Chapter 1395 — Holding Each Other in Check
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Crown Prince Youming still did not quite follow, and Wei Suifeng explained: "This is the back of the Ancestral Court. Even wounded, Long Xiao still has countless giant beasts to command. If Celestial Master Gong and the others are too badly hurt, Long Xiao can set those ancient giant beasts upon them, and even if it is only a grinding, he can grind them to death."
Crown Prince Youming saw the light. "The Ten Celestial Masters are shrewd beyond measure; they would never let themselves fall into such a position."
"Yet they have fallen into it before."
Wei Suifeng glanced at Shen Mu. "The Great Emperor and Celestial Master Hao left each other maimed, and someone else reaped the profit. I have heard it said that our junior brother once chased Celestial Master Hao six hundred thousand li, hunted him until he called on heaven and earth and neither answered."
Shen Mu felt rather pleased with himself, and laughed. "Celestial Master Hao cannot really be blamed. At that time he was locked in a fight to the death with the just-revived Great Emperor, and he had no choice but to unleash the whole of his strength. Had he won, riding the prestige of slaying the Great Emperor, who would have dared set himself against him? All Ten Celestial Masters would have submitted to him and not dared harbor a second thought, and his position would have been secure."
Wei Suifeng said, "And the Ancestral Court refining the Great Emperor's head?"
"That was the Great Emperor being crushed by four Celestial Masters. Never mind that the Great Emperor was not at his peak; even at his peak, he would have been crushed by four Celestial Masters. Had he not fled swiftly, he would not have kept so much as a head."
Shen Mu laughed. "Picking up scraps is not so easy a thing."
Even as he spoke, several violent surges of force came crashing in, one upon another. Long Xiao was gravely wounded; he soared into the air, howling, and fled far away.
His wounds were heavy. Of his nine heads, the necks of seven had been broken, and they hung limply; the dragon scales over his body had been all but shattered to nothing, and he had no choice but to flee. To fight on would be to injure his very origin.
No sooner had he fled than Heavenly Consort Qiang suddenly gave a giggling laugh, cast aside Celestial Master Gong and Divine Emperor Langxuan, and flew swiftly away. Higher and higher she rose, and there in midair she formed a reverse summoning altar.
Shen Mu's expression darkened slightly.
That Heavenly Consort Qiang had been able to learn the reverse summoning divine art was certainly the work of Shu Jun and Dragon Qilin. Shu Jun carried on his back the seal with which Shen Mu suppressed the Great Emperor's head, and he had been affected by the Great Emperor's divine consciousness. When Dragon Qilin passed the reverse summoning divine art to Shu Jun, the Great Emperor had learned it as well.
"I beg you two, do not reveal my identity!"
Higher and higher Heavenly Consort Qiang rose; the reverse summoning altar activated and drew her toward the front of the Ancestral Court. Her coquettish laughter drifted down from the sky. "For if you reveal my identity, I will expose yours as well! Celestial Master Hao will surely be delighted to do away with his half-brother, and the ancient gods will surely be delighted to rid themselves of the fish that slipped through the Creators' net! You two, mother and son, may take your time and chat on!"
Celestial Master Gong's and Divine Emperor Langxuan's expressions shifted slightly, though what Heavenly Consort Qiang had said was already ordinary fare to them. Among the Ten Celestial Masters, who could be without a few secrets unfit for the light?
Not one of the Ten Celestial Masters was clean, Celestial Master Fire included, Celestial Master Hao included. Every one of them had secrets, and even one who held another's secret could use it as a threat; there was no need to actually drag it out into the open.