Chapter 1820 — The Precious Daughter Born of a Heavenly Venerable
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The wounds Third Young Master Ling Xiao bore this time were Dao wounds inflicted in the war between Heaven Capital and Miluo Palace, a war whose outcome had likewise been decided in this epoch. Though Ling Tianzun's strength was transcendent and she had dealt Miluo Palace grievous losses, Heaven Capital's power still fell far short of Miluo Palace's.
In this epoch, Miluo Palace had utterly defeated Heaven Capital. In truth, had the Lord of Miluo Palace made his move, the strife between the two sides should have ended in the Seventh Epoch; but after the Lord of Heaven Capital died, the Lord of Miluo Palace did not strike at the rest of Heaven Capital's Heaven-Opening Host, and so there came to be a war that lasted three epochs. To the Lord of Miluo Palace, all Dao-achievers were fellow Daoists, and unless it was absolutely necessary, he would not ruthlessly slay a fellow Daoist.
He seldom took life, even when his foe was of Heaven Capital's Heaven-Opening Host. It was only the several young masters of Miluo Palace who suffered for it. Dragging a body afflicted with Dao wounds, Third Young Master Ling Xiao came to intercept Shen Mu, a certain despair in his heart, yet his will to fight remained at its peak. In the Tenth Epoch he had failed to halt the World-Ferrying Golden Ship and failed to defeat Shen Mu; now in the Ninth Epoch, dragging a gravely wounded body to block Shen Mu and prevent the so-called descent of the Holy Child, his hopes were even fainter.
But no matter what, he could not allow Shen Mu's child to be born into this world! Their battle upon the Long River of Chaos erupted once more; Shen Mu too was gravely wounded, his body covered in cuts and bruises, little better off than his foe.
This time the two truly fought with their lives at stake, neither yielding a single step.
Ling Yuxiu and Lady Nanxiang stood upon the golden ship, watching this vicious struggle, their hearts pounding in dread.
In this battle both exhausted every method at their disposal, fighting until their magical power was drained on both sides, then closing to fight at close quarters; the Dao Spear and the Chaos Sword unleashed terrifying might in hand-to-hand combat. By the end, Shen Mu's lotus platform was riddled with holes, his World Tree stripped bare, and his Chaos Hall battered to ruin.
Yet Third Young Master's wounds were graver still; Shen Mu pursued him into his own Great Luotian, where his Dao Tree and Dao Fruits nearly collapsed and the Lingxiao Treasure Hall was damaged even more severely. In the end, Third Young Master let out a great roar and, unwilling, sank into the Long River of Chaos. "Third Brother, by the Eighth Epoch you were no longer my match.
There is no need for you to appear again!
" Shen Mu shouted. Third Young Master Ling Xiao's face was grim; he said nothing, sinking into the Long River of Chaos and vanishing from sight.
Shen Mu came aboard the ship, halted the World-Ferrying Golden Ship, regulated his breath, and healed his wounds.
Nanxiang and Ling Yuxiu stepped forward to guard him; before long Shen Mu entered a dream, using his own dreamscape to heal the Dao wounds upon his body.
His Dao wounds gradually recovered and his complexion improved greatly, yet his cultivation had scarcely been restored. Shen Mu rose and gazed at the waters of the Long River of Chaos, silent.
"Husband, if you are not certain, then let us turn back," Ling Yuxiu said softly, unable to bear it. Because of the Long River of Chaos, Shen Mu had been able to rely on the river throughout the journey to keep his cultivation and strength always at their peak.
But now a dreadful power suppressed the Long River of Chaos, making it hard for him to draw on its strength; any hope of swiftly restoring his cultivation was gone. And the road ahead was likely no safer; if Shen Mu lost his fighting strength, all of them would be in dire peril.
"There is no problem at all.