Chapter 1421 — Brilliant Diction

You Ten Heavenly Venerables, plus the Lord of the Heaven Alliance—and still you cannot touch a hair of us! " He turned and stepped through the gate, laughing, "Your Heaven Alliance—I come when I please, I go when I please! You have generals like the Ten Heavenly Venerables under your command, and they are utterly useless! I am ashamed on your behalf!

Farewell! " Boom— Violent aftershocks of divine ability came from the depths of the void; the eight Heavenly Venerables' powers burst there but struck only empty air, leaving the thirty-fifth void quaking without pause.

Shen Mu's face went livid. He stepped quickly forward several paces, shook and snapped both sleeves back, and raised his eyes to the void—Kaihuang and Heavenly Venerable Yue had vanished without a trace. Heavenly Venerable Xu, Hong, Huo, Yan and the others were about to give chase when Heavenly Venerable Hao gave a cold snort, raised his hand, and said mildly, "No need to pursue.

.

. " "Do not chase a cornered foe!

" Shen Mu said loudly, "Heavenly Venerables, today is a great day for the Heaven Alliance. There is no need to trouble yourselves over the rebels Shen and Yue—the gathering comes first! " The Heavenly Venerables knew well that Heavenly Venerable Yue's divine ability was vast; once she broke out of their encirclement, there would be no catching her again. And with Kaihuang—Shen Ye, Heavenly Venerable Shen—present as well, even if they caught up, without an encirclement they would likely be powerless against them. The Heavenly Venerables returned, their expressions shifting between light and dark.

Shen Mu raised a hand, inviting everyone to be seated, and said in a clear voice, "The rebels Shen and Yue do indeed possess extraordinary divine abilities. This time we received them with courtesy, yet they willfully wrecked the Heaven Alliance gathering—truly wolfish ambition! Heavenly Venerable Huo, are your wounds grave?

" Heavenly Venerable Huo bore several hundred sword wounds on his body; hearing this, he gave a cold snort.

Shen Mu sighed long and deep. "I too am wounded.

My friends, it is this alliance lord's incompetence that I could not protect you all—that Heavenly Venerable Huo was wounded as well. " He raised his right hand.

When the Broken Sword had been shattered by Kaihuang, his palm had been left streaming with blood—a sorry sight indeed. Shen Mu's right hand trembled; his voice came out hoarse.

"Though I am the founder of the Heaven Alliance, my strength is slight, and I fear I am unfit for the seat of alliance lord.

Today the rebels Shen and Yue attacked, and I could not protect the Heaven Alliance. I am willing to resign the position of alliance lord!

" Two clear tears slid down his cheeks and fell from his jaw. He choked out low words, but his voice was so faint that others could scarcely make out what he said.

Plainly he could not bear to part with the Heaven Alliance he had founded with his own hands, yet for the sake of its future he was forced to give up the seat of alliance lord. After a moment, Shen Mu rallied his spirits and said loudly, "I nominate Heavenly Venerable Hao to succeed me as alliance lord!

Heavenly Venerable Hao is a man of high virtue and prestige, and he is the pioneer of the Five Luminaries Divine Treasury.

With him as Lord of the Heaven Alliance, the day when we uproot Lord Heaven, avenge Heavenly Venerable Yu, and realize the Heaven Alliance's ambitions is close at hand! " His gaze, full of earnest hope, settled upon Heavenly Venerable Hao. Heavenly Venerable Hao's eyes twitched.

He said solemnly, "The seat of alliance lord rests not on martial strength but on talent, merit, and reputation.

In all three, I am inferior to Heavenly Venerable Mu. There is no need for Heavenly Venerable Mu to blame himself, and no need to decline.

" Shen Mu's face showed difficulty; he looked to Heavenly Venerable Huo.

"Heavenly Venerable Hao firmly declines—a noble and upright gesture. Heavenly Venerable Huo is the pioneer of the Heaven-Man Realm, the Five Pairs of Heaven and Man. He possesses great merit and great wisdom, and time and again in the darkness he has pointed the way for the human race, wiping out such rebels as Heavenly Venerable Yun, Emperor Ming, the Supreme Emperor, Heavenly Venerable Yue, and Heavenly Venerable Ling.

Though Heavenly Venerable Huo is of the human race, he does not favor the human race; his noble character commands admiration. As for the seat of Lord of the Heaven Alliance. .

. " Heavenly Venerable Huo's eyes were tightly shut; he forcibly suppressed his rage. The wheel of flame behind his head warped, and he said in a hoarse voice, "I am inferior to Heavenly Venerable Mu. " Shen Mu looked earnestly toward Heavenly Venerable Hong.

Heavenly Venerable Hong smiled.

"Heavenly Venerable Mu need not decline. I am but a Great Sage of the demon race, without merit or virtue; I am unfit for the alliance lord's seat. " Shen Mu looked to Heavenly Consort Yan.

She shook her head and said softly, "As a consort of His Majesty, it is not fitting for me to show myself in public. Heavenly Venerable Mu is a man of high virtue and prestige; to have him hold the seat of alliance lord is the wish of all. He should not decline. " Shen Mu's gaze swept across the faces of the other Heavenly Venerables. The Ancestral God King, Divine Emperor Langxuan, Heavenly Consort Qiang, and the rest all shook their heads, each declining in turn. "You all cherish me so.

" Shen Mu sighed in melancholy and wept again. "I can only make shift to remain in the alliance lord's seat for now.

If one day any of you feels his talent, merit, and reputation surpass mine, there is no need to raise a hand to kill me—only speak, and I shall step down and yield to the worthier.

" He looked around the room, his expression grave, and said in a heavy voice, "Just now Heavenly Venerable Huo spoke of Lord Heaven's great evils and called for a punitive campaign against him, and Lord Heaven is connected to the rebel Shen. Then the first great matter of today is to settle the grand plan for that campaign!

Ancestral God King, you shall draft the proclamation denouncing Lord Heaven, enumerating his crimes one by one! " Hearing this, the Ancestral God King could not help but start. The denunciation proclamation—had he not already handed it to Shen Mu?

Why was he being asked to hand it over a second time? "This wretch, having schemed against Heavenly Venerable Huo, means to scheme against me as well!

" The Ancestral God King was furious, yet his expression did not change.

He took up his brush and wrote on the spot, quickly completing the denunciation proclamation and handing it to Shen Mu. Shen Mu read it through and praised it: "Brilliant diction. "