Chapter 1081 — This Hairpin Is Returned to You

The waves of the Heavenly River surged and tumbled, like the long river of time itself—now rushing, now gentle.

Yun Tianzun's vessel sailed upon the Heavenly River.

He had conversed at length with the Creator within the Great Void, had come to understand much of the history of the Primordial Age, and his heart swelled and pitched like the Heavenly River itself. The history of the Primordial Age was far too fascinating and far too treacherous, riddled with peril on every side, and he could not help but ponder it deeply. He also thought of Lang Wan's beautiful countenance.

Whenever he thought of that girl, a fire would kindle in his heart.

The Lang Wan of this time brimmed with youth, filled with a captivating vitality, and utterly pure and innocent. The moment he laid eyes on her, he had been enchanted.

Unfortunately, he could only suppress this wondrous feeling, for the human race was the more important matter. "Unless the Great Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor are eliminated, there can be no peace under heaven.

" His expression was calm, yet within his eyes surged a raging torrent; deep wisdom lay concealed beneath his placid exterior.

"The Great Void will become a stronghold where my human race may take shelter from the storms.

Should we all fail in the future, we will still need a place to hide. And if Luo Xiao's three prophecies come to pass, then I must ponder how to deal with the Great Emperor's invasion of the Great Void.

" The torrent hidden in his gaze grew ever more turbulent. Within the Heavenly River, a towering wave rose and lifted his boat. The vessel rode the crest of wind and wave, and Yun Tianzun's robes fluttered in the wind. Below lay a landscape of magnificent sweep, colorful clouds drifting leisurely, all taken in at a single glance.

This was his era!

He was destined to become the tide-rider of this magnificent age, to lead the human race toward an unprecedented glory, to leave the boldest stroke in the annals of history!

He would preside over the death of the Great Emperor, the death of the Heavenly Emperor; the Age of the Ancient Gods would gradually draw to a close at his hands, and the Heavenly Alliance would fall into schism at his hands as well.

Those who overthrew the Ancient Gods would inevitably replace them as rulers.

And of all this, Yun Tianzun still knew nothing.

He merely gazed upon the mist-shrouded landscape, his breast brimming with heroic ambition. A great wave fell, and the Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot drove out from the mists upon the Heavenly River, emerging once more into the Longhan Era.

Yet times had changed and circumstances had shifted; it was now an unknown number of years since the Xiaohan Heavenly Court. In that era, Mu Tianzun's earth-shaking exploits had set off a great transformation, but few remained who knew of what Mu Tianzun had done. Shen Mu steadied himself, altered his appearance, and transformed once more into Mu Qing.

"I wonder what year of Longhan this is. What a pity—even our eldest senior brother cannot say for certain in what year the Ghost Ship docked in Longhan.

" Shen Mu rose to his feet and said to Yan'er, "Yan'er, hang the lantern well. The wind and waves are strong—do not let them snuff it out.

" Yan'er acknowledged the order, hung the lantern securely, and said, "Young Master, will I be able to see my mother this time?

" Shen Mu smiled and said, "So long as nothing unexpected happens, this time we should be able to meet the Southern Emperor. Rest assured—once we meet her, we can lay our plans with ease.

Even if the Fire Tianzun kills her in the future, she will not truly die.

" He clasped his hands behind his back, watching Yan'er hang the lantern, his heart full of confidence. Yan'er let out a cheer and busied herself diligently feeding the Dragon Qilin and the six Heavenly Dragons, then fished the little Tubo out from the Dragon Qilin's ear and fed it spirit pills.

Little Tubo sat on its haunches, clutching a spirit pill that was still enormous to it, gnawing away with all its might. On the Heavenly River, boats came and went in bustling procession.

Shen Mu pushed open the carriage window and looked out. He saw that the boats on the Heavenly River were now far more numerous than in the early years of Longhan, and the human race had clearly flourished as well.

Shen Mu saw many human deities steering tower ships and painted barges along the Heavenly River. "Yun Tianzun governs the world well—truly a man of great ability. " Shen Mu broke into a smile and thought, "He must be Yun Tiandi by now, surely?

What a pity I could not meet him the last time I went to Longhan.

Perhaps this time I will have the chance. Come to think of it, we met only once, at the Jade Pool Grand Gathering in the early years of Longhan, and we never had a proper conversation.

" He suddenly paused, startled.

Strangely enough, Yun Tianzun's dying instructions left to the Yun family had also mentioned this: Yun Tianzun had never met Mu Tianzun. He could only borrow Shen Mu's identity and, through the great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha's cultivation method, transform himself into Mu Tianzun to act in the world. "Could it be that we truly have never met? " Shen Mu could not help but shiver.

Could it be that Yun Tianzun and Mu Tianzun were forever doomed to stand on opposite banks of history, gazing at each other from afar?

What a desolate thing that would be. "Long Pi, let us pay another visit to the human race's Xiaohan Heavenly Court. " Shen Mu's voice drifted from within the carriage, faint and distant: "I want to see how all my old acquaintances of the human race are doing. " The Dragon Qilin acknowledged and whispered to Yan'er, "The Sect Master is very strange.

He used to always call me Dragon Fatty, but now he has changed to calling me Long Pi—my true name. Strange. . .

" Yan'er could not suppress a laugh and said, "How are you clever in great matters yet muddled in small ones?

Dragon Fatty is your childhood name; Long Pi is your formal name. Before, he thought you were still young and immature, so he called you Dragon Fatty at every turn.

Now he thinks you have matured and grown up, so he solemnly addresses you by your formal name.

Parents and elders are all like this—once they feel you have grown up, they call you by your full name.

" "Bah, bah, nonsense! The Sect Master does not raise me as a son!

" "Oh, he does not? Then who cooks for you? Who teaches you cultivation methods?

Who always dotes on you? " The Dragon Qilin's expression went blank, and little Tubo snickered with a honking laugh. The Dragon Qilin drooped its head and ears, thoroughly dejected: "My Beast-Rearing Manual was probably practiced in vain. My Dao heart is about to collapse. . .

" The Heavenly Dragon Treasure Chariot headed toward the middle reaches of the Heavenly River, where the human race's Xiaohan Heavenly Court had been established ahead.

Shen Mu was greatly stirred: "Perhaps this time I will be able to meet Yun Tianzun. I hope he is at the Xiaohan Heavenly Court now!

" The Xiaohan Heavenly Court was far grander in scale than before.

Seen from afar, it was resplendent in gold and jade, most imposing. The original Heavenly Court still stood, though it was small in scale; now the human race's deities had erected many palaces and halls around it and diverted more tributaries of the Heavenly River to bear these palaces aloft.

Shen Mu gazed into the distance and saw many boats emerging from the tributaries, coming and going in lively bustle. Some deities were also flying up to the Xiaohan Heavenly Court from the lower realms, leaving trails of light in the air. "Yun Tianzun has governed it very well indeed.