Chapter 1009 — The Mighty Pass Stretches Long, Hard as Iron

The Heaven Lord's Xuandu, the Earth Lord's Youdu, the Earth Mother's Yuandu, the Guixu of the Emperor's Consort and her sisters, Lady Tianyin's Tianyin Realm, the Four Poles Heavens of the four ancient god-emperors, and every ancient god besides, all of them reflected their great dao upon him and lent him their strength.

He was like an ancient god-emperor enthroned on high, possessed of matchless power, holding the life and death of every being in his hand! And Kaihuang, Kaihuang's era, Kaihuang's multitudes, were all ants to be crushed at a whim!

He possessed the strongest power in the world!

Kaihuang strode forward at a run, thrusting the Worry-Free Sword ahead of him with all his strength, one sword of the Thirty-Three Heavens, like a peerless warrior thrusting his sword at heaven. Boom, boom, boom!

One Southern Heavenly Gate after another rose up before him; he walked on with his sword, and with every gate he passed through his body seemed to bear the weight of a heavenly palace.

He passed through fourteen Southern Heavenly Gates in succession, then leapt up, and what met him was Shen Mu's fist. That huge fist held a power that struck despair into the heart; it smashed down his sword dao's Thirty-Three Heavens, smashed into his body, and struck him sprawling into the yellow sand.

At this sight the cheers in Kaihuang's heavenly court stopped dead; old ministers and new-generation gods and demons alike stared dumbly at the scene, at their hearts' invincible leader felled by a single punch. Then suddenly Kaihuang soared into the air, the Worry-Free Sword wheeling and flying around him, mirroring countless teleportation runes, turning his body into a stream of sword-light and teleportation light, racing around that vast heavenly court, weaving around the towering Shen Mu, searching for a weakness.

The cheers rose again, mighty waves of sound one after another: the people of Kaihuang's heavenly court were cheering Kaihuang, urging him on.

Kaihuang struck again, the Shangqing Realm sword domain erupting, and what met him was a huge palm, swatting him down as one swats a fly, slamming him hard into the ground! The cheers fell silent once more. Kaihuang clambered unsteadily to his feet, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, and raised his head to look at the towering figure in the heavenly court. With a roar he charged forward once more, sword in hand, fighting with all his might.

Boom!

He was struck to the ground again, harder than before, leaving his limbs limp and aching; he struggled a little, wanting to rise, but slumped back into the dust.

At last he climbed to his feet again, and looking at the fist roaring toward him, he barely lifted the Worry-Free Sword in his hand.

Crash!

He was smashed deep into the yellow desert, his body tumbling and rolling like a battered sack, raising wave upon wave of sand.

Shen Mu struck again and again, and below, the people of Kaihuang's heavenly court watched the scene in a daze; those blows of Shen Mu's seemed to fall not upon Kaihuang's body but upon theirs, shattering their worship, shattering their pride. "You want to reform? " The voice that came from Shen Mu's mouth was like a deity beyond the ninth heaven, aloof on high, utterly cold: "You want to change this world?

" "You? Of all people?

" "You, alone? " "Ridiculous!

" Boom! He raised his great foot and trampled Kaihuang fiercely underfoot, laughing heartily: "This so-called Kaihuang Era never existed at all! From the beginning there was only you, holding on by yourself!

On whom do you rely?

What companions of the dao do you have? You have only a pack of mewling slaves waiting to be fed!

They are not your companions of the dao, only slaves who worship you!

" "Why will you not swim with the mud?

Why will you not be a Shen Heaven Sovereign with a smiling face, amiable to one and all?

Why do you still raise your head?

" Shen Mu stamped down heavily once more, roaring: "Why do you still get up? " Kaihuang held up Shen Mu's sole with both hands, half-kneeling, swaying, straining with all his might to stand.

"Don't get up!

" A young god-demon wept bitterly: "Your Majesty, don't get up!

Admit defeat!

" Shen Mu's thigh tensed, grinding Kaihuang down into the dust, his face savage and ferocious: "You owe no one anything, you have failed no one! All you have to do is kneel, and you are still Shen Heaven Sovereign! Not the rebel Shen Ye, not the Kaihuang whom the Worry-Free Land enshrines upon its altar!

Kneel down!

Be Shen Heaven Sovereign!

" He lifted his foot; Kaihuang lay in the print of his sole.

Shen Mu reached out two fingers and picked him up as one picks up a tiny ant.

He looked down upon all living things, and laughed heartily: "These are your companions of the dao?

These are the mainstay of your Kaihuang reform?

They are nothing but a pack of pitiful wretches! " "Shen Ye, surrender. These people are not worth your fighting to the death for them!

Take off your robes, come to the heavenly court, kneel before the Ten Heaven Sovereigns, bare your back and beg for punishment, and you are still Shen Heaven Sovereign, still lofty on high, still admired by countless people, still worshiped by countless people.

" At that very moment Shen Mu suddenly felt an endless, boundless rage.

Below, in Kaihuang's heavenly court, an old minister tore the clothes from his upper body, lifted two great mallets, and struck the war drum hung before the Southern Heavenly Gate of Kaihuang's heavenly court.

The drum boomed dong, dong, and a hoarse, weathered voice turned into a grave war song: "The west wind blows hard, so hard.

" Fang Youji tore off his clothes, flung away his cap, his hair falling loose over his shoulders, propped his own coffin upright, and beating upon it sang long and loud: "The west wind blows hard, so hard!

In the vast sky wild geese call to the frosty morning moon! " Yan Yunxi drew her sword; the long blade sang as it left the sheath, its note clear and piercing: "Frosty morning moon! Horse hooves clatter, the bugle sobs.

The mighty pass stretches long, hard as iron!

" From old minister after old minister of Kaihuang, a spirit belonging to that calamity-ridden age burst forth, qi rising like a rainbow; their voices were no longer that worshipful summons, their dao hearts no longer the twisted dao hearts that lodged all hope in Kaihuang alone.

Their voices were low, yet filled with piercing power, showing the new generation of the Worry-Free Land the suffering and the hope of those glorious years, shaking every heart. "The mighty pass stretches long, hard as iron, yet today we step across from the beginning!

" "Today we step across from the beginning, from the beginning! "