Chapter 1425 — Turning the Palm Brings Clouds, Flipping It Brings Rain

What set the assembled Celestial Venerables at ease was that Shen Mu pulled no further tricks; he simply read out before the assembly the proclamation against the Heavenly Duke that the Ancestral God King had drafted. Shen Mu, too, feared that if he staged another scene — the two Celestial Venerables Shen and Moon running riot through the Heaven Alliance — Hao Celestial Venerable and the rest might lose their grip on their fury and strike him down on the spot, him being the one who had started it all.

The Ten Celestial Venerables were all clever men, and every one of them could see that Kaihuang Shen Ye and the Moon Celestial Venerable had come together at Shen Mu's bidding; otherwise, no matter how great a stir the Heaven Alliance assembly raised across the myriad worlds, word of it could never have reached the Land of No Sorrow in the Void of the Other Shore and roused Kaihuang Shen Ye. And Kaihuang and the Moon Celestial Venerable had arrived too opportunely besides, working in close concert with Shen Mu in their every word, cutting down the prestige of the Ten Celestial Venerables and winning over the hearts of the Heaven Alliance — every move, every gesture, pointed like a sword.

Clearly, only a "traitor" within the Heaven Alliance could have grasped so precisely the internal situation among the Ten Celestial Venerables and the drift of feeling within the Alliance. And that "traitor" could only be the Alliance Master himself. If Shen Mu knew when to stop, well and good; if not, then the Ten Celestial Venerables would have to stop him themselves — and what they would reap, of course, was his life.

The campaign against the Heavenly Duke was of course a great matter, and it set off a mighty uproar. But the thing had already been settled among the Ten Celestial Venerables; even if there were objections, the other members of the Heaven Alliance, the Dao Ancestor and Great Brahma included, had no right to speak at all — they could only listen.

At a single command from the Ten Celestial Venerables they could only obey; and if any harbored a second thought, their fate was easy enough to imagine.

Shen Mu then announced a second matter: the addition of a new Celestial Venerable.

Shi Qiluo of Zaofu Heavenly Palace — a man of high virtue and great prestige, of unfathomable cultivation, of perfect merit — would enter the Heaven Alliance as its eleventh Celestial Venerable.

At these words there was another uproar; and when Shi Qiluo, that hulking, coarse-limbed, immensely burly man, came up onto the platform and entered the second tier of the Heavenly Court to pay his respects to Shen Mu, Hao Celestial Venerable, and the other "seniors," it drew no small amount of criticism.

Palace Master Shi Qiluo of Zaofu Heavenly Palace — many in the Heavenly Court knew his name: a knave who loved to flatter and fawn and was harsh to others. Of his cultivation and strength none could say, but to those above him he kowtowed like a pestle in a mortar, while to those below him he was all scowls and sharp words; he loved to pocket what was not his and to demand bribes, and his reputation was foul and notorious.

Were it not that he did have some real ability — the Creation Divine Artifacts that no one else could fully fathom, he alone could command — there would likely not be a single friendly face turned his way.

The Ten Celestial Venerables had always been the Ten Celestial Venerables; there had never been a new one.

And if there were to be one, in everyone's mind it should have been the Dao Ancestor or Great Brahma — certainly not Shi Qiluo, that crude and uncouth boor.

Yet Shi Qiluo had won the approval of the Ten Celestial Venerables and become the eleventh Celestial Venerable, and one could not help but sigh: "In the art of flattery, Shi Qiluo has cultivated himself a whole Heavenly Court. " The Heavenly Emperor's edict of investiture arrived at the Heaven Alliance assembly in good time, naming Shi Qiluo the Eleventh Celestial Venerable, to everyone's great delight.

Shen Mu invited Shi Qiluo to take his seat, and then announced the opening of the Ancestral Court and its reverse side, which caused a sensation throughout the myriad worlds. This matter touched the interests of the rulers of the myriad worlds; the profits of the Ancestral Court and its reverse side were immense, and they had always been held in the hands of the Ten Celestial Venerables and Shen Mu, with no one else able to claim even a share of the broth. Now Shen Mu announced that the Ancestral Court and its reverse side would be opened, and naturally hearts gathered to him, and all were delighted.

"Opening the Ancestral Court and its reverse side is one and the same matter as founding the Beast World, yet Mu Celestial Venerable splits it into two to buy men's hearts. This fellow is no longer someone we can knead at will.

" The Celestial Venerables exchanged glances and said silently in their hearts. When Shen Mu announced this, the hearts of the people naturally turned toward Shen Mu — such was the privilege of the Alliance Master.

But though Shen Mu might win over some hearts, power and status are built upon strength and influence; without strength and influence, all is empty talk. Nor were the rulers of those worlds fools; they would not throw themselves in with Shen Mu on that account.

Mere goodwill was worth little.

Shen Mu then announced the founding of the Beast World and called out Long Xiao, who was to explain how the Beast World would operate and what relation held between summoners and the ancient giant beasts.

This was naturally another sensational matter, and it stirred the rulers of the great worlds to a strange excitement — to summon ancient giant beasts to fight, and the boost that would give to the strength of divine arts practitioners and gods was easy to imagine! Once these two great matters were announced, the shock that the campaign against the Heavenly Duke had brought was at last dispelled somewhat.

Immediately after, Shen Mu announced before all that Crown Prince Mingya had thrown in with Xie Wuqi and betrayed the Heavenly Court, and that since the Heavenly Court now had no Crown Prince of the First Palace, His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor had invested Hao Celestial Venerable as Crown Prince of the First Palace.

This left everyone exchanging glances. A Crown Prince of the First Palace was of course no match for a Celestial Venerable.

How exalted a Celestial Venerable was: holding the reins of the Heavenly Court's government, dividing the world among themselves, with the myriad heavens swearing fealty and countless gods and men beneath their banners.

A crown prince had the name but not the power; his station was below a Celestial Venerable's, and to meet a Celestial Venerable was as to meet the Heavenly Emperor — he must bow and make obeisance. That Hao Celestial Venerable was a son of the Heavenly Emperor was no secret in the myriad worlds; yet that Hao Celestial Venerable should be willing to become crown prince — this could not but set men pondering the reason.

"Once the Heavenly Duke is disposed of, it will not be long, I fear, before the Ten Celestial Venerables move against the Heavenly Emperor.

" Someone who had seen the shape of things said to himself: "The Ten Celestial Venerables want to settle all the ancient gods once and for all and hold power in their grip!

But what baffles me is this: can His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor not see it?

Why then would he invest Hao Celestial Venerable as crown prince? Could it be that what Shen Celestial Venerable said is true?

" The last time Kaihuang had split the Heavenly Court open with a single sword stroke, he had challenged the Heavenly Emperor and mocked him, saying that the Heavenly Emperor of today was a puppet, and that the true Heavenly Emperor had long ago been slain by the Ten Celestial Venerables.