Mu shook his head, "Subdue him? Even Tai Di himself might not manage it if he came. With your present attainment in divine consciousness, you cannot subdue him. " Shujun sighed, loath to part with Long Xiao. "Yet Long Xiao's appearance has put me on guard, for I do not know what else hides on the reverse side of these worlds.

If Earth Mother summons the giant beasts of the dark side, I fear she will set off a bloody battle in the Ancestral Court, borrowing the strength of those beasts to destroy the domains of the Ten Celestial Venerables and seize the treasures they use to suppress their fortunes. .

.

" At this, Shen Mu felt a chill run through him. If countless giant beasts died, and the mighty of the last epoch used blood sacrifice to steal their lifeblood, the seal of Tai Yi might well loosen! Then Tai Yi would have no end of trouble, and perhaps even mighty figures of the last epoch might escape! "Such matters are best left for Tai Yi to fret over.

" He could not help shaking his head as he said, "Brother God King, travel through the void and warn Fatty Dragon that the Ancestral God King has come to the Ancestral Court, and tell him not to act rashly.

" Shujun departed. Shen Mu calmed his mind, pondered a moment, then walked out of the void himself.

"Now Consort Yan has gone to see the Ancestral God King and is not in the Taishi lode.

I will seize this chance to go into the lode and recover the Taishi Origin Stone!

" Before long he returned to the Taishi lode, where Xiu Hongsu said in surprise, "In only a few days, has Celestial Venerable gained full confidence to face the strangeness of the mining district? " Shen Mu shook his head and sighed, "Not the least confidence.

Even so I must try, or I shall die with my eyes unclosed!

" Xiu Hongsu smiled, "Celestial Venerable need not be so pessimistic.

If you cannot get in, you can always withdraw. " She escorted Shen Mu into the mining district and said, "Though this district looks small, it is in fact vast and most perilous, Celestial Venerable be careful.

The treasures here are ensouled, especially the divine stones, which have form but no substance and often wander, so they are not easily mined. The Origin Stone is even more elusive.