Chapter 1820 — The Precious Daughter Born of a Heavenly Venerable

The wounds Third Young Master Ling Xiao bore this time were Dao wounds inflicted in the war between Heaven Capital and Miluo Palace, a war whose outcome had likewise been decided in this epoch. Though Ling Tianzun's strength was transcendent and she had dealt Miluo Palace grievous losses, Heaven Capital's power still fell far short of Miluo Palace's.

In this epoch, Miluo Palace had utterly defeated Heaven Capital. In truth, had the Lord of Miluo Palace made his move, the strife between the two sides should have ended in the Seventh Epoch; but after the Lord of Heaven Capital died, the Lord of Miluo Palace did not strike at the rest of Heaven Capital's Heaven-Opening Host, and so there came to be a war that lasted three epochs. To the Lord of Miluo Palace, all Dao-achievers were fellow Daoists, and unless it was absolutely necessary, he would not ruthlessly slay a fellow Daoist.

He seldom took life, even when his foe was of Heaven Capital's Heaven-Opening Host. It was only the several young masters of Miluo Palace who suffered for it. Dragging a body afflicted with Dao wounds, Third Young Master Ling Xiao came to intercept Shen Mu, a certain despair in his heart, yet his will to fight remained at its peak. In the Tenth Epoch he had failed to halt the World-Ferrying Golden Ship and failed to defeat Shen Mu; now in the Ninth Epoch, dragging a gravely wounded body to block Shen Mu and prevent the so-called descent of the Holy Child, his hopes were even fainter.

But no matter what, he could not allow Shen Mu's child to be born into this world! Their battle upon the Long River of Chaos erupted once more; Shen Mu too was gravely wounded, his body covered in cuts and bruises, little better off than his foe.

This time the two truly fought with their lives at stake, neither yielding a single step.

Ling Yuxiu and Lady Nanxiang stood upon the golden ship, watching this vicious struggle, their hearts pounding in dread.

In this battle both exhausted every method at their disposal, fighting until their magical power was drained on both sides, then closing to fight at close quarters; the Dao Spear and the Chaos Sword unleashed terrifying might in hand-to-hand combat. By the end, Shen Mu's lotus platform was riddled with holes, his World Tree stripped bare, and his Chaos Hall battered to ruin.

Yet Third Young Master's wounds were graver still; Shen Mu pursued him into his own Great Luotian, where his Dao Tree and Dao Fruits nearly collapsed and the Lingxiao Treasure Hall was damaged even more severely. In the end, Third Young Master let out a great roar and, unwilling, sank into the Long River of Chaos. "Third Brother, by the Eighth Epoch you were no longer my match.

There is no need for you to appear again!

" Shen Mu shouted. Third Young Master Ling Xiao's face was grim; he said nothing, sinking into the Long River of Chaos and vanishing from sight.

Shen Mu came aboard the ship, halted the World-Ferrying Golden Ship, regulated his breath, and healed his wounds.

Nanxiang and Ling Yuxiu stepped forward to guard him; before long Shen Mu entered a dream, using his own dreamscape to heal the Dao wounds upon his body.

His Dao wounds gradually recovered and his complexion improved greatly, yet his cultivation had scarcely been restored. Shen Mu rose and gazed at the waters of the Long River of Chaos, silent.

"Husband, if you are not certain, then let us turn back," Ling Yuxiu said softly, unable to bear it. Because of the Long River of Chaos, Shen Mu had been able to rely on the river throughout the journey to keep his cultivation and strength always at their peak.

But now a dreadful power suppressed the Long River of Chaos, making it hard for him to draw on its strength; any hope of swiftly restoring his cultivation was gone. And the road ahead was likely no safer; if Shen Mu lost his fighting strength, all of them would be in dire peril.

"There is no problem at all.

" Shen Mu smiled faintly, his gaze shifting from the Long River of Chaos to Ling Yuxiu's face. "The one Third Brother invited to suppress the Long River of Chaos should be Second Sister Wuji," he said with a smile.

From time to time strange visions emerged from Ling Yuxiu's belly: the Guixu Lotus, at times a bud, at times a lotus platform, within which a baby could dimly be seen lying, joined to the mother by its umbilical cord.

Then suddenly the lotus would vanish and the vision of a sapling would appear, trailing a thousand strands of auspicious qi, with a baby beneath the tree — a most divine and wondrous sight.

Sometimes one could even see the wondrous sight of the cosmos at its first opening, the baby lying in the center of a river of stars, surrounded by countless celestial bodies. Lady Nanxiang marveled inwardly, not daring to say much.

By the time the World-Ferrying Golden Ship reached the Long River of Chaos of the Second Epoch, Ling Yuxiu's time drew nearer and nearer, and the child in her belly was like a Taotie, sweeping up the primal essence of chaos. Shen Mu proceeded with utmost care, using the Guixu Lotus and the World Tree to draw power from the Long River of Chaos, rendering its violent energies gentle before sending them into Ling Yuxiu's body.

Suddenly the World-Ferrying Golden Ship gave a slight jolt and came to a halt.

Shen Mu looked up and saw a Dao Tree barring the way ahead, blocking the golden ship's path. "Elder Brother Taishang. " Shen Mu went to the ship's prow and bowed in salute to the old man beneath the Dao Tree. "Why does Elder Brother block my way?

" he asked, perplexed.

The old man beneath the Dao Tree sighed.

"Junior Brother, you do things too completely, and that is not good for this child. If you entered the First Epoch and absorbed the power of the First Epoch's Calamity of Destruction, it might not prove a blessing for this child. Walk no farther; let this child be born in the Second Epoch.

Then he will suffer fewer trials in the years to come. " Shen Mu was momentarily startled. After a moment's thought he raised his head and smiled.

"Does Elder Brother Taishang think I cannot shield him from the tribulations? " Taishang shook his head.

"Chaos certainly has the power to withstand all tribulations, but that may not be a good thing for this child. When the moon is full it wanes; when water brims it overflows.

Seventh Young Master was not Seventh Young Master the moment he was born; there must be a process of growth.

Junior Brother, what do you think? " Shen Mu pondered a while longer, then smiled.

"Then I shall follow Elder Brother's counsel. " Taishang spoke no more; the Dao Tree withered and fell silent together with him, gradually sinking into the Calamity of Destruction, as though he had dissolved into the Dao.

Shen Mu gave a soft laugh and shook his head.

"He tries to imitate the Master, but he can never quite manage it.

" Nanxiang asked quietly, "Seventh Young Master, what is it that First Young Master imitates about the Master?

Every time I see him I am filled with unease, not daring to look him in the eye; I always feel as though I am seeing the Master. He truly resembles the Master.

Why does the Young Master say he does not imitate him well? " Shen Mu smiled. "He imitates the Master's death. The Master's Dao-heart was already dead; he dissolved into the Dao and entered extinction. Just now Elder Brother Taishang seemed to have a dead Dao-heart, to have dissolved into the Dao — and yet he cannot die no matter how he tries.

" Nanxiang clicked her tongue, her expression odd. "How did First Young Master come by such a peculiar affliction?

One could never tell back in Miluo Palace. . . " Though First Young Master Taishang had departed, Shen Mu did not seize the chance to enter the First Epoch's Calamity of Destruction; instead he had the golden ship remain upon the Long River of Chaos of the Second Epoch.

He was not a man who kept his word on principle; it was simply that Taishang's words truly made great sense to him.