Chapter 1050 — The West Emperor's Perilous Predicament

The Heavenly Court's war machine started up far too fast! Yet facing the Heavenly Rampart City stood the White Tiger Heavenly Palace of the Western Pole Heaven, and it had already begun to move, advancing this way.

Clearly the West Emperor, the White Tiger, had received word of the civil war among the Ten Heavenly Worthies, and meant to seize the most terrible weapon in the world before the Heavenly Worthy who guarded the Western Pole Heaven could recall the artifact Yutianzun. "Not every one of the Ancient Gods can see that this is a trap aimed at them.

On the contrary, the Ancient Gods have been oppressed too long and have been waiting all along for a chance; now that it has come so suddenly, they take it for the hour of their deliverance. " Shen Mu steadied himself and thought: "The Northern Emperor Xuanwu can see through this trap, but the West Emperor White Tiger, the East Emperor Azure Dragon and the South Emperor Vermilion Bird truly may not.

If she dares to act, she is walking straight into her death! " In the Western Pole Heaven, in the White Tiger Heavenly Palace, the West Emperor's armies had already set out, flying forth from the palace.

The Western Pole Heaven abounds in metal, in jade, in strange beasts; so its native gods and demons most often rode giant beasts at a gallop, and their divine weapons were mostly forged of divine gold and fine jade.

Those giant beasts trod clouds of every hue and raced through the sky, and the beasts themselves were mighty in cultivation, stirring up all manner of prodigies of heaven and earth; and amid those prodigies came the divine weapons of the Western Pole Heaven's gods and demons, riding the power of heaven and earth, straight toward the Heavenly Rampart City. "The West Emperor White Tiger will not escape death," God King Langwan said to Shen Mu, with a certain relish.

Shen Mu glanced at her and looked away, then said in a low voice: "Long Pang, Yan'er, have the Heavenly Dragons show their true forms and draw the palanquin into the Heavenly Rampart City! " Dragon Qilin hastily passed the order down, and the six Heavenly Dragons raised a long, rolling cry — dragon roars sweeping the heavens — as their bodies swelled without cease into golden dragons a thousand li long, treading auspicious clouds, driving thunder and lightning, drawing the Heavenly Dragon Palanquin toward the Heavenly Rampart City.

And the palanquin too kept growing, heavier and heavier, wreathed in cloud and trailing streamers of auspicious vapor; its canopy became a whole heaven of its own, sheltering the sky above the carriage, with star rivers coiled about it and starlight blazing.

Beneath the carriage, great waters spread and surged, becoming a heavenly river that rolled out ahead of them, its end beyond sight, and the Xuanwu tortoise and serpent rose from under the carriage to bear the palanquin onward. At the rear, the Vermilion Bird soared high and lent the carriage speed, greatly increasing its pace.

The Vermilion Bird beat its wings, and behind the carriage a wave of fire, luminous and streaming with color, stretched three thousand zhang — a sight of dazzling splendor. And within the carriage the white tiger markings flickered and became two white tigers, forming Shen Mu's throne.

Shen Mu's fleshly body was vast, like a deity holding down heaven and earth, his palm resting upon a tiger's head, his countenance majestic. The gods guarding the Heavenly Rampart City stopped their work one and all, and lifting their heads, stared blankly as this matchlessly splendid palanquin drove across the sky.

"Might I ask which holy one you are? " The divine general commanding the Heavenly Rampart City hurriedly shot into the sky, barred the way before the carriage, and bowed as he asked.

Shen Mu's face was shrouded in divine light.

He ordered: "Yan'er, Long Pi, raise my banner as Heavenly Worthy Mu!

" Dragon Qilin and Yan'er hurried out of the carriage. Dragon Qilin brought out a banner and shook it in the wind, and Yan'er's mighty vital essence flew out and poured into the cloth.

With a swish the great flag streamed wide, and upon its face was embroidered the character Mu. The divine general guarding the Heavenly Rampart City in the Western Pole Heaven saw it and the skin of his face twitched.

He bowed and said: "So it is Heavenly Worthy Mu.

This humble god greets Heavenly Worthy Mu!

Heavenly Worthy, I am a disciple of Heavenly Worthy Hong, stationed here in the Western Pole at his command. Now the West Emperor White Tiger has risen in rebellion; a Heavenly Worthy's body is worth ten thousand gold and must not enter a place of danger.

I beg the Heavenly Worthy to halt.

" Shen Mu reached out and drew the beaded curtain apart to either side, his gaze falling upon the general's face; looking down from on high, he said indifferently: "Do I need you to tell me what to do? Withdraw! " Sweat sprang out on the god's forehead, yet he did not budge.

"Forgive me, Heavenly Worthy. This disciple has heard that the Heavenly Worthy is but a Venerable God — lofty in station, yet not mighty in strength.

The gods and demons of the Western Pole Heaven are savage beyond measure, and this disciple fears they may do the Heavenly Worthy harm. " He did not yield an inch: "This disciple speaks only out of concern for the Heavenly Worthy's safety. " Shen Mu said calmly: "Whether the West Emperor has rebelled is still a matter of debate — and you presume to tell me?

Step aside, and I grant Heavenly Worthy Hong this much face.

Do not, and I shall execute you here and now, and Heavenly Worthy Hong will have nothing to say. " The god's eyes darted this way and that; he could not make up his mind whether to bar Shen Mu's way.

Shen Mu saw the army of the Western Pole Heaven's gods and demons drawing nearer and nearer, and his heart grew more anxious by the moment.

He said furiously: "To block a Heavenly Worthy's road — what monstrous effrontery! Yan'er, seize him!

" Yan'er leapt up, her body shifting into the Dragon Sparrow, and pounced upon the god.

The god did not dare lay a hand on Shen Mu, but toward her he had no such scruples. He bellowed, transformed into a lion-headed god-demon, and shook his head, and lion heads sprouted one after another. He shouted: "This disciple acts out of concern for the Heavenly Worthy's safety, and must needs detain the Heavenly Worthy, lest the Heavenly Worthy be wounded by the rebels! So forgive me, Heavenly Worthy — this disciple has no choice but to be rough!

" His strength was exceedingly overbearing; heavenly palace after heavenly palace flew out behind him, and his cultivation was even more powerful than Yan'er's.

This nine-headed lion had in fact forged nine great heavenly palaces, and his might was matchless. He was just about to overpower Yan'er when suddenly the vertical eye at Shen Mu's brow blazed with light; the god's mind went blank in an instant, and before he could react he was gravely wounded by Yan'er, and fell from the sky with blood spilling from his nine heads. "To dare block a Heavenly Worthy's carriage — a crime deserving ten thousand deaths!

" Long Qilin stood upon the head of one of the Heavenly Dragons, his voice like thunder, carrying through the whole of the Heavenly Rampart City.

He shouted: "But in consideration of your being a disciple of Heavenly Worthy Hong, your life is spared! Whoever dares block Heavenly Worthy Mu again will be cut down without mercy! " Yan'er spread her wings, flames reaching to the heavens, the Vermilion Bird's holy fire blazing until the sky itself ran molten; a long dragon tail trailed behind her, and her gaze was sharp as she swept the tower ships and great vessels rising one after another below.

The officers and men in the Heavenly Rampart City were struck with awe — not of her, but of the name of Heavenly Worthy Mu. "Set forth," came Shen Mu's voice.