Chapter 810 — The Supreme One Comprehends the Great Dao

"I have read a great many books in the Tower of Heavenly Records," said Heavenly Venerable Yu. "Can I learn the methods there?"

Shen Mu shook his head. "You must comprehend a method of your own."

"Does everyone comprehend their own method for themselves?" Heavenly Venerable Yu asked curiously.

"We are not like other people."

Shen Mu's face turned grave and his voice deepened. "We are Overlord Bodies! Remember that. Every Overlord Body is different from every other. A true Overlord Body must create his own cultivation methods, his own divine arts! If you fall short of others, it is because you have not tried hard enough!"

Heavenly Venerable Yu grew solemn and bowed his head in assent.

Shen Mu rose. "Think hard about your own method. I have an Other Shore Divine Treasury to create!"

Heavenly Venerable Yu went back to his meditation. Before long he raised his head in a daze and turned to look behind him. Where Shen Mu sat, wind suddenly rolled and clouds surged; a huge vortex took shape in the sky and spun madly, while below the ground darkness spread outward, taking the room where Shen Mu sat as its center.

That darkness was churning too, as though the earth did not exist at all!

Crack.

Suddenly thunder was born in the sky and thunder welled up from beneath the ground, and all of it came crashing down upon the room where Shen Mu was. The lightning fell like rain and smashed the house to powder!

The sight was terrifying; it looked as though a great demon king had been born into the world and heaven itself had sent down its punishment.

"Brother is indeed Brother."

Heavenly Venerable Yu turned back and went on comprehending his own method, thinking, "The power of heaven and earth he summons is far, far greater than mine. I wonder whether he has called on his own power as well?"

At the center of the lightning, Shen Mu had already used his own power to summon the power of heaven and earth, and with the strength of both heaven and earth and himself he was shaping the Other Shore Ark within the Life-and-Death Divine Treasury. A grand and imposing ship was gradually taking form in the dark Nether Capital.

Strange demonic creatures swam through the dark Life-and-Death Divine Treasury, now far, now near; clearly his opening of a seventh divine treasury here had raised too great a commotion and drawn the notice of the monsters of the Nether Capital.

But the monsters of the Nether Capital could not enter the Life-and-Death Divine Treasury of a living man, and could only watch from afar.

After a while, lamplight suddenly shone out, and a paper boat drifted softly up to this place. The old underworld courier aboard raised his storm lantern and shone it upon Shen Mu's Life-and-Death Divine Treasury. When he saw Shen Mu he was taken aback. "Heavenly Venerable Mu, it's you again. I was wondering what demon or monster dared to stir up waves here. Don't do anything reckless... What are you doing?"

He suddenly went dull-eyed. Looking at the Other Shore Ark taking shape, he understood in a flash, and his voice caught in his throat. "You're opening an eighth divine treasury?"

Shen Mu's voice came down from above. "The seventh! Heavenly Venerable You, wait a moment!"

The old courier looked up and saw Shen Mu's primal spirit standing beneath the Jianmu Tree, above the Six Harmonies Continent, treading the Dipper and working his art.

He waited quietly, and after a long while the Other Shore Divine Treasury was at last completely formed.

Shen Mu's primal spirit staggered, somewhat weakened, and only after a moment did he speak. "I asked the Heavenly Master of Martial Combat to destroy my Heavenly Bridge Divine Treasury, so I must open another seventh treasury. Was Heavenly Venerable You passing this way?"

The old courier nodded. "I was passing by and saw the commotion here, so I came in to see who was stirring up trouble. It was you, as I thought. So your treasury is opened?"

Shen Mu nodded and smiled. "Seated in this Other Shore Ark, one's primal spirit can, as one's cultivation rises, steer the ark up to the Heavenly Palace — and that can ease the hardship of the people of Jingping whose heavenly bridge has been severed."

"You do love to make trouble," said the old courier. "If Heavenly Venerable Yun were still alive, you would drive him to death with rage. And Heavenly Venerable Yu? Since I am here, I may as well look in on him."

Feeling guilty, Shen Mu said, "Heavenly Venerable Yu has attained enlightenment — he has already opened the Primal Embryo Divine Treasury, and he is now comprehending a method of his own. Better not to see him and disturb his cultivation."

Half-believing him, the old courier said, "I will only look at him from a distance. That is hardly disturbing him."

"In broad daylight, you running about will frighten people to death. Off with you, go — see him another time; I promise you he will be hale and strong."

Shen Mu shooed him off, still shaken. "If he sees that Heavenly Venerable Yu has turned into a fat Lan, he will surely mark another fault against me. No — I must get Heavenly Venerable Yu back into shape as soon as I can. But this fat boy is so greedy, how am I to make him thin down?"

Just then a familiar voice came from far away. "Junior Brother Shen! Junior Brother Shen!"

Startled and delighted, Shen Mu hurriedly opened his eyes and saw an old ox carrying an old farmer come charging into the estate. The old ox spoke in human tongue and laughed. "Junior Brother Shen, the Imperial Teacher of Jingping said you wanted to see the master, so we came right over!"

On the ox's back the old farmer's face was unfriendly, and his color was poor, as though he had taken a grave wound. He said flatly, "What is so urgent that you must see me?"

Shen Mu studied the old farmer. "Martial Uncle, you are injured. Forcing down the foul blood in your chest will only damage the workings of your body the more."

The old farmer looked at him coldly, then retched up a mouthful of black blood, his breath failing.

The old ox was badly startled. "Master, you traded that blow with Mahakala — have you been holding the injury in all this time?"

"Mahakala is worthy of being the Ancestor of Demons; his skill is indeed above mine."

The old farmer spat out another mouthful of blood, and his color improved a little. "Having seen what I can do, he dares not lightly strike at Jingping. Nephew, why did you call me here?"

Shen Mu smiled. "I have already opened my seventh divine treasury."

The old farmer was astonished and overjoyed, his voice trembling. "Truly?"

Shen Mu nodded and went on, "The reason I was so eager to see you is that I want you to destroy the seventh divine treasury I have just opened."

The old farmer's eyes went wide. "What?" he blurted.

Shen Mu repeated himself. "Help me destroy it, so that I can open the others. I have prepared twenty-six kinds of seventh divine treasury. The Other Shore Divine Treasury I have just opened is the first; twenty-five more await testing."

The old farmer sat like a wooden chicken, his mind in a muddle.

Shen Mu stepped forward and ventured, "Martial Uncle, has your injury burst out?"

"I am fine..."

The old farmer waved a hand and muttered, "I am fine. I was wounded by Mahakala, and suddenly my heart hurts terribly... How many kinds of seventh divine treasury did you say?"

"Twenty-six," Shen Mu said honestly.

The old farmer fought down the urge to vomit blood, swallowed it back with a gulp, and bitterness flooded his heart. "Twenty-six of them, and in twenty thousand years I never thought of a single one..."