Chapter 1024 — The Heavenly Dragon-Drawn Treasure Chariot

Shen Mu sent his memorial petitioning to leave the Heavenly Court and wander the four corners of the earth to the Lingxiao Hall in Yujing City, and before long the Heavenly Emperor's rescript granted it, bestowing on him the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot to make manifest the majesty of a Heavenly Venerable. Naturally, Shen Mu knew that it was not the Heavenly Emperor who had allowed him to leave, but the ten Heavenly Venerables. There were already rifts among the ten Heavenly Venerables, each checking the other; with no leisure even for Taixu and the Carefree Village, whether he stayed in the Heavenly Court or not was of no use to them—sending a few men to keep watch over him would suffice.

And sure enough, Yun Chuxiu came.

Shen Mu's expression shifted, now dark, now bright, and he thought to himself, "This time I leave the Heavenly Court not only to seek the ancestral court of the Creator and to call upon the ancient gods of every realm, but also to slip past the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Court and summon the soul of Heavenly Venerable Yun. Yet you insist on coming to provoke me and spy on me. Heh heh—the Luoshen Blade has already cut you once; I don't mind cutting you again!

" As for the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot, Shen Mu was rather pleased with it: nine divine dragons at the Yujing realm, and the chariot itself was extremely luxurious.

It could not, of course, match Divine King Langwo's phoenix chariot, but it was the finest chariot Shen Mu had ever ridden. "You're dead! " Yun Chuxiu trembled all over with excitement at the sight of the chariot. "You're the one who's dead!

" Shen Mu retorted crossly. "I am, after all, Heavenly Venerable Mu—how dare you speak to me like that? " "These nine heavenly dragons are of the bloodline of the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon.

Aren't you going to the Eastern Extremity to meet the Azure Dragon Great Emperor?

" Yun Chuxiu was brimming with glee. "When the Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon sees his own blood put to work pulling your carriage, he will surely fly into a rage—so aren't you dead?

" Shen Mu's heart jumped.

"Then let the nine worthies take their seats in the carriage," he stammered, "and I'll have Fatty Dragon pull it. " Yun Chuxiu examined the canopy above and laughed.

"That will kill you too. Look—branded on this canopy is the Great Code of Heaven's Way, and the tracks of the stars upon it are the very likeness of the Heavenly Duke.

When you reach the Heavenly Duke, he'll do you in! " Shen Mu's face went black. He stepped into the carriage and looked up, and sure enough, the Great Code of Heaven's Way had taken the form of the Heavenly Duke—to make the Heavenly Duke shelter him from wind and rain was a grave offense indeed. "And under the carriage.

" Yun Chuxiu stooped, stuck out her bottom, and peered beneath, beckoning to him. "Come quick! The markings underneath are Xuanwu patterns—riding the wind and taming the waves, crushing Xuanwu beneath the wheels.

When the Northern Emperor Xuanwu sees this carriage, he will take your life too!

" Shen Mu came to her side, and the two of them bent down together to look underneath. Beneath were indeed Xuanwu patterns, and Shen Mu's face grew darker still. "The markings painted on the golden rails of this carriage are White Tiger patterns—unbreakable, cleaving through every obstruction—and they run all the way down to the armrests.

" Yun Chuxiu jumped aboard again, inspected the seats, and announced with delight, "You sit on the Western Emperor White Tiger with your backside and grip her head with the armrests—how could the Western Emperor White Tiger ever forgive you?

" Shen Mu's heart quivered.

"Is there more? " "At the rear of the carriage there are Vermilion Bird patterns, painted with rainbow wings.

When the Southern Emperor Vermilion Bird sees your carriage using her for a tail, how could she forgive you? " Yun Chuxiu leapt onto the shafts, swung her legs, and picked up the whip hanging at the side, laughing, "The driver sits here, whip in hand, and yet the shafts are painted with the Great Way of Youdu, letting this treasure chariot ignore the Great Way and drive straight into Youdu. " Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"I get on well with Tubo.

Painting the Great Way of Youdu is nothing. " Yun Chuxiu laughed coldly.

"Tubo is the one who wields the whip! Your driver sits here wielding a whip as well—do you think Tubo will give you a kind face? " Shen Mu's face was black as iron. "This chariot was given to me by you ten Heavenly Venerables—it's none of my doing, and you're one of the ten too, aren't you?

Who knows how much of this mischief is yours!

" He had indeed gone out intending to call upon the ancient gods of every realm, and the stated purpose in his memorial to the court was also to visit the ancient gods and roam the world. The Heavenly Court's gift of this chariot was plainly meant to do him down.

Yun Chuxiu giggled, swinging her legs. "Yes! I campaigned hard for the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot; everyone said it was splendid, so they gave it to you.

" Shen Mu gave an angry snort. By then Divine King Langwo had walked over, mounted the chariot with graceful steps, and taken the seat beside the master's seat. "This carriage is not bad.

Heavenly Venerable, when do we set out? " Yan'er stood on Dragon Qilin's head as Dragon Qilin came bounding up; Demon King Dutian, his four legs spread wide, sat on Dragon Qilin's back, and when they reached the chariot he leapt into the air and landed on the shafts.

Yun Chuxiu handed him the whip with a wicked smile. Demon King Dutian took it and praised, "A fine carriage—it must be fast! " Yun Chuxiu raised a soft white hand and drew it across her throat.

Shen Mu gave her two cold looks and asked Yan'er, "Sister Yan'er, have you seen Big Head? " Yan'er replied, "Big Head has been studying with Qi Jiuyi these last few days. I've already sent someone to fetch him; counting the time, he should be here by now.

" Dragon Qilin jumped onto the treasure chariot, burrowed into the cabin, and lay down to sleep on the cloud mat, while Yan'er flew up from his head and settled on the carriage pillar, shaking out her feathers. After a moment, Shujun came hurrying over.

Seeing the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot from afar, he praised, "A fine carriage!

Truly magnificent!

" So saying, he mounted and took the seat to the right of the master's seat. Left with no choice, Shen Mu boarded and sat in the master's seat.

Yun Chuxiu clambered up too, and seeing that there was no seat for her, made to sit on Shen Mu's lap. Shen Mu was about to kick her off when Divine King Langwo said with a smile, "Sister, come sit here—this seat is quite roomy.

" Yun Chuxiu squeezed into the seat beside her, giggling, "Sister Langwo, the two of us might as well be born of the same mother—how rare to look so much alike. " Divine King Langwo smiled serenely. "Yes.

" Yun Chuxiu blinked and looked at the willow leaf between her brows.

"What lies under sister's willow leaf? " "You wouldn't want to know," Divine King Langwo said gently. Outside, Demon King Dutian cracked the whip, and the nine heavenly dragons at once soared into the air.

The nine dragons drew the treasure chariot out of the residence. The moment the wheels turned, an apparition of Xuanwu welled up beneath them, treading a heavenly river, and the long stream wound away into the distance.

"Sect Master, where shall we go?

" Demon King Dutian's voice came from outside. "There are many spirit-energy transfer bridges in the Heavenly Court leading to all worlds.

If we take a spirit-energy transfer bridge, we can save no small portion of the journey.