Chapter 1261 — Heavily Wounding a Formidable Foe

The whole of the Divine City — a million heavenly soldiers and generals — had all at once become Tai Di's mouthpieces!

Shen Mu could not help but feel a chill of dread. Tai Di's divine consciousness was so mighty that even Shang Pingyin had fallen under his control, with no strength left to resist!

Even a mighty one of the Great Emperor's throne like Shang Pingyin, it seemed, had no idea that his mind had been invaded by Tai Di's consciousness; he would keep no memory of having been parasitized by Tai Di! Shen Mu struggled to steady his heart and smiled.

"Fellow Daoist Tai Di wishes to talk? Then let us talk.

What does Tai Di wish to discuss?

" Shang Pingyin smiled. "Mu Tianzun, you are a clever man; you must know what I wish to discuss. " Shen Mu's expression turned grave.

"The Creator of the Void of the Other Shore — that is not open for discussion! If you have come for that, then you may go back.

My bottom line cannot be negotiated! " Shang Pingyin laughed heartily. "Fine!

Then we will not discuss the Creator.

I have come to discuss the Primordial Stone of Taichu in your brow! " Shen Mu's eye twitched.

The vertical eye in his brow was ordinarily kept shut; others could see only a slight bulge there, and could never tell that he had an eye in his forehead. Only when the need arose would he open that vertical eye in his brow.

But Tai Di had seen this eye many times, and the power of that vertical eye was terrifying beyond measure — and its pupil was the Primordial Stone of Taichu itself.

As the first master of the Primordial Stone, Tai Di could hardly be deceived about the stone in Shen Mu's eye.

"You want the Primordial Stone?

" Shen Mu smiled. "It is not impossible. What will you trade for it?

" "The Land of No Sorrow of Taixu, and the Creator's life. " Shang Pingyin said, "Give me the Primordial Stone, and I will leave at once, and be an enemy of the Land of No Sorrow no more, nor of the Creator of Taixu. The grudges between us can be wiped clean as well! " Shen Mu smiled ambiguously. "Trading a misty, uncertain future for present gain — Tai Di calculates well; snaring a white wolf with empty hands.

Unless you hold the fate of the Land of No Sorrow and the Creator of Taixu in your grip, I will not trade with you. As things stand, the Land of No Sorrow and the Creator of Taixu are perfectly well; only a fool would trade them away.

Name another condition. " Shang Pingyin stared straight at him. "Aren't you afraid I will simply kill you and take the Primordial Stone? " Shen Mu smiled faintly. "If you could act, you would have acted long ago.

Shang Pingyin and Beiluo Shimen are formidable indeed, but controlling so many armies at once must make maneuvering inconvenient.

And I happen to have grasped the flaw in your Supreme Dalu Divine Consciousness. If you want to kill me, you must do it in a single blow; otherwise, once the Fire Tianzun and the Void Tianzun are alerted, you will not be able to bear it.

" Shang Pingyin was silent a moment, then said, "How do you want to trade? " "The Heavenly Court will surely send a third Tianzun.

I want you to intercept this Tianzun and prevent him from descending into Taixu! " Shen Mu said decisively. "Do that, and I will dig the Primordial Stone out of my Sacred Pupil and give it to you!

" Shang Pingyin pondered a moment, musing, "Then this third Tianzun must be Hao Tianzun. Hao Tianzun is the foremost of the ten Tianzuns, his strength unfathomable. . .

" Shen Mu said mildly, "Moreover, Hao Tianzun will very likely bring a divine artifact, the Yutianzun, with him.

Hao Tianzun plus the artifact Yutianzun — his power would be even more fearsome. As the first ruler of the ancient era, Tai Di most likely does not have the strength to deal with him. " "Do not try to provoke me with such talk; that trick does not work on me. " Shang Pingyin said leisurely, "My consciousness is lodged in the ultimate void, transformed into the Dalu Heaven of Divine Consciousness — undying, indestructible, the foremost man of the Great Dao.

Hao Tianzun is powerful, but not invincible.

I can intercept him.

Have the Primordial Stone ready.

" Shen Mu smiled. "Tai Di trusts me so?

" Shang Pingyin said coolly, "If you do not give it, I will parasitize everyone in Jingping. " Shen Mu shuddered. Shang Pingyin laughed heartily, and suddenly the soldiers throughout the city regained their senses and went on with their business.

Shang Pingyin too came to himself. He seemed to sense something amiss, looked around, somewhat puzzled, then noticed Shen Mu's arrival and was startled; he saluted and said, "When did Mu Tianzun arrive?

" Shen Mu said politely, "I have only just arrived.

Seeing the Heavenly Master lost in thought, I did not disturb you. " Shang Pingyin smiled. "Has the Tianzun come to probe my formation?

" Shen Mu could not help laughing. "The Heavenly Master's formation — I saw it six hundred thousand years ago; it is truly extraordinary.

If the Heavenly Master still wishes to compare skills, I shall invite Longshan Sanren to have a match with you. " Shang Pingyin's expression changed drastically; the hidden wound in his Dao heart flared up again, and he recalled that terrifying scene on the Heavenly River six hundred thousand years ago. Shen Mu patted his shoulder and left the Divine City, saying, "Six hundred thousand years have passed; you should have thought of a counter by now, no?

A pity — it is already out of date. " Shang Pingyin's face shifted between light and dark as he watched the departing figure.

Fierceness showed in his eyes; he wanted to strike and kill him, yet had to endure. Six hundred thousand years ago — Longshan Sanren, the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner, the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace — that battle had been the greatest defeat of his life, the shadow that had haunted him ever since!

He clenched his fists tightly and suddenly cried out, "Mu Tianzun, this time I will never be defeated again! " Shen Mu halted, turned around, and showed a radiant smile.

"Truly?

" "Truly!

" Shang Pingyin's robes flapped as though he would ride the wind away, his spirit piercing the rainbow. He said in a deep voice, "Even if Longshan Sanren returns, he will be no match for me! These six hundred thousand years have not been spent in vain! Tianzun, do not underestimate me!

" Shen Mu turned back and said gently, smiling, "I have met Longshan Sanren; I saw him and the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner. Since we are on somewhat friendly terms, I have seen his present attainments in the craft of formations. Since the First Heavenly Master has the will to overcome his foe, I shall reveal his formation to you in advance. " His vital essence burst forth, transforming into the twenty-eight heavens of the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner, with all manner of gods and men surrounding one strange treasure after another to arrange the formation; the twenty-eight heavens shifted and evolved without cease, the formation exquisite beyond measure, exhausting every possible transformation.

Shen Mu said kindly, "Let the Heavenly Master first consider how to break the formation, lest when Longshan Sanren arrives you be thrown into confusion with no answer. I take my leave. " With that, he turned and departed.

Shang Pingyin stared at the formation within the twenty-eight heavens, cold sweat on his brow, brooding bitterly over how to array his forces and break the twenty-eight-heaven formation. This formation differed from the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner he had seen before; the various strange treasures within it had all been reforged and refined, made more precise and more powerful! Not only that — even the one weakness of the Lapis Lazuli Azure Heaven Banner had been specially attended to by "Longshan Sanren"!