Chapter 1211 — Breaking Out of the Shell, a Divine Being Descends

Before his eyes lay the horrifying spectacle of an entire universe perishing, all matter reverting to raw energy; against such dreadful power, every Dao art and divine might was utterly useless! Even Shen Mu himself could feel his own Great Dao crumbling, disintegrating, turning into energy!

His physical body was helpless before those appalling waves of annihilation!

His primordial spirit, too, was being torn apart!

He looked back and saw a tree of inconceivable antiquity standing tall amid the dying universe, lush and verdant, wreathed in countless rainbow-hued glows.

"So this is the true body of the Great Black Tree. .

.

" He wanted to return to that divine tree, but when he lifted his foot, he saw that his sole had already turned to flying ash.

Panic flashed across Shen Mu's face, and then a stroke of inspiration came to him; he hastily brought out the ancient divine egg that answered every plea. The egg sensed the strange state of the world in that first instant, seemingly aware that calamity was upon them, and countless resplendent Dao runes flew out from within to ward off the terrible fluctuations of the dying universe. Shen Mu felt the pressure ease at once, and activating the Profound Body Three-Pellet Art, he regrew his foot in a flash. Raising the ancient divine egg high, he charged toward the divine tree.

Sonorous Dao tones rang out from within the egg, wave after wave, repelling the world-destroying impact. Man and egg shot toward the tree like two streaks of light.

The ancient divine egg was furious; though it knew full well that Shen Mu had brought it into this peril, it had no choice now but to rely on him.

The energy of the universe's destruction grew ever more dreadful, and though Shen Mu seemed close to the divine tree, he was in truth far from it; unimaginably terrible energy came crashing down, pressing the ancient egg until it gave off sharp crackling sounds.

At any moment, this ancient divine egg might be crushed! Shen Mu roared, pouring every last measure of his strength into his feet and hurtling forward with all his might, his speed reaching a zenith never achieved before!

He felt space cease to exist; at such ultimate speed, there was no space, no time! At last, he reached the foot of the divine tree. But at that very moment, a world-shattering wave of energy struck, crushing the zone of safety the egg had sustained, and the ancient egg burst with a continuous snapping roar, shards of shell flying in every direction, one of them even slicing Shen Mu's cheek!

Summoning the very last shred of his strength, he dashed beneath the tree, both hands raised high, holding up a great piece of shell from which divine light shot into the heavens, casting a riot of colors over the divine tree.

In the brief instant after he reached the tree, heaven and earth abruptly plunged into darkness, as if he had crossed from one universe into another. Shen Mu exhaled in relief, knowing he had returned to the Great Black Mountain; his legs gave way and he staggered forward several hundred li before he managed to halt.

Suddenly, he felt his hands grow lighter, and he quickly looked up to see that the half shell was empty, nothing but some egg fluid remaining, and the ancient god within the egg had vanished without a trace!

Clutching the great shell and its fluid, Shen Mu was aghast.

He looked around hurriedly, but nowhere could he see that ancient deity. "Did that ancient god remain in the previous universe, or did it slip away while I was fleeing back? " Shen Mu steadied himself, but a vague unease lingered in his heart. If that ancient god had stayed behind in the previous universe, it would surely have perished, its Dao extinguished, annihilated along with that cosmos.

If it had escaped together with him, then it would certainly hold a grudge for nearly being dragged to death; moreover, having been forced out of its shell before maturity, whether in cultivation or in power, it would be far inferior to a fully mature form. This grudge was a grave one!

Shen Mu was weighed down with worry. He had strained so fiercely to comprehend the Dao runes of Taishi's egg not only to rescue Ling Tianzun and Wei Suifeng, but also to learn what this ancient god and Taishi had been discussing.

Now, though he had cracked the Dao runes of Taishi, the ancient god from the all-answering divine egg had slipped away, bearing such a deep grudge - it would surely breed trouble in the future! "Let us hope it died in that universe.

. .

Eh? This egg fluid smells delicious -" Shen Mu's appetite suddenly stirred, and he raised the great shell and took a small, cautious sip.

"Truly delicious! No wonder that ancient god was unwilling to come out of its shell!

Damn - that sip was a bit too much.

. .

it seems I can't refine it. . .

" The next day, as the sky was faintly lightening, all was peace and calm outside the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains; the world-destroying terror of the previous night had vanished, and the ancestral court was just as usual, changed in nothing.

Clutching his stomach with a deeply furrowed brow, Shen Mu felt more and more unwell, for his belly was heavy and leaden after that mouthful of egg fluid last night. At times his belly seemed to hold a surging celestial river; at times a colossal beast churning the seas; at times it was as dense and heavy as if it contained a hundred Mount Merus; at times it seemed to hide a sun, roasting his organs as though they were scorched. That single mouthful of egg fluid could transform into countless forms within his body, utterly impossible to digest!

He could sense that the fluid bore extremely surging and abundant energy, yet not only could he not refine it, it had become a burden. "I must never eat whatever comes to hand from now on. This egg fluid is more poisonous than the grandmaster alchemist's spirit pills.

.

. though it truly is delicious. .

. " Cold sweat broke out on Shen Mu's forehead.

He was about to walk out of the ancestral court when he suddenly saw a mountain peak split open, and a young, lovely woman carrying a bucket came walking toward that peak. Startled, Shen Mu greeted her with a bow: "Brother Taiyi!

" That woman was none other than Taiyi. Seeing him, she could not help shaking her head and said, "Daoist friend, did you go to the previous universe last night? You are quite bold, daring to step beyond the Great Black Mountain after nightfall.

Because of you, Taisu was born prematurely as well - the karma between you and her is no small thing.

" Shen Mu, enduring the fierce pain in his belly, asked, "Do you know where she is hiding? " The woman shook her head.

"I do know, but I cannot tell you. Your intentions are dubious.

" Shen Mu frowned. The woman smiled.

"You drank her egg fluid?

That is the substance of her attainment of the Dao. The karma is now even deeper. " Shen Mu humbly sought instruction: "How can this enmity be resolved? " "It cannot be resolved.

" The woman shook her head.

"She was already wary because of Taichu's birth, and having been dug out by the Creator, she trusts no one.

She is also ambitious - conflict with you was only a matter of time.

Lord Mu, I can, however, teach you a way to dissolve the egg fluid. " Shen Mu's heart stirred.

The woman went on, "Taisu was born within the Taisu mineral veins.

By absorbing the power of Taisu divine stones and Taisu primordial stones, she can refine the egg fluid and grasp the Great Dao of Taisu.

If you use a Taisu divine stone, you can dissolve the energy in the egg fluid. " Shen Mu bowed and thanked her. The woman smiled. "I am doing this with an eye to the future, which is why I am guiding you.

Moreover, I have already taken advantage of you - even if I did not tell you, you would soon learn the use of the Taisu divine stone.