Chapter 1201 — Heroes, Old and Young

Leaving the Tianyin Realm, Shen Mu walked toward the capital of Jingping, carrying a lantern. Suddenly he felt a stir in his heart and turned to look: there stood the Yuan Tree, lush and towering, at the very center of the Yuan Realm.

The celestial palace of Celestial Venerable Xiao drifted among the canopy of the Yuan Tree, and beside it was Xiao's divine artifact, Yutianzun, keeping the Yuan Realm suppressed. At that moment, the divine artifact Yutianzun was looking at him.

Shen Mu smiled slightly and bowed in greeting; Yutianzun inclined its head, then withdrew its gaze.

Shen Mu was about to head back to the capital when a swallow flew down, landed, and transformed into Yan Qiling.

She stood gracefully before him and saluted. "My master ordered me to come to Celestial Venerable Mu and say that if he cannot hold the Ancestral Court's domain, my master is willing to help, for he has many mighty experts under his command. " Shen Mu stopped and said, "Go back and tell him that I can hold my own domain. He need not trouble himself.

" Yan Qiling looked deeply at him and said, "This time my master has commanded me to go to the Ancestral Court, to guard the Primordial Ore Lode and mine Primordial Divine Stones. " Shen Mu said, "Take care.

" Yan Qiling paused for a moment, then smiled. "I will.

" With that, she turned and left.

When Shen Mu returned to the capital of Jingping, the Pill Master, the First Ancestor, the Human Sovereign, and the Human Sovereigns of every generation had already been there for some time, along with the Blind Old Man and the Silent Artisan.

The Silent Artisan had brought a dozen or so gaily dressed girls, Heavenly Artificers under the Western Emperor, and there was also a group of Jingping's younger generation, an impressive gathering of talents. Shen Mu scanned the crowd and saw many familiar faces among the young. One was Jiang Yunjian, son of Jiang Baigui, the former imperial tutor of Jingping, now grown into a handsome young man in his twenties. Jiang Yunjian hurried forward to greet Shen Mu and called him Uncle.

Shen Mu was a little displeased and said gravely and earnestly, "Yunjian, your father is older than I am, so do not call me Uncle. " Jiang Yunjian hesitated.

"Foster Father. . .

" Shen Mu flushed crimson and brushed the young man aside.

Jiang Yunjian said timidly, "Godfather.

. . " Off to one side, there was a big-headed youth, none other than Shujun, skulking in the crowd, terrified that Shen Mu would see him.

But his head was too big, and Shen Mu caught sight of him, dragged him out, and demanded angrily, "Are you going to the Ancestral Court too? " Divine King Shujun said with a fawning smile, "Why can't I go to the Ancestral Court?

The Ancestral Court is the Creator's ancestral court, not yours. " Shen Mu's expression changed, and Divine King Shujun hastily added, "I know the Ancestral Court well. At least I am one of its native lords, so I can certainly be of use to you! Besides, what would I do there—raise a rebellion against you? The Creator has already declined. I have not a single Creator under my command; even I myself no longer seem like a Creator but rather more like a mortal human.

I am now a rising young talent of Jingping, with quite a reputation! " Shen Mu hesitated and said, "I am afraid that when you recall your former glory, you will not be able to resist stirring up trouble.

Your territory has already been occupied by the Supreme Emperor.

" Shujun said carelessly, "Then I'll take it back in the future.

" Shen Mu had no choice but to allow it. As the party prepared to depart, Ling Yuxiu ordered the Directorate of Works to send a swift vessel.

Everyone boarded it. The swift vessel was not large—only a little over ten zhang from stem to stern. Ling Yuxiu saw them off and handed Shen Mu a taotie pouch.

"Inside is a spirit-energy transfer bridge.

Once you are outside the Ancestral Court, you can set up the transfer bridge and establish communication with Jingping. " Shen Mu pondered for a moment, then nodded.

The swift vessel sailed into the spirit-energy transfer bridge leading to the Zaofu Celestial Palace and, before long, appeared within it. No sooner had they arrived at the Zaofu Celestial Palace—the supreme holy ground of the Heavenly Court's artifact forging—than they saw towered warships dozens of li, even hundreds of li, long already getting under way.

Those were the great towered warships of the disciples under the ten Celestial Venerables of the Heavenly Court, like floating continents in the sky. They had been refitted at the Zaofu Celestial Palace and replenished with alchemical stones; divine and demonic soldiers stood aboard in full armor, gods ranged in serried ranks, killing intent seething everywhere. Clearly they were bound for the Ancestral Court as well.

On those towered warships, alchemical furnaces blazed with white light, every great furnace like a small sun. At the center of each warship's deck was a spirit-energy transfer bridge, linking the vessel to the Heavenly Court for convenient reinforcements.

Every great ship flew a banner, embroidered with different totemic emblems and script, representing the ten Celestial Venerables—Hao, Xiao, Hong, Gong, Qiang, Huo, and the others. "Foster Father, should we hoist Celestial Venerable Mu's banner?

" Jiang Yunjian asked. Shen Mu was about to speak when the Silent Artisan and the Blind Old Man delightedly took out a banner embroidered with an ox and a cowherd, together with the character Mu, and hoisted it up.

The towered warships on either side looked down at the little swift vessel, and waves of mocking laughter drifted over.

"Celestial Venerable Mu! " A deity aboard one ship leaned down and smiled.

"Your vessel is small and slow, hardly worthy of your noble status.

Why not come over here?

We are all heading to the Ancestral Court, so we can carry Your Venerable along the way. " The Blind Old Man said angrily, "You eye-blind fools! How could shallow-witted creatures like you imagine the virtues of this vessel?

" Even so, he was uneasy and quietly asked the Silent Artisan, "Blacksmith, how is this ship? Can it match one of the Heavenly Court's great warships?

" The Silent Artisan measured the Heavenly Court's towered warships and shook his head. "The Heavenly Court's vessels are old-fashioned and consume a great deal of alchemical stones, but their firepower is formidable.

Our ship is small and thinly built; it cannot compare. Once the Heavenly Court's warships open their furnaces to full and pick up speed, they will easily leave us behind. " The Pill Master nodded, sniffed the air, and said, "In their furnaces, the spiritual energy in the alchemical stones does not burn thoroughly, but the stones they use are all of the highest quality; when they blaze, their firepower is ferocious. Jingping's furnaces may be more refined, but their chambers are small—they cannot match it.

" The fleet sailed out of the Heavenly Court. One after another, the towered warships under the ten Celestial Venerables opened their alchemical furnaces to full power and accelerated with tremendous speed, leaving trails of light in the starry sky and flinging the little vessel far behind. Shen Mu took out the lantern of Celestial Venerable Yue and hung it from the mast.

The swift vessel still moved forward at its leisurely pace, and yet very soon they saw the Heavenly Court warships ahead; before long, the swift vessel had reached a position in front of them. On the warships were countless faces of shock. Everyone turned to look back and saw that the Heavenly Court warships had already been cast far behind, without a trace.

After several days, the swift vessel drew near the Ancestral Court.