Chapter 835 — At the Prince's Grave

The red light halted, shining upon the move "Sword Treads Rivers and Mountains." Then the red light rapidly contracted. The village chief's sword-holding hand suddenly sank. The Divine Son of Chiming stood upon the floating mountains and rivers, saluting Shen Mu and the First Ancestor on the shore.

Shen Mu returned the salute. The Human Sovereign, the First Ancestor, also returned a salute from afar.

"Why does the Divine Son of Youdu block my path?" The Divine Son of Chiming stepped out from the vision conjured by Sword Treads Rivers and Mountains, asking with a smile.

"To save the Divine Son's life."

Shen Mu smiled slightly. "I promised you on the ghost ship that I would save you from it. I went to great effort to get you out. If you were to enter the ghost ship again, would all my work not be in vain?"

The Divine Son of Chiming was taken aback. The village chief and Lord Dragon Keeper were equally bewildered.

The Human Sovereign, the First Ancestor, fearing they might come to harm, flew over. He looked at the Divine Son of Chiming and said calmly, "Divine Son, it has been a long time."

The Divine Son of Chiming's purple robes fluttered. He gathered his qi and focused his spirit, as though facing a great enemy. He said in a low voice, "Daoist Shen's strength has advanced once more."

Shen Mu frowned and looked toward Luo Wushuang's small boat. The boat had suddenly stopped and was no longer heading toward the ghost ship—clearly Zhe Huali was dissuading Luo Wushuang.

The Divine Son of Chiming coughed and said, "Sect Master Shen's words always carry deep meaning. You have made me hesitate. But this ghost ship is of immense importance, tied to a great secret. I must go and investigate..."

"The secret of the Empress?" Shen Mu asked.

The Divine Son of Chiming was startled.

Shen Mu suddenly called out loudly, "Prince Qiuming!"

In the sky, the silver rope hanging from the moon had already been tied to the ghost ship's mast. Several figures were descending along it, about to reach the mast. Among them, a youth heard Shen Mu's words and abruptly stopped, looking toward Shen Mu. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he laughed, "Sect Master Shen of the Heavenly Saint Cult, the Jingping Overlord Body, one of the Three Heroes of the Jingping Reform! I have only just descended from the Heavenly Court, yet Sect Master Shen can call out my name. Your eyes and ears reach the heavens—it seems I underestimated you!"

Shen Mu laughed heartily, looking immensely pleased with himself. He said to the village chief, "Village chief, he says my eyes and ears reach the heavens."

The village chief snorted and glanced at his backside. "Fortunately you have no tail, or you would have stuck it up into the sky."

Shen Mu said to the Divine Son of Chiming with a smile, "It is not that my eyes and ears reach the heavens—I saw him on the ship. Does the Divine Son believe me now?"

The Divine Son of Chiming grew even more confused.

Just then, Luo Wushuang's small boat sailed over. At the bow, Luo Wushuang stood up.

Shen Mu signaled with a smile. Luo Wushuang's eye twitched. His voice hoarse, he said, "I have come to confirm one thing. What Zhe Huali told me is truly bizarre, beyond belief. So I have come to ask the Shanghuang Overlord Body whether it is true."

Shen Mu nodded. "It is true."

Luo Wushuang pondered for a moment, then said, "Thank you."

Shen Mu said in surprise, "Why does Divine Blade Luo believe me so easily?"

Luo Wushuang said calmly, "The Shanghuang Overlord Body and the Jingping Overlord Body are the same person. Why would I not believe?"

The village chief grew even more bewildered, and a trace of fear rose in his heart: "The First Ancestor and I searched for the Shanghuang's relics and found the stone tablet recording the Shanghuang Overlord Body. That is why I believed the Overlord Body truly existed, and even kept a rubbing of the tablet. From what Divine Blade Luo Wushuang means, the Shanghuang Overlord Body is Shen'er—so the Overlord Body recorded on that tablet is Shen'er! The words describing the Overlord Body on it were actually spoken by me—Shen'er traveled to the Shanghuang era and repeated my words back! Wait, I am somewhat alarmed. Let me sort this out carefully..."

He felt his head was about to explode: "If my guess is correct, the lie I told spread to the Shanghuang era!"

The Divine Son of Chiming was still dazed. He looked at the ghost ship beneath the water, then at Shen Mu, unable to decide.

Beneath the water, light suddenly flashed, and the ghost ship vanished without a trace.

The Divine Son of Chiming instead let out a breath of relief, as though a great weight had lifted from his shoulders. He laughed, "Whether your words are true or false, now I need not board the ship."

Shen Mu laughed heartily and looked around. The Ancestral Dragon King and Feng Qiuyun and the others had vanished—they must have entered the ship.

"Divine Son, let us go to the riverbank and reminisce," Shen Mu invited.

The Divine Son of Chiming nodded and was about to follow him to the riverbank when suddenly Prince Qiuming laughed, "Shen Overlord Body called me to a halt and delayed my boarding, and now you want to just walk away? An invitation is not as good as a chance encounter. I descended to the mortal realm this time for the Three Heroes of the Jingping Reform. Since I have met one, I cannot let the Shen Overlord Body leave just like that."

Shen Mu stopped and turned to look at him.

Prince Qiuming said leisurely, "You have a Yujing expert by your side, and I have one by mine. What is the fun in experts slaughtering each other? Why not you and I settle life and death here on this river? What say you?"

Zhe Huali burst out laughing.

Shen Mu glanced at Zhe Huali, then said to Prince Qiuming with a gentle smile, "On this day next year, I shall visit the Prince's grave."