Chapter 1066 — The Five Luminaries' Omen of Doom Descends Upon the World

"Petty gods, that's all. There's no need for such panic, Brother Luo. " Luo Xiao's voice was hoarse. "These five evil gods are the bane of my people. I cannot let them see me, or I will surely be recognized.

" Before the carriage, the six heavenly dragons trembled, staring in terror at the Five Luminaries ancient gods, and whispered among themselves.

"We're done for; the ancient gods have come, and we're all going to die! " "It looks like the Five Luminaries Star Lords! " "I said all along we should have stayed in Jingping and followed that black-faced Demon King Dutian to attack the Tianyu World, but no, you wouldn't have it.

Right now the elder brothers are probably giving Demon King Dutian a thrashing. And now look — we're all going to die! " One of the dragons looked dull-witted and slow.

"The Five Luminaries Star Lords don't look so very strong to me.

Not at all like the ancient gods I imagined. The ancient gods I imagined were all mighty fellows like Tubo. .

. " "Maha! Maha!

" The other five dragons cursed him roundly. "Shut up! The ancient gods of old are surely mightier still!

" The Dragon Qilin flew into a rage, rose up, and bellowed, "Maha!

" The six heavenly dragons hastily stopped whispering and put on ingratiating smiles. "Brother Pi is right. We shouldn't be wagging our tongues.

If the sky falls, the Tianzun will hold it up.

" The Dragon Qilin nodded slowly, well pleased, turned, and said toward the carriage, "Sect Master, there are some ancient gods outside who do not know death when they see it, blocking the way.

Pray give your decision. " Yan'er lifted the pearl curtain.

Shen Mu bowed his head and walked slowly out, raised his eyes to look ahead, and said with a half-smile, "So it is the Five Luminaries Star Lords. You bar my road — for what reason, I wonder?

" He looked at the Five Luminaries Star Lords, and his gaze came to rest on Lord Zhenxing; he was slightly startled.

In his memory, the Lord Zhenxing of Youdu was a seductive woman with a human head and a serpent's body, a woman's face with a man's voice, her thick, luxuriant hair covering her breast — most seductive and strange. But the Lord Zhenxing before him was likewise human-headed and serpent-bodied, yet a man: his long hair in disarray, his chest bare, a white banner in one hand and a bright mirror in the other, a serpent's forked tongue flickering in and out of his mouth, very long and cleft. "Could it be that in later ages Lord Zhenxing was a god-devil cultivated from a later-born living being?

" Shen Mu mused. "That is to say, the true ancient god Lord Zhenxing, like the Great Sun Star Lord, is already dead, and a later-born god-devil has taken his place. It seems the Five Luminaries Star Lords will die in some battle yet to come.

I wonder who killed them?

" Lord Zhenxing was the foremost of the Five Luminaries Star Lords, and the power he held was the greatest of them all.

His tail gave a shake and he swam forward; his long tongue stretched out and swept lightly, and a boat downstream was curled in by his tongue.

He tilted back his head and swallowed boat and passengers together, and laughed. "Tianzun Mu, you have offended the Divine Emperor Langxuan, attacked the Langxuan Divine Palace, and slaughtered the innocent.

Langxuan has brought suit against you. Will you bind your own hands and await death, or shall we put you to death ourselves?

" Shen Mu laughed despite himself. "Five Luminaries, you too are ancient gods of name and renown, incarnations of the Great Dao.

How can you credit Langxuan's one-sided tale and come to kill me without distinguishing black from white? I am, after all, a Tianzun enfeoffed by His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor! Where is Langxuan?

Bring him out, and I will confront him face to face. " Lord Suixing flapped his bird wings and cackled. "Tianzun Mu, do you really take yourself for a personage?

You struck Tianzun Hao.

Tianzun Hao is the son of the Heavenly Emperor. The Heavenly Emperor has long wished to be rid of you; this is merely him going with the current of the stream! " In the carriage, Luo Xiao gave a stifled groan, his heart pounding with fright, and all but bolted for the road.

"I thought when Tianzun Mu said he had many enemies, they were only petty ones, and that if he could not deal with them I could help him. I never imagined the Heavenly Emperor himself would be among his enemies! If I keep following him, I am a dead man! Never mind whether he can pass the trial of the Five Luminaries ancient gods — even if he passes, going to the Heavenly Court is walking to his death, and I will be buried with him! " Yet for now he hid in the carriage, not daring to show his face; if the Five Luminaries ancient gods saw his true body, he too would not escape death. Now he regretted it without end — regretted that he had taken Shen Mu's easy ride to save himself some effort.

Who would have thought the easy ride was no easy ride at all, but a pirate ship! Shen Mu laughed. "Five Luminaries, ever since the art of apotheosis spread abroad, the age of the ancient gods has been over. The duck knows first when the spring river warms — are you less than ducks?

Do you still remember Niu Ben, the Jinwu General? He gave you a most wretched beating. " The Five Luminaries Star Lords flew into a fury.

Lord Zhenxing, without another word, raised his mirror and shone it upon Shen Mu. Shen Mu stood unshaken as a mountain, and laughed. "You hold death in your grasp, but I have the art of Creation, and can evade death. Your Great Dao is of no use against me. " Lord Yinghuo carried a great jar on his back; he took it down, and the plague qi within came howling out, surging toward Shen Mu. Shen Mu was still unmoved.

He laughed. "My medical skill reaches to heaven — I can raise the dead with my medicine and clothe bare bones in flesh.

What can your paltry little arts do to me? " Lord Yinghuo's face changed greatly.

Lord Taibai beat a great drum; the drumbeats rolled like thunder, bringing down calamity, whittling away Shen Mu's fortune. Shen Mu was unmoved. He laughed. "You five are ancient gods after all.

Withdraw now, and I will still leave you some face. Otherwise, do not blame me for being merciless. " Lord Chenxing brandished his trident, and the Heavenly River heaved.

"No more idle talk with him! " he cried harshly.

"Children, at them! Seize this rebel!

" Whoosh — Behind the Five Luminaries Star Lords, countless offspring of the Five Luminaries rose howling, surging forward in frenzy!

Shen Mu frowned slightly.

His palm turned lightly, and the sword pill appeared in his hand. He flicked it with a finger; the sword pill split in two, the two into four, the four into eight, and in an instant the sky was filled with spinning sword pills!

Even as they spun, the sword pills shot out ray after ray of sword light; the light coiled and soared like dragons, as though a rain of swords had begun to fall, pouring down upon the host of the Five Luminaries Star Lords! The gods and demons leapt up in fury, shouting fiercely as they charged into the sword light — and the next moment, the shouting stopped.

Countless corpses dyed the Heavenly River red.

Before the carriage, the dull-witted dragon's voice broke the silence.

"See?

I told you they were weak and you wouldn't believe me! These Five Luminaries ancient gods must be fakes.

They don't look so strong to me! The six of us brothers together could take on one or two of them!

" "Maha!

" The five dragons all roared at him to shut up.