Chapter 812 — The Ancestor of Ten Thousand Methods

" The woodcutter reached out and swept his hand across Shen Mu's brow; in that instant Shen Mu felt his primordial spirit lapse into silence and the world turn pitch-black, as if he had fallen into the Nether Capital.

The woodcutter waited a while, then reached into the halo behind Shen Mu's head and plucked off the Earth Origin Dao Fruit. He tossed it to Gongsun Yan and said, "Fellow Daoist, bury this fruit beneath your primordial spirit and twine your roots about it.

Within a few months this Earth Origin Dao Fruit will let your primordial spirit grow until it can envelop the entire capital. " Gongsun Yan hesitated. "This Dao Fruit was a gift from the Earth Mother, meant to elevate his cultivation realm. " The woodcutter smiled kindly. "The Earth Mother is harming him.

This Earth Origin Dao Fruit is of little benefit to him. Force his cultivation upward, and his realm will become unstable, his Dao heart impaired.

If the Earth Mother made this fruit go bang and burst, your little sweetheart would be reduced to smoke and ashes. " Gongsun Yan was startled, and she hastened to bury the Earth Origin Dao Fruit beneath her primordial spirit, wrapping it in her roots. The fisherman frowned. "First Brother, how did you manage to pluck the Dao Fruit off? " "Quite simple.

The Earth Origin Dao Fruit follows the aura of his soul," said the woodcutter. "Just now I knocked his primordial spirit into the Nether Capital, put him into a state of seeming death, and the fruit came away easily.

As I plucked it, I quietly worked a few runes into it and altered its internal runic structure, so it will no longer pursue him.

" He extended his index and middle fingers and tapped Shen Mu's brow; Shen Mu's primordial spirit returned to his flesh, and he came to.

The woodcutter turned his gaze back to the Earth Mother's Blessing and continued, "What you are all thinking is how to break it. What I think of is not breaking, but adding. Add a part, and the hidden structure of divine power inside the Earth Mother's Dao Fruit is thereby broken. " The old farmer snorted.

"If you put half your cleverness into cultivation, who would refuse to call you the foremost Heavenly Master? " The woodcutter shook his head.

"My aptitude is poor; there is no use in striving. Besides, your cultivation and strength surpass mine a hundredfold—you need only protect me. It's just that this Earth Mother's Blessing is truly thorny. .

. This is a blessing of the Dao itself: neither born nor perishing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increased nor diminished.

For the moment, I hardly know where to begin. " Shen Mu asked, "Master, can the Earth Mother use such a blessing to keep watch over my movements? " The woodcutter laughed. "Once she blesses you, you become her subject. Of course she can keep watch over your movements.

" Shen Mu's face changed slightly. The woodcutter went on, "I have not yet fully mastered the runes of Yuandu, so I need others versed in that craft to come; gather the finest wits and study it piece by piece, and a countermeasure will surely be found.

Do not worry. Si Youyou is deeply versed in the divine power of primordial magnetism; once she arrives, I will be half sure of breaking the Earth Mother's Blessing.

" Shen Mu fell silent a moment, then blurted, "What if one bore the blessings of all the ancient gods, including the Heavenly Emperor of remotest antiquity, as well as the Lord of Earth, the Lord of Heaven, and the Earth Mother?

Could you still break them, Master? " The Woodcutter Sage laughed in spite of himself. "Is there such a person anywhere in this world who could gather the blessings of all the ancient gods? What face, what merit must one possess to win the blessing of every ancient god? " "There is.

" Shen Mu looked to the old farmer. "Uncle-Master, that little fatty I handed over to you—is he still at the Jingping Imperial Tutor's mansion? " "You mean that little fatty?

" The old farmer's face changed dramatically, and off he went like the wind. Before long he had brought the Imperial Heavenly Venerable before the company. The youth stood ill at ease, stealing furtive glances at everyone, and murmured, "Brother, what has happened?

" The Imperial Heavenly Venerable had been drilled by the old farmer for over ten days; he had grown much thinner, a good deal neater and brighter for it.

Originally he had swallowed too many spirit pills, so that the medicinal potency had stacked up inside him unrefined; but the old farmer was the Martial Dao Great Emperor, and his method of drilling was ferocity itself. In just over ten days he had dissolved away all the excess potency in the youth's body.

To be sure, the Imperial Heavenly Venerable had plainly suffered no small hardship, though his physique had grown sturdier for it.

Formerly, with his memory lost, he had seemed somewhat timid and faint-hearted; now there was an air of budding heroism about him. He stood there ringed by the company, and they watched ring after ring of halo slowly revolve behind this youth's head—a truly extraordinary sight.

The four Heavenly Masters' expressions turned grave. They exchanged glances and said, "It is indeed the blessing of the gods, and exceedingly complete at that! " The scholar mused a while, then asked, "Shen'er, who could have obtained the blessings of all the ancient gods? What heaven-shaking merit did he perform?

" Shen Mu heaved a long sigh, and a solemn look came over his face.

Striding up to the Imperial Heavenly Venerable, he said in a deep voice, "I have not yet made the introductions to my masters and uncles. This is the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Methods for all post-heaven beings, the Venerable of Ten Thousand Daos—the first being of divine power, who established the Divine Treasury system and the Heavenly Palace system, the very first deity! Lan Yutian, the Imperial Heavenly Venerable!

" The four Heavenly Masters' minds roared; they stood dumbstruck as if turned to wood. The old farmer stuttered, "What did you say?

He's what? " Shen Mu said to the Imperial Heavenly Venerable, "Worthy brother, these four are my master and my uncle-masters.

" The Imperial Heavenly Venerable, dazed and muddled, saluted the four: "Greetings to you, Master; greetings to you, uncles. .

. " The four Heavenly Masters' faces convulsed, and they hurriedly stepped aside to avoid his courtesy. The woodcutter smoothed his garments in a flash and bowed low. "I am haughty by nature, feeling that there is no one under heaven worthy of my veneration—even with Kaihuang, I speak as a fellow Daoist. Yet you, sir, are worthy of the grandest rites!

" The scholar bowed as well. "I, Zixi the scholar, bow to no heaven and no earth.

But you are worthy of a bow!

" The fisherman and the old farmer bowed too, saying solemnly, "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Methods, Venerable of Ten Thousand Daos—it is fitting that we pay obeisance. We revere not your person, but your matchless deeds!

" The Imperial Heavenly Venerable stood blankly, at a loss.

"You all. . .

" A smile broke over Shen Mu's face, and he said softly, "Though there are many who would scheme against you, there are always some who are grateful to you. Imperial Heavenly Venerable, you are worthy of it.

"