Chapter 1083 — Darkness Is About to Descend
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
"Achou?"
Shen Mu's face at once filled with alarm, and he asked hastily, "Which Achou?"
The deity did not recognize him. "That, I could not say. This is the borderland. Humans and demigods live mingled here; we have no jurisdiction, and neither do the demigods. There has never been a census."
Shen Mu's expression shifted slightly. He turned quickly to Yan'er. "Watch the lantern. Whatever happens, it must not go out."
Yan'er was baffled. The lantern was Wei Suifeng's treasure, and Wei Suifeng was, after all, the Great Emperor Yunluo; how could a lantern he had refined be so easily snuffed out?
Yet Shen Mu was deeply alarmed. Pacing to and fro, he hurried to Yue Tianzun and Ling Tianzun. "Move the people at once — every human clan, inland, far from this place. Something unspeakably terrible is about to happen here!"
Yue Tianzun was stunned; then she hastily gave the order, commanding that the human clans here be relocated inland.
"Darkness is coming. Darkness is coming. That day of darkness must have issued from one of the heavens near here — those demigods have looked in the wrong place."
Shen Mu lifted his head and gazed at the sky. Several heavens hung there, and certain exceedingly powerful demigods were flying toward them, leaving trails of divine light across the heavens like meteors scoring the horizon.
Shen Mu murmured, "Achou is in one of the heavens near here. But when the darkness falls, it will surely spread to this place as well... This lantern cannot possibly hold it back! Sister Yue, Sister Ling, I must leave this place at once for the Heavenly Court. I must reach it before the darkness descends, and finish what I set out to do!"
Yue Tianzun and Ling Tianzun were both reluctant. "You have only just come, and you must leave already?"
Shen Mu sprang swiftly onto the treasure chariot and said to the two of them, "We shall meet again one day. Rest assured, I will return to see you both! Yan'er, watch the lantern. Pi, prepare to depart!"
He stepped into the carriage, opened the window, and said in a low voice, "You must not stay here either. Leave at once!"
Seeing the gravity of his face, Yue Tianzun and Ling Tianzun knew this matter must be no small thing. Ling Tianzun stepped forward and placed the peach-wood hairpin in his hand. "Before we part, return my hairpin to me."
Shen Mu took the peach-wood hairpin into the space between his brows. The instant it fell into the Shen Character Continent, a peach-wood hairpin appeared again at Ling Tianzun's temple.
Ling Tianzun smiled and said softly, "With that, I can hold on a while longer."
Six heavenly dragons drew the treasure chariot up into the air, riding wind, cloud, thunder, and lightning at furious speed. As the chariot passed the palace borne on the back of the great blue bird, the man lashed to the pillar, his face smeared with blood, raised his head and shouted at the chariot, "I cannot die! If I die, not one of you will escape!"
Shen Mu watched the man through the carriage window, his face blank, and said nothing.
The woman in the palace came out once more and gazed at Shen Mu in the carriage from afar. Shen Mu gave a slight nod; the woman returned a faint bow.
"I keep kindness and grievance distinct. One day, I shall repay you." The woman's spiritual sense rippled into Shen Mu's mind.
The dragon-drawn chariot passed the palace and flew toward the Heavenly River.
The man on the pillar, his chest pierced by the great spear, laughed. "Nuxin, I feel a terrible power surging in the darkness. Tubo has been reincarnated. Do you mean to take this chance to be rid of him?"
"The Creator's greatest enemies, apart from Taidi and Taichu, are none but Tubo."
The woman said calmly, "Taidi and Taichu must die. Tubo must die as well. This is a perfect opportunity. With Tubo gone, the Creator race will have no natural enemy left! I can give birth — bear many Creators — and breed the Nuxin tribe anew!"
"I can help you."