Chapter 1029 — The Heavenly Emperor's Will

"If the old do not strive, the young grieve in vain.

I wonder when Grandpa Tu will create a saber art at the Emperor Throne level? " Shen Mu stepped down from the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot. From childhood he had trained under Zaifu, Lizheng, and others, and what he had learned was vast and varied; thus he had forged fifteen heavenly palaces. Among them, the Painting Dao Heavenly Palace, the Saber Dao Heavenly Palace, the Medicine Heavenly Palace, the Divine Power Heavenly Palace, the Forging Heavenly Palace, the Buddhist Dao Heavenly Palace, the Theft Heavenly Palace, and the Formation Heavenly Palace—these eight were all half-palaces, mere halves that could not take form.

Although Shen Mu later received the wisdom inheritance of the Creator race, entered the Dao through divine power, and successively opened the eight heavens of divine power, the Divine Power Heavenly Palace still could not be fully perfected. Among the teachings of the nine elders of the Village of Hidden Remnants, the only one that had been fully perfected was still the Sword Heavenly Palace—and this was not to Lizheng's credit, but because Shen Mu's comprehension of the Sword Dao was exceedingly high.

From childhood he had trained under Zaifu and the others, and he had been profoundly influenced by Zaifu, Grandpa Huo, and the rest; his Mystic Body Three-Core Art was likewise deeply shaped by them. Only if Zaifu, Grandpa Huo, and the others created arts at the Emperor Throne level could he draw nourishment from them and perfect these eight heavenly palaces of his.

Otherwise, it would be very difficult for Shen Mu to break through the Venerable God realm and cultivate into a True God. This time, as Shen Mu journeyed down into the mortal world, besides wishing to avoid the power struggles of the Heavenly Court, he had another plan: to urge and spur on Zaifu, Granny Zhu, the blind elder, and the other elders of the Village of Hidden Remnants to cultivate diligently, so that they might soon comprehend arts at the Emperor Throne level.

Although Yongjiang Academy had been renamed the Yongjiang Sect, it was no different from the Yongjiang Academy of old. These past days the scholars within were unusually excited, for they had been able to witness the confrontation of the Three Great Saber Gods.

The Heavenly Saber, Zaifu; the Demon Saber, Zhe Huali; and then there was this One-Armed Saber God who had appeared from nowhere.

The confrontation of the Three Great Saber Gods was a wondrous sight: Zaifu's Heavenly Saber was bold and unrestrained, Zhe Huali's Demon Saber was eerie and unfathomable, while the One-Armed Saber God's was exquisitely ingenious, and at the same time carried an extra measure of boldness. Before Shen Mu had even entered Yongjiang Academy, he saw the Three Great Saber Gods dueling in the sky and could not help but halt to watch. The saber light of the three saber gods was truly a dazzling spectacle, astonishing the world, cleaving the sky again and again and forming line after black line in the eyes of those who watched.

After five years without seeing him, the Demon Saber Zhe Huali's abilities had improved greatly; not only had his cultivation and strength advanced, but he had also attained extraordinary mastery in the Saber Dao. He had entered the Dao through the saber, and other Dao-entering moves had been developed that suited him even better.

Zhe Huali had studied under Luo Wushuang and also under Fu Riluo, a titan of the Demon Race.

He possessed both demonic and divine natures, yet for a long time he could not enter the Dao through the saber—until he met Zaifu and beheld the Heavenly Saber. Only then did he suddenly awaken, shatter the confusion in his heart, and enter the Dao through the saber.

His saber arts possessed Luo Wushuang's ingenuity and precision, the Demon Race's demonic nature, and Zaifu's grandness—truly formidable. Yet his mastery was, after all, still shallow, and he was the first to be defeated. In the sky, only the Heavenly Saber Zaifu and Luo Wushuang still crossed blades.

Shen Mu gazed upward for a moment and saw that Luo Wushuang had already unleashed the fourteenth heaven of the Saber Dao; his saber arts grew ever more exquisite, and the power of the firmament of the Saber Dao was terrifying beyond measure. Zaifu blocked it nonetheless. His Saber Dao was wild and unrestrained, breaking ten thousand arts with a single force, breaking ten thousand arts with a single saber—it bore the great meaning of returning to simplicity and truth.

Suddenly, Luo Wushuang's saber intent surged violently, and he actually comprehended the fifteenth heaven of the Saber Dao! Shen Mu could not help but show astonishment. "When I kicked Luo Wushuang into the Primordial Realm, he had only comprehended the fourteenth heaven.

So soon, and he has already comprehended the fifteenth? " In the sky the two great saber gods clashed.

The Heavenly Saber Zaifu was immediately overmatched, yet he grew all the more magnificent, rising to meet strength with strength, and laughed aloud: "Your saber is too exquisite.

Though you have also comprehended magnificence, it remains a craftsman's heart and a craftsman's Dao—hard to escape the air of an artisan!

" His saber light surged, opening wide and closing wide, forcefully challenging Luo Wushuang's firmament of the Saber Dao, seeking to cleave that firmament apart! Luo Wushuang sneered: "Heavenly Saber, your saber is too domineering, knowing no restraint.

You understand how to draw the saber, but you do not understand how to withdraw it. When you understand withdrawal, you will be the finest saber god under heaven—above even me!

" The two great saber gods collided; saber light burst forth, dazzling the eyes.

Each was wounded, and they fell from the sky. Shen Mu admired them without end and stepped forward.

But at that very moment, he heard Zaifu chant aloud: "A piebald horse newly straddled with a white jade saddle; the battle done, the battlefield's moonlight cold! " Shen Mu responded loudly: "The iron drums on the city wall still resound; the golden saber in its sheath, its blood not yet dry! " Zaifu was both startled and delighted, and rushed out of Yongjiang Academy at flying speed, laughing heartily: "It is Shen'er, come back!

" When the two met, Shen Mu spread his arms to embrace Zaifu, only to see Zaifu slash at him with a saber, shouting: "Shen'er, draw your saber!

" Shen Mu was startled and hastily dodged. With a thought, his sword core transformed into two divine sabers. The two men's saber light crisscrossed.

After a moment, Zaifu's saber rested against Shen Mu's neck, and he could not help but rage: "Still not entered the Dao, shaming me—not as good as little Zhe!

" Shen Mu's face reddened slightly, and he stammered: "Grandpa Tu, it is not that I am incapable, but that in these years I have spent more effort on the Sword Dao and divine power.

. .

" Zaifu spat.

Catching sight of Langwan the God King and the others approaching, he showed astonishment and said in a low voice: "There are still people whose beauty can compare to Granny Zhu?

Is this your wife? " Shen Mu's face flushed red, and he said in a low voice: "Not yet.

. . pah pah!

This is Langwan the God King, a God King among the Creators, an expert comparable to a Heaven Venerable. " Langwan the God King offered greetings.

Zaifu felt a chill in his heart and returned the greeting in proper form, saying: "Shen'er, do not leave for the next few days. I will feed you moves, lest your saber arts grow lax again.

" Shen Mu had no choice but to agree. On the other side, Luo Wushuang came over with a dark face, saber in hand.

Shen Mu hastily smiled: "Saber God Luo, your Saber Dao has advanced with divine speed these days!