Chapter 1727 — A Move That Shakes Heaven and Earth

His face hideous and ferocious, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon seized the Cyan Emperor's true body, that ancient tree, in his claws, spewed divine fire from his jaws, set the ancient tree alight, and let it burn to ashes in the flames! "Cyan Emperor, you killed so many of my offspring, defiled my fleshly body, seized my ancestral land, enslaved my descendants — grinding your bones to dust and scattering your ashes would be too light a fate for you!

" The azure dragon spat a breath of dragon qi that blew the Cyan Emperor's ashes across the whole sky, and said viciously, "Old rival, on your way!

" The three armies besieging the Cyan Emperor saw it and did not know what to do.

Having vented his fury, the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon inadvertently glimpsed Jiang Baigui, his face as still as water, and his heart lurched. Jiang Baigui's countenance grew darker still, and the Eastern Emperor's heart quailed.

"Heavenly Venerable Azure Dragon, do you wish to die a hero's death here on the Eastern Sea?

" His face as still as water, Jiang Baigui said flatly, "The Cyan Emperor meant to surrender to me.

Had he surrendered, Eastern Heaven's great army would have fallen into my grasp; Jingping's soldiers would not only have been spared further slaughter against it, but would have gained a mighty force out of nothing.

Now you have killed the Cyan Emperor, and every division of Eastern Heaven's army will fight to the last breath; I do not know how many of Jingping's soldiers must die before they are brought down.

" The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon feared him even more than he feared Shen Mu; hearing this, he hastily put on a smiling face and said, "My strength far surpasses the Cyan Emperor's, and the divine dragon host of my Eastern Pole Heaven is little weaker than Eastern Heaven's great army.

Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, rather than employ the Cyan Emperor, employ me!

A thousand pieces of gold are easily come by, a good general is hard to find; I am willing to be a good general beneath the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping's banner, charging the enemy lines! " Jiang Baigui said nothing.

The Eastern Emperor's heart quailed, and he studied that face without cease.

After a moment Jiang Baigui said, "Then what is the Eastern Emperor still waiting for?

Why not go forth to battle?

" The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon finally set his heart at ease, and straightaway charged out toward Eastern Heaven's camp, thinking, "When he called me Heavenly Venerable Azure Dragon, his wrath and killing intent were stirred; when he called me Eastern Emperor, that wrath and killing intent were dispelled.

It seems I am safe now.

" Jiang Baigui watched him cut his way into Eastern Heaven's camp, and only then did the hand gripping his divine sword slowly loosen.

His knuckles had gone somewhat white from the force of his grip. The Prince of Mount Tai, the Generalissimo of Heavenly Strategy and the others came forward, and the Duke of Wei bowed and said, "Congratulations to the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping on gaining a great general! " Jiang Baigui's face was as unrippled as an ancient well; he said softly, "Just now I nearly could not keep myself from killing him.

" Everyone was startled; the Duke of Wei was about to speak, remembered that his voice was too loud, and hastily shut his mouth. The Prince of Mount Tai said, "Why did the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping harbor the intent to kill? " "The Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon should rather be called Heavenly Venerable Azure Dragon; he is a figure of the same order as the ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court.

Should an existence such as his live on and later infiltrate the upper reaches of Jingping to steal the fruit of our labor, then if Jingping decays in the years to come, it will be because of men like him.

" Jiang Baigui said, "Jingping's reforms began with Emperor Yanfeng and have continued two hundred and sixty years to this day, surviving the Jingping Calamity; countless officers and men have laid down their heads and spilled their hot blood to build a world in which gods serve mankind and power serves the people, where every talent is put to use and the greatest justice and fairness in the world is done.

After two or three hundred years of striving, if at the final moment the fruit should be plucked by an existence like Heavenly Venerable Azure Dragon, would that not be the greatest of sorrows?

" All were silent. "Yet the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon's usefulness is also very great.

His power is immense, the divine dragons of the Eastern Pole Heaven obey his command, and with dragon clans beyond counting throughout the heavens and the myriad realms, his influence is not to be slighted.

If he fights for Jingping, the benefit to us is likewise great — it could spare Jingping the death of many, many men.

" Jiang Baigui went on, "Yet in this battle his merit is very great, and he cannot be lightly killed.

Kill him, and the dragon clans rebel, and the other heavens, because of his death, will not dare surrender — this is what leaves me at a loss as to how to deal with him.

" The Prince of Mount Tai said, "The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping need not worry; when the wars subside in years to come, find some pretext and purge him.

" Jiang Baigui said, "After founding a peerless enterprise, to purge those who have done great service will surely bring infamy. And that infamy would be borne not by me alone, but by the emperor as well.

" Once again the officers and men fell silent. Jiang Baigui cast aside that stray thought and said, "Tomorrow's affairs, we will speak of tomorrow! For now, let us first do well what lies before our eyes! " He personally led the army against Eastern Heaven's camp and charged into the battlefield.

In the Taiqing Realm of the Land of No Sorrow, Shen Mu was playing chess with Heavenly Venerable Yun.

He set down a piece lightly and smiled: "Eastern Heaven is pacified; the Haotian Emperor has lost one of his claws! " Scarcely had his words fallen when the sky suddenly shook violently; from the direction of the Western Land boundless golden qi radiated in all directions, like a huge golden sphere bursting with incomparably keen light that lit up most of the Yuan Realm! At the same time, in the Kan region of the northern frontier, the dark waters surged; the Heavenly River changed course and coiled once around the Kan region, and amid ice and snow a great marsh descended, ten million li of frozen earth hanging in the sky above Kan!

Shen Mu smiled: "The two Dark Warrior Emperors have arrived; the Northern Heaven can be pacified. " "Why does Brother Mu not speak of the Western Emperor?

" Heavenly Venerable Yun looked at the board, glanced at him, and said, "The Western Emperor, the White Tiger, has descended upon the Western Land; the White Emperor of the Western Heaven is indeed no match for her, but the Western Land hangs isolated beyond.

The Heavenly Court need only send out one existence of Heavenly Venerable rank, and the Western Land will surely be broken and the Western Emperor slain.

And if the Human Emperor Shen Wu cannot hold back the routed armies of the Southern Heaven, then you remain at a draw with Heavenly Venerable Hao, with no advantage gained.

Does Heavenly Venerable Mu know how many Heavenly Venerables the Heavenly Court has?

" Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.

Heavenly Venerable Yun said, "Thirty-five.

" Shen Mu raised an eyebrow. "The Master of the Hall of Numinous Officials of the Ancestral Court in Jade Capital City can alone transform into thirty of the very finest Heavenly Venerables.

" Heavenly Venerable Yun set down a piece and said indifferently, "His fleshly body can transform into ancient gods one after another, each the equal of a Heavenly Venerable, each of vast divine power. This game — you have lost.

"