Chapter 608 — The Old Woman's Little Shoes
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Forgive me! " Shen Mu and Granny Zhu took their leave and set off in the direction he pointed. Along the way they saw other altars under attack as well — now a demon army surging toward an altar like the tide, now a demon god fighting alone, contending for mastery of an altar.
Where they could help, Shen Mu and Granny Zhu helped; where they could not, they went around. One altar had already fallen into the demon race's hands, and the deities upon it had surely been slain — that could not be helped. This time the Woodcutter Sage had the demon race by the throat, threatening Luofu Heaven, and the demons had no choice but to fight with all they had, hoping to win back some bargaining chips.
"Luofu Heaven is so perilous, and yet the demon race still dwells here!
" Shen Mu and Granny Zhu saw the bones of many demon gods standing tall within certain forbidden zones, where stone steles rose and fell in ridges all around, carved with the demon race's script — no doubt meant to ward off the calamities of this place. The demon race folk, meanwhile, lived within the divine treasuries of those demon god bones. Likely, after the calamity struck, certain demon gods had given up their own flesh so that their people might survive.
"Granny, why does calamity fall on this demon world?
Where do these calamities come from? " Puzzled, Shen Mu looked up at the shattered planets in the sky — vast beyond measure, and moving, stirring up yet more calamity, rousing earth, water, wind, and fire. Star fragments still fell from the sky like fiery serpents, striking no one knew where.
Granny Zhu shook her head. "How should I know?
Perhaps these are true natural calamities. Or perhaps gods and demons used great dharma-power to shift these planets here, to bring down tribulation. As to how it truly is — perhaps only a being like the Vajra could know the reason.
" At last they came to the sixth altar.
Looking from afar, Shen Mu and Granny Zhu saw the divine and demonic auras of that altar divide into black and white, intertwining above it like two great fish joined head to tail, swimming slowly. "The Vajra is here! " Shen Mu's heart went cold. "I wonder whether Lu Li has come.
If Lu Li is here too, then the Woodcutter Sage is in grave danger!
" He looked up at the altar and could see many different divine treasuries; but atop the altar, apart from the treasuries of the Woodcutter Sage and the Vajra, he saw none belonging to anyone who had entered the Heavenly Palace or the Demon God Palace. Those who had climbed the altar with the Vajra did not include Lu Li, but only some disciples who had not yet cultivated into demon gods — hardly any threat.
Below the altar, however, stood several divine treasuries of gods and demons.
No doubt the Vajra feared that the Woodcutter Sage might turn vicious and truly offer Luofu Heaven in blood sacrifice, and so had the demon gods who came with him remain below the altar. Shen Mu's heart eased, and he walked with Granny Zhu toward the sixth altar.
At the foot of the altar Shen Mu saw the Black Tiger God and was overjoyed, waving to him. The Black Tiger God looked right through him, both hammers in hand, staring in a fluster at the two demon gods opposite. The Woodcutter Sage's voice came down: "Shen Mu, deities may not ascend the altar.
Ask the woman beside you to remain below; you may come up. " Shen Mu assented.
Granny Zhu could not hold back: "Sage Master, I am a former Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sage Cult. I have long admired you, and beg you to let me see you once!
" On the altar the Woodcutter Sage leaned out and looked down, and could not help starting slightly, his eyes dazzled.
Slowly he said, "A fine woman — you nearly unsettled my Dao-heart.
The Heaven Sage Cult is nothing to me, and you have seen me once.
Do not come up, or my mind will not hold steady. " Granny Zhu had no choice but to assent.