Chapter 965 — The Uncanny Daoist

Those tales of Overlord Bodies were merely the ripples left behind when Shen Mu traveled back into the past. The so-called Overlord Body was a one-man show performed by Shen Mu alone.

Many in the Heavenly Court knew this perfectly well; only Shen Mu did not, still believing that as an Overlord Body he was capable of anything, and that where he fell short it was only because he had not tried hard enough. They saw another Creators' city ahead, but along the whole way they had not encountered a single Creator, which made them both uneasy. Under Shen Mu's treatment, Luo Wushuang's injuries had improved greatly; he could already employ the cultivation and power of the Venerable God and True God realms. Shen Mu, for his part, enthusiastically expounded to him the Jingping Reform and the Heavenly River Divine Treasury, enticing him to abolish his divine bridge and switch to cultivating the Heavenly River Divine Treasury.

Luo Wushuang knew the stakes involved and turned a deaf ear.

Though the Heavenly River Divine Treasury tempted him greatly, he knew that if he switched to cultivating it he would become one of the Reformers, and whether he could even keep his life would be uncertain. After all, he had no backing to speak of.

Moreover, he knew something of Shen Mu's doings: his most prized disciple, Zhe Huali, had been bewitched by this fellow through means unknown, had severed all ties of gratitude and duty with him, and had gone off to Jingping to join the Reform.

"If I follow him much longer, I fear I too will be bewitched by him and take up the Reform at his heels. " He was secretly anxious. There was a peculiar charm about Shen Mu, a peculiar power of contagion; the longer one had dealings with him, the harder it was to regard him as an enemy.

"Once my wounds are healed, I will have a contest with him.

Win or lose, I will turn and run—and then I will not be bewitched by him! " Shen Mu flew up into the sky, unrolled a scroll of geography, and compared it with the mountains and rivers around them.

Disappointment showed on his face, and he descended. The map Wei Suifeng had left behind did not correspond to the mountains and rivers of Taixu.

In a place like Taixu, where consciousness-matter was conserved, the lay of the land could not change with the passage of time; if Wei Suifeng had been here and left a map, he would surely have been able to find that place. They walked into this city of the Creators.

It too was an abandoned city. The two entered a Creator's house and saw that there was still fire in the stove, and a teapot on the stove, the water in it bubbling and gurgling. Here the beds and bedding, the gold and silver and treasures, were all still there, untouched by any hand. The scene was as if, only a moment before, the Creators had been busy about the city, some preparing to drink tea, some preparing to sleep, some visualizing gold and silver and treasures—and then suddenly some great event had occurred, and with no time to gather anything they had fled in panic, abandoning the place.

"The Creators must have abandoned this world. " Luo Wushuang looked around and said, "Was it those Taixu monsters that drove them away? " The Taixu monsters died and came back to life, endless and inexhaustible; they would indeed have plagued the Creators beyond endurance, and it was possible they had moved away.

In the square they also saw an enormous bonfire, over which a beast's leg more than ten zhang long was still roasting—what creature it belonged to, they could not tell.

Beside the bonfire stood wine cups two or three men tall, and the fragrance of wine overflowed, mingled with the savor of roast meat, enough to make the mouth water. Shen Mu walked over, cut off a piece of meat and tasted it. "Excellent! " he praised.

He cut another piece and handed it to Luo Wushuang.

Luo Wushuang hesitated.

Shen Mu laughed. "This is meat created by the Creators.

Eating it will do no harm—at worst you will turn into consciousness. " Luo Wushuang tasted it, and it was surprisingly delicious.

Shen Mu sat down, ate the roast meat, and raised a hand to draw the fine wine from the cup. The wine too was indescribably good, and the two of them cried out in delight.

"Being a Creator is not bad at all," he could not help laughing.

"So fragrant, so fragrant!

" Suddenly a voice came. Shen Mu and Luo Wushuang were startled and looked toward the sound.

A Daoist in a black robe with wide sleeves and a high topknot had appeared from somewhere, his face fierce, and plopped himself down beside them, swallowing his saliva.

"Truly fragrant! " Luo Wushuang was about to ask the Daoist his name and origin when the man suddenly opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of saliva onto the beast's leg, then chuckled, "Now there is my spit on it.

Will you still eat it?

If you will not, this leg is mine!

" Shen Mu and Luo Wushuang looked at each other. The Daoist hauled the beast's leg down and began to gorge himself, then suddenly spat a mouthful of saliva into each of the great wine cups, chuckling, "You will not be drinking the wine either, I suppose? " Shen Mu frowned, then suddenly laughed. "Luo the Divine Saber, let me show you a trick.

" The vertical eye at the center of his brow opened. He stirred the higher consciousness of the Three Enclosures and visualized for a moment, and all manner of rare delicacies came crowding out of the air, along with quantities of fine wine, until a banquet lay spread before them. After a moment, many beautiful women stepped out of the void as well, singing like orioles and dancing like swallows, frolicking and laughing around the two men and waiting on them as they ate.

"How is it, Luo the Divine Saber?

" Shen Mu asked with a smile. Luo Wushuang was struck dumb, and only after a moment did he come to his senses.

"Shen the Overlord Body really knows how to enjoy himself.

" Shen Mu roared with laughter, an arm around each side. The black-robed Daoist looked at the two of them, envy on his face, and edged closer.

"Ptui! " Shen Mu and Luo Wushuang swiftly spat on every dish.

Luo Wushuang was about to spit on the visualized beauties too, lest the Daoist snatch them away, but Shen Mu stopped him.

Seeing this, the black-robed Daoist sneered, "You are people of the Heavenly Court.

Do you know who I am?

You dare be so rude to me!

" Shen Mu smiled slightly and turned his head to Luo Wushuang.

"Luo the Divine Saber, tell him who I am. " Luo Wushuang cleared his throat. "This is the Longhan Overlord Body, the Heavenly Sovereign enfeoffed by the Heavenly Emperor's decree, one of the five founding elders of the Heavenly Alliance—Heavenly Sovereign Mu.

" The black-robed Daoist's expression changed drastically. Shen Mu smiled.

"Then who are you?

And why are you here? "