Chapter 919 — Illusory Blossom of the Western Realm
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
And this was the result of the divine-power wielders and gods of Jingping fighting to the death in resistance and struggling to the death in rescue. Had they not resisted, had they not rescued, more of Jingping's people would have died, and even those who lived would have become penned livestock, with only slavery or being eaten to look forward to.
This too was why Shen Mu had, by any means, had to appear in the capital of Jingping and defy the Azure Emperor of the Eastern Heaven, defy the Heaven Emperor of the Ancient Gods.
He had to make the name of Heaven Venerable Mu known to the world; otherwise what awaited Jingping would be more than annihilation!
"I have come to see you because I mean to leave the Yuan Realm and go to the Heavenly Court, to seek a road of survival for Jingping."
Shen Mu said with a smile: "You have not returned to Jingping these recent years, the roads are cut, news does not get through, and you have never come into contact with the fruits of the Jingping Reforms. Before the catastrophe struck, it happened that I was traveling through the great academies and schools, and I learned the fruits of that reform. On this journey I may not return alive, so I wish first to pass on Jingping's achievements to you."
Xu Shenghua was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "The Heavenly Court? I will go with you."
Shen Mu was moved in his heart, but shook his head: "You cannot go. The Jingping Reforms must not be cut off. If I die in the Heavenly Court, there will still be you to carry the reform onward. Your Overlord Body may be a female one, a shade inferior to mine, but with you in Jingping, our wisdom need not die out for want of an heir."
Xu Shenghua was about to speak again; Shen Mu bowed low to the ground: "Fellow Daoist, I entrust it to you!"
Xu Shenghua hurriedly raised him up, saying: "Then I will not go. You... take care of yourself."
Shen Mu smiled: "I will be careful. Brother Xu, do you remember the wager between us in those years? Whoever first solved the problem of opening the seventh Divine Treasury would be the male one."
Xu Shenghua smiled faintly: "What a coincidence. Not long after you left, I fathomed a way to open many kinds of seventh Divine Treasury, and in the end I chose the best of them. I waited all this time for you to come seek me, but then the catastrophe fell and cut off all word with Jingping."
Shen Mu narrowed his eyes: "Write out your seventh Divine Treasury, and I will write out mine, and we shall see whose is better."
Xu Shenghua agreed; the two turned their backs to each other and each wrote down the seventh Divine Treasury he had opened.
They turned at the same instant, and saw that Shen Mu had written four words: the Celestial River Divine Treasury; and Xu Shenghua had written four words: the Surging River Divine Treasury.
The Celestial River was the Surging River; Xu Shenghua had written the Surging River Divine Treasury, and he was not wrong either.
The two stared wide-eyed at each other, and Shen Mu said sourly: "You must have opened the Celestial River Divine Treasury later than I did. When I opened it, there were prodigies in heaven and earth!"
Xu Shenghua said: "When I opened the Surging River Divine Treasury, I sensed the Great Dao of heaven and earth stirring, faint as a thread. The Dao was changing; faint though it was, the change in the Great Dao could not escape me."
Shen Mu's heart skipped a beat: when he had opened the Celestial River Divine Treasury, he had sensed no change in the Great Dao of heaven and earth!
Which meant that Xu Shenghua had indeed opened the Surging River Divine Treasury before him!
"So he tested more than twenty Divine Treasuries one by one, seeking the best of them, and wasted a great deal of time, while this fellow Xu Shenghua simply chose the best one and tested no others!"