Chapter 912 — Meeting an Old Acquaintance on the Escort Road

The Divine Sovereign Wuji was thrown into utter panic. When Shen Mu left the capital of Jingping and wandered to this place, he had taken him for a soft persimmon.

Though Shen Mu bore the title of the Overlord Body of Jingping, and was moreover the Heaven Venerable Mu among the Nine Heaven Venerables whose fame had spread since the early years of Longhan, the great powers of the Heavenly Court all knew exactly what this Heaven Venerable Mu amounted to. He was merely a nobody from Jingping who had accidentally crossed into the early years of Longhan and, with knowledge a million years ahead of that age, bluffed his way into the title of Heaven Venerable. And the so-called Overlord Body was nothing but a joke, a bully lording it over a little mud puddle called Jingping.

What had truly made others wary was his identity as the Divine Son of Youdu. But now Shen Mu was no longer the Divine Son of Youdu; he had instead become a soulless man whose days were numbered, and so anyone could give him a pinch. Yet now it appeared that this Heaven Venerable Mu was not as simple as he had imagined!

His own strength was exceedingly bizarre; though his cultivation was still low, his divine powers had already grown incomprehensible.

And the plump dragon qilin at his side was terrifying in both strength and method, even above himself, the military governor of the Eastern Heaven Palace! Unless he mustered the great army of gods and demons of the Eastern Heaven Palace and set their formation, he could not bring him down, and in this palace he had no such chance at all. More to the point, he did not dare.

Others with backing could kill Shen Mu; he did not dare.

Those people had backing; the powers behind them cared nothing for the infamy of slaying a Heaven Venerable, and could casually push out some scapegoat to bear the blame. But the being behind him was the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven, and the crime of slaying a Heaven Venerable was more than even the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven could bear.

Shen Mu looked around and smiled. "Divine Sovereign, as a guest, I am filled with guilt for wrecking your temple.

" The Divine Sovereign Wuji could detect not the slightest trace of guilt in him, and forced a smile. "No matter.

In the early years of Longhan, Heaven Venerable, you even tore down the Jade Pool, so what is a little place like mine?

" Shen Mu laughed heartily and raised a hand to pat his shoulder, but alas, the Divine Sovereign Wuji was too tall, and he could not reach.

The Divine Sovereign Wuji hastily bent low, and Shen Mu was at last able to pat his shoulder with ease, quite satisfied. He smiled.

"Divine Sovereign, you know me very well, and you know my tastes. Then do you know what I intend to do next?

" The Divine Sovereign Wuji lowered his brows and eyes in submission. "May I ask what the Heaven Venerable intends?

" "I intend to leave Jingping," Shen Mu said. "To wander about a while, to look up old acquaintances of the Origin World. The first place I must go is the Great Prison, to visit a prisoner and see how an old friend fares.

After that, I intend to go to the Heavenly Court and call upon old acquaintances there. " The Divine Sovereign Wuji was startled.

"Heaven Venerable, if you go to the Heavenly Court, will you not be walking to your death? " Shen Mu shot him a glance, and the Divine Sovereign Wuji hastily bowed. This time Shen Mu did not pat his shoulder. "You are still too young.

As a Heaven Venerable, when I go to the Heavenly Court I shall be received with courtesy.

In those days my little companions never dared move against me openly; at most they played a dirty trick or two.

" Though the Divine Sovereign Wuji thought his title of Heaven Venerable an empty name, a reputation that could not stand up to scrutiny, he could not help admiring his courage and mettle. "That the Heaven Venerable Mu should possess such daring is truly admirable. Then I wish the Heaven Venerable a smooth journey.

. .

" Shen Mu smiled. "I thank you for your kind words. Only, I am not quite clear where the Great Prison lies. I must ask the Divine Sovereign to point me the way. " The Divine Sovereign Wuji grew solemn.

"Walk toward the Origin Tree, Heaven Venerable. When you reach the foot of the Origin Tree, that is the Great Prison. " Shen Mu thanked him. "There is no need for the Divine Sovereign to see me off.

Please stay. " The Divine Sovereign Wuji said politely, "See you off I must.

A Heaven Venerable is, after all, a Heaven Venerable; if I did not, would I not be failing in propriety? The Heaven Venerable need not be so courteous.

My name is Wu Shengji; if the Heaven Venerable does not disdain it, call me Little Wu.

" Shen Mu nodded and walked out of the temple. The Divine Sovereign Wuji followed close at his heels. Outside the temple, they saw a vast army of gods and demons drawn up in formation, sealing off the temple with murderous intent. The Heavenly Court's grand formation of slaughter was terrifying beyond measure, its momentum crushing the sky.

The radiance of countless divine weapons surged into the clouds and merged into one, and countless runes interlocked to transform into a green tree that suppressed all the heavens!

The Divine Sovereign Wuji flew into a rage, strode forward, and shouted sternly, "Insolence! This is the Heaven Venerable Mu, an honored guest of my Eastern Heaven Palace. That you dare bare your blades is outrageous!

Withdraw at once! " The god-and-demon officers and soldiers of the Eastern Heaven Palace were bewildered. They had sensed a terrifying aura erupting within the temple, and so had gathered the army and come.

Arriving here, they had seen a plump bird devouring a man inside the hall, the temple's walls blasted away until only the pillars and beams that propped it up remained, and so they had formed ranks, ready to fight. But at the Divine Sovereign Wuji's command, they had no choice but to withdraw. The Divine Sovereign Wuji breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Heaven Venerable, after you. " Shen Mu nodded and stood upon the dragon qilin's head.

The dragon qilin trod upon fiery clouds and walked forward, while Yan'er transformed into a plump green sparrow and perched on the Divine Sovereign Wuji's shoulder. The Divine Sovereign Wuji went to the front of the dragon qilin and personally led the way for it. He escorted Shen Mu a thousand li.

Shen Mu smiled.

"Divine Sovereign, a farewell escort of a thousand li must end in parting.

Let us stop here. " The Divine Sovereign Wuji bowed and stood in attendance. "I respectfully see the Heaven Venerable off. " Yan'er flew up from his shoulder and alighted on Shen Mu's.

Shen Mu said, "Divine Sovereign, you have entertained me with great warmth, and told me the tale of the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven; I have profited much. Before we part, I too have a word to give you.

" The Divine Sovereign Wuji said hastily, "I am all ears.

" Shen Mu smiled. "Because the Azure Dragon, Emperor of the East, did not treat the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven well, he incurred his enmity, and now faces the peril of being supplanted, his life in danger. If you, Divine Sovereign, take too deep a grudge against Jingping, how do you know Jingping will not one day be another Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven?

Leave a line in all things.

As for my line, I have left it for you; I did not take your life. If you leave Jingping a line, there will still be room to turn things around in the future. Fat Dragon, let us go. " The dragon qilin bore them away into the distance. The Divine Sovereign Wuji felt as though a great weight had lifted from him. He savored Shen Mu's words carefully, and his heart grew cold with awe. A moment later, the great army of the Eastern Heaven Palace arrived from behind, tower ships spanning the sky, banners streaming, killing intent soaring to the heavens.

"Divine Sovereign, shall we pursue?

" a divine general asked loudly.