Chapter 1049 — Thrashing the Underworld Son of Heaven

"That was me boasting to you. " He could not help sighing. "In those days, how well we few got on, how deep our feelings ran — and you alone were imprisoned by your honored father and mother for six hundred thousand years over some trifling matter. To speak plainly, how could I ever match a ten-thousandth of your abilities, worthy brother?

Yet I can sit in the Black Emperor's seat and stand as your parents' equal. Had you not been imprisoned, your achievements would surely have far surpassed mine — perhaps even a Heavenly Worthy's throne would have been yours!

What a pity.

. . " He shook his head and smiled. "Today my worthy brother is free; let us not speak of such dispiriting things. Drink! " Crown Prince Youming drank, and his heart was somewhat bleak.

In those years the Underworld Son of Heaven's abilities had truly been no match for his own.

He came of good stock, bearing the blood of both Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu, and he had cultivated with diligence and bitterness; his attainments were deep and his understanding keen. Yet he had been imprisoned for six hundred thousand years, while his playmate of old now sat as a Great Emperor. It would be a lie to say he did not envy him. The Underworld Son of Heaven watched his face and said, "Now that my worthy brother is free, he cannot go on living as muddled as before. What are your plans?

" Crown Prince Youming said, "My father sent me to the Yuan World to try my luck. " The Underworld Son of Heaven sneered.

"What is there to see in the Yuan World?

A poor backwater, with not a drop of profit in it. Go there, and you will only be Heavenly Worthy Xiao's errand boy, his servant. Do you know Heavenly Worthy Xiao? Heavenly Worthy Yun's disciple — you met him in those days. He snarls and bares his teeth at everyone, and looks down on ancient gods and half-gods alike.

" Crown Prince Youming remembered Heavenly Worthy Xiao and said in surprise, "That one? We said back then that we would give him a beating, but he was forever hanging about Heavenly Worthy Yun and the others, and we never had the chance. " "Who else could it be?

" The Underworld Son of Heaven pressed more wine on him.

"A worthless brat like that, and now he has risen — he is a Heavenly Worthy! His abilities back then were nothing to yours; he was not fit to carry your shoes, brother! And now — heh heh.

.

. " Crown Prince Youming drained his cup in one go, his mood growing blacker by the moment. The Underworld Son of Heaven plied him again and again, and called the ship's divine officials and generals to come and toast him, while the singing girls and dancers crowded close, nestling in his lap and against his legs, toasting him over and over.

Unknowingly, Crown Prince Youming drank himself dead drunk — the wine was exquisite beyond measure, and it could intoxicate even the primordial spirit. Drunk as he was, he wept and laughed by turns.

The Underworld Son of Heaven watched him, and after a while, the crown prince collapsed and lay slumped over the table. "Worthy brother?

Worthy brother?

" The Underworld Son of Heaven called twice.

Crown Prince Youming mumbled a muddled reply and sank back into deep sleep. "This wine is truly extraordinary — even I am somewhat drunk.

It was worth gathering the souls of so many gods and brewing it with ancient jade blossoms all these years. " The Underworld Son of Heaven rose unsteadily to his feet.

Upon the tower ship, gods and singing girls and dancers lay drunk in heaps. He clapped his hands, and several divine generals, their faces hidden behind masks, emerged from the cabin and stood in attendance, bowing.

"Kill everyone on this ship, leave not one alive, and send their souls down to the Nether Capital. Leave him alone; take him to the rear palace of the Heavenly Court, where someone will receive you.

" The Underworld Son of Heaven said calmly, "Put him on Consort Yu's bed, and let him sleep beside Consort Yu.

" A god in a bronze mask with bared fangs said, "Then Consort Yu.

. .

" "Kill her, of course. Make her death a gruesome one, and arrange her lower body properly — after all, the crown prince was drunk and lost control, and broke into the rear palace. " The Underworld Son of Heaven looked up at the vault of heaven and murmured, "His Majesty will be enraged, will execute Crown Prince Youming, and will send a punitive expedition against Xuanwu of the North.

All this is only to be expected. The other ancient gods will see it, and will have nothing to say. " He looked down at the unconscious crown prince and shook his head, sneering coldly. "You think your parents imprisoned you?

Fool — they were protecting you! Had they not imprisoned you for six hundred thousand years, you would long ago have died; you would not even have lived past the final years of Longhan!

When I loosed insects to gnaw the gourd vine, it was not for the gourd's sake. It was for you. I have watched you all this time, and now at last I can draw in the net.

" As he spoke, the Underworld Son of Heaven suddenly sensed that something was amiss.

The Heavenly River had split open, and beneath it appeared a vast eye, thousands upon thousands of times larger than the tower ship. The eye rolled and blinked, and then vanished.

The Underworld Son of Heaven frowned. Suddenly the sky split open, and there too appeared a vast eye, larger still than the strange eye in the river.

"No, no — this looks like my own divine art!

But that should not be my eye.

.

.

The last time I used this art was at Fengdu. . . " Cold sweat sprang out on the Underworld Son of Heaven's brow, and all at once he understood.

"That is my eye! My primordial spirit sensed that my thoughts and consciousness were trapped, and so it opened its eye to look!

Everything around me is false — someone has built an illusion around me! Break! " His cultivation burst forth, and at once Shen Mu's art of divine consciousness was torn open; the strange sights before his eyes vanished, and he found himself still aboard the tower ship, the music and dancing still going on, his own hand raising a cup to clink against Crown Prince Youming's — and it was at that very moment that he must have fallen under Shen Mu's art of divine consciousness!

"Whose divine consciousness could have bound my consciousness and built such an illusion around me without my knowing? Could it be that wretch Yan Shaoqing?

" He had scarcely thought this when the crown prince across from him was already ablaze with fury: the cup in his hand shattered, and the hand that had held it became a huge fist that smashed savagely into his handsome face! The Underworld Son of Heaven was arguably one of the finest-looking men under heaven, no less handsome than Master Dan; and now, struck by that fist, his whole face twisted and deformed, almost driven into his skull!

Crown Prince Youming, of Xuanwu's blood, had strength beyond measure; the blow blasted his primordial spirit clean out of his body, and the tower ship burst apart under the terrible force of that punch. The crown prince struck again, but the Underworld Son of Heaven's primordial spirit had already returned to his flesh; behind him four heavenly palaces leapt forth and took the blow head-on, and then a Nether Capital Heaven Gate appeared behind him, channeling the crown prince's dreadful fist-force into the gate. His body flew backward, passed through the gate, and when he emerged from the other side he was restored, his flesh bearing no injury whatsoever. "It cannot be Yan Shaoqing — Yan Shaoqing is still at the Lingxiao realm.

He has not the strength to bind my consciousness without my noticing. Could the Crimson Emperor have come back to life?