Chapter 1862 — Daughter Born of Chaos

"There is no need for alarm, Daoist Brother Wuya.

" Shen Mu came to the foot of the tree and stroked its trunk, smiling. "If I meant to kill you, I could have done it long ago. I have come to take my leave of you—after all, we are old acquaintances, and some friendship still remains between us.

" The great tree stopped trembling, and from within it came the voice of Old Man Wuya. "Take your leave? You mean to go back to the past and become Young Master Chaos?

" Shen Mu nodded, smiling. "Daoist Brother, that IOU I gave you back then—you did not lose by it, did you? It is fortunate you truly kept it safe.

Otherwise things would not stand as they do today. " Old Man Wuya sneered from within the tree. "You dare not kill me! Chaos, it is not that you do not wish to kill me—in truth, you dare not! Because you know your path may not succeed!

You did not spare my life; you beat me half to death and then dropped to your knees before me, begging me not to die!

" Shen Mu was taken aback. Old Man Wuya chuckled. "I know your little schemes, your little calculations. Your Jingping has lost its vitality; the reform has lost its momentum. Heh.

You need me to serve as Jingping's enemy, Jingping's rival.

A fine idea indeed. But are you not afraid I will wipe Jingping out? " Shen Mu wore a kindly smile. Old Man Wuya roared with laughter. "Once you are gone, I shall be invincible in the Seventeenth Epoch! I need only recover a little, and my roots can link up the ages of the prehistoric universes one by one, letting the mighty of prehistory who refuse to die slip through in endless streams. To destroy Jingping, to destroy the myriad heavens and worlds—it will be easy!

Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua—before me they are all little brothers! " Shen Mu blinked and smiled. "That Daoist Brother still holds such lofty ambitions sets my heart at ease.

Do not let today's words go to waste.

Once we part today, who knows in what year or month we shall meet again. " ". . . I will do your Jingping to death, and return this world to Chaos!

" Old Man Wuya said excitedly.

"By the time you return, you will find that I have become the master of this shattered universe.

By then I will have recovered to my very peak, as mighty as the Lord of Miluo Palace!

All your kin and friends, your women, your children.

. . " Shen Mu turned his head and gave him a sinister look. Old Man Wuya's excitement vanished in an instant, and he began to tremble. Shen Mu turned and left, giving a cold snort.

"Little brother! " He had finally mastered one of the popular words of this era.

The war at the Ancestral Court continued, settling into a seesaw stalemate. Lan Yutian, Xu Shenghua, Kaihuang Shen Ye, Jiang Baigui, Xing An and the others were indeed powerful, but not powerful enough to break through the Tongtian Well; and the hall masters of Miluo Palace and the Dao-attainers were by no means without the strength to resist. Some among them had already succeeded in entrusting themselves to the Ultimate Void, forming Daluo Heavens, attaining the Dao once more in this universe, their fighting strength greatly increased.

Long Qilin had returned from the Ancestral Court as well.

He too had been gravely wounded, and he clung to Shen Mu's side every day; even after his wounds had healed he still shamelessly begged for spirit pills. Shen Mu shooed him off several times, but could not drive him away at all, and had no choice but to let it be. Though Long Qilin was honored as the Lord of the Beast Realm, he cherished this time dearly. From their meeting before the mountain gate of the Grand Academy, they had kept each other company and held each other up. Shen Mu saw to Long Qilin's food and drink and called him Fatty Long, while Long Qilin had faced death at his side and given Shen Mu encouragement no one else could give.

They were the closest of friends.

On this day, Shen Mu finally decided to leave.

He had not waited for Kaihuang to come, nor for Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian and the rest. The front lines still needed their strength, and he himself could not delay too long. "Senior Brother Taishang still has not reincarnated.

That old fox.

. . " Shen Mu felt rather unwilling.

If Taishang reincarnated, he himself could enter the squalid arena of the Ultimate Void and force Taiyi's hand, compelling Taiyi to slay the Kaitian host. In his heart, the hidden danger posed by the Kaitian host was far greater than that of the Miluo Palace host. The Miluo Palace host still acted with some principle, whereas the Kaitian host behaved without the slightest scruple. He had always felt that doing away with the Kaitian host would be the better choice.

But Taishang had never reincarnated, clearly having anticipated this; only after he himself went back first and became the Seventh Young Master would Taishang disperse his cultivation and his Dao, and be reborn through reincarnation. "Husband, do not dwell on those vexing matters any longer. " Ling Yuxiu straightened his clothes for him, her face gentle, her tone extraordinarily firm.

"Find Ling Yun.

Bring her back! " Shen Mu nodded solemnly and drew her into his arms.

"Rest assured, I will find her. I will surely bring her back!

" On this day, most of the old friends who had stayed behind in Jingping came to see him off.

The Woodcutter Sage came too, wearing a hat that covered his few sparse hairs, looking quite spirited. Shen Mu released Ling Yuxiu and looked at those familiar faces, all beaming with smiles, as though they were about to beat gongs and drums to send him off in jubilation.

Those false smiles warmed his heart. "Don't miss me too much, everyone," he said with a smile. The crowd urged him on.

"Go, quickly!

Go wreak havoc on the prehistoric old monsters!

The Seventeenth Epoch can no longer afford to keep you! " They laughed with great delight.

Shen Mu's eyes reddened.

Behind him, the Hall of Chaos slowly emerged, its doors opening to reveal the sixteen Rivers of Chaos within. "Mu!

" Heavenly Venerable You came hobbling forward on his cane.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Find Yue and Ling. Bring them back.

" Shen Mu nodded solemnly.

"Sect Master Shen, if you do not return, there will be no one in this world who can keep me in check. " Xing An lay upon a chest—a chest battered and tattered—yet still made his difficult way forward.

Xing An strained to lift his head, wanting to rise, but however he tried he could not get up, panting and wheezing with the effort, yet he smiled proudly. "Jiang Baigui is no match for me; neither is the old Sword God. Xu Shenghua, Lan Yutian—none of them can finish me off. With no one to hold me in check, beware lest I turn the Seventeenth Epoch into a foul, smoky mess. " Shen Mu laughed heartily. "Rest easy, Daoist Brother Xing An. The good die young while scourges live a thousand years.

If you do not die, how could I bear to die? " Then he turned away, his face darkening, and said to Master Dan, "Grandpa Dan, this fellow is wounded so gravely—why is he still not dead?

" With that, a murderous light came into his eyes, and he drew a finger lightly across his own throat. Xing An, lying upon the chest, shuddered. Master Dan waved his hand and whispered, "Rest easy, rest easy.

Tomorrow I will slip him poison and finish him off.

Leave early and worry for nothing—tomorrow there will be an obituary: the Sage Xing An, dead of his grave wounds. " Xing An shuddered again. Shen Mu, smiling, said with a grin, "Daoist Brother Xing An, heal well, and do not trouble yourself over what comes after.

I am off.

My friends, no need to see me out! " He waved vigorously and walked toward the hall. "Sect Master!

" Shen Mu halted and turned back to look at Long Qilin.

Long Qilin was silent for a moment, then said loudly, "When will you return?

" Shen Mu smiled. "The Chaotic Space is where I entered my dream.