Chapter 1402 — The Realm of the Nine Prison Platform
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
The Dragon Qilin was overjoyed, and he too draped himself over the edge to look toward that place; yet what he saw was Shen Mu still walking slowly and with bitter difficulty, each step seeming to drain him of all his strength. Only after another two days could he see clearly that Shen Mu's pace was in truth quickening.
But the improvement was so slow it wrung the heart.
Gradually Shen Mu walked faster and faster: where before it had taken him half a shichen to finish a single circuit, now it took only the burning of one stick of incense.
Long Xiao paced to and fro, now lifting his head to the heavens, now lowering it to watch Shen Mu struggling in the heavenly prison, and doubt lay heavy on his heart. He had no wish to ally himself with Shen Mu; Shen Mu's strength was too feeble.
Were he to pledge himself to any one of the Ten Tianzun, he could hold fast to his present station, and at worst serve a Tianzun as a mount.
An alliance with Shen Mu would preserve his independence in name, true enough, yet Shen Mu could give him no protection at all — could give the giant beasts of the far side of the Ancestral Court no protection at all. "And yet Mu Tianzun's potential is immense.
And, as Mu Tianzun himself said, if the Ten Tianzun carve up the far side of the Ancestral Court between them, then my position becomes exceedingly awkward. " Long Xiao's nine faces shifted between gloom and brightness: "Most likely they will split me into ten parts and share them out evenly.
But if there are eleven of the Ten Tianzun, they will most likely cut me into eleven. After all, the Four Emperors of the Ancient Gods are four in name yet number five, and the Ten Tianzun in all likelihood number eleven as well.
. . " Suddenly Long Xiao's expression altered slightly: he had sensed a dreadful presence descending upon the far side of the Ancestral Court.
"This one is not Gong Tianzun, nor Yan Tianfei, nor the Langxuan Divine Emperor — so it must be another of the Ten Tianzun!
" Long Xiao examined that aura with all his senses, then hastily gulped down a few mouthfuls of the miraculous medicine the Dragon Qilin had brought him, first to suppress his wounds, and said in a low voice, "One of the Ten Tianzun has come down, so the rest cannot be far behind.
Dragon, you can be great or small, manifest or hidden; Pi, we must hide ourselves now! " The Dragon Qilin hesitated. "Then Mu Tianzun.
.
.
" "When he comes out, I will go and find him. After all, I too need a road by which to live!
" Long Xiao sensed yet another dreadful aura descending upon the far side of the Ancestral Court, and his expression changed again: "The Ten Tianzun are arriving faster than I imagined.
Go, quickly!
" Without another word he swept the Dragon Qilin up and said in a low voice, "I will teach you the way of transformation; ponder it with all your heart! " And at that very moment another dreadful aura descended upon the Ancestral Court, and Long Xiao hastily transformed into a howling gale and sped away.
In but a short while, six of the Ten Tianzun had arrived.
All six moved with extraordinary speed, measuring heaven and earth with their steps and surveying the far side of the Ancestral Court with their eyes, rousing the countless giant beasts that dwelt there.
Their bodies were magnificent; the aura of a single Tianzun was enough to subdue the whole far side of the Ancestral Court, and how much more so six?
Even the exceptionally powerful giant beasts of the Ancestral Court dared not show their heads now; they trembled and groveled on the ground. The six Tianzun measured heaven and earth, roaming lakes and seas, mountains and rivers in but a few short days, making their survey.