Chapter 726 — The Sovereign and the Minister Share One Heart

The Woodcutter Sage said, "In truth, though for twenty thousand years I was unwilling to see him, I always admired him. In that age of chaos, coward though he was, when he saw the people suffering he resolutely shouldered the burden, guarded them, fought to the death, and with his own life protected them all the way to Jingping. Without Prince Shen Wu, there would be no Jingping in later ages."

Tears glimmered in the Primordial Human Sovereign's eyes. He turned his head away and quietly wiped them.

The Woodcutter Sage saw it and said, "But afterward he sank into decadence, reproaching himself endlessly, unable to walk out of the shadow of being a deserter. So I looked down on him. Now he has walked out of it, and I am deeply comforted. In truth, throughout the calamity he always did better than I."

Di Yiyue smiled. "There is no need to disturb them. Let us go."

They walked out of the shipyard. Outside, Xiong Qier played for a while and then set to work in earnest once more, and at last finished building a great ship.

The little girl took out the White Tiger Pearl and lightly touched it. The enormous land-ship slowly stood upright, shaking the ground with ceaseless tremors.

Inside the shipyard, Emperor Yanfeng and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping were startled awake and hurried out. Seeing this great ship come to life, the two wept with joy, and clasped each other, crying and laughing at once.

Shen Mu had already called the Dragon Qilin and Di Yiyue and the others, and they had gone far off. Emperor Yanfeng caught a distant glimpse of the Dragon Qilin and said, puzzled, "When did Minister Shen arrive? Why has he left again? I and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping are here—could he not have greeted us before departing! Someone, bring brush and ink! Today is a day of great joy, my spirit is clear and soaring—I shall write him a great big upright character!"

The Woodcutter soon took his leave, saying, "I am still searching for the Farmer and making contact with the others; I cannot remain here. Old Fisherman, let us go."

The Old Fisherman left with him.

The Primordial Human Sovereign also took his leave, saying, "I too have urgent matters to attend to." And with that he hurried away as well.

Shen Mu blinked and watched them go, thinking, "Teacher Woodcutter having business is one thing, but why does the Primordial Sovereign have so much business too? What is he busying himself with?"

Di Yiyue looked at him and smiled. "Little brother, do you have business as well? If not, why not come with me to seek out Heavenly King Tian Shu, and help King Yan remodel Fengdu. After that we shall go and meet Lady Tianyin. Once we have paid our respects to Lady Tianyin, your sister will take you around to meet the Heavenly Duke, Lord Earth, and then pay respects to the other exalted ones of the Imperial Throne. It will do you great good!"

Shen Mu was greatly tempted.

If he could follow a mighty one of the Imperial Throne like Di Yiyue and pay respects to the heaven-born divinities and the masters of the Imperial Throne, he would surely have his eyes opened!

"I still have a sword elixir to refine here..."

Shen Mu hesitated a moment, then said, "Sister, why not go ahead and meet Lady Tianyin first. Once I have finished refining the sword elixir, I will come find you in Fengdu."

Di Yiyue smiled. "Very well. I will go seek out that fellow Tian Shu first. He is timid, and heaven knows where he is hiding at this moment. Once you have finished the sword, if you cannot find us in Fengdu, then go to the Tianyin Realm."

Shen Mu nodded, and Di Yiyue drifted lightly away.

"Fat Dragon, let us go to the Tujiang shipyard!"

Shen Mu leaped onto the top of the Dragon Qilin's head, and the Dragon Qilin raced off at once toward the Tujiang shipyard.

In the Tujiang shipyard, the sword elixir, which had been over thirty zhang in size, had been hammered down to only ten or so zhang. Now even the giant mechanical colossus could not refine this sword elixir any smaller.

Shen Mu took out the Vermilion Bird's wing and refined the sword elixir with the Vermilion Bird's Sacred Fire. He threw himself into the work alongside his primordial spirit, hammering and refining a thousand times over, ceaselessly branding his rune divine powers into the sword elixir with the might of the Vermilion Bird's Sacred Fire.

After more than ten days of refinement, the sword elixir became three chi in size, but still it could not be made to flow like water.

Shen Mu put away the Vermilion Bird's wing and refined the sword elixir with his Heavenly Fire divine power. After another half month of refinement, the sword elixir was one chi in size.

He tried to activate it, but circulating his vital essence was extremely strenuous; it consumed great effort of spirit to make the sword elixir transform into flying swords and slay his enemies.

"I cultivate both the divine and the demonic, so perhaps I still need to refine it with demonic fire..."

A thought stirred in Shen Mu's heart: "If I use demonic cultivation to drive the Heavenly Fire, what will happen?"

He blinked, and at once meant to test it. Then a matter suddenly came to mind. He moved the sword elixir out of the shipyard and chose a place where few people went. Then he took out the Heavenly Fire Prism and reversed his divine treasury, and at once his body was filled with surging demonic qi.

Shen Mu activated the Heavenly Fire Prism and roused the might of the Heavenly Fire.

Outside the shipyard, the Dragon Qilin was sleeping soundly when it suddenly heard an earth-shaking boom. It hastily raised its head and forced its eyes open for a single glance. Several dozen li from the shipyard, black fire filled the sky and rose slowly upward.

The Dragon Qilin yawned, clambered shakily to its feet, took two steps forward, and flopped down again with a thud, squinting its eyes and snoring away. It mumbled, "The Sect Master probably won't die..."