Chapter 1458 — Bosom Friends Entrust Each Other with Life and Death

"That brat sensed my killing intent and fled as demonic qi," said Consort Qiang, lowering her hand. She sighed inwardly and descended from the God-Slaying Platform.

At the foot of the platform, her bedchamber had been destroyed, leaving only a lone portal standing; it had survived only because of Consort Qiang's seal. She walked up to the portal, paused to look at it for a moment, then shook her head and turned away. Behind her, the portal creaked and collapsed, shattering into pieces.

Her seal had at last been worn away entirely.

"Your Highness, why do you look so troubled?

" Fang Ziyan came up to meet Consort Qiang, studied her expression, and asked cautiously.

Consort Qiang sighed, recounted Shen Mu's suggestion, and said, "I know he means no good, yet I cannot help being tempted to take the God-Slaying Platform to Xuandu. But I cannot see where the pit he has dug lies, and that is what vexes me.

" Fang Ziyan thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, when the Heavenly Venerable Mu spoke to you, he spoke only of benefits, not of harms. If Your Highness considers it from that angle, you may avoid misfortune and embrace good fortune. " Consort Qiang's eyes brightened. "You are indeed clever," she praised.

"That is a way, and perhaps I need not fall into his pit. If I bring the God-Slaying Platform to Xuandu, merely borrowing the baleful aura to temper my divine blades, no one will stop me.

But if I thrust both blades into the Heavenly Duke's body and seize all his vital essence, then I shall offend the Ancestor God King. " Fang Ziyan said, "The Ancestor God King is extremely strong, yet his strength is not the highest among the Ten Heavenly Venerables. " Consort Qiang smiled. "That is the logic. Even if the Ancestor God King wished to contend with me, he cannot outmatch me.

The only difficulty now is whether the other Heavenly Venerables will obstruct me. One Ancestor God King is not worth worry, but if the other Heavenly Venerables join him, I must think carefully.

" Fang Ziyan's eyes flickered. "Your Highness, will the other Heavenly Venerables block Your Highness, or will they block the Ancestor God King? " Consort Qiang giggled. "Ziyan, you truly are clever!

The other Heavenly Venerables will certainly guard against the Ancestor God King! He is the Heavenly Duke's son; if he also obtains the Heavenly Duke's power, he will surely surpass past and present, becoming the strongest being under heaven, and attaining the Heavenly Court realm will be nothing to him!

The others are wary of him, and most will demand an equal share of the spoils—that will give me my opportunity. " She smiled slightly. "Once the divine blades are forged, the Ten Heavenly Venerables will be nothing to fear. By the time they notice me, it will be too late! " She was in high spirits, and flicked her sleeve, which struck the air with a resounding whoosh.

"The Heavenly Venerable Mu thought he had dug a chasm-like pit for me, but he never imagined it would instead be my making! When that time comes, the expression on that little brat's face will be a sight to behold!

" Fang Ziyan flattered her, "The Heavenly Venerable Mu is cunning, an old fox, but compared with Your Highness, he falls far short. " Consort Qiang could not help feeling smug and tittered. A wisp of demonic qi had fled far away from the God-Slaying Platform; now the demonic qi coalesced, and Shen Mu stepped out of the black smoke.

The black smoke followed him, swarming into his body, and soon vanished completely. "Greed is the human heart.

Consort Qiang will surely not be able to sit still.

In the battle at Xuandu, she will inevitably strike out to fight the Ancestor God King for the Heavenly Duke's body. Yet Consort Qiang will not likely think that she is not the only one eyeing the Heavenly Duke's flesh—there is also Heavenly Venerable Hong! " Shen Mu looked up at the sky, and saw that more than half of the Heavenly Court had already descended upon the Ancestral Court; the complete descent would probably come within the next ten days or so.

He thought to himself, "Heavenly Venerable Hong will never let the Heavenly Duke's body come to harm. He is the true old fox. Once Consort Qiang makes her move, she will not escape his scheming! " Doing away with the Heavenly Duke would certainly be an unimaginably fierce battle.

Shen Mu did not know how many of the Ten Heavenly Venerables would take the field, but he thought that Heavenly Venerable Hao would not appear. Though Heavenly Venerable Hao had recovered much of his strength, he had not yet reached his peak. Heavenly Venerable Xiao had been exiled, so he would not appear either. As for the other Heavenly Venerables—Gong, Huo, Consort Yan, Divine Emperor Langxuan, and Heavenly Venerable Xu—how many of them would appear?

"Heavenly Venerable Xu will not go. The Heavenly Dao of Xuandu suppresses her Netherworld Dao; unless she can unify the Heavenly Dao and the Netherworld Dao, she will most likely remain in the Heavenly Court to guard against sneak attacks from Emperor Kai and the other three ancient god emperors of the Four Extremes Heaven.

Consort Yan has the support of the Taiji Ancient God and is powerful; whether she will go is hard to say.

Divine Emperor Langxuan obtained a withered prehistoric Dao Fruit, greatly increasing his strength.

He will most likely go this time. This is his chance to display his brilliance.

The Eleventh Heavenly Venerable, Shi Qiluo, will definitely go! He has only recently become a Heavenly Venerable and must seize this opportunity to establish his authority; otherwise he will find it hard to command respect. And Heavenly Venerable Huo will certainly go!

After all, he hates evil as an enemy and detests ancient gods the most.

As for whether Heavenly Venerable Gong will go, that is rather hard to say. " Shen Mu pondered for a moment.

Earl Tu could not go to Xuandu, so there was no way for him to join forces with the Heavenly Duke. Moreover, Earl Tu most likely knew of the Heavenly Duke's plan, and thus he would absolutely not interfere in this matter.

The only ones who could intervene were Emperor Kai, Langwan, and Heavenly Venerable Yue.

With the strength of these three, and if the Three Ancient God Emperors were added, perhaps they could put up a fight.

However, the Ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court possessed the divine artifact of Heavenly Venerable Yu, which first of all restricted the Three Ancient God Emperors, preventing them from daring to leave their own domains. Therefore, those able to take the field were likely still Emperor Kai, Langwan, and Heavenly Venerable Yue. "Or perhaps we could open another battlefield and launch a surprise attack on the Heavenly Court!

Seizing that chance, we could eliminate the other Heavenly Venerables remaining there, at the very least remove Heavenly Venerable Hao! But in that case, we would have to abandon the Heavenly Duke; and if we removed Heavenly Venerable Xu, we would anger Earl Tu.

. .

" Shen Mu's heart sank.

Abandoning the Heavenly Duke in exchange for the deaths of Hao and Xu, and losing Earl Tu as an ally—that was something he could not bear. "In the battle of Xuandu, relying solely on Emperor Kai, Langwan, and Heavenly Venerable Yue, even self-preservation would be difficult! Therefore, whether the Heavenly Duke can be revived still depends on Heavenly Venerable You! " Shen Mu's brow twitched.

The Dao that Heavenly Venerable You had mastered was also the Netherworld Dao. Sending him to Xuandu would suppress his cultivation greatly, and within Xuandu he would face tremendous danger.

This was the reason Shen Mu judged that Heavenly Venerable Xu would not go to Xuandu, and also the reason Heavenly Venerable You should not go there. "I cannot let Heavenly Venerable You go and take that risk.