Chapter 1568 — Deceiving All Quarters

Before coming here, Heavenly Venerable Hao, Heavenly Venerable Xiao, and the others had still harbored doubts, but once they had seen the skill of Taiyi's disciple Jiang Yunjian, once they had seen the Dao-pattern array Shen Mu had left upon the cliff, and once they had taken in the terrifying spectacle beyond the hundred thousand Black Mountains, together with Taiyi's Dao Tree, the doubts in their hearts vanished without a trace. Now, beholding this golden hall and the chaos qi within it, they were filled with even greater awe for the "elder" inside. This was one who had truly achieved the Dao, his divine powers immeasurable, unfathomable! Yet Shen Mu, within the hall, remained uneasy, his heart pounding.

If Heavenly Venerable Xiao, Heavenly Venerable Hao, and the rest were to test him, it would not even take Heavenly Venerable Hao; the Ancestral God King, Heavenly Venerable Xu, and their like alone could easily see through him! The reason he had sent Jiang Yunjian to lead them to the cliff, the reason he had stalled until dusk, was precisely to borrow the holy land's strange portents and Taiyi's Dao Tree to build for himself an image of invincibility, so that they would not dare to doubt him!

Whenever the sun set, apocalyptic visions appeared beyond the World Tree, heaven and earth destroyed, a thing of utter terror!

Indeed, if one were to leave the holy land at such a time, one would enter the destruction calamity of the sixteenth universe, with little hope of survival! And Taiyi, when he departed, had made a pact with him: each time night fell, his Dao Tree would appear and drip Dao dew, and Shen Mu could gather this dew to repair the Black Mountains that had been cracked by the shock. It was precisely on these two things that Shen Mu relied to dispel all doubt from the seven Heavenly Venerables and the two ancient gods. The news of Taiyi's fall must never get out!

Heavenly Venerable Xiao stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Brother Dao, you achieved the Dao so early, how joyous and admirable. But my own attainment of the Dao may be called arduous. On this visit, I beg you, Brother Dao, to grant me a few pointers.

" Shen Mu sat amid the chaos, his voice resonant: "Are you not about to achieve the Dao, fellow Daoist? Why then ask such a question?

" Heavenly Venerable Xiao was struck with awe: "Taiyi is indeed unfathomable, he knows I am about to achieve the Dao! " He grew even more humble: "Brother Dao, your powers are vast; you must know that the Dao-attainment I speak of is not the cultivation of a Heavenly Court.

" Shen Mu said unhurriedly, "The Dao-attainment you speak of is Taichu attainment. You wish to become a complete Taichu Ancient God. " "Pray instruct me, Brother Dao," said Heavenly Venerable Xiao with the utmost reverence.

Countless thoughts flashed through Shen Mu's mind.

He said leisurely, "How to achieve Taichu attainment, you have long had your plan, fellow Daoist.

Why ask me? " Delighted, Heavenly Venerable Xiao pressed on: "Brother Dao, if I but kill all the Creators, devour their divine consciousness, and gather all the Taichu primal stones, then I can cultivate the Taichu Great Dao and become a complete Taichu. The Creator race became Creators because of me and the Taichu ore vein; they stole my fortune.

If I am to become a complete Taichu, I must settle this karmic debt! Is this conjecture correct?

" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly.

He was silent a moment, then said, "Your greatest enemies are the Juyu clan and yourself. Remember this, remember it well.

" Satisfied, Heavenly Venerable Xiao stepped back. The Sun Ancient God came forward and bowed: "Brother Dao, may I ask how I am to achieve the Dao?

" Shen Mu said, "Fellow Daoist, have you not long had your method of achieving the Dao?

Why then ask such a question? " The Sun Ancient God hesitated, then said, "My sister and I discovered that our Dao-hearts had been sullied by the red dust, and that we were drifting ever further from attaining the Dao.

So we entered the world ahead of time, intending to temper ourselves amid the red dust and seek a way to break through. But when we found the Empress and Yuanmu and aided them in achieving the Dao, something went wrong. Thus we waver in our hearts, unsure whether we can attain the Dao at all. We beg you, Brother Dao, to instruct us. " Shen Mu said, neither hurried nor slow, "Yin and yang are the transformations of Taiji. You are not like the Empress and Yuanmu; the Empress and Yuanmu were born of destruction, opposed and incompatible. But when yin and yang converge, all things are begotten.

You need not worry. " Joy rose in the Sun Ancient God's heart, and he withdrew.

The Goddess Taisu drifted forward and said with a smile, "Brother Dao, this is the second time you and I have met.

Last time it was I who was in the wrong.

This time I have come both to make amends and to seek your teaching. May I ask, Brother Dao, how am I to achieve the Dao?

" Shen Mu did not answer. The Goddess Taisu asked again, and Shen Mu said, "You cannot achieve the Dao. " The Goddess Taisu gave a cold snort: "And why can I not achieve the Dao? " "Your foundations are too shallow. " Shen Mu said unhurriedly, "In your early years Gong Yun dug you out, and carried you as a dowry to the Juyu clan; the Great Emperor sealed you. When the Great Emperor fell, you passed into the hands of the two Xuanwu Emperors, ancient gods born of the Juyu clan's sacrifices, who refined you into a treasure and made of you the Glazed Azure Heaven Banner.

Later you fell into the hands of Heavenly Venerable Mu, and in the sixteenth universe you passed through the great calamity of destruction and were forced to emerge ahead of your time. Foundations such as these are truly shallow. And after your emergence, you met the wrong people and chose the wrong allies.

You have cleverness but not great wisdom, perseverance but not great perseverance, scheming but not great scheming, vision but not great vision.

Sooner or later you will come to ruin by them. " The Goddess Taisu's heart pounded wildly; she turned her head to look at Heavenly Venerable Hao. "When your very life is hard to preserve, what talk is there of achieving the Dao?

" Shen Mu brought down his verdict like a hammer.

The Goddess Taisu turned back and said with a sneer, "Brother Dao, how then do you think I may escape the doom of death and set foot upon the road to the Dao?

" Shen Mu said, "He who broke your foundations is also the one who can make them.

If you wish to achieve the Dao, you must seek him out, and then there may still be a chance.

" The Goddess Taisu fell into thought, and withdrew. Heavenly Venerable Hao laughed heartily, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a ringing voice, "Brother Dao Taiyi, I did not come to pay my respects to you; I came accompanying my aunt. But hearing your words, I too have something to ask you. May I? " Without waiting for Shen Mu's answer, he went on: "Brother Dao, you know of the Ancestral Court Jade Capital, do you not? The Ancestral Court Jade Capital is the place forged by the Dao-achievers of the sixteen prehistoric universes. They are preparing to descend. Do you think we should resist them, or should we yield to them? " Shen Mu said, "Heavenly Venerable Hao, having become the Heavenly Emperor, do you wish to have a retired emperor above your head? " Heavenly Venerable Hao's gaze flickered.

Shen Mu continued, "When the prehistoric Dao-achievers descend, once you are Heavenly Emperor, above your head there will not be one retired emperor, but several thousand.

" Heavenly Venerable Hao laughed: "Brother Dao, your words strike straight to my heart.

I am instructed. Do you mean, Brother Dao, that I may become the Heavenly Emperor?