Chapter 919 — Illusory Blossom of the Western Realm

And this was the result of the divine-power wielders and gods of Jingping fighting to the death in resistance and struggling to the death in rescue. Had they not resisted, had they not rescued, more of Jingping's people would have died, and even those who lived would have become penned livestock, with only slavery or being eaten to look forward to.

This too was why Shen Mu had, by any means, had to appear in the capital of Jingping and defy the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven, defy the Heaven Emperor of the Ancient Gods.

He had to make the name of Heaven Venerable Mu known to the world; otherwise what awaited Jingping would be more than annihilation!

"I have come to see you because I mean to leave the Yuan Realm and go to the Heavenly Court, to seek a road of survival for Jingping."

Shen Mu said with a smile: "You have not returned to Jingping these recent years, the roads are cut, news does not get through, and you have never come into contact with the fruits of the Jingping Reforms. Before the catastrophe struck, it happened that I was traveling through the great academies and schools, and I learned the fruits of that reform. On this journey I may not return alive, so I wish first to pass on Jingping's achievements to you."

Xu Shenghua was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "The Heavenly Court? I will go with you."

Shen Mu was moved in his heart, but shook his head: "You cannot go. The Jingping Reforms must not be cut off. If I die in the Heavenly Court, there will still be you to carry the reform onward. Your Overlord Body may be a female one, a shade inferior to mine, but with you in Jingping, our wisdom need not die out for want of an heir."

Xu Shenghua was about to speak again; Shen Mu bowed low to the ground: "Fellow Daoist, I entrust it to you!"

Xu Shenghua hurriedly raised him up, saying: "Then I will not go. You... take care of yourself."

Shen Mu smiled: "I will be careful. Brother Xu, do you remember the wager between us in those years? Whoever first solved the problem of opening the seventh Divine Treasury would be the male one."

Xu Shenghua smiled faintly: "What a coincidence. Not long after you left, I fathomed a way to open many kinds of seventh Divine Treasury, and in the end I chose the best of them. I waited all this time for you to come seek me, but then the catastrophe fell and cut off all word with Jingping."

Shen Mu narrowed his eyes: "Write out your seventh Divine Treasury, and I will write out mine, and we shall see whose is better."

Xu Shenghua agreed; the two turned their backs to each other and each wrote down the seventh Divine Treasury he had opened.

They turned at the same instant, and saw that Shen Mu had written four words: the Celestial River Divine Treasury; and Xu Shenghua had written four words: the Surging River Divine Treasury.

The Celestial River was the Surging River; Xu Shenghua had written the Surging River Divine Treasury, and he was not wrong either.

The two stared wide-eyed at each other, and Shen Mu said sourly: "You must have opened the Celestial River Divine Treasury later than I did. When I opened it, there were prodigies in heaven and earth!"

Xu Shenghua said: "When I opened the Surging River Divine Treasury, I sensed the Great Dao of heaven and earth stirring, faint as a thread. The Dao was changing; faint though it was, the change in the Great Dao could not escape me."

Shen Mu's heart skipped a beat: when he had opened the Celestial River Divine Treasury, he had sensed no change in the Great Dao of heaven and earth!

Which meant that Xu Shenghua had indeed opened the Surging River Divine Treasury before him!

"So he tested more than twenty Divine Treasuries one by one, seeking the best of them, and wasted a great deal of time, while this fellow Xu Shenghua simply chose the best one and tested no others!"

At last Shen Mu understood why he had been a step behind. His face betraying nothing, he smiled and said: "We most likely opened them at the same moment. When I opened the Celestial River Divine Treasury, the prodigies were quite terrifying! Let this be a draw, and next time we shall have another contest."

Xu Shenghua smiled faintly and did not argue with him. To Jing Yan, who had come hurrying over, he said: "Wife, Sect Master Shen and I are going into seclusion together for a time. In these days all you need do is bring us meals; let nothing else disturb us."

Shen Mu bowed and said: "I trouble you, sister-in-law."

Jing Yan said with a smile: "Bringing meals is no trouble. Only do not overwork yourselves."

"Rest assured, sister-in-law. Your husband will not be overworked."

The two entered a great hall. Xu Shenghua's hands flew, and countless runes streamed down from the roof of the hall like a river of light, like a great bell turned upside down over them, sealing the hall. "Jing Yan understands my divine arts and can come in; no one else may enter here. Sect Master Shen, you may now pass the law on to me."

Shen Mu yawned and said with a smile: "I will pass it to you in a dream." With that, he lay down on his side and fell sound asleep.

Xu Shenghua was astonished. He said with a smile: "Is it the cultivation art of the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha? I have long heard of it, but never seen it."

He too lay down, beside Shen Mu, and before long had fallen into deep sleep.

The darkness before Xu Shenghua's eyes was like a curtain drawn open from left to right, and bright sunlight shone through.

Xu Shenghua raised a hand to shade his eyes from the glare; when his eyes had grown used to it he lowered his hand and walked into that sunlit world, where he saw Shen Mu coming toward him, saying with a smile: "Brother Xu has come. Then let us begin the transmission."

"We?"

Xu Shenghua was startled. Then he saw Shen Mu after Shen Mu come walking toward him, until they were a hundred and more, and behind them still, in swarming crowds and sheets, Shen Mu after Shen Mu sat at desks, writing with flying brush, setting down the fruits of the Jingping Reforms.

Xu Shenghua was aghast and blurted out: "How long will it take to learn all of this?"

"I learned seven or eight tenths of the fruits of Jingping's reform, and it took me two or three years."

One Shen Mu raised his head: "You will need two or three years as well. But in my dream, you need only sleep a few times. Begin now!"

Xu Shenghua calmed his mind and set himself to learn with all his heart.

From time to time Jing Yan came with meals. She entered the hall and saw the two lying on the ground, snoring loudly; she could only shake her head, set the basket of food down beside them, and quietly withdraw.

When Shen Mu and Xu Shenghua woke from one sleep, ravenous with hunger, they hastily ate everything in the basket.

Shen Mu meant to wash the bowls and dishes as well; Xu Shenghua did not know whether to laugh or to cry: "Sect Master, you need not force yourself so. Leave the bowls and chopsticks here; my wife will come to clear them away. Let us go back into the dream."

Shen Mu nodded.

The two lay down. After a moment Xu Shenghua scrambled up: "I cannot sleep without washing the dishes. Better to get up and wash them."

Shen Mu could not enter the dream either; he rolled over and rose, laughing: "I cannot sleep either. Unwashed dishes weigh on my mind."

The two used the art of Creation to conjure clear water and washed the bowls and chopsticks clean; then Xu Shenghua mopped and wiped the floor of the great hall as well, and at last they had nothing left on their minds, and only then could they sleep soundly.

"I really wonder how the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping and Emperor Yanfeng got through their days in that great prison, in such filth..." Shen Mu muttered, and his snores began to rise.