Chapter 1497 — A Vow of Mutual Faithfulness

"I must return to the Void of the Other Shore as well.

See me on my way, Celestial Venerable Mu," God King Langwo said softly.

Shen Mu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The two walked upon the Heavenly Sea; its surface was very still, and ripples circled out only where their feet came down.

Lan Yutian had not followed. He had sat down instead, for he sensed a wondrous Great Dao hidden within this stretch of the Heavenly Sea, and meant to quietly fathom it for a while.

"You are keeping me from meeting Celestial Venerable Gong," God King Langwo said abruptly.

Unbidden, a wave rose beneath Shen Mu's feet and surged away into the distance; watching that wave, taller than all the other ripples, God King Langwo sighed softly, "So it is so. In the battle of Xuandu you set yourself between me and Celestial Venerable Gong again and again, and I found it strange, and so I made that guess. What are you afraid of, Celestial Venerable Mu? " In the past she had always called Shen Mu the Holy Infant; but after the battle of Xuandu she had changed her address and called him Celestial Venerable Mu.

The Holy Infant stood for the Holy Infant of the Creator clan, whereas Celestial Venerable Mu stood for Shen Mu's lofty station and rank, and was a mark of respect.

Shen Mu did not deny it. The Heavenly Sea was too wondrous; even a denial would have been shown upon its surface, betrayed by the wavering of his Dao-heart.

"I feared that once you came into contact with Celestial Venerable Gong, she would win you over and you would betray our alliance. " Shen Mu laid his heart bare without shame: "The battle of Xuandu was of the utmost importance.

Had you betrayed our alliance, we would have suffered grievous losses, and that I could not bear.

And so I asked Kaihuang to strike and wound Celestial Venerable Gong gravely. But I never expected Taisu to heal her wounds, and she appeared in Xuandu after all. So when the two of you met, I had no choice but to block the way. " God King Langwo turned her face and looked at him sidelong; her skin was like warm mutton-fat jade. She laughed softly, "When did Celestial Venerable Mu become so unsure of himself?

You think that if I came into contact with Celestial Venerable Gong I would go over to her, go over to the Ten Celestial Venerables and become one of them — do you mean to say you think your own charms are less than theirs? " Shen Mu's face reddened slightly, and the ripples beneath his feet quivered and flickered like butterfly wings. "In my heart, the Celestial Venerable Mu who established his Dao through divine power is beyond the reach of any of the Heavenly Court's Ten Celestial Venerables. Celestial Venerable Xiao is Taichu, the great enemy of my Creator clan; Celestial Consort Qiang is Taidi, and there is a blood feud there as well.

Celestial Venerable Hong is dead; Lang, Zu, Huo and Xu have too small a spirit, and can scarcely protect themselves, let alone protect me.

" God King Langwo said, unhurried, "Celestial Consort Yan and Shi Qiluo — their grudges run deep and their feud tangles on without end; it is a rotten mess, and they cannot even settle which of them is the stronger. How could I go over to them? As for Celestial Venerable Gong. .

. " She smiled faintly. "Celestial Venerable Gong's has been a life of failure.

She accomplishes her ends by borrowing the strength of men, and has little power of her own. First she borrowed Taidi's strength, then Taichu's, and now she would borrow Celestial Venerable Hao's; yet all the while she is a petty schemer, never rising to anything great. If you suppose that one speech from her could make me bow my head and worship, and hand over the fate and future of the Creators to her, then you underestimate yourself — and you underestimate Langwo's judgment. " Shen Mu smiled, "It was my mistake. " Though God King Langwo dwelt always in absolute reason, to keep her company was a delight both to the heart and to the eye; whatever one spoke of with her was always a pleasure. "You should let me meet Celestial Venerable Gong.

Who knows — after I have talked with her, it may be that she fails to persuade me and is persuaded by me instead.

That is not impossible either," the girl said with a laugh. Shen Mu laughed heartily, "It is indeed possible. I was too anxious over gain and loss.

" God King Langwo heard the meaning in his words, but did not point it out. "Since your knot is untied, I am at ease.

Back then, when you and I captured Taidi's divine consciousness, it was split in three, and you, I and Shu Jun each took a share.

You have not yet used yours, have you? " Shen Mu was slightly taken aback. God King Langwo looked into his eyes, "My path of cultivation has reached its summit; there is little chance of advancing another step.

If you have no use for Taidi's divine consciousness, then may I trade you that treasure for the help I have given you this time?

" Shen Mu shook his head, "God King, you have already used Taidi's divine consciousness once. To use it again will make your attainment of the Dao all the harder in time to come! The reason Taidi could not be invincible, the reason he could not forge a true fruit of the Dao by means of his divine consciousness, is that he relied on the power of sacrifice to forcibly pile his divine consciousness up to the point of branding the Ultimate Void.

If I give you Taidi's divine consciousness, I do you harm. " God King Langwo smiled placidly, her bearing graceful beyond compare. "Do you think I still have room to rise? My cultivation and my gifts have been trained to this step, and it is the summit. For beings such as you and Kaihuang Shen Ye, there is still a road ahead; for me there is no road ahead.

Therefore, by whatever means, I must make the attempt. " Her eyes were pure and bright as stars and moon. She said softly, "Your cultivation and strength climb swiftly, and Kaihuang is more terrifying still. Once I could run neck and neck with him; now I am far from his match.

In time you too will catch up with me and surpass me, and my usefulness to you will grow less and less, my presence ever fainter. " Shen Mu opened his mouth, but said nothing. God King Langwo said, "Celestial Venerable Mu, I have spent a million years of my life cultivating to this step, and I know where my limit lies. Give it to me.

" Shen Mu fell silent for a moment.

The corner of his mouth moved; he forced a smile, took out Taidi's divine consciousness and handed it to her. God King Langwo received the jade bottle, "As an ally, I will not drag you down; and do not fail my Creator clan.

" Shen Mu nodded gravely.

God King Langwo drifted away. Shen Mu watched her figure vanish into the void, and only then withdrew his gaze and turned back to Lan Yutian's side.

Lan Yutian was at that moment in the midst of comprehending the Dao; the resonance of the Dao spread out from him, and all within the Heavenly Sea was still and serene.

The Way of Heaven moved dim and deep; in Xuandu the Way of Heaven had emptied, yet upon the Heavenly Sea the Way of Heaven rose again.

This was the heavenly phenomenon called forth by Lan Yutian; at this moment Heaven and man communed in him, and he was sacred and solemn as the Heavenly Duke of old.

Shen Mu came to his side, and for a time his heart was stirred, and before he knew it he had sunk into the Dao as well. One sat upon the sea's surface, one stood upon it; in the space between a downward look and an upward one, the Heavenly Sea and Xuandu seemed to fuse into one. How long passed, he did not know.

Shen Mu woke from the Dao, and with hands clasped behind his back he raised his head to the ruined sky and said in a low voice, "The vast must enfold the heavenly sea; the fine omits no grass, no tree. Not only to dally with scene and thing, but to pour out the heart's plain sincerity.

This Dao-heart of the Heavenly Sea is the heart of the Way of Heaven, and the heart of the way of man as well.