Chapter 1110 — When the Hero Becomes the Evil Dragon
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
Shen Mu carried his lantern and followed the Heavenly River upstream. Through contemplation with his divine consciousness he transformed into a soaring dragon, and the divine dragon bore him racing across the water, his robes streaming.
These robes were Wei Suifeng's; Wei Suifeng was, after all, Emperor Yunluo, and this garment was a treasure in its own right—it caught the wind and made him seem utterly weightless, wholly free and unconstrained. Shen Mu's thoughts drifted far, and every kind of notion welled up in his mind.
It was now the four hundred thousandth year of Longhan.
More than a hundred thousand years still remained before the end of this age, and by then Heavenly Venerable Yun would be dead, Heavenly Venerable Moon would withdraw into bleak seclusion, and only Heavenly Venerable Ling would be left to hold it all up alone. The Ten Heavenly Venerables would rise to power, and the cruel history would stretch on into the Chiming Era and the Shanghuang Era, until Heavenly Venerable Ling was ambushed and slain in the Heavenly River.
There were so many things he wished to change.
Yet after this crossing, he had only two crossings left.
In this era there were still all manner of lamentable things unfolding, and many hidden secrets awaiting his discovery.
But he could not spend both of his remaining chances on the Longhan Era!
Just as Wei Suifeng had said, he could save those two chances for something more meaningful.
This would be his last return to Longhan.
He longed, before returning to the ghost ship, to meet Heavenly Venerable Yun in person, to sit knee to knee with him and talk long into the night, to call him 'Fellow Daoist', to speak of the aspirations each of them held.
He wanted to raise a cup with Heavenly Venerable Yun in joy, to drink deep and unrestrained at his side. He wanted also to hear Heavenly Venerable Yun's thoughts on the future, and his views on the history that had gone before.
In a lifetime a true friend is hard to find—yet that friend lived in the past, while he lived in the future.
"In the future, Heavenly Venerable Hao, Langxuan, Xu, the Great Emperor, the Ancestral God King, Heavenly Venerable Fire, Yuanmu, the Empress—even the reincarnated Ancient God Heavenly Emperor—will gradually gain power, gather together, and move against Heavenly Venerable Yun.
Heavenly Venerable Yun will die in the Xiaohan Heaven Court.
" He said silently in his heart, "His bloodline will be cursed by the Great Emperor; he will not live to the moment he becomes a god. His soul will be sealed by the Great Emperor, eternally sealed within the Divine Consciousness Daluotian in the Ultimate Void. " "His corpse will be sent by the Great Emperor to the Great Void, sealed within the Great Emperor's own body, and made the Great Emperor's spoil of war.
" "Fellow Daoist—the suffering that comes to meet you is so very solid, so very weighty. " "And the suffering that comes to meet the human race is just as weighty!
" "You have shouldered the ancient years; and I, in the future, will take up your burden.
" Shen Mu cast aside the myriad thoughts in his mind.
The Heaven Court was still far off; more than ten days of travel would be needed to reach it.
Shen Mu released the lantern in his hand, and under the control of his vital essence it floated of its own accord, keeping pace with him along the road.
He took out the Egg of Taishi.
A low, deep Dao-sound came from within the egg, like an ancient god whispering; listening to that Dao-sound, Shen Mu seemed to divine the mystery hidden within it.
The Way of Taishi: before yin and yang were divided, before matter existed. If he wished to save Heavenly Venerable Ling, he must first understand the Way of Taishi.
The voice within the Egg of Taishi went on and on, as though that ancient god not yet born were conversing with him, yet the words were obscure, and Shen Mu could not understand them.