Chapter 1757 — The Irreversible Decline

Even with little interest in the tides of the world, Xing An now discerned something of the pattern. "Jiang Baigui is indeed the cleverest man in five hundred years, for he has seen the rolling tide. Emperor Haotian's perverse rule has lost him every heart, and Jingping has become the place toward which hearts turn. As time passes, its troops shall only grow stronger.

The Heavenly Court's ruin is a matter of days.

" His eyes flashed as he turned toward the Ancestral Court, thinking silently, "Jiang Baigui may truly become a sage, but I shall be no worse than he.

The gods and devils of the Heavenly Court I have studied through and through, and brains of every kind I have collected complete.

There is no need to remain in the Heavenly Court. Now only one place holds great allure for me. " He walked among the stars, crossing paths with Xu Shenghua yet missing him, and thus had no chance to learn of the calamity within the Ancestral Court. Even had he known, he would likely not have shrunk back, but rejoiced all the more.

Xu Shenghua bore Shen Mu's coffin, traveling long and hard, and arrived at Jingping when the battle at Lanfeng Valley was at its bloodiest.

Lanfeng Valley had become a blood-dyed battlefield, bearing the main assault of the Heavenly Court's divine army and navy. Nearly all had taken the field, whether or not they had comprehended the Ancestral Court Dao-realm system, and Taishi, Lan Yutian, the First Ancestor, Lizheng, Di Yiyue, the Southern Emperor, the Northern Emperor, and the rest had all entered the fray to slaughter!

Though Jingping boasted many masters, its troops were grievously few, and to hold the line was desperately hard. Xu Shenghua carried the Dao-Burial Divine Coffin onto the field, opened one by one the Dao-Slaying Divine Nails upon it, and pried the lid ajar by a crack, from which divine light thick as mist streamed forth.

Heavy Dao might crushed down upon the age, and the might issuing from the coffin at once startled every soul, for any man could feel that terrible majesty of the Great Dao.

"Mu Tianzun's coffin!

" The two Taiji ancient gods at once sounded the retreat, held their formation fast, and stared in alarm at Xu Shenghua as he approached. Xu Shenghua heaved the Dao-Burial Divine Coffin forth, and the huge divine coffin howled past the front of the two armies and fell with a thud between them.

The two Taiji ancient gods at once drew together, and their sundered companion treasure, the Taiji Sand Table, boomed shut, the might of the Dao of Taiji spreading as yin and yang wheeled, raised by the two ancient gods to the uttermost, ready at any moment for calamity. Millions of gods and devils held their breath and stared in terror at that coffin. Xu Shenghua walked past the Heavenly Court's host of gods and devils toward broken, battered Lanfeng Valley.

He left Shen Mu cast down between the two armies, with no thought of bearing the coffin into Lanfeng Valley.

Both hosts were silent as the grave, countless eyes fixed upon the coffin, and only the primeval colossal beasts summoned from the Beast Realm gave uneasy low roars.

Peerless though Xu Shenghua's grace was, no one looked at him, for all eyes were seized by the coffin.

Among the Celestial River navy and the Heavenly Court's divine soldiers, sweat and blood mingled on many brows and slid from foreheads to drip upon shattered divine armor. Sweat beaded thicker and thicker on the faces of the two Taiji ancient gods, who wished to send men to inspect the coffin yet dared not give the order.

The air was unbearably oppressive.

Far off, in the Heavenly Court's great camp, Emperor Haotian and Taichu were likewise staring fixedly at that coffin, their hearts drawn ever tighter. Emperor Haotian had been blaming Taichu for acting on his own to slay Celestial Xing An, but now, seeing Xu Shenghua bear the coffin forth, he knew he had wronged Taichu.

Suddenly, several fingers probed from the coffin's seam.

Every pupil shrank as those fingers caught the lid and pushed it lightly aside, and the Dao-Burial Divine Coffin gave a creaking groan, piercing to the ear across the deathly battlefield.

Thump!

The lid struck the ground, and the millions of soldiers of the Heavenly Court's divine army and navy stepped back as one, tightening their grip upon divine and devilish arms. Suddenly a primeval colossal beast among the troops gave an earth-shaking trumpet, wheeled, and fled, scattering many soldiers' ranks.

"Hold your ground!

" Lady Taiyin's voice was hoarse, and none knew if any heard. From that Dao-Burial Divine Coffin, Dao light soared to the sky and joined the firmament, spreading slowly like a great curtain of Dao light, within which a World Tree rose loftily.

Yet no one looked at that World Tree, for every gaze was fixed upon the coffin's mouth.

A figure slowly sat up from within, his cheek turned toward the Heavenly Court's divine army and navy, then gradually turning his head about.

With a roar of upheaval, the soldiers of the Heavenly Court's divine army and navy broke into clamor, turned, and scattered in flight.

The two Taiji ancient gods hastened to command and restrain the troops, but who would heed them?

Ruled by utter terror, all men and primeval beasts alike fled for their lives toward the Heavenly Court's camp! At the same time, Emperor Haotian's decree came from the camp, ordering the Taiji ancient gods to withdraw.

The two ancient gods were loath to go, and glanced back at shattered Lanfeng Valley, only to meet Shen Mu's gaze.

Startled to the heart, the two ancient gods fell back at once.

Seeing the god and devil host surge like a tide toward his camp, Emperor Haotian felt a sudden bleak sorrow that the tide had turned beyond recall.

Then he roused himself and thought silently, "I still have my chance!

So long as the Third Young Master breaks the Red Rope Knotted Seal, I can overturn all!

I need only hold the Heavenly Court's ground through these few years!

" "Mu Tianzun!

" From Lanfeng Valley burst earth-shaking cheers, as the gods and devils of Jingping's Worry-Free Township roared, at first a jumbled din, then all voices merging into one heaven-shaking torrent!

"Mu Tianzun!

Mu Tianzun! " That torrent, as fervent as Jingping's reforms, spread like wildfire, carried into city after divine city, swelling into a louder and more soul-stirring cry.

Xu Shenghua walked into Lanfeng Valley, and Lan Yutian hurried forward, asking doubtfully, "Brother Xu, why does my brother sit there without rising, and why does he turn his head so slowly? " "Cult Master Shen turns his head so slowly because fifty long divine nails are driven into his wounds.

" Xu Shenghua said, "When he rose, it already hurt him terribly, and likely his body still shakes.

Turning his head is agony itself, for the nails are very long. " Ling Yuxiu had also rushed over, and hearing this grew more worried still, saying, "My husband has been left out there. .

.

" "Nothing will happen. " Xu Shenghua comforted her.

"Even dead, Cult Master Shen's lingering awe would endure, much less while he still draws breath? "