Chapter 1022 — The Illusory Dream of Dutian
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 5
Shen Mu kept his Hongmeng essence fluid in this bottle, reserving it for his own cultivation; to draw out a single world from the bottle and lend it to the demon race for a time was nothing at all. The Old Demon of Dutian wept with gratitude.
The Dragon Qilin shot him a glance and said in astonishment, "Brother Dutian? When did you grow so old?
" The Old Demon of Dutian gave a bitter smile again and again.
"Brother Long, do not jest. " He led the way ahead, bringing the Dragon Qilin and Yan'er outside the Heavenly Court, where they saw a great many demons in ragged, tattered clothes standing upon a battered black ship—not many in number; these must be the demon race's gifted ones, and there was one demon god besides. On that broken ship there were several damaged divine treasuries, and when the Dragon Qilin poked his head in for a look, he saw it was a demon god's Six-Harmonies Continent, wherein dwelt tens of thousands of demons; no doubt a dead demon god had given up his Six-Directions Divine Treasury so that his people would have somewhere to set foot for a time.
Yan'er moved these demons into one of the worlds within the Gourd-Heaven Bottle, a place of green hills and clear waters, most fertile, where they could settle and rest without fear for their livelihood. The Old Demon of Dutian let out a long breath, and followed the two back to the residence of Venerable Mu; Yan'er and the Dragon Qilin went in to announce him, telling him to wait outside. The Old Demon of Dutian waited a while, and then Yan'er returned and said, "The young master says he will not see you.
He also says that his own days are not easy, and bids you take care of yourself. " The Old Demon of Dutian bowed down toward the residence of Venerable Mu and knocked his head on the ground, saying, "The Venerable's grace I shall repay in my next life!
" That said, he rose and went his way. He came to the West Heavenly Gate, where the Heavenly Court was recruiting soldiers and buying horses; countless gods and demons from the great heavens were signing up there to join the army, making ready to march against Taixu.
The Old Demon of Dutian signed up as well. The divine officer in charge saw that he was a man capable of war and battle, and that his cultivation was high—at the peak of the Yaochi realm—and so made him a commandant, with a hundred or so gods and demons under him.
The Heavenly Court conscripted gods and demons from all the great heavens, and two months later several million gods and demons had gathered; with tower ships and mighty vessels, sails unfurled, they set forth, a magnificent sight.
On board the ships, the generals of each army passed down the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception, to counter the uncanny strangeness of Taixu. The voyage lasted several months, and at last they came to Taixu.
In Taixu every kind of uncanny thing came sweeping at them, and of the army of several million gods and demons, countless fell dead or wounded. The Old Demon of Dutian led the troop under his command in fierce slaughter, and by good fortune they encountered the corpse walkers of Taixu, and so came alive to the land of Taixu.
In the land of Taixu there were strange happenings of every kind, and of the several million gods and demons fewer than five hundred thousand remained; the Old Demon of Dutian survived by luck, and his rank had already been raised to Guerrilla General, for many of the commanders had died in the assaults of the uncanny. The Old Demon of Dutian led his men in desperate battle, holding off one strange event after another, until at last they established a foothold in the land of Taixu.
As time passed, the officers and men around him grew fewer and fewer, and when troops and provisions were exhausted, their reinforcements arrived at last.