Chapter 1246 — Thick Skin, Vicious Heart
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Shen Mu said in surprise, "The Eastern Heaven's Azure Emperor, the Southern Heaven's Crimson Emperor, the Western Heaven's White Emperor, the Northern Heaven's Black Emperor — the four colored Great Emperors are all distinguished by color. Why is it that in Yama's case, it has become Nether Emperor?"
Yama entertained him with great solicitude. "There is something the Heavenly Venerable does not know: the name Black Emperor is not a good one, and Heavenly Venerable Hao dotes on me, so he changed 'Black' to 'Nether.' It is the same with my Nether Capital — it was originally called the Black Capital, and was later changed to the Nether Capital as well. Has the Heavenly Venerable come here from the Little Earth Lord of the Great Void's Dark Capital?"
Shen Mu was the very picture of uprightness. "I went there to urge him to submit, but Shen Fengqing remains obstinate and deluded, set on rebelling against the Heavenly Court. That traitorous wretch — the heavens themselves he would overturn!"
Yama understood at once and laughed. "Calm yourself, Heavenly Venerable; the old villain Shen Fengqing is not worth your anger. That old thief Shen Fengqing was hand in glove from the start with... ahem, ahem... with certain parties, and he slaughtered every last one of the Heavenly Court's forces in the Dark Capital. Now his powers grow ever greater and he brings calamity upon the world; sooner or later he will meet his doom."
Shen Mu wrung his wrist and sighed long. "How I regret my meager powers, that I cannot slay the old villain Shen Fengqing with my own hands! Black Emperor, so your Nether Capital Heaven Gate has been forged anew?"
He raised his head and studied Yama's new Nether Capital Heaven Gate.
This Nether Capital Heaven Gate had been placed by Yama in the Great Void's Dark Capital to suppress the demonic aura of the Dark Capital and to guard against a sneak attack from Shen Fengqing. The gate was permeated with an aura like that of an Emperor's Throne powerhouse — utterly terrifying!
Suddenly, the corner of Shen Mu's eye twitched. This Nether Capital Heaven Gate was somewhat different from the one in Di Yiyue's hands!
His heart sank. Every Nether Capital Heaven Gate contained four Emperor's Throne cultivation arts that transformed into four great heavenly palaces. The gate in Di Yiyue's hands had likewise been seized from Yama; but Yama had forged a new one.
Yet the Emperor's Throne arts within these two gates were not entirely the same!
"That is to say, when Yama reforged the Nether Capital Heaven Gate, he swapped out several of the Emperor's Throne arts. He is cautious by nature; he did this to keep Di Yiyue from spotting his weakness. That sly old devil..."
Shen Mu smiled, all the while grinding his teeth in secret.
Yama was indeed exceedingly cunning. Even if Di Yiyue studied that set of Nether Capital Heaven Gates down to the last detail, it would be impossible to kill him by such means; on the contrary, she would suffer a heavy loss at his hands!
"What is more, Yama's abilities are not as poor as he makes them out to be. In his Nether Capital Heaven Gate, only the art of Reincarnation cannot be swapped out; the other three Emperor's Throne arts can all be replaced. To seize upon his vital weakness will not be easy."
"Still, his Dao of Reincarnation has already been broken by me. The Dao of Reincarnation is the most crucial part of the Nether Capital Heaven Gate. With that Emperor's Throne art broken, his gate, even if it can still function, will not amount to much."
He had no sooner thought this than Yama waved his hand, and the Nether Capital Heaven Gate sank into the earth and vanished. He chuckled. "Heavenly Venerable Mu, this is but a minor art, a minor art indeed — not worth the Heavenly Venerable's attention."
Shen Mu roared with laughter, and Yama laughed along with him.
"Since the Heavenly Venerable's persuasion has failed, do you perhaps intend to go and see Heavenly Venerable Huo and Heavenly Venerable Xu?"