Chapter 1476 — What Lies Beneath the Feet of Heaven
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
He gave a cold laugh and said indifferently, "The Heavenly Dao is truly selfless, but the Heavenly Dao gave birth to him, and once he had his own consciousness, it was impossible for him to be selfless. If the Heavenly Duke were truly selfless, why then did he give birth to me?"
The mockery on his face deepened. As if speaking to Lady Tianyin, and as if speaking to himself, he said slowly, "He also lusts after beauty, he also lusts after power, he has his own desires. In ordinary times, the Heavenly Dao suppressed his desires and let him maintain his bright and sublime image, but the Heavenly Dao always has its flaws."
He sneered, "In the battle to exterminate the Creator race, he found this flaw, and so he split his soul and reincarnated, and thus I came to be. In that battle, the Heavenly Emperor Taichu seized his weakness and forced him to submit to the Heavenly Emperor. Heh heh, I saw it all. I know the desires in my father-god's heart better than anyone else, because I am the son born of his desires."
He spoke words that made even Lady Tianyin deeply shudder: "When he became one of us Ten Heavenly Venerables and thought he could deceive all under heaven, I alone recognized him. How could I not recognize him? I am the child born of his desires! I watched him become Heavenly Venerable Hong, still so transcendent, so calm and composed. But when he took control of the Heavenly Emperor Taichu's fleshly body, I could feel his ambition and desire swelling, growing greater and greater."
He stared at the soles of the Heavenly Duke's feet and gazed up at all within Xuandu, where Heavenly Venerable Hong was hurrying toward Xuandu to kill the Heavenly Duke.
"I have always been waiting for an opportunity, Father-God."
The Ancestral Divine King laughed aloud, yet there was little joy in the laughter, only coldness: "The opportunity I have been waiting for is for you to reveal your true flaw yourself. That flaw could only be exposed by you alone!"
"All this time, I have been the most reckless of the Ten Heavenly Venerables, more reckless than even Heavenly Venerable Fire, more crude, more guileless. You know I was pretending, but you thought I was pretending for the other Heavenly Venerables to see. What you did not know is that I act as I please — why would I need to pretend for them?"
"I was pretending for you to see!"
"I waited for the moment you would expose your own fatal weakness. I waited far too long for this opportunity, and pretended for far too long! Now, I have finally waited until this moment!"
…
Xuandu.
The Heavenly Court's great army advanced steadily. Though Heavenly Venerable Hong, Langxuan Divine Emperor, Heavenly Consort Qiang, Shi Qiluo, Heavenly Venerable Fire, and the others were constantly harassed by Heavenly Venerable Moon, Heavenly Venerable You, and Divine King Langwan, these three did not dare confront them head-on at all, and generally struck once and fled without lingering, thus causing them no great trouble.
It was Heavenly Consort Qiang, however, who gave the Heavenly Venerables a great headache.
On the God-Slaying Platform, the power of the two Bloodbane God-Slaying Sabers grew ever stronger, devouring heavenly baleful qi and sweeping away all baleful qi in Xuandu, putting the Heavenly Venerables secretly on their guard.
Heavenly Consort Qiang's identity as the Great Emperor was practically an open secret among the Ten Heavenly Venerables, thanks in no small part to Shen Mu's meddling. Though Shen Mu had never openly proclaimed that Heavenly Consort Qiang was the Great Emperor, because of Shen Mu, Heavenly Consort Qiang and the Great Emperor had repeatedly suffered grievous wounds, and each time Heavenly Consort Qiang was wounded together with the Great Emperor.