Chapter 1598 — Burning the Body as an Offering to Heaven

"Shut your mouth, slut!" Her Highness the Empress was furious, her black hair flying.

Lady Yuanmu, at the back of her head, giggled. "I am a slut — and what are you? You are a slut too! I only slept with our brother-in-law, only one brother-in-law — but in these million years, how many kept men have you raised? How many pretty boys?"

She mocked, "Line up all those pretty boys of yours, and I daresay they would stretch from the Southern Heavenly Gate to the Northern Heavenly Gate!"

"Slut!"

"You are the slut!"

Cold air kept rising in Gong Tianzun's heart. She quietly stepped back a pace — but behind her was the Great Abyss of Guixu.

She did not know what had happened to the Empress, but she could see that the Empress's situation was dire indeed — and her own was worse!

The voices of the Empress and Yuanmu argued for a while, then suddenly fell silent again. Her Highness the Empress bowed her head, her hair veiling her face so that none could see it.

From her mouth came two different women's voices. One chuckled low. "We sisters have fought for so many years — aren't we tired of it? Come to think of it, to fight so long over one stinking man is truly shameful."

"Yes."

The other voice said, "And the stinking man lives well enough, while we tear at each other's faces and wound our sisterhood."

Her Highness the Empress slowly raised her head. It was the same face as before, but the mole at the center of her brow had split into two colors, red and black, each taking half.

Shen Mu poked his head out of the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel. At this sight he could not help but shiver, and quietly drew back — but there was nowhere to retreat; behind him was the Great Abyss of Guixu!

From the Empress's mouth came Lady Yuanmu's voice, full of temptation. "With strength like ours, why should we pledge ourselves to this one or that one? Why not make ourselves the Heavenly Emperor? Whichever man catches our eye, we simply take him."

Her Highness the Empress said, "You have a point. Even the Earth Earl cannot beat us. There is indeed no need for us to squabble over one stinking man."

She seemed to be talking to herself, giving off a feeling of utter madness. "We should first kill the Ten Celestial Venerables — and here before us is one..."

Hearing this, Gong Tianzun struck at once, hurling herself at the Empress, her voice shrill. "Consort Yan, you have gone mad—"

Boom!

The Empress raised a hand and struck; all of Guixu shook violently. The next moment Gong Tianzun lay on her back on the ground, still unable to collect her wits.

Nearly all her bones were broken, and her heavenly palace and heavenly court were battered to ruin.

Yet strangely, Her Highness the Empress did not strike her again.

After a long while, Gong Tianzun suppressed her injuries, roused the Mystic Art of Creation to knit her broken bones, struggled to her feet, and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

Only then did she notice that Her Highness the Empress was raising an enormous furnace at the edge of Guixu, furtively urging Dao fire to heat it until it glowed red.

"Shh—"

Her Highness the Empress turned her face to her and made a gesture for silence, then whispered with a smile, "Elder sister is asleep. That little slut has finally fallen asleep. I am refining a divine furnace, to refine that little slut into a miracle elixir."

Her eyes glittered with excitement; she muttered and mumbled to herself, the very picture of a villain doing villainy.

Gong Tianzun saw what the furnace was made of — was it not Hao Tianzun's Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel?

That supreme treasure of Hao Tianzun's was of extraordinary power, possessing seventy-two heavenly palaces, front and reverse, and one hundred and sixteen treasure halls, front and reverse; yet now this madwoman had hacked the supreme treasure to pieces and was using it as material to refine a treasure!

Gong Tianzun's heart lurched. She hurried to look for Shen Mu within the Myriad Dao Heavenly Wheel, and saw that Shen Mu was clutched in the madwoman's palm, looking utterly innocent.

The madwoman was using him as a torch, lighting him to melt down the furnace.

Gong Tianzun was appalled. What a formidable being Mu Tianzun was! In a head-on clash, Gong Tianzun would not dare claim certain victory over him!

And now Shen Mu had been brought to heel by Her Highness the Empress, his whole cultivation set alight to become Dao fire!

Gong Tianzun felt both dread and a certain amusement. She thought, "That thieving Mu is doomed. Even if she does not throw him into Guixu, he is doomed. The Empress has gone mad — I must not be caught here with him."

She was about to leave when Her Highness the Empress suddenly collapsed and fell into a snoring sleep.

Gong Tianzun was startled. Just as she meant to seize the chance to go, Her Highness the Empress suddenly stood bolt upright, and in the blink of an eye appeared behind her, a cold smile on her face. "The little slut wants to plot against me — did you think I would not know? It is very hard for me to refine her to death, but the little slut is the Palace Master of Zaofu, versed in the way of creation and the way of casting, keeper of the Creation Divine Artifact. The treasures she makes can refine me to death — so they can refine her to death as well! Therefore I gave her this chance, to make this great furnace. Tell me, Gong Tianzun, is my scheme not ingenious?"

Gong Tianzun forced a smile. "The Empress's wisdom is boundless..."

The Empress seized her and clutched her in her palm, walking toward the furnace, murmuring, "Mu Tianzun's cultivation is high, but his magic power is weak; I must light one more Celestial Venerable before this treasure can be refined..."

After a moment, Shen Mu and Gong Tianzun, like two enormous human-shaped torches wreathed in blazing Dao fire, were placed beneath the furnace.

The two exchanged a glance, and saw that each other's face was quite helpless.

"Have you seen that little slut, my elder sister?"

Suddenly Her Highness the Empress had switched back to Lady Yuanmu's tone, and she said excitedly to the two beneath the furnace, "That little slut must be scheming how to plot against me, isn't she?"

Shen Mu said helplessly, "Sister Yuanmu, stop making trouble..."