Chapter 818 — The Dragon Lord of the Star River

"So the Heavenly Venerable Mu is this aloof."

The Emperor of Heaven's obscure spiritual fluctuations came through, murmuring, "How many years has it been since I bestowed upon you the title of Heavenly Venerable? And yet the Heavenly Venerable Mu endured until now before opening my decree. Such forbearance commands admiration. You have met Yan Qiling by now, have you not? She reported your affairs to me. I was truly astonished, yet also greatly gratified. The Heavenly Venerable Mu is indeed worthy of my regard. Your appearance has clarified many things for me."

"Hmph!"

The black pig panicked, then bolted at full speed, plunging into the mountains, rooting and crashing through the dense forest.

"Hmph?"

The Emperor of Heaven's spiritual sense registered some surprise. He laughed. "Is that the only word the Heavenly Venerable Mu has for me? You avenged the Heavenly Venerable Yu, which earned you no small measure of my appreciation. I conferred upon you the title of Heavenly Venerable Mu because your divine arts surpass the Longhan era, because you have accomplished something of a genesis. Even today, the Heavenly Venerable Mu still deserves the name of Heavenly Venerable; your divine arts abound with ingenious notions. I have been waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to purge traitorous ministers and villains. It was the Heavenly Venerable Mu who revived Lady Tianyin, was it not? And the Earth Mother Primordial Sovereign sought you out so that you might revive her as well, was it not?"

The black boar ran wild, ramming this way and that with snout and tusks, yet it could never shake off that strange voice in its head.

Before long the pig demon found its old den and hid there among a brood of piglets and sows. Then the voice came again: "...You cannot escape me. I need you to perform the great rite of revival for me. I died in Yuandu, and my three souls are scattered throughout Yuandu. Performing the great rite of revival for me will be no trouble to you."

"Oink oink oink oink..."

"Heavenly Venerable Mu, you are courting your own suffering! You likely do not yet know what dread is. I can show you true terror!"

...

"You have felt terror now, have you not? Do you still dare to put on that aloof air?"

"Oink oink..."

"You spurn the wine of courtesy and will drink the wine of punishment! Cooperate with me, and I will make you the highest of ministers, with wealth and honor beyond measure, and make you a Heavenly Venerable without peer! Yet you are so proud and arrogant—I will make you regret it beyond remedy!"

"Hmph..."

...

Shen Mu sat atop the dragon qilin's head, continuing to explain to the Human Emperors how to sense the power of the Heavenly River. The Human Emperor of Qikang and the Human Emperor of Yishan were listless, drinking medicine as they listened.

The other Human Emperors had already made their decision, and without the slightest compunction they had sold out the two, letting the First Ancestor destroy their divine bridges and divine treasuries.

The First Ancestor's hand was far gentler than the Martial Heavenly Master's, but even so, their injuries were grave. They were not, after all, possessed of bodies as mighty as an ox's—not like Shen Mu. With their divine bridges and divine treasuries destroyed, their vital essence was severely diminished.

Fortunately, Shen Mu was at their side and could heal them at any moment.

Though the dragon qilin was swift beyond measure, the journey to Yongjiang would still take months. Shen Mu looked ahead at a towering mountain. Its pillar spanned three thousand li around, vast beyond reckoning, thrusting straight into the sea of clouds, which hung at its midsection, as did the layer of thunder.

A single mountain contained all four seasons—snow and blazing sun alike. Rivers flew suspended upon it, and lakes and seas dotted its peaks like sapphires.

Looking higher still, one could faintly see that this towering mountain had pierced the sky of Jingping, propping the heavens up high.

The sky of Jingping was a false sky, merely a formation diagram. The sky was a hundred thousand li high and three hundred zhang thick; the sun, moon, and stars were all formations within the diagram.

This mountain was so tall that it propped up the heavens, so that when the sun, moon, and stars reached this place their motion grew warped and strange.

Especially when the sun came here: the canopy of heaven twisted, and the sun itself was stretched and crumpled.

Seeing the crumpled sun in the sky, Shen Mu could not help but frown deeply. He withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly: "If you are going to fake it, at least fake it well. The gods in the Heavenly Diagram who maintain these false celestial phenomena have simply given up. In the past they would at least strive to keep the sun and moon moving; now they have let everything go to ruin."

He looked at the great mountains and rivers that had suddenly appeared across Jingping, and his heart brimmed with emotion.

He had once been thoroughly familiar with the geography of Jingping; now it was utterly foreign to him.

Jingping today had been shattered, split into countless scattered fragments strewn among range after range of magnificent mountains and rivers.

Beyond that, he saw many ancient ruins, steeped in a sinister aura, as though something dreadful lurked within.

Among these mountains and rivers were cave dwellings, and upon the peaks even splendid palaces ranged in close array; in some places there were vast complexes of buildings.

When they passed certain great marshes and rivers, demigods of immense power would emerge from nowhere, their aura blazing to the heavens, warping the sky into gorgeous anomalies. Some commanded great waters, some great fires, but they did not attack—only gazed at them from afar.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor had accompanied them this time as well. Whenever such a scene arose, a Heavenly Palace would appear behind him, his primordial spirit standing upon the gate tower of Yujing City.

Each time, the demigods would quietly vanish.

Half a month later, Shen Mu and the others arrived at Bazhou City.

Jingping's economy had grown, and Bazhou City had been expanded several times, making it vast indeed. Yet after witnessing the grandeur of Yuandu, Shen Mu felt Bazhou City was far too small—a single drop in the ocean, insignificant in today's Jingping.

Within the city, two deities stood atop the high bell tower, one to each side, their divine radiance streaming ten thousand zhang, gazing in all directions, guarding against demigod incursions.

Shen Mu looked up. One of the deities was the Duke of Wei, so he called out a greeting.

The Duke of Wei remained standing on the bell tower, but his primordial spirit flew down to receive them. Lowering his voice, he said, "Has the Sect Master come from the capital? How fares the capital now?"

"The capital is well enough."

Shen Mu said in surprise, "Does the Heavenly King Wei not know news of the capital? Did the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping not build several dozen teleportation portals?"

The Duke of Wei sighed. "Those teleportation formations consume vast quantities of medicinal stones with each activation. Who would use them unless it were a matter of life and death? Trade between the cities has all but ceased. Send a man to the capital, and even one with divine arts must travel a year or two to exchange a single message. The gods cannot leave their posts, so word from the capital rarely reaches here. These past year or two, those with divine arts have been scouring the land for scattered common folk, escorting them to Bazhou. Many have died or been wounded, and we can scarcely spare anyone to go to the capital for news."

Shen Mu frowned and looked at the city's inhabitants—ragged clothes, every face sallow with hunger.

"We have opened much good farmland outside the city. If we can endure this period, once the grain comes in, not too many will starve."