Chapter 1565 — The Treasure Ship's Peculiar Quirk
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The golden Ship of Salvation sailed out of Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court, and sunlight spilled down, bright and warm.
For three years and more they had not seen the light of day, and now, thrust so abruptly into the sun, they actually found it a little dazzling.
"The Empress is the mightiest Dao-achiever our universe has known since the beginning of time — and yet that mightiest of Dao-achievers has become a madwoman! " Shen Mu stood at the prow, still unable, for a time, to accept the truth of it.
Venerable Hao and Venerable Xiao could both briefly wield the power of a Dao-achiever, but not for long; mighty as those two were, theirs was not yet the complete Heavenly Court realm — only the Empress had planted her feet firmly within that realm.
To call her the first since the beginning of history was no exaggeration. After all, if the master of Miluo Palace had spoken true, Taiyi was a stowaway, not truly a life of this universe; the Empress was therefore beyond all doubt the first since the beginning of history. Even Taichu, the Heavenly Emperor, at the height of his power, even the Great Emperor in his prime, had fallen a notch short of her!
And yet the Empress had still gone mad.
Aboard the Ship of Salvation, the faces of the two ancient Taiji gods began to recover, and the divine power and cultivation they had lost to age were swiftly restored. Before long the two ancient gods were as they had been; they exchanged a glance, then swam to Shen Mu's side. Before they could open their mouths, Shen Mu laughed and said, "Dao-brothers, you helped the Empress into madness. So who will you help this time?
" The two ancient gods looked at each other, and Lady Taiyin said with a bitter smile, "Venerable Mu is mocking us.
We too came into the world early for the sake of our own path to the Dao. We aided the Empress because she and her sister are like us — a stone from another mountain may polish this one's jade — and so we helped her attain the Dao. " The Sun Ancient God said, "This time our studies have yielded a great deal, and we are one step further from attaining the Dao ourselves.
We will not lend our aid to the Empress again. Since we have a bond of fate with Venerable Mu, why not help Venerable Mu attain the Dao instead?
" Shen Mu laughed heartily. The two ancient gods smiled. When his laughter faded, Shen Mu slowly shook his head. "Dao-brothers, so formidable an Empress was helped into madness by the two of you — how would I dare accept your blessings?
Do not make such jests. " The two ancient gods were slightly taken aback. Lady Taiyin said, displeased, "Venerable Mu, by our reckoning there are only five beings in the world today who can truly be called ancient gods: Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, and ourselves.
The rest who style themselves ancient gods each bear their own flaws, and cannot even be counted perfect — how could they be called innate ancient gods?
With our aid, your great enterprise may be looked for!
" Shen Mu said, half smiling, "And yet you are far too sure of yourselves. You claim you helped the Empress attain the Dao, but you never once asked her opinion — you seized her outright, forced her to fuse with Lady Yuanmu, heedless of all consequences. And the result: you created that terrifying, raving monster.
If I were to use you, I would have to guard my back at every moment, for fear that one day you would take it into your own heads to make an experiment of me. " He gave a soft laugh. "You have the ambition to attain the Dao, but you have no human heart. I cannot afford you, and I dare not use you. Dao-brothers, I bid you farewell.