Chapter 644 — Strange Species of the South Sea

Shen Mu walked out of the Human Emperor Hall. Outside, all was darkness, and the stars blinked in the sky. The youth let out a long breath.

He did not leave at once; instead he found a large rock near the hilltop and sat down. He sat staring blankly into space.

Beating the First Ancestor Human Emperor had vented some of his anger, but the weight on his mind had not lifted because of it. "Perhaps if I beat him again, the knot in my heart will come loose. .

. This false sky—even the tracks of the stars are in disarray. The gods who govern the constellations grow more careless by the day! " He widened his eyes and watched the somewhat disordered constellations. In the east the sky was gradually brightening, and the stars above ran about like horses on a gallop.

He thought, 'Lord Yangxing was the one who controlled the great sun among the constellations. Grandpa Tu from our village cut him down with a single stroke.

With no one to govern the sun in the sky, the other deities must be in a fluster as well. ' The stars above churned in confusion for a while, then the morning glow rose in the east, and the sunlight masked the disordered constellations, betraying no further flaws. Shen Mu sat there in silence and gave a cold laugh at the vanishing stars. The sun rising from the sea traced a crooked, wobbling path, like a kite soaring in high spirits, lurching this way and that.

This clearly showed that after Lord Yangxing's death, the other deities who controlled the sun were still unfamiliar with how to steer it, and so revealed ever more flaws. Lord Yangxing had followed Qi Jiuyi to Taihuang Heaven in search of Shen Mu, only to run into his mortal enemy Zaifu, who cut him down. After his death, there was no deity left in Jingping's celestial chart to work the sun-controlling formation.

Another deity must have taken over now, but was still unskilled, and so the flaws came thick and fast. Jingping's constellations were composed of formation charts—the sun, the moon, and the stars alike. The deities who presided over these charts each had their own duties; to rashly take over Lord Yangxing's star chart would naturally leave one flustered and unable to cope for a time. Shen Mu sat a while longer and watched the sun climb higher. At last it steadied, though it still drifted somewhat to and fro.

Its light spilled through the morning clouds, bathing the Southern Wilderness and the South Sea in a riot of color, bright and dazzling. Suddenly the gate of the Human Emperor Hall appeared once more, and the First Ancestor Human Emperor stepped out. Shen Mu glanced back at him, then turned away and went on watching the sunrise. The First Ancestor Human Emperor saw him, hesitated, and instead of leaving, walked over and sat down below the rock.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor stared at the rising sun for a while, then blurted out, "This sun. . .

it is an eyesore! " Shen Mu had meant to keep a straight face and ignore him, but the remark made him laugh in spite of himself.

"Bear with it," he said.

"Lord Yangxing, the one who governed this sun formation, was cleaved in two by Grandpa Tu from my village. " "So that is it.

" The First Ancestor Human Emperor said, "I have met that Lord Yangxing. When Jingping's sky was veiled, I watched them draw back the curtain of heaven and hang up the sun, moon, and stars.

It has not been easy for him—twenty thousand years of falsifying it all. " He looked at Shen Mu, and his voice dropped. "I am sorry.

.

. " Shen Mu was briefly taken aback, then laughed. "Why apologize to me? I beat you—it is I who should make amends.

" The First Ancestor Human Emperor shook his head.

"I meant to be your teacher, to pass on all the skills and insights of my life to you. But after you left, I came to understand.

I have already condemned so many Human Emperors to a lonely life—I cannot ruin you as well. Your road is yours to choose and yours to walk. I was wrong to want you to walk mine. " Shen Mu pressed his lips together until they grew very thin. After a moment he rose, spread his arms, and stretched. "I used to hate you.

I wanted to beat you to death. But I can only defeat you at the same cultivation realm—I cannot kill you. And after beating you this time, the hatred in my heart suddenly lost its edge. " His face was calm as he said lightly, "Perhaps you meant to test me, or to spur me on, to make me cultivate harder and surpass you. But I hold your methods in contempt.

" The First Ancestor Human Emperor was briefly startled. "You saw through it? " "I am not a fool.

" Shen Mu gazed at the newly risen sun and said softly, "But if I were you, I would not use such a stupid, utterly wretched method to spur on a junior.

Still less would I destroy the life's work of my own kin, or smash the bones of my own kin!

With so many enemies about, you chose to strike at your own family and friends—you are indeed a deserter. I hold your character in contempt, and so I hold your cultivation arts and divine abilities in contempt as well. " The First Ancestor Human Emperor fell silent. After a moment he said, "What sort of people raised you and taught you? They taught you well. " Shen Mu's face lit with spirit, and reverence showed in his eyes. "They are the finest people in this world, the kindest, open and honorable, broad of heart, wise and clear-sighted!

In the matter of being human, they surpass you a hundredfold, a thousandfold! Do you know Lizheng?

The previous Human Emperor, the one Patriarch Qi Kang and the other patriarchs beat every day—he is the foremost elder of our village! What I admire most about Lizheng is his vast learning. If he had not discovered that I have an Overlord Body, I would probably still be herding cattle in the Wilderness Ruins. And there is Grandma Zhu—she is the most beautiful and kindest woman in the village. She it was who picked me up and raised me. . . " Once he began speaking of the villagers, he could not stop; the words poured out, praising their virtues without end. The First Ancestor Human Emperor listened quietly. Only when he had finished did he smile and nod. "They taught you well, and you are good as well.

" Shen Mu fell silent, puzzled at himself. 'Why have I told him so much?

I should still hate him. ' "You are of the Shen family, and so am I.

In your heart you still take me for an elder of your own clan and blood. " The First Ancestor Human Emperor seemed to read his thoughts.

"Before kin, one naturally has much to say. It must have been a long time since you met anyone of your own clan.

" Shen Mu nodded. He looked at the Human Emperor beside him and asked curiously, "What is your name? " "Shen Wu.

" Shen Mu took out the Shen clan genealogy and pored over it.

He found the name Shen Wu, and was shocked—this was already the generation of a hundred-generation ancestor.

Just then, light suddenly blazed on the surface of the sea, like clouds surging, and great bubbles came churning up from the water.

Shen Mu rose to his feet and activated the Nine Heavens Far-Sight Art, gazing toward the South Sea. He was astonished—the rainbow-hued radiance welling from the sea looked like the treasure light given off by some precious object.

But the sea was far from where he stood, and his eyes could not pierce to the seabed. He did not know what manner of thing was giving off that treasure light.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor rose and looked that way too. "The water is too deep—I cannot see the bottom! " Shen Mu at once leaped into the air and flew toward where the treasure light gushed forth.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor frowned slightly. "Why so curious?

If someone meant to deal with you and deliberately conjured up some strange phenomenon, you would likely go trotting up to it like a foolish roe deer! " He hurried after Shen Mu.