Chapter 915 — The Spirit Wood's Core Radiance Bursts Forth
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
' The warden washed the monster clean and handed it over. The big man suddenly opened his mouth wide — a mouth like a pool of blood — and swallowed the squeaking monster down. Taoyu and Yun Huayan and the others all frowned deeply, and Yun Huayan cried: 'Vimalakirti, that is enough!
' The big man Vimalakirti swallowed the monster, wiped the foul blood from the corner of his mouth, and chuckled: 'You are of the god race, and I am of the demon race — of course I eat such things. When in a strange land, follow its customs; you come and taste it too!
' Taoyu's expression changed; he shifted the subject: 'That Jingping Hegemon is none other than Celestial Venerable Mu of the Nine Celestial Venerables.
I have heard that in the early years of Longhan it was he who, on behalf of Celestial Venerable Yu, passed down the dharma, enabling the living beings of the world to become gods. Once the method of god-making appeared, the creatures of the world could stand alongside the ancient gods and live long lives. We have been ordered to dispose of him — is that.
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' Vimalakirti chuckled: 'If he had not passed down the method of god-making, Celestial Venerable Hao would have.
I heard my honored master say that this Celestial Venerable Mu merely stole Celestial Venerable Hao's merit. A fame-monger of that sort stumbled by chance into the Longhan era, and the muddled Heaven Emperor actually let him swindle a Celestial Venerable's title. .
. ' 'Shut your mouth! ' Yun Huayan looked warily around. Many experts had come here on hearing the news to wait for Shen Mu — four or five hundred of them at least, all young experts of the Heavenly Court, a mixed company of dragons and snakes, full of ears and eyes.
These young experts were the young disciples of the Heavenly Court's great heavenly palaces. When the Heavenly Court campaigned against the Yuan Realm, they too had been ordered to join the army, entering the Yuan Realm to kill and temper themselves and win military merit, for only so could they hope for promotion in the future. 'To speak ill of the Heaven Emperor — do you want to die? ' Yun Huayan lowered her voice: 'If word of this reaches the Heavenly Court, even our honored master cannot protect you!
' Vimalakirti laughed: 'In the Heavenly Court, our honored master has never once set the Heaven Emperor in his eyes — so what harm in a word or two?
If we had been the ones cast back to the Longhan era, never mind a Celestial Venerable's title — even the Heaven Emperor's seat, heh heh. . .
' For all that, he lowered his voice. 'The Western Heavenly Palace, the Northern Heavenly Palace, the Cloud-Dispatching Heavenly Palace, the Vaisravana Heavenly Palace, the Five Brightness Heavenly Palace, the Miluo Heavenly Palace, the Light-Bright Heavenly Palace, the Wondrous Rock Heavenly Palace. .
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' Taoyu said in a low voice: 'Nearly all the great heavenly palaces have sent their finest disciples.
Our Daoist Jade Pure Palace may not be the first to take the prize and kill Celestial Venerable Mu! ' 'Celestial Venerable Mu's fame is unearned. They say he is half dead and has lost his soul. Whoever strikes first takes the prize.
If we strike a step late, we will not even get the broth! ' Vimalakirti said: 'In my view we should go outside the Great Prison and wait by the stump for the rabbit — wait for Celestial Venerable Mu to come, and take the merit for ourselves!
' Taoyu hesitated: 'I just saw many strong ones from the great heavenly palaces heading outside — plainly they have the same plan. If we hurry over now, I fear Celestial Venerable Mu will already have been killed by someone else.
' Vimalakirti urged: 'Stay here, and we will get not even a fart! Our honored master said that if we can win this merit, he will recommend us to follow Celestial Venerable Hao, and Celestial Venerable Hao will guide our cultivation for thirty years!