Chapter 1715 — The Lotus Seed Returns to the Pond
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
She had seized but a small portion of Emperor Haotian's cultivation — his other, unperfected Dao of the Abyss of Return, made her own — yet the battle power she could bring forth exceeded even that half of him which had attained the Dao. And the Third and Fourth Young Masters were so wary of her that they dared not attempt to refine her.
Suddenly, from the Zixiao Hall came dark and obscure words of the Dao — plainly the Fourth Young Master, speaking to her amid the calamity that had destroyed the sixteenth epoch.
But those words were of the highest profundity, spoken in the Hongmeng Dao speech, and even the Lord of the Lingguan Hall could not understand them. The Second Young Master tilted her head and listened a while, then gave a cold laugh and answered in the Hongmeng Dao speech as well.
Her Hongmeng Dao speech was more abstruse and profound than the Fourth Young Master Zixiao's; plainly her attainment in the Dao of Hongmeng stood higher.
Then the voice of the Third Young Master came from the Lingxiao Hall, likewise in the Hongmeng Dao speech. Emperor Haotian heard it all as mist and cloud, understanding nothing of what the three of them said.
Yet in the exploration of the Jade Capital of the Ancestral Court, the Fourth Young Master Zixiao had once taught him a few words of the Dao speech, that he might use them to strike at Shen Mu by stealth.
He could not comprehend them, but dimly he could guess at the meaning of a syllable or two.
Only, every syllable of the Hongmeng Dao speech held information vast and complex beyond all measure; to explain a single syllable of it in the divine tongue would take a year and half a year.
And even then, one might still fail to expound the principle held in that one syllable!
The three Young Masters of Miluo Palace asked and answered in the Hongmeng Dao speech. After a moment, the Second Young Master gave a snort, and her form suddenly dissolved.
Emperor Haotian let out a breath of relief. From the Lingxiao Hall came the Third Young Master Lingxiao's voice: "Friend Haotian, the Second Young Master will borrow your body for a time.
During that time, she will abide with you.
" Emperor Haotian's heart clenched, and his scalp went numb.
The Fourth Young Master Zixiao said: "You need not fear overmuch. She is but lodging within your body; in days to come she will leave.
And with her here, the day you trample Jingping flat will not be long in coming.
" Emperor Haotian was about to speak, but silence fell within the two treasure halls: the Third and Fourth Young Masters had gone far away. His heart of Dao fell into disarray.
Within his own body dwelt a dreadful being who could at any moment change his sex and his features, and who could at any moment devour him and refine all that he was; the very thought left him unable to sit or stand at ease.
"Perhaps I can refine her. . .
" Scarce had the thought formed when the voice of the Second Young Master Wuji came, laughing: "That is not a bad notion — no wonder you have climbed to your present station.
But there are too many who wish me dead: the other Young Masters of Miluo Palace, the Dao-blasphemers of the Heaven Capital, and any number of other small fry — all of them want me gone. Even the Master wants me gone! " She was quite delighted: "Yet though the cosmos has been born and destroyed thirteen times in succession, not one of them has managed to destroy me; instead I grow ever stronger. I mean to use your body now — step aside for a while.
" Emperor Haotian's face changed greatly, and he saw his own body begin to transform at once, from male to female, every male trait vanishing away! Lady Yuanmu poked her head in and caught exactly this sight, and broke into a giggling laugh.
The Second Young Master Wuji turned to look; Lady Yuanmu hastily drew back her head and vanished, her voice drifting from afar: "Haotian, you are the same as your mother now — worthy of being my own flesh and blood!