Chapter 529 — The Dark Otherworld
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
The Qingyou Hermit understood. He transformed into a beam of light and fled far away, leaving Shen Mu alone in the divine hall. At once the runes and seals upon the hall's walls lit up in a throng, and Shen Mu's body changed against his will, becoming a red-haired, serpent-bodied god.
After a long while, Shen Mu dispersed the god-form, left that hall, and came to another star, where he entered the palace and studied the runes and seals upon its walls.
More than ten days later, he had walked all five stars, and went on to the Six Universes Divine Treasury.
He lingered in the Six Universes Divine Treasury for over ten days, then entered the Seven Stars Divine Treasury, and another ten-odd days passed. As for the Heaven-Man Divine Treasury and the Life-Death Divine Treasury, no one presided over them, and so he could not enter.
At last Shen Mu walked out of the Hall of Three Primes. The Qingyou Hermit looked at the youth before him — unshaven, his face somewhat gaunt — and knew he had gone these days without sleep or rest. His heart ached for him a little. He asked, "Has Human Sovereign Shen found what he sought?"
Shen Mu's spirit was in fact excellent. Improving the Five Phases, Six Harmonies, and Seven Stars Divine Treasuries had profited him greatly and rekindled his confidence. He thanked him: "Many thanks, Immortal. As to whether I have found what I need, that still requires testing. May I ask — this founder of Little Jade Capital, compared with the first Human Sovereign of the Human Sovereign Hall, whose strength was the greater?"
The Qingyou Hermit said, "Of strength I cannot well speak. After all, they were already true gods twenty thousand years ago, and I have never seen them trade blows. But Little Jade Capital holds several volumes left by the founding patriarchs, in which it is said that they once went to seek out the first Human Sovereign, hoping to persuade him to come out of seclusion — yet they returned with their edge blunted, and spent months recovering from their wounds. The books say the first Human Sovereign moved the remnants of the Kaihuang Heavenly Court with immense dharma power, and that his strength was extreme; the Human Sovereign Hall was a hundred, a thousand times greater than Little Jade Capital — fearsome, truly. I think the founding patriarchs of Little Jade Capital were acting to preserve themselves, while the first Human Sovereign could lead untold numbers of every race across a battlefield. Whose strength was greater is plain at a glance."
Shen Mu's face turned ashen. After a long while, he bowed and said, "I understand. Many thanks, Immortal."
The Qingyou Hermit frowned, sensing that his state was worse than when he had arrived. "You have gone more than a month without sleep. Rest for a while first."
Shen Mu assented.
The Qingyou Hermit arranged a room for him and let him sleep.
Shen Mu did not wake until more than ten days later. His color was still poor, but he insisted on taking his leave. The Qingyou Hermit did not press him to stay. He said, "If the Woodcutter Sage returns, where shall I send word to you?"
"Trouble the Immortal to seek me in Crimson Dragon City. I will likely be there."
The Qingyou Hermit watched him go into the distance, puzzled at heart: "When Human Sovereign Shen first came here, how full of high spirits he was. Why has he now grown so much more dispirited?"
Shen Mu sat upon Chest and let Chest carry them along at a run, then poured the Dragon Qilin a great basin brimming with crimson fire spirit pills mixed with fire-element divine essence pills. The Dragon Qilin was startled and delighted, and uneasy besides, thinking, "Why has the Sect Master shown such mercy today? Is it because I have starved for a month, or because he means to send me to the table? Never mind — eat first and think later!"
He finished one basin, and Shen Mu poured him another.