Chapter 665 — A Myriad Hearts as One
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 5
When Ling Yuxiu, the First Ancestor, and Shen Mu had returned to their lodging, she said at once: "This Divine Son gives me a very formidable, very frightening feeling. What sort of man is he, really? I can never see through him! Will he truly make concessions just because a cowherd gave him a show of force?
I hardly believe it. " Shen Mu stretched and laughed: "Of course he is an ambitious man. But his present aim is to lead his people out of this place cut off from the world, back into a world full of competition. Yet he will not put all his eggs in one basket; therefore he will send only a portion of his people out of the Void Realm to Jingping. If it is only a portion, there is no peril to Jingping — rather, it is an opportunity for Jingping, gaining a powerful ally. " Ling Yuxiu mused: "When he has truly established a firm footing in Jingping, that is when he becomes a threat to Jingping.
" Shen Mu said: "By then, Jingping should have grown stronger too, no?
We need not concern ourselves with such things; that should be a contest between him and the Emperor, and let the Emperor have the headache. While these few days last, I mean to wander about and see the sights of the Void Realm. Xiu-mei, will you come with me? " Ling Yuxiu shook her head: "I need to think some things over.
" She set her mind working, pondering how, if she were Emperor Yanfeng, she should act to win this contest.
"The Divine Son Chiming is a very frightening opponent.
In learning, in spirit, in breadth of mind, and in method, he is in no way inferior to Imperial Father. To surpass him in the contest to come, one must have more learning, more spirit, a broader mind, and better methods! " she thought to herself.
Shen Mu wandered about the city, using his own eyes to see the customs and manners of the Void Realm, its architectural style, while the First Ancestor followed behind him without a word. The Void Realm was in truth no smaller than Jingping, yet its population was not large — far smaller than Jingping's, perhaps because in their affluence they had no interest in bearing descendants.
It was a strange phenomenon: in peril, people would think of every way to reproduce; yet once life was affluent and free of care, they lost interest in offspring, and the population dwindled instead. This was especially so in a place like the Void Realm, with no foreign enemies, no war, no worry over food and clothing.
"The Divine Son Chiming spoke truly. If the Void Realm hides here any longer, I fear it will die out on its own," Shen Mu said in a low voice. This divine city was built upon a vast and majestic mountain, a mountain even more towering than Jingping's Mount Sumeru. Standing on the city tower, one could gaze far out over the Void Realm, and the washing radiance in the sky seemed almost within reach.
Shen Mu looked about him, his heart expansive and his spirit glad. Then he turned to look back, and suddenly started slightly: the highest point in this divine city was not the imperial city, but a palace of grand and splendid scale behind it.
From within the city, one would never notice the place. "What is that place? " Eagerly, Shen Mu descended from the city tower, skirted the imperial city, and walked toward that palace.
The First Ancestor followed behind him, unhurried, wearing the look of one dead to hope. They came before the palace behind the imperial city. Stone steps rose tier upon tier, climbing upward without end — how many tiers, one could not tell; it was daunting, and no end could be seen at a glance.
Shen Mu climbed.
Just as he neared the top, several three-headed, six-armed gods and demons suddenly thrust their heads out from above, their faces huge, a mu or so across, and shouted: "Envoy of Jingping!
This is the Sacred Hall, a forbidden place. Turn back!
" Shen Mu halted. Suddenly a familiar voice came from above: "Jinwu Guard, let them come up.