Chapter 669 — The Immortal Consciousness of the Three Primordial Spirits
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 5
The Heavenly Duke smiled. "Those who can establish themselves in Youdu are, apart from the Heavenly Court, the deceased Imperial Throne powerhouses. The Heavenly Court carves out its territory; after death, Imperial Throne powerhouses also carve out territory in Youdu, and the Earth Earl still gives them some face. These Imperial Throne powerhouses have only their primordial spirits, no physical bodies — their strength is less than in life. The reason the Heavenly Court garrisons Youdu, besides guarding against the Earth Earl, is mainly to guard against them. That is why the powers in Youdu are extraordinarily complex — more complex than my Xuandu. Crimson Emperor, if you were to die in the outer world, you too would become a giant in Youdu, and no small power at that."
The Crimson Emperor's expression went blank. He murmured, "This havoc-wreaking demon king went to war with these Imperial Throne powerhouses?"
The Heavenly Duke nodded and sighed. "Indeed. These giants, even in death, still want to save face. They did not gang up on him but fought him one-on-one. And then... he grew too fast, devoured too many Youdu gods, demons, and ghosts. In just a few short months he..."
The Crimson Emperor felt a sense of foreboding and said flatly, "He cannot possibly be that strong!"
The Heavenly Duke said, "Within Youdu, he is that strong. He is a sacred one, a demon king born in Youdu; being invincible there is only natural. Only the Earth Earl can suppress him. But once he leaves Youdu, he will not be so powerful."
The Crimson Emperor relaxed. "The suspended realm is not Youdu. This is a microcosm. I built the suspended realm's cave-heaven with my own physical body."
The Heavenly Duke sighed. "This divine son of Youdu has the ability to transform other heavens and cave-heavens into Youdu. That is the crucial point. Once transformed into Youdu, his strength will surge by another enormous margin."
The Crimson Emperor's eyes went wide. After a long while he murmured, "That's cheating... that's just cheating!"
The Heavenly Duke said, "However, once it is transformed into Youdu, the Earth Earl can come here. With the Earth Earl's capabilities, he will certainly discover the anomaly here and know that this one has escaped again. The Earth Earl will seal him once more."
A glimmer of hope rose in the Crimson Emperor again. The Heavenly Duke continued, "But by then, the suspended realm will have essentially become Youdu, and there will likely be no living people left inside. Moreover, when the Earth Earl comes to save the day — this fellow is ranked alongside me — if he sees that I too am trapped here, though he may not say it aloud, he will be laughing himself sick inside. I cannot bear that shame."
The Crimson Emperor's expression changed drastically. Dejected, he said, "The people of the suspended realm are my last clansmen. If this place is destroyed, my race is finished... Heavenly Duke, Daoist brother, your powers are vast. Could you not come to the suspended realm ahead of time?"
The Heavenly Duke shook his head. "The suspended realm exists within another microcosm, beyond my jurisdiction. I cannot enter. Though I am the Heavenly Duke, I cannot go anywhere I please. Take Jingping, for instance — it does not even have a single true star; its celestial phenomena are all false. I cannot go there. However, it is not that there is no solution..."
He looked at Shen Mu and said in a low voice, "The way out of our current predicament should still fall upon young friend Shen."
Shen Mu had long since been staring dumbstruck. At these words he snapped back to his senses and said hastily, "How could I have such strength? I am just like you both — sealed and suppressed, unable to escape. And even if I escaped, I would be suppressed by him and sent back here..."