Chapter 1648 — Fire Venerable's Merit Archway

"So it is the newly elevated Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable.

" The Fire Heavenly Venerable cast a glance at the East Emperor Azure Dragon striding toward him. The East Emperor Azure Dragon was plainly in the highest of spirits, peering about on every side, curious about everything in the Southern Heaven.

"Azure Dragon Heavenly Venerable," the Fire Heavenly Venerable said flatly, "you were once the East Emperor, ruler of the Eastern Pole Heaven. Now that you have become a Heavenly Venerable, the Eastern Pole Heaven has been handed directly into Emperor Haotian's control.

At present you possess nothing, holding only the empty title of Heavenly Venerable. Do you think it was worth it?

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon laughed heartily. "I still have my life - that alone makes it worth it. The Eastern Pole Heaven, the sacred ground of the Eastern Pole - I hand them to His Majesty. So long as His Majesty trusts me, I shall not die. Long ago I formed an alliance with Mu Heavenly Venerable, but he proved truly useless and was defeated in the end.

For the sake of my own life, this was the only road open to me. " The Fire Heavenly Venerable showed a trace of disappointment and shook his head. "With such allies as you ancient gods, no wonder Mu Heavenly Venerable was defeated. You ancient gods were of little help - you only dragged him down.

Had it not been for you ancient gods, Mu Heavenly Venerable might not have lost.

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon laughed.

"And had it not been for the Fire Heavenly Venerable, Mu Heavenly Venerable might not have lost either. " Their gazes met, and both faces revealed looks of loathing. At that moment, a procession came beating gongs and drums, bearing a coffin.

An old man of sixty sat inside the coffin, dressed in red and green, beaming with joy, clasping his hands in salute to the people all around and thanking them without cease. The procession reached the Fire Heavenly Venerable and the East Emperor Azure Dragon, and seeing that they blocked the way, halted.

The East Emperor Azure Dragon lifted the old man out of the coffin, hefted him, sniffed at him, then set him down again. The old man, seeing the emperor's striking countenance, called out in a voice that rang like a great bell: "Exalted god, please dine!

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon shook his head. "You are a bit thin," he said, "and far too old.

Fire Heavenly Venerable - what do you think of forty? You humans marry in your teens, produce children at twenty, and by forty are already holding grandchildren. At that age the flavor is just right - fit to be offered to the demi-gods and ancient gods. " The Fire Heavenly Venerable looked at him with an expressionless face. The East Emperor Azure Dragon's towering frame crouched down, and he smiled at the procession: "The Fire Heavenly Venerable will not speak, so you shall answer for him.

Tell me - do my words make sense?

" The people hastily set down the coffin and prostrated themselves on the ground, crying in one voice: "What the master says is right! Then let it be settled! " The East Emperor Azure Dragon cast a glance at the Fire Heavenly Venerable and suddenly grinned.

"Forty is still a little too early. Say thirty, then.

What do you all think? " The people chorused: "What the master says is right.

Then let it be settled.

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon cast the Fire Heavenly Venerable another glance and said with a sly smile: "By thirty a mortal's qi and blood have already begun to wither and decay. Better make it twenty. You humans can marry and have children before twenty, and once they have children, they can offer themselves willingly to the ancient gods and demi-gods. " The people hesitated.

The old man in the coffin said tremulously: "Exalted lord, twenty is too young. I beg of you, master, grant a few more years - let them raise their children a little before offering themselves to you. Would that not do?

" The East Emperor laughed. "Do you have the right to choose? No.

Do you have the power to resist?

No.

Since you have neither power nor right, then let it be settled. " Down below, the young folk burst into loud wails, mourning as if their own parents had died.

"I'll fight you to the death! " The old man crawled out of the coffin, rushed at the East Emperor, and flailed at him with fists and feet - yet his blows were so weak and frail that they could not even count as a tickle.

The East Emperor Azure Dragon paid it no heed. A cold glint flashed from the dragon scales upon his foot, and the old man was instantly reduced to flying ash.

The young coffin-bearers, seeing this, rose in silence one after another, turned, and went away.

Not one of them said a word about avenging the old man. "Accepted it this quickly? " The East Emperor Azure Dragon was astonished and laughed: "Fire Heavenly Venerable, you must teach me.

If the art of enslaving the Southern Heaven were carried to all the myriad heavens and the ten thousand worlds, why would His Majesty ever need to worry about Mu Heavenly Venerable again? In the future, rebellion would be utterly impossible! " The Fire Heavenly Venerable sneered: "I did it to preserve the human race. Humanity is weak - it is no match for the demi-gods and ancient gods.

Only in this way can humans survive.

From the age of Longhan down to this day, a span of a million years, only the people of my Southern Heaven have lived in plenty and plenty alone, never fearing the extermination of their race. " "And is Jingping not living perfectly well too?

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon dismissed it with a laugh: "Have the humans of other worlds ever been annihilated either? " The Fire Heavenly Venerable said coldly: "The humans of the Origin Realm have passed through the Longhan Calamity, the Chiming Calamity, the Shanghuang Calamity, the Kaihuang Calamity, and the Jingping Calamity - which of those did not nearly wipe out their race? Every time, they survived only by enduring countless agonies. But my Southern Heaven.

. .

" "Of the five calamities you speak of," said the East Emperor Azure Dragon, "it seems you had a hand in every one. And every single time, you struck the most viciously. " Seeing that the Fire Heavenly Venerable meant to retort, he waved a hand and laughed: "I have not come this time to argue with you about that.

Fire Heavenly Venerable, you have offended His Majesty. " The Fire Heavenly Venerable burst into loud laughter and shot him a glance: "And so Emperor Haotian sent you here to court death?

" The East Emperor Azure Dragon, all smiles, said with serene composure: "The South Emperor Vermilion Bird was cut down by the Fire Heavenly Venerable within her own sacred ground. Far from my Eastern Pole Heaven, how could I possibly be a match for the Fire Heavenly Venerable? Fortunately, the Fire Heavenly Venerable has a weakness, and so His Majesty has also sent a helper. " The instant his words fell, the Netherworld Son of Heaven stepped out from the shadows, bowed deeply, and said: "Yin Chaojin pays his respects to the Fire Heavenly Venerable.

" Seeing him, the Fire Heavenly Venerable could not suppress a burst of laughter. "Yin Chaojin - the Yin Heavenly Venerable?

" His laughter subsided, and his gaze was full of derision.

"You too dare to come?

Is Emperor Haotian about to send the Long Xiao Heavenly Venerable as well? All you newly elevated Heavenly Venerables are nothing but trash! " The Netherworld Son of Heaven said with a smile: "Fire Heavenly Venerable, your attainments in the soul are far too shallow; they have left a great gaping flaw.

And so His Majesty ordered me to come and harvest Brother Fire's soul. " The Fire Heavenly Venerable gave a cold snort, his breast heaving with fervor, and declared with impassioned vehemence: "You conspired with Haotian Heavenly Venerable to murder my elder brother, Yu Heavenly Venerable! At every moment I have thought of avenging his wrong and slaking my vengeance.