Chapter 1461 — A Lonely Moon Shines on the River's Clear Ripples

On the Heavenly River, Shen Mu, Zaifu, Tian Shu and the others sat aboard a swift boat whose cabin was packed with fine wine. Tian Shu, the Heavenly King, was so frantic with impatience that he scratched at his ears and cheeks, and every so often he would reach for a jar to drink his fill, only for Zaifu to slap his hand away with the flat of his blade. "Go easy on the drinking. " Luo Wushuang said coldly, "You're as timid as a mouse.

This boatload of wine is all we have, and you mean to save it for when you face the Heavenly Venerable, to pluck up your courage.

Drink it all on the road, and when you stand before the Heavenly Venerable you'll be so frightened you'll wet yourself. " Tian Shu the Heavenly King sneered, "I'll be frightened into wetting myself? That's right, I will be frightened into wetting myself!

Luo Wushuang, when you face the Heavenly Venerable, can you truly say you won't quail? " Luo Wushuang looked at his divine saber and said mildly, "No. Ever since I shattered the god in my heart, no one who stands before me can stop me from drawing my blade.

" Tian Shu gave a muffled snort. "After a drink, neither can I. " Zhe Huali sat on the gunwale, watching Shen Mu, and suddenly laughed.

"Sect Master Shen, what realm are you in now, really?

I've noticed that your trip to the Heavenly Court wasn't entirely fruitless—your cultivation has deepened a great deal. " "The Nine Hells Terrace realm. " Shen Mu thought for a moment.

"Roughly equivalent to your Jade Capital realm.

Though I have the Five Supremes realm on top of that. " The others could not help but grow curious and crowded forward to ask.

Shen Mu explained, "From first to last I have only ever had one realm: the Primal Embryo Divine Treasury. And my Primal Embryo Divine Treasury realm divides into two kinds of realm. One is the Dao realm—that is, the thirty-sixfold heaven Dao realm system. The other is the Great Ancestral Court realm. In truth the Dao realm and the Great Ancestral Court realm are entangled together; as one's cultivation rises, the Dao realm rises with it. The Great Ancestral Court realm divides into the Heavenly Palace Heavenly Court realm and the Five Supremes realm. The Heavenly Palace Heavenly Court realm is the very system you cultivate—only mine differs somewhat.

I developed the Nine Hells Terrace, one realm more than you have. But I have yet to figure out how the Jade Capital realm is divided within the Ancestral Court. I have never seen the Jade Capital City of the Ancestral Court. Whether the Jade Capital realm contains Lingxiao and the Imperial Throne is still unknown.

As for the Five Supremes realm, I am still groping my way. I have refined four of the Supremes in a preliminary way, comprehended several divine abilities, and grasped a few heavens of the Dao realm. Whether five distinct realms can be formed remains to be seen.

" Shen Mu mused a while. "That is roughly the whole of it. " The other four were struck dumb, mouths agape, and for a long moment could not speak.

Zhe Huali stammered, "You comprehended all this in the Ancestral Court?

" Shen Mu laughed. "If you go to the Ancestral Court, you should walk the Four Great Heaven Gates, the Jade Pool and Jade Terrace, and the Nine Hells Terrace.

With the five of us joined, we can reach the thirtieth heaven of the Dao realm; but apart, none of us stands very high—the highest is still me, at the twenty-sixth heaven of the Dao realm. If you can make the rounds of those places, most likely your Dao realms will catch up to mine. " He paused, then added, "Most likely you will still be a hair behind—but not by much. " Zhe Huali was so excited he rubbed his fists and palms together. "If I come back alive from Xuandu this time, I'll certainly make that journey! " "Bah, bah!

Great fortune, great fortune! " Tian Shu spat several times.

"Children's words carry no weight—say no more of such unlucky things. " Shen Mu smiled confidently.

"This time the Heavenly Dao, seeking to preserve itself—once we reach Xuandu, when the Heavenly Dao senses our Dao hearts, with its blessing our strength will rise another step.

It is not impossible that we survive!

And with the aid of such powers as Kaihuang, Langwan, the Moon Heavenly Venerable, and the Nether Heavenly Venerable, we will surely turn peril into—" Before the word "safety" could leave his mouth, Shen Mu's gaze went blank as he stared ahead. The others hurried to look. A middle-aged man with a sword at his waist was walking along the Heavenly River toward them—none other than Kaihuang, Shen Ye. Kaihuang came to the boat and halted. Zaifu and the others hastily paid their respects, while Tian Shu hid himself in the cabin, not daring to show his face. Shen Mu quickly brought the boat to a stop and leaned half his body out.

"Aren't you going to Xuandu?

What are you doing here? " Kaihuang's face was calm.

"You told me to come to the Ancestral Court, saying that comprehending the Dao realm there could help me break through to the Ultimate Void. So I came.

" Shen Mu said angrily, "At this point you should be preparing for Xuandu, not the Ancestral Court! What were you doing earlier?

" Tian Shu's face turned ashen at these words. In all the world, Shen Mu was likely the only one who dared speak to Kaihuang so. Ever since Kaihuang had wounded several Heavenly Venerables with his sword at the Heaven Alliance Council, even the Ten Heavenly Venerables likely treated him with courtesy.

Kaihuang took no offense. "Earlier the Ten Heavenly Venerables were all here; I had no chance.

Now that they have hurried to Xuandu, I have my chance to walk the Ancestral Court. " Shen Mu was about to speak when Kaihuang went on, "It takes time to travel from the Heavenly River to Xuandu. If I go after comprehending the Ancestral Court, I will still be in time.

You hold them off first. " Shen Mu ground his teeth and watched helplessly as Kaihuang walked toward the Ancestral Court. "Shen Ye, remember to collect my corpse!

" he shouted at Kaihuang's receding back. "Very well," Kaihuang said blandly. Shen Mu pulled off his shoe and hurled it with all his strength.

Kaihuang tilted his head; the shoe missed, then flew back and slipped itself onto Shen Mu's foot.

"Wait—since you're going to the Ancestral Court, do one thing for me!

" Shen Mu put his shoe back on, and a ripple of divine consciousness passed into Kaihuang's mind, conveying the matter.

Kaihuang paused and turned his head. "That will be somewhat difficult.

" Shen Mu said in a low voice, "Can you manage half of it?

" "It can be tried. " He lifted his foot and departed.

Shen Mu snorted and said grimly, "We hold them off!

" The others looked at one another.

Tian Shu poked his head out of the cabin too.

"How do we hold them off?

" Shen Mu gritted his teeth.

"With our heads!

" Tian Shu hastily pulled his head back in. The cheerful mood aboard the boat had vanished without a trace. Everyone was breathing hard. Zaifu scooped up a mouthful of Heavenly River water and whetted his blade at the boat's edge, laughing. "One Kaihuang raises the way of the sword to the thirty-fifth heaven, while we few rough fellows who wield the saber can only reach the thirtieth. Is the way of the saber inferior to the way of the sword?

Gentlemen, it is all up to us! " Yet for all his words, they still could not set their hearts at ease. Just then a faint strain of zither music came from ahead, its melody lovely and stirring, so that even the Heavenly River seemed to leap and dance with it.

Shen Mu soared into the air and looked ahead. The vast Heavenly River was like leaping notes of music, murderous intent hidden within. In the waves that sprang up with the melody, strange divine abilities merged with the river water, ready to strike out at any boat, so that killing intent lurked beneath the river's surface. "It's the Moon Heavenly Venerable's zither!