Chapter 1077 — I Must Not Perish

Luo Xiao raised his remaining arm, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said hurriedly: "Where are Brother Dahong and Brother Gu Xiao? They are unharmed, aren't they?

" Gu Xiao's voice came from the altar: "We are fine.

We are guarding the altar — this altar must not be lost. " Luo Xiao was reassured, and looked around.

This place was like an enormous basin, its extent unknown for thousands of li, with towering mountains all around standing at the basin's rim.

Suddenly delight showed on his face: "This is the Yuan Wood Basin!

If so, the Jade Pool is not far off! " "The Yuan Wood Basin?

" Shen Mu blinked and asked, "What connection does this Yuan Wood Basin have with the Earth Mother? " Luo Xiao stirred his divine consciousness to rouse that void beast, and said, "I have heard that the Earth Mother was originally a yuan wood tree here in the Ancestral Court, and that Creators often came to water it, using water from the Jade Pool.

The water of the Jade Pool is remarkable — water from there can heal any wound, and my severed arm can grow back. If the Yuan Wood Basin is here, then the oldest vein of divine stone cannot be far.

" Shen Mu's heart was greatly shaken, and his head grew somewhat dizzy: "The Earth Mother was a yuan wood here, and the water in the Jade Pool — could it be the Hongmeng Essence. .

. " The void beast woke, and Luo Xiao at once drove the giant beast galloping outward, out of the Yuan Wood Basin.

Before long, they indeed saw ahead a sea that had already run dry. This was the ancient Jade Pool of the Ancestral Court.

The Hongmeng Essence in the ancient Jade Pool of the Ancestral Court had dried up.

The void beast flew over the ancient Jade Pool, and Luo Xiao scanned below, trying to find any remaining Hongmeng Essence, explaining to Shen Mu: "There was originally a great deal of water in the Jade Pool, but afterward you took some and I took some, using the pool's water to irrigate the sacred relics of every clan, and with the wars year after year, the water grew less and less.

When we Creators fled this place, we carried off the water that remained.

I do not know whether new springs have appeared in all these years. . . There is still a little there! " His eyes lit up; his divine consciousness surged out, drew up the Hongmeng Essence from a hollow, and he threw back his head and drank it down.

Shen Mu thought inwardly, what a waste — the Hongmeng Essence Luo Xiao drank was even more than the Hongmeng Essence the Earth Mother had treasured! This big fellow was simply squandering heaven's bounty!

As Luo Xiao drank the Hongmeng Essence, his severed arm at once began to grow, and soon a thick, sturdy arm had grown out.

"Brother Gu Xiao, Brother Dahong, weren't you going to seek that vein?

" Luo Xiao raised his hand and pointed ahead, laughing: "The vein is right there!

" Gu Xiao and Dahong both smiled and said, "Many thanks for Brother Luo's guidance. " Luo Xiao laughed: "We are sworn brothers — what need for such courtesy? " Ahead, rosy clouds steamed and light spread everywhere; it was precisely that divine mountain vein thousands of li long that Shen Mu had seen when he controlled the void beast. Shen Mu felt vaguely uneasy. If one of Gu Xiao and Dahong was the Heaven Emperor of the Ancient Gods and the other the Great Emperor, then their determination to come here was highly suspicious. "They may each suspect the other is the one in their heart, and so they insisted on coming to this place to verify it!

" Shen Mu's gaze flickered, and the unease in his heart grew stronger.

In the vein, eight ancient gods had died carrying a golden coffin — who was buried in that golden coffin?

"And that Void Mother Beast just now — it pursued us relentlessly.

Why, once we escaped the void, did it not pursue further?

" The sweat on the back of Shen Mu's neck ran down his spine: "Moreover, there were so many void beasts in the Ancestral Court, a sea of beasts, a mountain of beasts — why are none of them to be seen now?

Could it be.

.

.

" Luo Xiao brought them to that vein. The void beast halted, not daring to approach.

Gu Xiao and Dahong carried the altar down, and the two exchanged a glance, saying nothing. Luo Xiao was exceedingly elated: "This is the territory of the Juyu clan.

It was here that the Juyu discovered the first primordial divine stone, and from that came the race of Creators!

And it was here too that the Primordial Stone was found; it was by the Primordial Stone that the Great Emperor defeated the Three Kings and became the Great Emperor. " Shen Mu glanced at Gu Xiao and Dahong, and saw that they were still exchanging glances, smiles on their faces, as though they had not heard Luo Xiao's words.

Luo Xiao looked toward the primordial divine stone vein, and could not help but start, blurting out: "Why are there eight ancient gods here? And why are they carrying a coffin?

" Having said this, he suddenly laughed: "Why am I asking you such things? You do not know either.

.

.

" "Perhaps we do. " Dahong chuckled: "Brother Gu Xiao, would you not say so? " Gu Xiao neither confirmed nor denied, and said mildly: "Eight ancient gods bearing a coffin — plainly they meant to bury someone of the utmost importance. " Dahong said coldly: "Or perhaps they meant to bury a stretch of history no one was meant to know, a filthy, sordid stretch of history.

" Gu Xiao gave a murmur of assent. Dahong proposed: "Since we have come, we might as well go all the way and see who lies in this coffin.

" Luo Xiao said in alarm: "This vein is truly ancient. Even for a Creator to enter is a great peril; those who can go in to mine are all Creators, and nine out of ten never come out alive!

Look at those eight ancient gods — they died.

.

.

" Shen Mu tugged at his sleeve and said, "Brother Luo, whether we go in or not is no longer up to us.

" Luo Xiao was slightly taken aback, puzzled at his meaning. Shen Mu followed Gu Xiao and Dahong forward, and said in a low voice: "Have you still not seen it?

" "Seen what?

" Luo Xiao asked, bewildered.

"You—" Long Qilin came to his side and shook his head.