Chapter 1588 — The Art of Proving the Dao

"In other words, the Great Emperor's Dao Tree is rooted in this treasure. His Great Dao clings to this holy sword, and since I have merged with his Dao Tree and become a part of it, I too cling to this holy sword. " Yun Tianzun smiled.

"When you attack his Dao Tree and Dao Fruit, you attack the holy sword. And when the Great Emperor attacks me, he is also attacking this holy sword.

That is why I have survived until now without dying.

" Shen Mu stared wide-eyed, and after a moment let out a turbid breath.

"What a monster. . .

" "In your place, you could do the same. " Yun Tianzun said modestly.

"After all, you are the peerless Overlord Body who defeated Fire Tianzun and Hao Tianzun, and the guide of the Chiming Era.

From the Great Luo Heaven, I saw many things you did, and I was awestruck, utterly convinced.

" Shen Mu said gravely, "Naturally I could do it too. I am the Overlord Body.

I simply never imagined that Brother Yun was no weaker than I.

" Though he said this, he was still somewhat unsure of himself.

When faced with monsters like Yun Tianzun and Yu Tianzun, he always felt a certain lack of confidence.

Yun Tianzun was the one who, when the road ran out, built a divine bridge—when there was no path of cultivation ahead, he forcibly opened the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury and inspired Yu Tianzun to open the Heavenly Palace! Compared to such a monster, he truly had no ground to stand on. But a man may lose the fight yet must not lose the field; at least in words, he had to keep up appearances.

"Which is to say, you have filled in the Great Emperor's weakness.

" Shen Mu's gaze flickered. He paced back and forth at the bow of the ship, then suddenly stopped and looked up. "As long as you are here, the Great Emperor has no weakness! And since you are symbiotically bound to the Great Emperor's Dao Tree and Taichu's Imperial Sword, attacking the Great Emperor is also attacking you. " Yun Tianzun said, "If the Great Emperor could be eliminated by this means, then I would willingly abandon my own primordial spirit.

" Shen Mu shook his head and laughed scornfully.

"Yun, you think too little of your own life. How can the Great Emperor's life be mentioned in the same breath as yours?

The Great Emperor cannot descend in person within the Great Luo Heaven of Divine Consciousness, so the harm he can do is limited.

If not to save you, why would I have gone to such great lengths, invited so many masters, and not hesitated to enter the Great Luo Heaven of Divine Consciousness myself? Your life weighs heavier than the Great Emperor's!

" Yun Tianzun was moved in his heart.

"Xiao Weisu and Hao Tianzun—did you invite them as well? " "Indeed. Inviting them to lend a hand cost me no small effort. " Shen Mu nodded, then continued pondering how to deal with the Great Emperor and dissolve the strange symbiotic relationship between Yun Tianzun and him.

Yun Tianzun's expression turned peculiar.

Shen Mu's relationship with Xiao Tianzun and Hao Tianzun was clearly not a good one. His so-called invitation for them to lend a hand was most likely a matter of various schemes and trickery, of cheating and swindling. This style of handling matters was vastly different from Yun Tianzun's. Yun Tianzun also employed schemes and stratagems—such as using the beauty trap to kill the Heavenly Emperor Taichu, or the extermination trap to kill the Great Emperor.

Both schemes were utterly unsavory.

In ruthlessness and cruelty, he had even been willing to sacrifice the lives of a million Creators to kill the Great Emperor—something Shen Mu could never bring himself to do. But Yun Tianzun mostly walked the Kingly Way, upright and honorable, bearing much of the bearing of Yu Tianzun of old. Shen Mu's schemes, by contrast, were more bizarre and unpredictable, better at using force against force—borrowing the Great Emperor's power to strike Xiao Tianzun and Hao Tianzun, borrowing Xiao Tianzun and Hao Tianzun's power to strike the Great Emperor, borrowing Hao Tianzun's power to strike Xiao Tianzun, borrowing Xiao Tianzun's power to strike Hao Tianzun, borrowing the power of the Ten Tianzuns to strike the Ten Tianzuns.

Yet from this one could also see that the environment Shen Mu found himself in was far too harsh for him. The Ten Tianzuns held all power in the world, controlled every force, and had the divine artifact Yu Tianzun to suppress all realms—more despairing than even the Longhan Era.

Under such extreme oppression, no power of one's own could develop. The only path Shen Mu could take was to use force against force.

Yun Tianzun in his day had also employed schemes, but he had always laid his plans using his own power—such as killing the Great Emperor and killing the Heavenly Emperor.

That was because in the Longhan Era, the only enemy in the Void Beyond was the Great Emperor, and the Longhan Heavenly Court had only one power-holder: the Heavenly Emperor.

He could not divide the enemy's forces. Suddenly, Hao Tianzun let out a muffled groan and plummeted from above, beaten bloody all over by the Great Emperor.

Shh— Countless Dao Tree roots and tendrils coiled around him, violently tearing at his limbs and head, suspending him in the air, his four limbs and head stretched taut. Hao Tianzun struggled with all his might but could not break free.

His injuries were too severe—Shen Mu had shattered his heart and pierced through his chest, and he had still not recovered.

The Dao wound Shen Mu had left on him even the Goddess Taisu could not heal. Suddenly, he saw Shen Mu and Yun Tianzun, and could not help but start.

Then he cried out loudly, "Mu Tianzun, are you still puzzled about the Dao wound on me? " Shen Mu was deep in thought over countermeasures.

He waved his hand casually, and the Dao wound in Hao Tianzun's chest vanished. His heart regrew, his ribs regenerated. Hao Tianzun's spirit surged.

He frantically activated his Heavenly Palace Treasure Halls, his primordial spirit standing atop the Heavenly Court as he drove one Myriad-Dao Heavenly Wheel after another to slice in all directions, shaking the Dao Tree roots and tendrils loose from his body against their will.

Hao Tianzun soared into the air and charged at the Great Emperor.

No sooner had he taken flight than Kaihuang came tumbling down from above. Kaihuang cultivated only the Dao of the Sword, valuing mastery over breadth.

He had never cultivated the Creation Mystic Art, but had single-mindedly raised his swordsmanship to the highest level. Thus, though his strength was great, the accumulating wounds to his physical body would threaten his life, making his injuries ever worse, and ultimately his strength would suffer greatly.

Shen Mu waved his hand, and the Creation Divine Art flew out. While Kaihuang was still falling, the Creation Divine Art had already healed his wounds.

Kaihuang let out a long cry, his spirit redoubled, and he charged upward once more.

"The Taichu Imperial Sword must not fall into Xiao Tianzun's hands. If it falls into Xiao Tianzun's hands, I fear that after he slays the Great Emperor, he will cut us down as well.

" Shen Mu glanced at Yun Tianzun. Yun Tianzun's back was connected to the Dao Tree.

Whether the Great Emperor's death would drag Yun Tianzun down with him—even Shen Mu could not be certain. To die in the Ultimate Void—even Shen Mu could not revive them, for both body and soul would be completely voided, impossible to recall.

Moreover, how to extract Taichu's companion supreme treasure was also a colossal problem.

This sword was hidden within the Dao Tree. Never mind cutting open the Dao Tree to retrieve the Imperial Sword—Kaihuang, Xiao Tianzun, and the others could not even scratch the bark of the Dao Tree!

He could not help but feel a great headache. The current Great Emperor, with his Dao Tree rooted in the Imperial Sword and himself borrowing the Heavenly Emperor's physical body, could be said to have no flaw at all!