Chapter 1494 — A Standoff Between Two Venerables

" The youth's eyes met Celestial Venerable Huo's, and he paused for a moment, then his face broke into a smile. "Celestial Venerable Huo, is that you? " The muscle at the corner of Celestial Venerable Huo's eye twitched wildly.

He stared at the youth, dazed, and said in a hoarse voice, "Celestial Venerable Yu, Elder Brother, you really have come back to life. " His body shrank of its own accord, as though he had become once more that Celestial Venerable Huo upon the Jade Pool, staring blankly at the elder brother he had so admired.

That youth was Lan Yutian. At the sight of him his spirits soared; his gaze was warm, his bearing peerless beyond compare.

He laughed. "I have returned. Celestial Venerable Huo, I stole back my remnant soul.

The man I once was has come back! " Elated, he said, "Who would have thought that after a million years apart we two could meet again!

In this world the demigods still hold sway. What difference is there between the demigods holding sway and the ancient gods holding sway? We of the human race are still no more than their food! " His gaze burned with fervor; it seemed the mighty charisma of that Celestial Venerable Yu upon the Jade Pool had come again. His bearing stood out so far above the common, and yet it drew others close.

The air of a born leader! "Celestial Venerable Huo, I need you!

" Lan Yutian held out his hand, his words earnest beyond measure, utterly sincere. "Come, let us do this together!

For the sake of the human race, let us overturn this rotten world! " But Celestial Venerable Huo did not take the hand. The blazing fire in his eyes slowly dimmed.

He said softly, "Elder Brother Lan, the one I revered most in the past was you.

You were the leader of our human race, the elder brother of all the Celestial Venerables; with you as leader, not one refused to submit. We were all willing to follow you, to fight and slay at your side, even to spend our lives.

" Lan Yutian did not withdraw his outstretched hand, and still waited ardently for his answer. Celestial Venerable Huo choked.

"When you died, I swore a bitter oath that I would avenge you, that I would make the murderer who killed you pay blood for blood! But Elder Brother, your ideals are too empty, too ethereal, too idealistic!

What you wish to accomplish can never be achieved! You will only be killed again! " His voice grew louder and louder; the fiery wheel spinning behind his head whirled faster and faster, lashing up the surging waters of the Heavenly River, vaporizing them into thick mist that filled the river's course.

Lan Yutian frowned slightly. "Huo, so long as you and I are of one heart, so long as our human race is of one heart, there is nothing we cannot do. . .

" "No! It cannot be done! " Celestial Venerable Huo said loudly.

"The human race is born inferior to every other kind; it can never stand up on its own!

The human race cannot rely on its own strength. Only by leaning on the demigods, by clinging to them, can it possibly survive in this cruel world! Only my path is the right path!

The human race today lives countless times better than it did when you were its leader! Rebel against the Heavenly Court no more! " His manner was near madness; he all but roared at Lan Yutian: "Stop using your ideals to ruin the human race! You will only be killed again! And because of you, because of men like you, the human race will be plunged into disaster once more!

" He clenched his fists tight and said harshly, "Power.

That is the truth of this world, the great Dao of this world. Only power! The human race has no power, and so it must cling to power! " "You have changed," Lan Yutian said, his face calm. "I have not changed!

" Celestial Venerable Huo roared, then slowly calmed again, and chuckled. "I have never changed. I have only learned to be cleverer.

Elder Brother, you are the one I revere most; give up your ideals. Come to my side and I will protect you well.

In days to come I will also slay your enemies with my own hand.

" Lan Yutian stepped forward and walked past him, shaking his head. "Those who walk different paths cannot take counsel together. Celestial Venerable Huo, from this day on you need not call me Elder Brother, nor need you avenge my wrongs. .

. " Shhk. A palm drove in through his back and out through his chest, its five fingers clamping hard around his heart.

The hand was trembling; behind him, Celestial Venerable Huo was trembling too. Disbelief came over Lan Yutian's face. He turned his head and saw that Celestial Venerable Huo's face was covered in tears, and then the tears, along with the mist of the Heavenly River, were burned away by the heat of his body. "Elder Brother, you were already dead.

You were dead, weren't you? Why did you have to come back to life? Was it not good enough that you were dead?

" Celestial Venerable Huo pressed close to Lan Yutian's ear, panting hoarsely, his face contorted.

He chuckled.

"If you are dead, then in my heart you remain that flawless elder brother, the flawless Elder Brother. That you live only puts me in a hard place, and I do not know what to do with you. . . Better that you die.

Better that you turn to ash, and keep your perfect image fixed in my heart. . .

" His palm slowly tightened, crushing Lan Yutian's heart, and the fire of the Dao began to devour Lan Yutian's body.

"You should understand me. You surely understand me, don't you?

" Celestial Venerable Huo's face grew yet more twisted and misshapen; he panted hoarsely and chuckled. "Rest easy. I will avenge you. I surely will.

If your spirit lingers in the heavens. .

. No. Celestial Venerable Mu will summon your soul again. Your spirit must not linger in the heavens! " He rummaged over Lan Yutian's corpse. "Where is Pixiang Hall? Bring out Pixiang Hall, quickly!

Seal you inside Pixiang Hall, and then he cannot revive you. Pixiang Hall.

.

. " He found Pixiang Hall in the burning Taotie Pouch, and Pixiang Hall was ablaze. Celestial Venerable Huo froze. Pixiang Hall was a hall of the mightiest seals, formed from the gathered power of the strongest deities; it was simply impossible for his Dao-fire to set it alight.

He looked at Lan Yutian's corpse: flesh and blood had burned to ash, and yet the ash too had dispersed, leaving nothing behind. "A divine-consciousness illusion! " The muscles of Celestial Venerable Huo's face jumped wildly.

Whoosh.

A fiery wind blew, scattering the mist upon the Heavenly River. Then he saw, upon the river's surface far away, Lan Yutian standing there; beside Lan Yutian was Shen Mu, and beside Shen Mu was Divine King Langwo. On the Heavenly River the wind howled, but for a long while no one spoke.

Divine King Langwo broke the silence and said softly, "Celestial Venerable Mu, the thing you asked of me, I have done. Is it to your satisfaction?

" "Most satisfactory.

" Shen Mu said, flat and cool, "I can put my heart at rest now.

Celestial Venerable Yu, and you? " Lan Yutian shook his head.

"Brother, there is no Celestial Venerable Yu here.

"