Chapter 527 — To Grant Forgiveness
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
He was still incomparably strong; his retreat a moment ago had seemingly been only a wait for Shen Mu's single-burst momentum to flag, and now he meant to crush Shen Mu utterly, to shatter Shen Mu's confidence together with his flesh!
His battling experience was immense, his fleshly functions still in their most perfect state, his control over vital essence reaching an inconceivable level. Shen Mu gave himself over to abandon, to wild release, pouring his feelings into his divine abilities; but the First Ancestor could control his own emotions perfectly, wasting not a shred of extra power on the venting of feeling.
Bang, bang, bang; how many fists and kicks, how many divine abilities Shen Mu took upon his body, he did not know. Compared with the First Ancestor Human Emperor's flesh, like that of a youth who had become a true god, he was still far too tender.
His True Dragon Overlord Body could not hold. The First Ancestor Human Emperor's fingerpoint came suddenly, the tip touching his brow, and the True Dragon Overlord Body was broken.
Shen Mu's body flew high, then came down like a rotten sack stuffed full of grain, and fell before the Second Ancestor's ruined straw hut.
He wanted to struggle to his feet, but could not rise however he tried.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor walked over, his face cold, coming straight to stand before him, and said indifferently: "You have said so much. Does any of it help? If you have the ability, strike me down. Otherwise you will never shoulder the name of Human Emperor. Once you are Human Emperor, the enemies you face will be far stronger than I am, far crueler than I am."
Shen Mu stared wide-eyed, watching him walk to the Second Ancestor's straw hut and lift up the Second Ancestor's remains.
"No... don't..."
Shen Mu crawled over with difficulty, caught hold of his ankle, and said, his voice close to weeping: "I beg you!"
Crack.
The Second Ancestor's remains broke apart and fell to the ground.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor lifted his foot and trod upon them twice, and said coldly: "If you cannot defeat me, you will never defeat them. I give you the chance to defeat me. This is the first. You have thirty-four more."
Shen Mu's sight blurred, his cheeks cold. The First Ancestor Human Emperor picked him up and slammed him onto the chest with a bang, and said coldly: "Every time you lose, I destroy a Human Emperor's remains. If you keep losing, these failures will not have a bone left among them. Go."
The Dragon Qilin opened its mouth, wanting to roar at him, but its jaws were still sealed and no sound would come.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor glared at it, and the Dragon Qilin lowered its head and bore the chest, and Shen Mu upon it, back the way they had come.
"I will beat you to death!"
Shen Mu's voice came from atop the chest: "I will most certainly beat you to death!"
The First Ancestor Human Emperor's body trembled. He did not turn his head. The Dragon Qilin carried the chest, the chest carried Shen Mu, and they walked out of that ancient fragment of the Heavenly Court.
"I am sorry..."
Thud.
The First Ancestor Human Emperor knelt before the Second Ancestor's straw hut, raising a spray of dust: "I am sorry, I am sorry. I did not truly mean to destroy your bones. I am sorry..."
"I forgive you."
From the shattered bones a ghost rose faintly; the Second Ancestor's figure was ethereal, and he smiled: "I forgave you long ago. I know what you have in mind. You want him to grow quickly, don't you? He has the Overlord Body, doesn't he? He can carry the burden we could not carry, can't he? I forgive you. Go back to Fengdu. They will forgive you as well..."
In ruined straw hut after ruined straw hut, withered bone after withered bone lifted its head and looked in silence at the First Ancestor Human Emperor, who knelt and could not rise.
"We all forgive you..."