Chapter 1766 — Who Tempers Your Advance in Your Stead

The soldiers of Jing Ping were clearing the battlefield, and Ling Yuxiu sent men to spread through all heavens and myriad worlds the news of the Heavenly Court's crushing defeat, of Xuandu and Youdu changing masters, and of Jing Ping's great victory, and only then did she find time to visit Shen Mu. Shen Mu lay upon a sickbed, once more without breath, and Xu Shenghua had already driven Dao-slaying divine nails one by one into his wounds to suppress the Dao wounds within him.

In this battle every man's part had been vital, and every army vital, and what Shen Mu had done was no different from what the other soldiers had done.

He had done all he could to hold back Heavenly Emperor Haotian, and the others had likewise fought with all they had.

This victory belonged to them all; the sole difference was that Shen Mu had lived, while some soldiers had not lived through this decisive battle.

"His trouble is not great.

" Xu Shenghua rose and said to Ling Yuxiu, "In this world no one can kill Cult Leader Shen any longer; if such a one exists, he is in the past universe.

" As he made to leave, Ling Yuxiu called him back and asked, "Many died in this war, and my husband sleeps and cannot wake for a time.

In this world, I fear only you and Lan Yutian have the power to wield the art of resurrection. " Xu Shenghua shook his head.

"Those who understand soul gathering, who can draw the black soul-sand to reshape souls, number more than ten in Jing Ping, among them Empress Tianyin; it is not only Lan Yutian and I. To reshape souls for the gods whose souls were scattered on the field would alone drain the magic power of all ten-odd of us clean. Reshaping a soul demands a price, and bringing the dead to life demands a price greater still; even Cult Leader Shen at his peak could not revive all who died in battle. " He looked at Ling Yuxiu.

"Lady Shen, Jing Ping has the art of creation and divine artifacts of creation. If you could exhaust Jing Ping's wealth to reshape flesh for these dead, spend the fortune of the nation to nothing, and empty the strength of Jing Ping's mighty ones, borrowing wholly the power of Heaven-Venerable You, Little Tu Bo, and Tiangong till not a drop remained, there might yet be a chance to revive the soldiers slain on the field. After this great war, Jing Ping no longer has such mighty national strength! " His tone shifted.

"It was by the sacrifice of these soldiers that Jing Ping found a sliver of life, a sliver of hope, in a war all but lost. Complete victory is still far off; if we ruin this fine situation for this matter, why did we resist the Heavenly Court at all? Lady Shen, do not render their sacrifice meaningless!

" He seldom showed joy or anger, yet now his words weighed heavy.

Ling Yuxiu said, "So long as the flesh remains, if we restore the souls of the heroic spirits slain in battle and let them return to their own bodies, can they not live again? That way there would be no need to consume so much national strength.

.

.

" Xu Shenghua shook his head. "Lady Shen, there is no flesh left.

" Ling Yuxiu started. "Heavenly Emperor Haotian acts too ruthlessly; today's Yuan Realm has become a vast blood-sacrifice altar. Every living being slain upon this altar of blood sacrifice will be turned to energy and offered to the primeval universe. " Xu Shenghua fell silent a moment, then said, "I have seen the corpses of our soldiers; they rot with great speed, the blood of gods and demons seeps into the earth, and in a day or two all essence and spiritual power is lost. Because so many soldiers died, this blood sacrifice is not yet conspicuous, but should it be completed, I fear two or three Dao-achievers of the Miluo Palace will descend!

Heavenly Emperor Haotian has lost all humanity and will surely die wretchedly.

Seeing the clue, I told Lan Yutian, and he has taken his divine artifact to search everywhere, trying to find where the blood-sacrifice altars are hidden. I hope he can destroy them.

" Ling Yuxiu nodded in silence.

Xu Shenghua said, "Lady Shen need not grieve too much. Cult Leader Shen acts with provision against want; he foresaw this long ago and made preparations. The Great Dao of Youdu has now changed.

" Ling Yuxiu was puzzled.

Xu Shenghua said, "I cultivate the Great Dao of Youdu, and I find it is no longer sixty-four in number, but has gained six more to reach seventy. The six added are the Six Paths of Reincarnation, six Daos of reincarnation.

Cult Leader Shen earlier ordered men to forge the Six Paths Heavenly Wheel precisely to meet today's straits. " "What do you mean? " "Tu Bo Shen Fengqing controls the Six Paths of Reincarnation; the power of this divine artifact has gradually spread through all heavens and myriad worlds, becoming a treasure above the Ming River Whip and the Holy Pupil of Tu Bo. " Xu Shenghua walked outward, saying, "The six Daos of reincarnation will likely let those who died enter reincarnation and gain new life, provided they have not turned to black soul-sand.

Henceforth the duties of Tu Bo and King Tianqi Rensheng may differ from those of the Tu Bo and King Tianqi Rensheng of old.

Cult Leader Shen prepared for rain before it fell and made this provision before the great war began; it commands admiration. " Ling Yuxiu turned and came to the sickbed, sitting on its edge to gaze at the breathless Shen Mu.

His wounds wrung her heart, yet there was nothing to be done; the wisest and mightiest beings in this world, such as Lan Yutian and Xu Shenghua, could not heal Shen Mu's Dao wounds, and even the most skilled alchemists were helpless.

She could only wait quietly for Shen Mu to wake himself and heal himself. The man lying on the sickbed had done too much for Jing Ping and for this universe; whenever danger came he was ever the first to run foremost, and even gravely wounded he would have men bear his coffin forward.

His foresight ran too deep; decades ago he had already plotted today's answer.

She bent softly down and nestled beside Shen Mu; husband and wife for decades, they had parted more than they had gathered, and only now could they steal a moment of peace.

Suddenly Ling Yuxiu rose, left the sickbed, and walked out.

"Jing Ping has won its first victory, and this is the most critical hour; there is no room for tender sentiment!

" She resumed the sharp resolve of an empress of her age, handling public affairs even as she issued order after order, bidding the armies sift out the wounded, regroup into forces, and go to aid Jiang Baigui, Long Qilin, and the others to expand the victory. "We must drive the Heavenly Court utterly from the Yuan Realm!

" At the same time Ling Yuxiu proclaimed another command, mobilizing all those of divine powers in Jing Ping to keep supply lines open, cutting through mountains and bridging rivers along the way and raising teleportation portals at strongpoints, to ensure provisions never failed and at the least that the wondrous elixirs sent from Jing Ping's rear never ran short, holding the lives of the soldiers of every army as the first concern!

The wounded who remained were left to Jing Ping's alchemists, who pressed time to treat them and snatch back their lives. When Ling Yuxiu had done all this, deep night had fallen; stars dotted the sky, the star signs still in chaos, and within Xuandu another great battle still raged, not yet ended. That was the war of Tiangong and the Ancestral God-King, vital to that father and son, but no longer decisive to Jing Ping.

Ling Yuxiu drew her robe about her and looked up beyond the sky in the night; beyond the heavens another battle still burned fierce, now flashing forth the Taiji Star Domain in black and white, now sending down the Dao light of the Azure Nether Mirror like blue auroras, splendid and dazzling.