Chapter 1781 — Enemies Everywhere

" The Golden Ship of Salvation arrived outside the Heavenly Court.

Shen Mu's voice rolled out and soon spread through the whole Heavenly Court. After a moment, five dao trees quivered, and one dao fruit after another floated into the air. From the fruits dao chains spilled out, shooting in every direction; chain linked with chain until they became an enormous net, woven and crossed, covering the whole Heavenly Court, not a breath of air passing through! Seeing this, Celestial Venerable Yue said doubtfully, "Mu, they seem to be guarding against you as if against a thief.

.

. " Shen Mu's face brimmed with confidence. He smiled slightly: "This is absolutely a misunderstanding! Rest assured, they know who I am, so of course they must make preparations and welcome us with great fanfare!

" The Heavenly Court was in chaos.

Most of those guarding it were beings of prehistoric Celestial Venerable level, their cultivation and strength extraordinary. One expert after another sent their primal spirits out of their bodies, activating their various dao realms, dense beyond measure, guarding the Heavenly Court ever more tightly! Celestial Venerable Yue looked into the Heavenly Court and saw artifact after artifact being wheeled out from the various halls and treasuries.

These were mighty artifacts newly forged by the prehistoric experts after they had stowed away here, quite different from Jingping's.

One artifact after another was roused to its full might, and they were unmistakably pointed at Shen Mu and Celestial Venerable Yue!

Shen Mu was about to speak when suddenly someone in the Heavenly Court shouted, "The Miluo Palace villains are here! Everyone be on guard, pull yourselves together! The Five Elders, the Five Elders!

" An aged voice rang out, shouting, "Do not panic! The Miluo Palace villain is only a greenhorn now, not yet the Seventh Young Master. We do not fear him!

" Shen Mu's face went black at once, and Celestial Venerable Yue hid a smile behind her hand. Suddenly a woman's voice came from the side, clear and loud: "The Hall of Joy of Miluo Palace, together with His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor of the Seventeenth Era, at the command of the Third and Fourth Young Masters, has come to pay respects to the Five Elders of Fengshu. " Shen Mu looked to the side and saw a woman with only her upper body remaining standing atop a dao tree.

Below the tree, Heavenly Emperor Hao strode over, smiling at him.

Shen Mu ignored Heavenly Emperor Hao entirely. His gaze fell on the Hall Master of Joy, and he said with a gentle smile, "Daoist Joy, we meet again.

" The Hall Master of Joy did not dare be remiss. She bowed on the dao tree and said with the utmost respect, "Greetings, Seventh Young Master!

You ordered Lord Shang to kill me, and on the road you used divine powers to harm me, yet I still escaped with my life.

When this is spread abroad, I shall have great face indeed. " Shen Mu laughed heartily, taking no offense. "My targets were not you, but Chu Ge and Changfeng.

Chu Ge and Changfeng are dead, both slain by me. It will not be long before you go to join them.

" A chill struck the Hall Master of Joy's heart. She sneered, "Seventh Young Master, we come from the same school, we are both disciples of the Master.

Do you butcher your fellow disciples so, and not fear the Master? " Shen Mu was unconcerned: "I am not yet the Master's disciple, so it does not count as butchering my fellow disciples. Besides, Miluo Palace has laid waste to the Seventeenth Era.

As the strongest in the Seventeenth Era, I must of course protect all living beings and execute the Way of Heaven. " The Hall Master of Joy snorted. Heavenly Emperor Hao smiled slightly and said, "Celestial Venerable Mu, you are obstinate in your delusion.

. .

" Shen Mu paid him no heed. He turned his head and saw that behind the Southern Heavenly Gate of the Heavenly Court, an old man was leading a great many beings of prehistoric Celestial Venerable level, hurrying over. The old man halted beneath the Southern Heavenly Gate and saluted: "What wind blows today, that it brings envoys of the Third and Fourth Young Masters, and a hall master as well?

" The old man's gaze fell on Shen Mu, and an unwilling look appeared on his face. At once the unwilling look vanished and his face was all smiles: "The Seventh Young Master has graced us with his presence, bringing glory to us humble Five Elders of Fengshu!

Seventh Young Master, envoys, Hall Master, please come in quickly! " Shen Mu and Celestial Venerable Yue descended from the Golden Ship of Salvation.

Celestial Venerable Yue's gaze rested on the Hall Master of Joy, then moved away, surveying her dao tree and dao fruits. The Hall Master of Joy was likewise sizing her up.

Her gaze came to rest on the ancient zither on Yue's back, and something stirred in her heart. She said, "You are that woman who played the zither and disordered the Fourth Young Master's heart? " Celestial Venerable Yue smiled serenely: "That melody is very difficult. " The Hall Master of Joy laughed: "Difficult indeed.

That melody is called the Violet Empyrean Song of Attaining the Dao. It requires entering the Dao through music and reaching the dao realm before it can be played in full.

In those years the Fourth Young Master, Violet Empyrean, found it hard to attain the Dao, but the Fourth Young Master's wife had already attained it before him. So she created this song, imbuing it with supreme spirituality, to help him attain the Dao. Throughout sixteen epochs, only one person ever entered the Dao through music and cultivated the dao realm.

When the Fourth Young Master's wife passed through her tribulation and was extinguished, this song became a thing never to be heard again.

" "So that is how it is. " Celestial Venerable Yue understood. "No wonder, when I played this melody, I always found it hard to play it through to the end. It turns out one must attain the Dao through music. Fortunately I grasped the principle by analogy: while awakening Lord Shang with the ultimate killing intent, I brought the Ultimate Void to great perfection, and at last I could just barely play the melody through. Elder Sister, you cultivate the Ultimate Void too, do you not?

Can you not play it?

" A flicker of killing intent passed through the Hall Master of Joy's eyes. She said with a smile, "I have achieved little in music. Dear little sister, you must play a tune later for your sister to hear. " Celestial Venerable Yue smiled: "As you wish. Lord Shang's ultimate killing intent was awakened by a killing-dao melody of mine.

The killing dao of Lord Shang still lingers in your wound, sister. I fear you will not last through even one tune of mine before you perish. " "As you wish," said the Hall Master of Joy coldly.

The two women turned their heads away from each other and said no more. Shen Mu said to the old man leading the way, "Are you, Daoist Brother, one of the Five Elders of Fengshu? Do we know each other?

" The old man said hurriedly, "I would not presume!

Seventh Young Master, we Five Elders of Fengshu are but insignificant nobodies of the universe of the past, not worthy of the Seventh Young Master's notice.

It is only that in those years we five old bones were given a thrashing by the Seventh Young Master. Likely because we are too lowly, the Seventh Young Master does not remember.

" Shen Mu laughed heartily, while inwardly muttering to himself, "Even here I run into old enemies? How many people did I offend when I returned to the past? Is my reputation so poor that I have not a single friend? "