Chapter 1625 — Pure Goodness and Evil Thoughts

Shen Mu seemed to be speaking to them, and seemed to be speaking to himself: "The ancient gods, who live forever and never perish, would become eternal rulers. The human race and other postnatal races are born with shorter lifespans; after a mere hundred years of cultivation, even if they reach the divine realm, death is hard to escape, and high-end fighting strength simply cannot be preserved. By contrast, ancient gods who can grant blessings and bestow long life can use those granted years to gather countless followers. To leave the world without gods would only restore the rule of the ancient gods—and how many died in those years to overthrow the ancient gods' rule..."

The Ling Heavenly Venerable said, "When the Heaven Alliance was first founded, its very purpose was to overthrow the rule of the ancient gods."

Shen Mu let out a turbid breath and opened his eyes; his gaze recovered its brilliance. "The lifespan of the human race is limited, and half-gods live longer than humans. Even without the ancient gods, it would be very hard for the human race to turn defeat into victory on limited lifespans alone. You Heavenly Venerable, you opened the life-and-death spirit treasury and greatly raised the lifespans of divine-ability practitioners, raising the lifespan of a divine-ability practitioner to as much as eight hundred years! The Yu Heavenly Venerable opened the heavenly palace, letting people possess limitless lifespans—only then did the human race's path of rise begin."

He shook his head. "To sever everyone's life-and-death spirit treasury is no progress—it is regression! A mortal may become a god through cultivation; this spurs divine-ability practitioners to cultivate unceasingly, to advance. Without such a spur, many would lose their drive. It cannot be countenanced!"

The You Heavenly Venerable looked at the Book of Life and Death. "Mu Heavenly Venerable, you have passed the Earth Lord's test. You resisted the invasion of the demonic nature within the Book of Life and Death, and so you may inherit the Earth Lord's power and become the new Earth Lord. Your Dao-heart is very strong; you are fully capable of putting this power to good use."

Shen Mu's gaze fell upon the Earth Lord's Book of Life and Death. This Book of Life and Death was a monstrous instrument of slaughter, yet he shook his head. "I may have succeeded in resisting the demonic nature of the Book of Life and Death this time, but I may not succeed the next. The Book of Life and Death in truth already has a master, and that person is not me."

He had originally hoped to steal the Book of Life and Death and strike the names of Jingping and the people of Carefree Village from it, so that even if the Heavenly Court took control of Youdu, it could not exterminate the human race.

Yet now he knew that he was not the one who could hold the Book of Life and Death.

"The power of the Book of Life and Death is too great, its consequences too far-reaching; it can only rest in the hands of the true Earth Lord..."

Shen Mu's gaze was dragged away from the Book of Life and Death only with difficulty. "I am not the true Earth Lord, and I fear that if I command the power of the Book of Life and Death, I will do something foolish."

His voice was still somewhat hoarse: "The Book of Life and Death must never fall into the hands of the Heavenly Court. You Heavenly Venerable, the Earth Lord chose you to keep the Book of Life and Death—he must have had his reasons."

The You Heavenly Venerable's gaze settled upon the Book of Life and Death. After a moment he put it away and said, "Nor am I a fit master for the Book of Life and Death. After the Earth Lord gave it into my keeping, he hoped that I would succeed him, but through these million years I too have been fighting the invasion of the Book of Life and Death's demonic nature. In those days it was the Earth Lord who helped me suppress that demonic nature. If the Earth Lord is dead..."

He did not continue.

If the Earth Lord were dead, then no one would be able to help him suppress the demonic nature of the Book of Life and Death. What a horror would the You Heavenly Venerable be, once controlled by that demonic nature?

"Then why not destroy the Book of Life and Death?" said the Ling Heavenly Venerable. "Simply destroy this evil treasure outright."

"It cannot be destroyed."

The You Heavenly Venerable shook his head. "The Book of Life and Death is a treasure formed from the conglomeration of the sixty-four Youdu Great Daos. Only if you could destroy these sixty-four great Daos of heaven and earth would it be possible to destroy it."

The Ling Heavenly Venerable fell silent as well; she too could not destroy the sixty-four Youdu Great Daos.

"After you kill the Earth Lord, it is possible that I will be controlled by the Book of Life and Death."

The You Heavenly Venerable said, "If that comes to pass, then let me die in battle alongside the Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court."

Shen Mu's brows knit deeply. Then he suddenly rose to his feet and said with a laugh, "Wait here for me a moment. I will be back shortly."

He vanished in a flash, then suddenly turned back and said with a laugh, "Lend me your paper boat!"

Without waiting for the You Heavenly Venerable to answer, he leaped straight onto the paper boat and departed with a whistling rush.

The Ling Heavenly Venerable looked at the Book of Life and Death upon the table. "Will I be controlled by the demonic nature?"

The You Heavenly Venerable shook his head. "You do not understand the Youdu Great Dao; you cannot stir the might of this Book of Life and Death. Only in the hands of one versed in the Youdu Great Dao can the Book of Life and Death display its power."

The Ling Heavenly Venerable said no more, and waited quietly.

A long while later, the You Heavenly Venerable said, "Ling, it is very comfortable, talking with you."

The Ling Heavenly Venerable said, "Talking with you is very effortless."

Not long after, the paper boat came flying back with a whistle, and upon the little paper boat stood a monstrous, gigantic big-headed infant, striving with all his might to squeeze his two feet onto the boat.

Shen Mu halted the boat, and the big-headed baby leaped down, setting the Tianqi Rensheng Prince Manor shaking without cease.

"Brother, gently!" Shen Mu said with a stern face.

Shen Fengqing looked around curiously, then giggled. "Big Earth Lord's head is really big—should be enough to eat for a long while."

Shen Mu led him into the prince's manor. Shen Fengqing's frame was so vast that all along the way he squeezed houses to the ground and walls to ruin, leaving wreckage in his wake.

Shen Mu pointed at the Book of Life and Death on the stone table and said with a smile, "Brother, look at this golden page..."

Shen Fengqing reached out and pinched it up. Shen Mu and the You Heavenly Venerable were instantly thrown into alarm, staring hard at him: the moment he was controlled by the Book of Life and Death's demonic nature, the two of them would strike at once to suppress him!

Shen Fengqing was the incarnation of Youdu's demonic nature, evil beyond measure. If the Book of Life and Death were to rouse his demonic nature once more, and the two merged, he would likely become even more terrifying than Shen Mu had been under the Book of Life and Death's control!

Shen Fengqing shook the Book of Life and Death and said suspiciously, "Is this the paper the Earth Lord wipes his ass with? And you treat it like a treasure..."

He tossed the Book of Life and Death carelessly aside, and Shen Mu and the You Heavenly Venerable were struck dumb.

The You Heavenly Venerable hurriedly picked up the Book of Life and Death, stuffed it into his hand, and said in a low voice, "Little Earth Lord, use the Youdu Great Dao to stir this page!"

Shen Fengqing glanced at him and giggled. "You're an underworld messenger? Strange, you've gotten younger..."