Chapter 1201 — Heroes, Old and Young
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Once you are outside the Ancestral Court, you can set up the transfer bridge and establish communication with Jingping. " Shen Mu pondered for a moment, then nodded.
The swift vessel sailed into the spirit-energy transfer bridge leading to the Zaofu Celestial Palace and, before long, appeared within it. No sooner had they arrived at the Zaofu Celestial Palace—the supreme holy ground of the Heavenly Court's artifact forging—than they saw towered warships dozens of li, even hundreds of li, long already getting under way.
Those were the great towered warships of the disciples under the ten Celestial Venerables of the Heavenly Court, like floating continents in the sky. They had been refitted at the Zaofu Celestial Palace and replenished with alchemical stones; divine and demonic soldiers stood aboard in full armor, gods ranged in serried ranks, killing intent seething everywhere. Clearly they were bound for the Ancestral Court as well.
On those towered warships, alchemical furnaces blazed with white light, every great furnace like a small sun. At the center of each warship's deck was a spirit-energy transfer bridge, linking the vessel to the Heavenly Court for convenient reinforcements.
Every great ship flew a banner, embroidered with different totemic emblems and script, representing the ten Celestial Venerables—Hao, Xiao, Hong, Gong, Qiang, Huo, and the others. "Foster Father, should we hoist Celestial Venerable Mu's banner?
" Jiang Yunjian asked. Shen Mu was about to speak when the Silent Artisan and the Blind Old Man delightedly took out a banner embroidered with an ox and a cowherd, together with the character Mu, and hoisted it up.
The towered warships on either side looked down at the little swift vessel, and waves of mocking laughter drifted over.
"Celestial Venerable Mu! " A deity aboard one ship leaned down and smiled.
"Your vessel is small and slow, hardly worthy of your noble status.
Why not come over here?
We are all heading to the Ancestral Court, so we can carry Your Venerable along the way. " The Blind Old Man said angrily, "You eye-blind fools! How could shallow-witted creatures like you imagine the virtues of this vessel?
" Even so, he was uneasy and quietly asked the Silent Artisan, "Blacksmith, how is this ship? Can it match one of the Heavenly Court's great warships?
" The Silent Artisan measured the Heavenly Court's towered warships and shook his head. "The Heavenly Court's vessels are old-fashioned and consume a great deal of alchemical stones, but their firepower is formidable.
Our ship is small and thinly built; it cannot compare. Once the Heavenly Court's warships open their furnaces to full and pick up speed, they will easily leave us behind. " The Pill Master nodded, sniffed the air, and said, "In their furnaces, the spiritual energy in the alchemical stones does not burn thoroughly, but the stones they use are all of the highest quality; when they blaze, their firepower is ferocious. Jingping's furnaces may be more refined, but their chambers are small—they cannot match it.
" The fleet sailed out of the Heavenly Court. One after another, the towered warships under the ten Celestial Venerables opened their alchemical furnaces to full power and accelerated with tremendous speed, leaving trails of light in the starry sky and flinging the little vessel far behind. Shen Mu took out the lantern of Celestial Venerable Yue and hung it from the mast.
The swift vessel still moved forward at its leisurely pace, and yet very soon they saw the Heavenly Court warships ahead; before long, the swift vessel had reached a position in front of them. On the warships were countless faces of shock. Everyone turned to look back and saw that the Heavenly Court warships had already been cast far behind, without a trace.
After several days, the swift vessel drew near the Ancestral Court.