Chapter 1039 — The Divine Dragon Soars Through the Clouds

Shen Mu nodded. "It is as well that Sister Divine King does not go to see the East Emperor. If he discovered that you are a Creator, it would surely stir up trouble again. My friendship with Tubo runs deep, but with the East Emperor I have little. The reason he helped me in the Heavenly Court was chiefly my standing as the Great Wizard of Undying Myriad Kalpas."

Divine King Langwo took her leave, walking into one of the divine cities in the palm of the artifact Venerable Yu.

Shen Mu went on with Dragon Qilin and Yan'er. Yan'er seemed anxious, and when Dragon Qilin hurriedly asked what was wrong, she said gloomily, "I have seen him, but I have never spoken a word to him. Most likely he does not know that I am his daughter."

Dragon Qilin laughed. "If the East Emperor does not acknowledge you, there is surely a reason—most likely he fears your identity would bring danger upon you."

Yan'er felt a little better.

Before they reached the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace, a colossal azure dragon suddenly lowered its head from the sky, its body—how many tens of thousands of li long, none could say—undulating as it swam into Lingbao Mountain.

That enormous dragon body coiled around peak after peak; two dragon claws gripped a divine mountain, and the jaws opened wide to hug that mountain and grind its teeth, lightning flashing and thunder rolling within its maw, fire gushing forth.

Shen Mu, Dragon Qilin, and Yan'er were struck dumb, speechless for a long while.

"It's broken! It's broken!"

Many gods, devils, and divine arts practitioners had already flown to Lingbao Mountain. Not daring to draw near, they watched from afar, and saw one of the dragon teeth in the divine dragon's jaws ground through. The huge tooth fell from the sky and crashed into the mountains.

As it fell, the dragon tooth grew smaller and smaller, and then eyes sprouted upon it; blade aura spread all around, and riding the light of the blade it darted among the mountains, swift as light, quick as lightning.

A clang, clang, clang came from the mountains—the dragon tooth had become a monstrous living thing, and because Lingbao Mountain had severed it from the East Emperor, it bore a grudge, hacking ceaselessly at Lingbao Mountain and striking sparks of fire from the range.

The gods, devils, and divine arts practitioners stared at that flying dragon tooth with shining eyes, itching to make their move.

One man could not restrain himself and flew forward, but before he reached it, a monster born of dragon blood in the mountains seized him and swallowed him in a single gulp.

Watching from afar, Shen Mu saw that in grinding his teeth the East Emperor Azure Dragon had worn the skin at the corners of his mouth raw, and the dragon blood dripping into the mountains had become demons and monsters. It would not be easy, then, to lay hands on a dragon tooth.

"The East Emperor's vitality is truly too strong—whatever falls from his body turns into a demonic thing and takes on a life of its own!"

Shen Mu could not help but marvel, yet his gaze settled on the nine peaks of Lingbao Mountain. "But Lingbao Mountain is stronger still!" he thought. "If one could carry this mountain away and refine it into a treasure, it would truly be the foremost divine artifact!"

The azure dragon, eyes closed, was carefully grinding a tooth that had grown too long when Shen Mu's divine consciousness suddenly flew to him. "East Emperor, Shen Mu has come to visit."

Startled, the East Emperor Azure Dragon opened his eyes and swept his gaze along Shen Mu's divine consciousness. When he saw Shen Mu, he could not help feeling a little ashamed; his form rose into the air and flew toward the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace.

His form grew smaller and smaller until it vanished into the palace, and his voice reached Shen Mu's ear, laughing: "The Great Wizard comes to visit and never sent word ahead—you have made me lose face before the Great Wizard. Wait a moment, Great Wizard, and I shall bring my people out to welcome you!"

"This is a private visit; there is no need for ceremony."

Shen Mu's divine consciousness followed with a transmitted voice, "Your East Pole Heaven is full of the Heavenly Court's eyes and ears. Better that you and I meet quietly, without fanfare."

The East Emperor Azure Dragon flew into the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace, and Shen Mu set off toward it as well. After a time he came before the palace, where there likewise stood a Southern Heavenly Gate—only the Heavenly River did not pass through the gate, but flowed along beside it.

The divine dragons sporting in the Heavenly River surfaced and sprawled upon the bank, gazing curiously at Shen Mu and his companions as they came.

By the bank stood a man in a blue robe, with long, fine brows and a beautiful beard like dragon whiskers, of most elegant bearing. He came forward with a laugh. "Did Venerable Mu not come riding the Heavenly Dragon palanquin? Why is no palanquin to be seen, and you have walked here instead?"

"Greetings, East Emperor."

Shen Mu made his salute and said with a smile, "The East Emperor is the ancestor of ten thousand dragons. If I were to ride into the East Pole Heaven upon the strength of the East Emperor's own bloodline, would I not be giving offense?"

The man in blue was the East Emperor Azure Dragon in transformed shape. He laughed heartily at these words and extended a hand in invitation. "The Great Wizard is too serious. The Ten Venerables gave you that palanquin to make you offend every ancient god—how could I not know their sinister designs? Even had the Great Wizard come riding the palanquin, I would not have minded in the least. Please—"

Shen Mu walked shoulder to shoulder with him into the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace. "This is Yan'er, a princess of the South Emperor's house."

The East Emperor glanced at Yan'er. She looked hopeful, but to her disappointment his gaze did not linger—it slid away from her.

Shen Mu was puzzled, but he soon understood.

"Father God." The dragon gods guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate bowed in salute to the East Emperor.

"Father God!"

"Father God!"

As the East Emperor walked into the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace, every dragon god he encountered, great and small, bowed to him and called him Father God. The sheer multitude of this East Emperor's offspring was outrageous.

Most likely the East Emperor could not even recall that he had such a daughter by the South Emperor Vermilion Bird.

"Can it be that every god in the whole Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace is his child and descendant?"

Shen Mu felt rather dizzy. The divine dragons in the Azure Dragon Heavenly Palace numbered at least a million, and there was even a great army of dragon gods.

If all these dragon gods were the East Emperor's children and descendants, then this ancient god emperor was far too prodigal with his affections.

He cursed inwardly, though he did not speak it aloud, and said with a smile instead, "The East Emperor's heavenly palace may truly be called impregnable. The Heavenly Court can infiltrate the East Pole Heaven, but it cannot infiltrate this place."

But the East Emperor was not pleased. He shook his head. "Great Wizard, even the son of the Lord of Heaven betrayed the Lord of Heaven and wished for nothing more than to take his place. Many sons though I have, I am not without my troubles. In this heavenly palace of mine there is no small number of Azure Dragon princes who would like to supplant me. Every family has its own scripture that is hard to read."

Shen Mu halted his steps. "May I ask, whose is that artifact Venerable Yu of the East Pole Heaven?"

"Four heads and eight arms—Divine Emperor Langxuan."

The East Emperor said, "The first demigod in all the world, and by the reckoning of faction, of the same camp as Venerable Hao."

"How much does the East Emperor know of Divine Emperor Langxuan?"

Shen Mu's eyes flickered. "Whose son is he, after all—the son of which two ancient gods?"