Chapter 1484 — One Strike Pierces the Daoist's Heart

Shen Mu's divine consciousness was exceedingly powerful as well, yet compared with Palace Heavenly Venerable and Langwan God King it fell far, far short; the divine-consciousness arts of those two women had all but wiped out, in the span of a single turn, the Daluo Heaven of divine consciousness with which he had imitated the Great Emperor! But he had also succeeded in keeping Langwan God King's divine consciousness from coming into contact with Palace Heavenly Venerable's; so long as the two did not clash, Palace Heavenly Venerable would find it hard to persuade Langwan by words alone.

Words were slower than divine consciousness, less complete than divine consciousness, and could be interrupted by Shen Mu at any moment. Langwan immediately withdrew her divine-consciousness art, lest she harm Shen Mu.

Palace Heavenly Venerable, however, did not withdraw hers; seeing that Shen Mu was about to perish beneath the might of her art, suddenly the sound of a zither rose — Moon Heavenly Venerable plucked the strings, and layer upon layer of space appeared, blocking Palace Heavenly Venerable's art.

Palace Heavenly Venerable frowned slightly.

Fire Heavenly Venerable, having recovered his physical body, flashed with firelight and appeared at her side, his face grim. The Ancestral Land of Dao Fire of the South Pole Heaven had been sent away by Moon Heavenly Venerable; even he could not sense where she had hidden it, and the fury in his heart was hard to quell.

He had not yet obtained the Lord of Heaven's Way of Heaven, and now he had lost the Ancestral Land of Dao Fire of the South Pole Heaven — naturally his rage knew no bounds.

Shen Mu looked at Palace Heavenly Venerable and Fire Heavenly Venerable with a smile, nodded to them as though greeting old friends, and suddenly said, "Fire Heavenly Venerable, Yu Heavenly Venerable is still alive.

Did you know this?

" Fire Heavenly Venerable's heart was greatly shaken; his gaze fell upon Shen Mu. Though Shen Mu's face was covered, that black cloth meant little to a Heavenly Venerable.

To a Heavenly Venerable, a single glance was enough to know whose face lay beneath the black cloth; there was not even need to guess.

As for Yu Heavenly Venerable being alive, Fire Heavenly Venerable had heard rumors of it too — only he had never gone to see for himself.

But Shen Mu was the Grand Master of the Undying Myriad Tribulations, one who could revive even ancient gods; if Yu Heavenly Venerable's corpse could have been preserved until now, then Shen Mu truly might be able to revive him!

Toward Yu Heavenly Venerable, Fire Heavenly Venerable's feelings were truly complex. Shen Mu's sudden mention of the matter struck straight at his Dao-heart, making him forget for the moment that the Ancestral Land of Dao Fire had been taken by Moon Heavenly Venerable.

Shen Mu smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "Of the eleven Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court, apart from Xiao Heavenly Venerable, who was exiled, I fear all ten have already come to Xuandu. The Heavenly Court is empty.

If I were Yu Heavenly Venerable, I would seize this chance to go to the Heavenly Court, break the seal on the Pixing Hall, and steal back my own remnant soul. " Fire Heavenly Venerable's expression shifted between light and dark, like a bonfire leaping in the night shining upon his face, making it now bright, now shadowed. He looked toward the battlefield in Xuandu.

Hong Heavenly Venerable and the other three great Heavenly Venerables, bearing the divine artifact Yu Heavenly Venerable, were attacking the Lord of Heaven, their assault growing ever more ferocious; the Lord of Heaven's downfall was only a matter of time.

By now six great Heavenly Venerables had gathered in Xuandu; only Hao, Yan, Xu, and Zu had not shown themselves. Fire Heavenly Venerable's voice was hoarse as he said, "Yan Heavenly Consort, Hao Heavenly Venerable, and Xu Heavenly Venerable are still in the Heavenly Court at this moment.

He has not the slightest chance.

" Shen Mu laughed.

"When the Lord of Heaven dies, which Heavenly Venerable will not come to claim a share? By then the ten Heavenly Venerables will appear in Xuandu like a pack of wolves — and that will be Yu Heavenly Venerable's opportunity! Do you not wish for him to reclaim his remnant soul, for the Yu Heavenly Venerable of old to return?

" His gaze fixed on Fire Heavenly Venerable's face, letting no change of emotion escape him; his words were like Kaihuang's sword, like Zaifu's blade, aimed straight at the flaw within his heart! "I still remember you once said that the one you admired most was him, the one you respected most was him; you always called him your elder brother, and swore to avenge him!

Now he has been reborn — once he reclaims his remnant soul, he can rise again! " Shen Mu said joyfully, "Now your chance has come.

You can strike by surprise and kill Hao Heavenly Venerable — I imagine your Brother Yu would be most gratified!

" Palace Heavenly Venerable's expression turned stern, and she quietly put some distance between herself and Fire Heavenly Venerable.

The wheel of fire behind Fire Heavenly Venerable's head spun, illuminating his face, making it now bright, now dim, shifting between light and shadow: "Even if Yu Heavenly Venerable is reborn, he cannot open the Pixing Hall. I never think about things that have no shadow of substance. Today is the battle to rid us of the Lord of Heaven; anyone who stands in my way must die!

" Killing intent surged from him; his gaze fell upon Shen Mu, Moon Heavenly Venerable, and the others, and he said coldly, "Including you!

" Though he spoke thus, one could still sense that Palace Heavenly Venerable was utterly wary of him, and that the two could not join hands against the enemy without the slightest friction.

A single speech from Shen Mu had opened a great rift between him and Palace Heavenly Venerable, leaving him in a very passive position!

Shen Mu excelled at attacking the heart; facing an opponent like him, one often felt he was one's friend rather than a foe standing in opposition.

He treated you like a bosom friend, understood you very deeply, started from your heart, dissected your thoughts and deeds, and offered you seemingly brilliant advice.

Yet before you knew it, you had fallen into his trap.

Among the ten Heavenly Venerables, many had faced Shen Mu's war of the heart; now it was Fire Heavenly Venerable's turn.

Suddenly Xuandu shook violently, the stars scattered, and everyone's heart lurched; they all looked over and saw the Lord of Heaven shrink his physical body, move his feet, and stride swiftly through Xuandu, causing violent upheaval throughout it! All along, the Lord of Heaven's true body had been immeasurably vast, standing there motionless; even when besieged by Hong Heavenly Venerable and the other three great Heavenly Venerables, he had never shifted his feet.

If he moved his feet, the stars of the world would shift, and heaven and earth would undergo great change! And now he had been forced to move his body to evade the siege of the four great Heavenly Venerables!

Shen Mu's eye twitched.

"Lord of Heaven, have you still not broken free of the Terrace of the Nine Prisons?

You should be able to comprehend the heart of Heaven — after all, you are the incarnation of the Way of Heaven, steeped in it for so long. So long as you comprehend the heart of Heaven and grasp the twenty-fourth level of the Way of Heaven, you can free yourself! " As a Dao-born god, the Lord of Heaven was born of the Way of Heaven, and in this life he could attain great accomplishment only in the Way of Heaven; therefore he was the being most likely to comprehend the heart of the Way of Heaven, and most likely to raise the heart of the Way of Heaven to the twenty-fourth level.