Chapter 1482 — The Journey Is Long — Where Does It End?
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
" Shen Mu said gravely: "I will also persuade Lunar Heavenly Venerable, Nether Heavenly Venerable, Divine King Lang Wan, and Kaihuang, who will soon arrive, to leave with me and let you have your wish!
" The primal spirit asked again: "If I open this scroll, will you do all in your power to stop me from seeking death, to keep me from freeing myself of the Heavenly Dao's bonds?
" Shen Mu shook his head: "I will do all in my power to stop the ten Heavenly Venerables, but I will not stop you from seeking death; there is a difference between the two.
If you open this scroll, you are still my Brother of the Dao.
I will help you with all that I have!
" The primal spirit pondered a moment, accepted the scroll, and said: "Let me consider it.
" Shen Mu's Divine Treasury domain unfolded, sweeping up Zai Fu, Tian Shu and the others, and he flew off.
The primal spirit watched them recede into the distance, then let his gaze fall upon the rolled scroll. After a while he set it aside and did not open it, yet from time to time his eyes drifted toward it.
Outside, the will of the Heavenly Dao was controlling his body in a bloody struggle against Heavenly Venerable Hong and the others, while Lunar Heavenly Venerable, Lang Wan and Nether Heavenly Venerable fought desperately to hold them back. The two sides battled until heaven and earth were torn asunder; only here was there any stillness left.
He stood there in silence, a mass of heavenly-fire crystal floating above his palm. The crystal grew of itself without cease, turning and turning, its facets mirroring his face from every angle.
A flick of his finger would have burned that scroll to ash and extinguished Shen Mu's divine ability, yet he never made the decision.
Bearing Zai Fu and the rest, Shen Mu flew out of the Lord of Heaven's body; then he halted, and a divine ark of the Other Shore appeared beneath his feet, carrying them plunging through layer upon layer of the void, far from the battlefield.
After a long while, the divine ark of the Other Shore sailed out of the void and dispersed. Shen Mu sat amid the emptiness, watching from afar the battle between the Lord of Heaven and Heavenly Venerable Hong's party, saying nothing.
When the time of one incense stick had passed, he rose to his feet as though nothing weighed on his mind, took out various medicinal ingredients, refined spirit pills, and treated the wounds of Zai Fu, Tian Shu and the others, drawing out the wounds the Heavenly Dao had left in them. The four exchanged a glance and said nothing.
Shen Mu treated their wounds once over, then examined them carefully again, and only stopped when he was certain that no hidden injury remained. At last Zhe Huali could not hold back, and asked: "The Lord of Heaven did not open your painting?
" Shen Mu shook his head and said indifferently: "No.
" Luo Wushuang said suddenly: "The Lord of Heaven will never open that painting now. If you help him, you only keep him from escaping the Heavenly Dao's grip!
It was to escape that grip that he set up this whole scheme; why should he break his own scheme?
" Tian Shu nodded: "One Hand speaks the truth.
A being like the Lord of Heaven stands too near to heaven and too far from earth; he has no such feelings as ours. Call Lunar Heavenly Venerable, Nether Heavenly Venerable and the rest; we should go.
There is no need for us to fight to the death for the Lord of Heaven, especially when he does not welcome it.
" Shen Mu hesitated.
Zai Fu said: "Perhaps we wait a while longer?
" A smile came to Shen Mu's face: "Then we wait a while longer.
" The five sat quietly, regulating their breath, and waited in silence. Shen Mu was still watching the battlefield when the corner of his eye suddenly twitched: he saw Nether Heavenly Venerable, Lang Wan and Lunar Heavenly Venerable wounded one after another.