Chapter 1060 — The Immortal Court Above the Nine Heavens

" The Celestial Venerable Moon, dashing and valiant, very charming, said to the Celestial Venerable Ling: "Sister Ling, stop your delving into that divine ability of yours, the one about matter not changing and time not existing, and come help us. " She was plainly the backbone of these people. The Celestial Venerable Ling, as ever, was unkempt, the same as when Shen Mu had seen her before, wearing a leopard-skin skirt, shuffling along in straw sandals, forever muttering to herself words no one could understand. Mahabrahma had grown fatter still, a smile fixed on his face, a golden alms bowl held in his hand, ever ready to beg. The Celestial Venerable Moon was about to marshal her mana and use her divine ability to draw upon the Heavenly River, to make it send off a branch channel to hold up the human celestial palace, when at that moment she saw the Heavenly Dragon jeweled carriage upon the Heavenly River, and saw Shen Mu upon the carriage.

Shen Mu smiled and walked toward them.

The Heavenly Dragons shrank themselves and, pulling the jeweled carriage, followed behind. "Celestial Venerable Yun, how is it that you have taken on the look of that Celestial Venerable Mu, Mu Qing? " The Celestial Venerable Moon waved a hand and said in surprise: "Did you not go to look for the Celestial Venerable Fire? Did you not find him? Where did this carriage come from?

Eh, what six handsome great dragons!

And a pretty girl besides. You have been philandering again, picking up some girl from who knows where.

.

. " The Celestial Venerable Ling looked over, her gaze falling on Shen Mu, then withdrew it, and she gave a snort: "A counterfeit.

" That said, she sank back into her own world. Suddenly she shrieked: "Where has my hairpin gone?

Who has seen my hairpin? " Shen Mu stepped forward, his heart surging with hot blood, and said with a smile: "Everyone, it has been a long time. " As he spoke, his eyes reddened; he could scarcely keep back the tears, but he forced them down at once.

The Celestial Venerable Moon and the others took him for the Celestial Venerable Yun; no doubt by this time the Celestial Venerable Yun had already begun acting under his name.

"How is it a long time?

You have only been gone half a year. " The Celestial Venerable Moon complained: "Did the Celestial Venerable Fire not come back with you? Is he still following the Celestial Venerable Hao? More than a thousand years have passed, and still he clings to his delusion that he must rely on the power of the demigods.

Does he not know that the Celestial Venerable Yu died at the Celestial Venerable Hao's hands? We should never have drawn him into the Heavenly Alliance.

.

.

Who is this? " She looked at Luo Xiao with a doubtful air.

"This is Luo Xiao.

" Shen Mu said with a smile: "A fellow Daoist I met by chance, an honest man.

Do you mean to raise the Xiaohan Heavenly Court into the air? " "Xiaohan Heavenly Court? Have you gone and named our human Heavenly Court on your own again? " The Celestial Venerable Moon said angrily: "Naming things at random, and not pleasant to the ear at all!

The Heavenly Court of our human race was won by all of us together, so we should all name it together and choose the best.

Is that not so, Sister Ling?

" The Celestial Venerable Ling, her hair unbound and disheveled, for with her peach-wood hairpin gone her hair was all in disorder, tucked it behind her back and said: "It makes no difference what it is called. Xiaohan is a fine name.

Rising into the heavens, is that not just what it says?

" The Celestial Venerable Moon was helpless, and said to the Dao Ancestor: "Old Daoist, have you finished your reckoning? " "Almost, almost. Do not hurry me.

" The Dao Ancestor said, put out: "Women are a true nuisance. I have no standing at all before you. In this life I shall certainly never take a wife, lest it hinder my research!

" Mahabrahma, beaming beside him, chuckled low: "Women are indeed a nuisance.

I had better find some place to sleep.

I think I am close to finding my Dao. .

. " The Celestial Venerable Moon, preparing her divine ability nearby, urged: "Sister Ling, come and help quickly.

Celestial Venerable Yun, you too, come and help; I am not at all sure I can split the Heavenly River! " Shen Mu stepped forward, his profound and mighty mana bursting out; he reached out and drew a line, parting the waters of the Heavenly River and cutting out a branch channel. The Celestial Venerable Moon was surprised and delighted.

She smiled: "Your mana has grown again. " She at once used her art of space to command the waters of the Heavenly River; her figure came down to the head of the branch channel and stood upon a wave, and she called in a loud voice: "Old Daoist, hurry and reckon out the load-bearing points of the Xiaohan Heavenly Court!

Celestial Venerable Yun, and the rest of you, all come and help!

" The crowd leapt up and came forward, together constraining the branch of the Heavenly River to descend from the heavens. The branch channel rolled on in vast torrents, flying down toward the half-built human Heavenly Court below. The Dao Ancestor swiftly reckoned out the load-bearing points and, flying at the front, imprinted them upon the load-bearing points of the Xiaohan Heavenly Court. The waters of the Heavenly River surged and plunged into the space beneath the Xiaohan Heavenly Court, stretching along the load-bearing points the Dao Ancestor had calculated, and little by little lifted that divine city up.

The Heavenly Court of the human race was immeasurably smaller than the true Heavenly Court; in the boundless Primal Realm it was no more than a paltry divine city, far inferior even to the grand heaven-system of the Earth-Mother Primeval Tree. Yet when the Xiaohan Heavenly Court rose into the air, all the same everyone broke into cheers.

Countless mortals below came from miles around to watch that magnificent sight, and wave upon wave of cheering rose from below, shaking heaven and earth. In the distance a few demigods flew over and gazed from afar, but they only gave cold laughs and turned away. "The humans are a pack of bumpkins, and their Celestial Venerables are no better.

" The demigods jeered: "His Majesty granted them leave to build a human Heavenly Court in the Primal Realm, and it took them all these years to hammer out one little divine city. " The Xiaohan Heavenly Court rose higher and higher. The branch of the Heavenly River kept drawing in, until at last it was like a single leaf holding the Xiaohan Heavenly Court aloft, standing beside the Heavenly River.

This Heavenly Court was indeed not large; it was not even so wide as the Heavenly River. The Celestial Venerable Moon and the others, with a great host of divine-ability wielders, joyfully rushed in through the Southern Heavenly Gate, exulting, beside themselves with excitement. Shen Mu looked at the seething crowds and smiled.

Luo Xiao, at his side, said timidly: "When are we going to the Heavenly Court?

" "We will wait a little longer," Shen Mu said with a smile.

Luo Xiao shrank his neck and thought: "Following him, who knows when I shall ever reach the Heavenly Court; and he has a great many enemies besides, so I had best slip away quietly. .

. " He was just about to slip off without a sound when the Celestial Venerable Ling came over and said with a frown: "Celestial Venerable Yun, why are you still wearing the Celestial Venerable Mu's face?

Change it back at once.

" Shen Mu looked at her and said with a smile: "There is business I can do more easily with this face.

" The Celestial Venerable Ling gave a snort: "Do not drag the Celestial Venerable Mu's dignity in the dust. " Shen Mu assented, and said with a smile: "I will certainly not shame his name.

I have even prepared the sword pellet.

"