Chapter 1064 — The Ancient Gods of the Five Stars

Many of the human race had already migrated into the shelter of the Xiaohan Heavenly Court, yet there were still gods of the human race who had come back with very few in tow.

"They do not believe us. They say the Xiaohan Heavenly Court is making a reckless fool of itself, that to defy the gods' arrangement is to invite heaven's punishment." Those gods were deeply helpless.

Heavenly Venerable Moon said, puzzled, "Do they not know that those who remain in Divine Emperor Langxuan's territory will sooner or later become sacrificial offerings?"

"They know. But they are used to it. They say their forefathers, generation after generation, have come through it this way."

"Oh."

Heavenly Venerable Moon went to seek out Shen Mu, only to find Dragon Qilin making ready the Heavenly Dragon Chariot. Shen Mu and the youth called Luo Xiao had already climbed aboard, while the girl named Yan'er, having planted a lantern on the chariot, came running over and kowtowed to her several times with the utmost reverence.

Startled, Heavenly Venerable Moon hurried to raise her up, but could not budge her, and cast Shen Mu a look that begged for rescue.

Shen Mu smiled. "One day you will understand."

Heavenly Venerable Moon came to the side of the chariot and asked, "You mean to leave?"

Shen Mu nodded. "Divine Emperor Langxuan will not move against the humans for the time being. My last visit to the Langxuan Divine Palace will have overawed him for a thousand years. But though he can do nothing against me himself, he can borrow the strength of the Heavenly Court to strike at me. I cannot drag you all into it. So I must go."

Heavenly Venerable Moon asked, "When will you return?"

Shen Mu paused, then smiled. "As Heavenly Venerable Mu, I should think I will not be coming back for some time. But as Heavenly Venerable Yun—Heavenly Venerable Yun will remain here always."

A complicated look came into Heavenly Venerable Moon's eyes. A long while passed before she said, "But Heavenly Venerable Yun is not you."

Shen Mu leaned against the window and waved farewell to her. "Do not disturb the others. We shall meet again in the future."

The Heavenly Dragon Chariot drove toward the Heavenly River, receding farther and farther, growing smaller and smaller in Heavenly Venerable Moon's gaze, and slowly vanished.

Suddenly Heavenly Venerable Ling's delighted voice rang out: "Moon! Moon! Come quickly, I have worked it out! The reason my hairpin disappeared was not that someone stole it—it was a hairpin that came from the future!"

She was elated, skipping with excitement, more feverish than ever.

Hearing her words, Heavenly Venerable Moon only grew more despondent. Just then a painted barge drifted down the Heavenly River from upstream. Heavenly Venerable Yun, with several attendants, leaped down from it, and seeing Heavenly Venerable Ling cheering and capering, he smiled. "Why is Sister Ling so happy?"

Heavenly Venerable Moon looked at Heavenly Venerable Yun, looked him up and down more than a dozen times, circled him several times, and scrutinized him over and over.

Baffled by her stare, Heavenly Venerable Yun stood there somewhat stiffly.

Heavenly Venerable Moon blinked and asked, "Senior Brother Yun, did you happen to come across a chariot drawn by six heavenly dragons, bound for the Heavenly Court?"

Heavenly Venerable Yun nodded. "I saw it just now—it passed my barge along the way. I was still wondering who could own such a magnificent chariot. Six heavenly dragons as draft beasts, what a fearsome sight! Had it been nine heavenly dragons, I would have taken it for the procession of beings like the Four Imperial Sovereigns of the ancient gods!"

"You truly saw that chariot?" Heavenly Venerable Moon was astonished and delighted at once.

Heavenly Venerable Yun nodded again. "Never mind the chariot. I went to see Heavenly Venerable Fire. He has ideas of his own now and may no longer walk the same road as us. I also learned something from him: Heavenly Venerable Hao is about to return, and the Heavenly Emperor intends to have him establish a demigod heavenly court in the Yuan Realm, to rule over all the demigod races under heaven. We must prepare early for this. Have you already set up your heavenly court?"

Heavenly Venerable Ling, having reined in her excitement, walked over, shot Heavenly Venerable Yun a glance, and sneered, "So you are finally willing to return to your true form?"

Heavenly Venerable Yun was perplexed.

Heavenly Venerable Ling said, "Do not go about always wearing Heavenly Venerable Mu's face, lest you sully his name."

Heavenly Venerable Yun grew more perplexed still, but knowing Heavenly Venerable Ling had always been an odd creature, he did not take it to heart. Soon after he went to see the Dao Ancestor. "Old Daoist, I have a rather half-formed idea—can your arts of calculation analyze the Great Dao?"

Meanwhile, an envoy of the Heavenly Court arrived at the Langxuan Divine Palace bearing the Heavenly Emperor's decree. "His Majesty says that Heavenly Venerable Mu has insulted the offspring of the ancient gods, is utterly vicious and wicked, and has violated the laws of heaven. Let Divine Emperor Langxuan hold a grand sacrifice, and the ancient gods of the Five Luminaries will descend to seize him."

Divine Emperor Langxuan's expression shifted slightly. "A blood sacrifice of offerings, to summon the ancient gods of the Five Luminaries down to this world?"

The envoy said, "That is His Majesty's meaning. Heavenly Venerable Mu is a Heavenly Venerable of the human race, possessed of vast divine arts; judged by divine arts alone, none under heaven can surpass him. His divine arts draw near the Dao, and only the Great Dao can subdue them. If you wish for justice, Divine Emperor, you must invite the ancient gods of the Five Luminaries to descend."

Divine Emperor Langxuan's face flickered between light and shadow.

The ancient gods were many in number, but for the most part they did not dwell in the Yuan Realm; they resided high beyond the heavens. To come from beyond the heavens, a blood sacrifice had to be held.

And a blood sacrifice required offerings.

The ancient gods of the Five Luminaries were born of the Great Dao, exceedingly powerful, their status even above that of the ancient gods of the twenty-eight lunar mansions. Though Divine Emperor Langxuan surpassed them in combat strength, he was still inferior to the ancient gods in his comprehension of the Dao, and so inviting them to subdue Heavenly Venerable Mu was reckoned a proper course.

When the Longhan Heavenly Court was founded, the Heavenly Emperor, wishing to reduce the power of the feudal lords, invited the Four Emperors of the ancient gods into the Heavenly Court and built four heavenly palaces—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—and the Four Emperors took up residence within the Heavenly Court.

The Four Pole Heavens of the Four Emperors of the ancient gods were then granted to the ancient gods of the twenty-eight lunar mansions to rule.

The ancient gods of the twenty-eight lunar mansions were all savage and wicked beings: the seven mansions of the White Tiger in the Western Pole Heaven, the seven mansions of the Vermilion Bird in the Southern Pole Heaven, the seven mansions of the Black Tortoise in the Northern Pole Heaven, and the seven mansions of the Azure Dragon in the Eastern Pole Heaven.

These twenty-eight ancient gods dwelt in the Four Pole Heavens, guarding the four poles of the cosmos. They were an exceedingly powerful force, the feudal lords who held the Four Pole Heavens in their grasp.

The ancient gods of the Five Luminaries, meanwhile, were five star lords: the Lord of the Zhen Star, the Lord of the Yinghuo Star, the Lord of the Chen Star, the Lord of the Sui Star, and the Lord of the Taibai Star. The Great Daos they commanded were mightier still.