Chapter 997 — The Rampaging Ancient Spirits

Langwan's heart leaped with joy: "The forebear spirit actually spoke a complete sentence—could he be about to wake?"

Shen Mu's divine consciousness rippled, connecting with the forebear spirit's thoughts, and he said with a smile, "Of course it is I—the Holy Infant of your third prophecy. Elder, all three of your prophecies have come true. Could you tell me how you obtained them from the forebear spirits of the Creators at the Ancestral Court? And how did they know of things to come?"

The instant the forebear spirit's thoughts touched his divine consciousness, a chaotic blaze of thought-light erupted, ten thousand streams of light flickering madly through his mind in violent turmoil.

As Shen Mu's thoughts touched his, he was suddenly struck by a vast voice, a voice of utter fury: "So it was you!"

Shen Mu was bewildered: "What do you mean, so it was me?"

As their thoughts met, his mind's eye suddenly saw a tall young Creator, with a Primordial Godstone set in his brow.

The Creator's face was still somewhat boyish; he could not have been old. His muscles were firm and well-knit, and by his looks he would have counted as a handsome man among the Creator race.

"You do not recognize me? I am Luo Xiao!"

The forebear spirit's thoughts grew more furious, more disordered, rage surging, and ten thousand streams of thought and divine consciousness rushed madly at Shen Mu: "You lied to me! You damned well lied to me..."

Seeing this, Langwan was startled, and hastily severed the connection between their divine consciousness and thoughts. Carrying Shen Mu in her hand, she flew off, saying, "He has gone mad again! This forebear spirit's thoughts are disordered—for you, that means mad! Let us go!"

She sped away with Shen Mu. Behind them the thoughts of the forebear spirit Luo Xiao, like countless tangled skeins, waved flashing tentacles of light and gave frantic chase; the tentacles of thought seemed to want to seize them, and he was clearly in a towering rage.

To be pursued by countless skeins of yarn was, for Shen Mu, something he had never known before.

Divine King Langwan frowned and said, "He goes mad often. His thoughts were already greatly disordered, and now they are worse. I could defeat him, but I would wound him, so it is best to avoid him."

Thunder roared in Shen Mu's head. Looking back at the tangle of thought-strands as forebear spirit Luo Xiao gave chase, he thought: "What did he mean by that just now? Had he seen me before? And I lied to him? Heh—how could that be? He is plainly a figure from a million years ago..."

Forebear spirit Luo Xiao's thoughts, in a fury, gave mad pursuit, but Langwan's speed was great, and she quickly left him behind, flying out from the Spirit Realm.

"Close the Spirit Realm at once!"

Scarcely had Langwan flown out of the Spirit Realm than her divine consciousness rippled, spreading through the Xiumin race.

The chieftains and elders of every clan, together with a million adult Creators, hurriedly broke off their sacrifices. In the sky, ray after ray of light withdrew and returned to the altars, and the eyes of the beauty in the heavens slowly narrowed, grew hazy, and at last vanished.

Shen Mu looked up. As the Spirit Realm disappeared, the thoughts of forebear spirit Luo Xiao were still flinging themselves at the barrier, trying to drill their way out from within.

Fortunately he had been one step too late, and could not break out of the Spirit Realm.

"This is our first meeting, and we have no deep grudge between us—must you chase me so relentlessly?" Shen Mu shook his head, deeply puzzled.

Divine King Langwan could not help shaking her head, and sighed, "He really has gone mad."

She carried Shen Mu slowly down, landing upon the highest altar, and her divine consciousness became an incomparably resounding voice that rang through heaven and earth: "The Holy Infant has won the recognition of the forebear spirits! He has received the inheritance of his forebears, possesses supreme knowledge and wisdom, and will soon lead our race to glory and prosperity!"

Shen Mu's face glowed; he raised both hands and waved to the myriad Creators.

Below, the cheering was deafening. The Creators were stirred to the depths, their blood seething, and they visualized a myriad of wondrous visions in celebration.

Gazing down at the extraordinary throng, Langwan's divine consciousness rippled gently as she said to Shen Mu, "If you betray the hopes of our race, I will kill you. I will show no mercy."

Shen Mu smiled and said, "Divine King, I am a Creator now myself. How could I betray my own race? Do you believe me?"

Langwan looked into his clear eyes. After a moment, the Divine King smiled—and Shen Mu, watching, was lost for a moment.

"I believe you," she said softly.