Chapter 1303 — The Perilous Mine Opens, the Divine Weapon Appears
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 3
In the inner palace of the Heavenly Court, Consort Yantian crushed the jade vial lightly between her fingers, and that drop of the Heavenly Venerable Haotian's blood floated quietly before her.
Consort Yantian parted her lips a fraction, her breath fragrant as orchids, and at that single exhalation the drop of Heavenly Venerable's blood at once began to change: from within the blood surfaced the phantom image of a celestial palace.
Her gaze flickered as she stared at that phantom palace. After a long moment she said softly, "So the rumors in the Great Void are true. Haotian truly was grievously wounded, badly hurt by the Great Emperor. Mu Tianzun had this drop of Heavenly Venerable blood sent to me—does he mean to tell me that Haotian is injured? And yet it hardly seems so..."
The phantom palace slowly faded.
Consort Yantian's eyes brightened. She murmured, "He means to tell me that within Haotian's blood lie hidden his cultivation arts and divine powers. This drop is the essence of Haotian's blood, concealing the phantom of one celestial palace. Could it be that he has obtained other essences of Haotian's blood, and mastered Haotian's other celestial palaces?"
She put away the drop of Heavenly Venerable's blood, gathered up the white cat, and gave her orders: "Prepare the phoenix carriage. We set out for the Ancestral Court."
At this same moment, Shen Mu had already arrived at the Great Black Wood. Looking about, he saw that the Great Black Wood had known no spring rebirth; the great tree was still scorched pitch-black, its growth rings layered like charcoal, its stump jagged and uneven, forming many a Great Black Mountain.
Shu Jun, Jiang Yunjian and the others had built numerous palaces here, and raised a supervisory forge for refining divine weapons.
Several ore veins had also been opened, and when Shen Mu arrived, the divine-weapon mine shaft that had first been discovered had likewise been excavated.
Shen Mu gazed toward the heart of the Great Black Wood, where Silent Craftsman, Blind Elder and other celestial artisans were in the fourth heaven of the Azure Glazed Heaven Canopy, gathered around a great treasure to refine it anew.
Silent Craftsman had built a supervisory forge upon that treasure, smelting and refining it on the spot.
The treasures within the many heavens of the Azure Glazed Heaven Canopy were vast beyond measure; only an innate sacred being like the Northern Emperor Xuanwu, colossal of physique, could refine them without great strain.
For celestial artisans like Silent Craftsman of Jingping, the refining was far more arduous, and consumed far more manpower.
Shen Mu was just about to go and meet them when suddenly the gods mining the ore came pouring out of the vein, crying loudly, "We've dug up that treasure! The treasure's power is unleashed—everyone beware!"
Shen Mu's heart stirred. In that instant, light swirled thick within the mine shaft, and wave upon wave of terrifying might surged and billowed up from the depths, faster than fast!
The several gods running at the rear were about to be overtaken by that vast ferocious might from the depths of the mine. Shen Mu's foot shifted, and with a swish he plunged into the shaft, unfurling his domain of the divine treasury to meet that surging might head-on!
Boom—
His divine treasury collapsed and shattered at once, and the vast ferocious might rushed into his face, making his heart leap with dread!
"The domain of the divine treasury cannot hold it! My divine treasury is shattered—I will not die for it, but those behind me will surely have their souls scattered and their bodies destroyed!"
Without a moment's hesitation Shen Mu brought out the Egg of Taishi and set it before him!
Before Taishi within the egg could react, that sky-high ferocious might struck the Egg of Taishi!