Chapter 1661 — The Strange Beast's Congratulatory Gift

Shen Mu regarded him with a calm expression, and after a long while, he smiled and said, "If Your Majesty had me as an opponent, you would likely not only refrain from shedding tears, but would be racking your brains over how to eliminate me. What Your Majesty desires is eternal power, to hold such power firmly in your grasp. It is merely that when you saw me, you were momentarily overcome by sentimentality."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, his voice so loud and resonant that the waters of the Heavenly River trembled without cease.

"You speak the truth."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao looked at him directly, the smile on his face gradually fading, and said in a deep voice, "If you had not conceded defeat, I truly would have been plagued with a splitting headache. I could kill every soul in Jingping, but even if only you remained, I would not be able to eat or sleep in peace. The threat you pose is greater even than that of Kaihuang Shen Ye!"

Hearing him mention Kaihuang, Shen Mu could not help but feel a pang of sorrow.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao's gaze fell upon his face, and sensing the faint ripples emanating from his dao heart, he smiled slightly and said, "You possess an indestructible body. No one in this world can kill you—not even I, the foremost man of this age. Even if I were to cast you into the ultimate void, I fear you would still survive. Mu Tianzun, the only one who can defeat you is yourself."

Shen Mu raised his head, a look of confusion on his face.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao tapped his chest and said with earnest sincerity, "Because your heart has a weakness, Mu Tianzun. You place too much importance on Jingping—that is the fatal acupoint in your dao heart. I need only grasp Jingping to grasp your fatal acupoint. While Jingping exists, you are no match for me. For as long as Jingping endures, you will be defeated every day."

He smiled and said, "If you wish to be invincible, you may. Are you not skilled at breaking the board? You killed Tubo before I could—how stunning was that? Had I not had the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master as my reserves, I would certainly have lost that round. At that time, Shen Fengqing transformed into the new Tubo, and you had Kaihuang to assist you—I could only split the realm with you as equals. Now you can use the same method to break the board."

His tone was aggressive as he said in a deep voice, "Annihilate everyone in Jingping, and you will have no weakness! I am precisely that kind of man! Nothing can stand in the way of my footsteps, everything can be used by me! That is the reason I am the victor!"

Shen Mu's gaze shifted, not daring to meet his eyes.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao said coldly, "You have disappointed me! After your defeat, if you had disregarded the lives of the people of Jingping and preserved your dao heart, I would have eagerly anticipated a true confrontation with you! But not only did you fail to annihilate Jingping to perfect your dao heart, you instead sank into despondency and took a wife, adding yet another shackle to yourself!"

Shen Mu's lips moved slightly, but he said nothing.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao suddenly felt an inexplicable exhilaration, his dao heart becoming clear and transparent, the inner demon suppressed within it vanishing without a trace. He smiled gently and said, "But you are Mu Tianzun—you cannot annihilate Jingping. I am the Heavenly Emperor, and for as long as you live, I too cannot annihilate Jingping to perfect your dao heart. My apologies—I referred to myself as 'Zhen' again."

He smiled and said, "Mu Tianzun, seeing you as you are now, I feel both heartache and comfort. Heartache at your despondency, comfort that it was I who defeated you."

Shen Mu's voice was hoarse as he struggled to say, "It was not you who defeated me, but the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace who defeated me!"

The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed and said, "Borrowing strength is itself a form of strength! Did my father Taichu not wish to borrow the power of the Miluo Palace? He did, but he could not borrow it—whereas I could. That is my strength! You have already lost; there is no need to gild your face further."

Shen Mu opened his mouth, then suddenly let out a sigh of melancholy.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled and said, "Content yourself with being a wealthy man of leisure. This place is fine—beautiful scenery, not far from Jingping, and with a fair lady for company."

He suddenly turned around and saw Ling Yuxiu approaching with hurried steps, looking somewhat flustered.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled faintly, then immediately sensed Shen Mu's body tense up—clearly in extreme alarm.

"You have indeed lost."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao said with melancholy, "You lost to feelings you should not have. I truly wish to see you rouse yourself again, so that I might defeat you once more."

Unconsciously, he emanated killing intent—not directed at Shen Mu, but at Ling Yuxiu.

At that very moment, beside him, Shen Mu's dao heart seemed like an old tree meeting spring, as though layer upon layer of bonds had been解开, his fighting spirit growing ever denser, ever stronger.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled, and behind his head, the heavenly palaces of two great heavenly courts combined, transforming into two wheels of ten thousand daos standing erect.

From within Shen Mu's body came a series of loud booms—his dormant dao heart was rapidly reviving!

Suddenly, the Heavenly Emperor Hao turned and struck with his palm, meeting Shen Mu's hand. Their palms collided, and the waters of the Heavenly River surged with towering waves, great waves splitting the sky—a terrifying sight!

In the sky, the shifting clouds were swept clean away, leaving a vast expanse of clear blue like washed silk!

Blood seeped from the corner of Shen Mu's mouth as he flashed forward to shield Ling Yuxiu.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao walked toward the two with his hands clasped behind his back, nodding slightly: "Sister-in-law. You once sent someone to kill the reincarnation of the Fire Tianzun—that person was a youth carrying a box, who had taken over the body of the young Yu Tianzun. Who is this person?"

Ling Yuxiu did not dare be negligent, and bowing, said, "That was a god-devil named Xing'an, extremely powerful, but of eccentric temperament."

The Heavenly Emperor Hao walked past the two and said, "I am searching for him. Please tell the Yanfeng Emperor on my behalf that the person I seek is him, and have him send this person to the Heavenly Court—I wish to bestow rewards upon him."

Ling Yuxiu was slightly taken aback.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled and said, "Mu Tianzun, your Jingping is still in my hands. As long as you behave yourself, I will not touch Jingping."

Shen Mu gave a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood. His dao heart, which had just revived, immediately dimmed and sealed itself layer upon layer.

The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily and vanished.

Ling Yuxiu hurriedly examined Shen Mu's injuries. Shen Mu waved his hand and said, "I am fine. He can wound me, but he cannot kill me. He merely exchanged a blow with me, trying to make me suffer injury. He is still not entirely at ease, and intended to leave dao wounds on me that cannot be healed. These injuries I can refine away quickly."

Ling Yuxiu felt relieved, but asked with concern, "You awakened your dao heart and fought him—will this arouse his suspicion?"

Shen Mu circulated his cultivation method to refine the dao wounds, and shaking his head said, "It is precisely because of this that he will not be suspicious. It is only that I am somewhat worried..."

His gaze flickered as he stared in the direction the Heavenly Emperor Hao had departed: "He believes he has defeated me, and the inner demon in his dao heart has been swept away instead—I fear this has only elevated his dao realm. He is now stronger than before."

Ling Yuxiu's brows furrowed slightly.