Chapter 1313 — The Giant Shadow Returns

Shen Mu's face lost every trace of blood in an instant, going pale as death, and he said in a trembling voice: "Brother Taiyi, do not jest! How could I possibly bear it? I will summon my entire family and move away at once!

" The youthful Taiyi watched him with a faint, ambiguous smile and did not try to stop him.

Shen Mu waited a while, and seeing that Taiyi made no move to stop him, he nonetheless did not leave.

"I know you very well, Mu Tianzun," the youthful Taiyi said with a smile.

"Back when you were studying at the Hidden Remnant Village, I transformed into a Crested Fire Pheasant Dragon and observed you for several years. Mu Tianzun, faced with a situation like this, you would feel no fear; instead, you would feel an even keener curiosity. " Shen Mu sagged, feeling that everything about him had been seen through. The youthful Taiyi went on: "If it were anyone else, the great horror of this place—or even the horror of having seen the previous universe annihilated—would suffice to crush his Dao heart and drive him to utter collapse.

But last time, you took Taisu to the previous epoch and witnessed the destruction of the universe firsthand.

When you came back, your Dao heart was wholly unhindered. Instead, you were ready to search for Taisu and kill her. " Shen Mu laughed. "The past cannot be chased. Cherish the present and the future—that is what the Hidden Remnant Village taught me. " Curiosity rose in him again, and he asked: "Brother, did you truly transform into a Crested Fire Pheasant Dragon?

" The youthful Taiyi nodded helplessly. Shen Mu said eagerly: "Then during the New Year, were you carried onto our dining table?

" The youthful Taiyi grew even more helpless and nodded again.

"It was the Blind Old Man who did the deed.

He said I was the fattest, and you all enjoyed it greatly. .

. But enough of that. You will never leave the Hundred Thousand Black Mountains. Since you won't leave, what will you do?

" Shen Mu's eyes blazed. He suddenly smacked his palm and laughed: "Keep mining, of course! Gold is everywhere here.

Dig out the veins left from the previous epoch, and it's all treasure, enough to build up Jingping!

" The youthful Taiyi was silent for a long moment. Shen Mu continued: "And we'll take their treasures too! Every last one of their treasures must be of the finest grade.

Naturally, they won't be willing, so I need to forge a treasure specially for chopping off their hands!

" The youthful Taiyi was stunned for a while, then said: "If they climb over from the previous epoch.

. . " "Then we kill them," Shen Mu said carelessly, laughing.

"Kill one for every one that comes; it's not such a great matter. With your seals suppressing this place, they can't all come crawling out at once, can they?

" The youthful Taiyi sighed. "If the Ancestral Court becomes a battlefield again, they truly might crawl out. By then, even I could not suppress them. " Shen Mu laughed heartily, brimming with confidence: "The Ten Celestial Venerables check one another—who would dare act in the Ancestral Court? The Primordial Heavenly Emperor, the Earth Earl, and the Sky Lord all know its dangers, and the Empress and her sisters know its perils too.

They won't make a move.

Brother Taiyi, you are worrying over shadows! " Even as he spoke, Jiang Yunjian flew over: "Godfather, a messenger from Consort Yan requests an audience. " Shen Mu's heart stirred.

He thrust the willow branch and the small iron bucket back into the youthful Taiyi's hands and laughed: "My business has come, Brother Taiyi.

You'll have to mend these black mountains yourself. " The youthful Taiyi helplessly took the willow branch and lifted the bucket, watching him walk away. Jiang Yunjian was about to slip off, but the youthful Taiyi called him back.

He had no choice but to stand obediently and take the willow branch and small iron bucket from Taiyi, then reluctantly mend that expanse of heaven and earth. At first, mending the Great Black Mountain had been interesting and new, but in the years since Shen Mu left, they had been helping Taiyi mend it, and they had long since grown tired of it. Consort Yan's messenger was Xiu Hongsu.

Bearing the consort's invitation, she bowed and offered it forward: "Mu Tianzun, Her Ladyship the Consort has come; please move your steps to meet her. " "Wait a moment, Xiu Xiu.

" Shen Mu went to find the Egg of the Primordial Beginning.

The great egg had been placed by Yan'er in a bird's nest to hatch, and beside it were flowers arranged in a ring. Because the void beasts were under Long Qilin's control, the Ancestral Court had gradually recovered its vigor, and flowers, grass, and trees had grown anew. The Egg of the Primordial Beginning felt as though a weight had been lifted—it truly could not endure Yan'er's attentive care—and hurried away with Shen Mu, leaving Yan'er somewhat regretful.

Long Qilin hurried up and said: "Patriarch, these days I have been controlling and drilling the void beasts and obtained many treasures. They are all stored in the treasury of our Hundred Thousand Sacred Mountains.

Please find time to look them over. " He wore an expectant expression.

Shen Mu laughed: "I'll first go to Consort Yan's gathering and look at them when I return. Oh, Long Pi, the Grand Emperor has been reborn. In the future, he will surely try to take back the Void Mother Beast, and use the mother to command the other void beasts.

The Ancestral Court may well face a calamity.

Ask Taiyi more about it, and see what he has in mind. " "The Grand Emperor? " Long Qilin was awed. Shen Mu walked toward Xiu Hongsu, and Long Qilin hurried after him: "Patriarch, won't you look in on our own treasury? " Shen Mu was troubled and said: "This matter is urgent.

I am going to negotiate with Consort Yan and obtain some Primordial Divine Stones.

When I return, I will certainly look at the treasures you have gathered. " Long Qilin, seeing an outsider present, had to hold his tongue.

He watched Shen Mu and Xiu Hongsu leave, thinking: "Primordial Divine Stones? We have plenty in our treasury. The stones that Xiu Hongsu and her people dug out—I've taken almost all of them, and they're sitting in our treasury.

Let me count the days: today is when the Ancestral God King's domain sends its excavated treasures back to the heavenly court. I should be on my way as well. . . " He let out a low roar, and an immensely towering void beast emerged from the depths of the void. Long Qilin leaped onto the back of this Void Mother Beast and shouted: "Awaken your children—we're going raiding!

" The Void Mother Beast was even stronger than before, its body several times larger; it shook the bone mountains on its back, and because the bones were hollow, the air flowing through them let out shrill shrieks.

Countless void beasts emerged from the void and, in a vast, overwhelming host, swept away with Long Qilin and the Void Mother Beast at their center. Shen Mu sat in Xiu Hongsu's treasure chariot, which was very fast, for it was Consort Yan's own carriage.

At that moment, Shen Mu suddenly sensed ripples in the void. He pushed open the carriage window and looked out into the void.

Strange to say, ever since Taiyi had dripped a drop of water into his vertical eye, the vertical eye in the middle of his brow could easily see through everything in the Ancestral Court—even the void itself! He saw, in the depths of the void, countless void beasts dashing along like a wolf pack, and at their center was a mother beast of an even grander frame.

And on the mother beast's back, he saw Long Qilin standing there! "What is Fatty Long up to now?

" he wondered. Xiu Hongsu also leaned out to look, but saw nothing. Although she was a great expert of the Imperial Throne realm, she did not possess Shen Mu's remarkable eyes. "What is Mu Tianzun looking at?

" Xiu Hongsu asked with a smile. Shen Mu withdrew his gaze and smiled: "Nothing.

A few little birds just flew past in the sky.