Chapter 911 — First Trial of the Calamity Blade

The temple was magnificent and opulent, yet its decorations were vastly different from any temple Shen Mu had seen before. Its murals and pillars were covered mostly with images of prostrate dragons—dragons groveling beneath a tree, seized with dread of that ancient tree.

The old tree's bark was like dragon scales, its branches archaic and grotesque, like a thousand dragons and ten thousand serpents.

Shen Mu surveyed his surroundings, puzzled, and smiled. "Is the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven not of the dragon race?"

The Divine Sovereign Wuji invited him to the seat of honor. "Our master attained the Dao from a green tree. Before the Longhan era, our master was an old tree, its branches and leaves withered and bare. The Heaven Venerable Yu comprehended the Dao beneath that tree and founded the Primordial Fetus Divine Treasury, becoming the foremost Heaven Venerable of that age. At that time all the heavens trembled, and the ancient gods appeared in the sky to praise the Heaven Venerable Yu and bestow blessings upon him. Our master, too, received benefit from the Heaven Venerable Yu. The ancient tree had been on the verge of death, yet unexpectedly gained a touch of divine breath, and the old tree revived, transformed into a divine tree."

Shen Mu let the dragon qilin crouch at his feet, while Yan'er transformed into a plump girl and stood behind his seat, all trace of her peach-grove beauty gone, looking instead rather simple and naive.

Shen Mu studied the murals in the temple. "I never imagined the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven had such deep ties with the Heaven Venerable Yu."

The divine beings under the Divine Sovereign Wuji's command were displeased to see him seated in the place of honor, and when they saw that Shen Mu had brought no beauties or fair companions, but instead an exceedingly fat maidservant, their doubts about the Heaven Venerable Mu's taste only deepened.

The Divine Sovereign Wuji smiled. "Yet though our master became a divine tree because of this, it was also because of this that he met with calamity."

Shen Mu ignored the gazes of the others and asked, "How so?"

"Originally, our master was without useful timber, and moreover aged and rotten—a piece of decayed wood. It could not be cut for furniture, nor carved into a handsome divine statue, and was even troublesome to burn as firewood. And so it survived."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji wore a smile, his words laden with deep meaning. "But once our master became a divine tree, it became useful instead. A few years later it was cut down and refined into a treasure, and so for several hundred thousand years it had no control over its own fate. Heaven Venerable Mu, to be without talent and without use—that is the way of survival. Would you not agree?"

Shen Mu laughed heartily. "There is some truth to that."

"Because our master became useful timber, it was cut down and refined into a treasure. At the Yaochi Grand Gathering in the early years of Longhan, our master was brought up to Yaochi and thereby had the chance to see the nine Heaven Venerables—among them Heaven Venerable Mu—and to witness the glory of that golden age."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "At that time our master was dim and insensate, a primal weapon grasped in someone's hand, listening to the sermon amid the crowd. And the ones who expounded upon the Heavenly Palace from the divine platform were the Heaven Venerable Yu and the Heaven Venerable Hao. Only later did our master learn that the Heaven Venerable Yu was in fact Heaven Venerable Mu—and for that, our master is deeply grateful to you."

Shen Mu was rendered speechless with laughter. "I never imagined that among those who listened to the sermon at Yaochi in those years, there would be so many future titans."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "Later, the postnatal living beings and the demigods each established their own heavenly courts and waged endless war, and our master changed hands several times. When the first calamity of Longhan erupted, the heavenly court rose up, far from the mortal world, dwelling beyond the nine heavens, and after the war our master became a masterless tree and fell into the mortal world. Tens of thousands of years later, just as our master was about to shed its tree body, it was noticed by a divine being of the Chiming era, cut down, and refined into a pestle."

Shen Mu sighed and wrung his wrists. "The Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven's experiences have truly been full of disasters and hardships—quite pitiable."

"Through all these wanderings, our master's primal spirit never perished, and it changed hands several times—at one point even falling into the hands of the Ming Emperor and becoming a divine weapon on the imperial throne. By the Shanghuang era the slaughter grew heavier still, and our master became one of the most powerful divine artifacts contested by the heavenly courts of the Northern and Southern Shanghuang."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "In the Shanghuang era, the ancient gods of the heavenly court also entered the fray. Because our master had been refined too strongly, the Azure Dragon, the Eastern Emperor, personally took action and broke our master in a great battle—and thus formed a feud with our master."

Shen Mu looked at the murals and suddenly understood. "So there is such a grudge. No wonder most of the slaves who built the divine city were of the dragon race, and in the murals the dragons grovel beneath the tree."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "Though our master was broken by the Eastern Emperor, it did not die. By the end of the Shanghuang era it transformed into a human body and swore that one day it would take great revenge. Later, favored by the heavenly court, it rose in a single bound to become the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven, lord of the Eastern Heaven Palace. In the future our master will also replace the Azure Dragon Heaven Palace and become the Eastern Emperor!"

Shen Mu sighed in admiration. "When misfortune reaches its extreme, fortune turns. It seems a person of use will ultimately prove useful after all."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "Our master does not wish to be your enemy, Heaven Venerable Mu. After all, you were kind to our master. As early as in the Jingping Capital, our master gave way to you many times."

Shen Mu's expression turned solemn. "In my heart, I am grateful as well."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji said, "Before our master returned to the Eastern Heaven, it instructed me: if Heaven Venerable Mu could settle here in peace and contentment, the Eastern Heaven Palace would be willing to provide protection and ensure your safety. Our master said that in those years it was a useless piece of wood, and later, because it became useful, it sank into bondage for several hundred thousand years, unable to control its own fate, and only afterward managed to free itself. Heaven Venerable Mu is a clever man and should understand our master's meaning."

Shen Mu smiled. "I understand. The Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven wants me to be a useless man—even if I am useful, I should willingly make myself useless and stay here."

The Divine Sovereign Wuji smiled. "That is precisely our master's intent. To protect Heaven Venerable Mu, our master is willing to oppose certain factions—and that is no easy thing. Our master said that Heaven Venerable Mu, having lost his soul, may not be able to hold on for long. Even if the Eastern Heaven Palace suffers a little, it is nothing—Heaven Venerable Mu can retire here and nourish his remaining years in peace. That would also be a way of repaying Heaven Venerable Mu for transmitting the arts and teachings at the Yaochi Grand Gathering. Heaven Venerable Mu should be able to appreciate our master's painstaking care."

"I appreciate it, but I do not accept it."