Chapter 1674 — A Battle to Break the Deadlock
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 5
Taichu laughed aloud, his voice booming and shaking the void.
His power was too great; merely standing there, he twisted layer upon layer of the void, which tilted toward him.
He had regained his own fleshly body, and had attained the Dao through force, cultivating the One-Qi Daluo Heaven. Though Emperor Haotian kept him suppressed by a head, he was still one of the mightiest beings in this world!
His laughter made the starry sky heave violently, and the stars that had just vanished were shaken back into being, flickering in and out of light. Shen Mu only smiled and watched him quietly.
"Heavenly Venerable Mu, how many times have you been defeated?
" Taichu's laughter subsided.
"The Jingping Calamity was your first defeat, and you lost to Our hand. Life was worse than death for you; the survival or destruction of Jingping lay within a single thought of Ours. In that battle you wept to heaven and heaven did not answer; you cried to earth and earth gave no reply. With no road left, you had no choice but to separate yourself from Shen Fengqing; you could not even keep your identity as the Divine Son of Youdu. In the end, Emperor Yanfeng and Jingping's Imperial Preceptor became prisoners of the Heaven Court, Jingping was all but annihilated, and you came within a hair of losing everything! " Shen Mu smiled faintly.
"That was also the first time I crossed swords with you, Second Brother. You are deep in scheming, and you did me great harm.
" Taichu laughed. "Back then you were nothing but a green boy. For all your smug success and your air of deep stratagem, to me you were a cricket in a jar; every move you made, every thought you had, was laughable in my eyes. Your second defeat struck harder still: the Battle of Xuandu, where you were utterly routed. You seemed to have saved the Lord of Heaven, but you lost all of Xuandu, and you lost the Lord of Heaven's mortal body.
" A mocking look came over him. "Without the Lord of Heaven's mortal body, the Lord of Heaven is only a mortal man. Without Xuandu, Jingping lies exposed beneath it, and heavenly calamities may descend at will! The human race is just such a frail race; unlike the demigods, they are not born mighty, yet they possess an extraordinary power to breed and survive. But if Xuandu should fall into the Heaven Court's hands, then no matter how great the human race's power to breed and survive, it cannot withstand heavenly calamity! Your second defeat cost the human race its future!
" Shen Mu was unperturbed. "In the Battle of Xuandu, I would not call myself defeated. Second Brother, you think too highly of yourself, and too highly of Xuandu and the Heaven Court. In the Battle of Xuandu I revived the Lord of Heaven and obtained fifty Supreme Treasures of the Heavenly Dao.
With the Lord of Heaven and fifty Supreme Treasures of the Heavenly Dao, it is simply impossible for the Heaven Court to send calamity down from Xuandu.
" "Fourth Brother, there is no need to flatter yourself. " Taichu chuckled. "Your third defeat was Youdu. In the Battle of Youdu you made a surprise attack on Tubo and slew him one step ahead of us — truly an inspired stroke.
Had Emperor Haotian not had the Third and Fourth Young Masters in reserve, you would likely have won a complete victory and seized Youdu! Alas, there is no 'if.
'" He spoke with solemn respect. "In that battle you did not lose to Emperor Haotian, but to the Third and Fourth Young Masters of Miluo Palace. It was a defeat to be proud of.
" Shen Mu inclined slightly. "You overpraise me, Second Brother. Nor was I wholly defeated in the Battle of Youdu.
At the very least, Shen Fengqing grew to maturity, and Tubo was preserved. To you it was a crushing defeat for me; to me, I truly gained Tubo as an ally. And at the same time—" He smiled brilliantly. "I also gained a tremendous opportunity.