Chapter 1336 — United Against the Foe
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
" "The Cult Leader (my brother) truly had foresight," Xu Shenghua and Lan Yutian thought simultaneously. Had Shen Mu not constantly told them to keep an extra eye out, they would by now have joyfully taken the Origin Stone into their hands, needlessly offending both the Great Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor at once. Tai Yi asked, "Then this Primordial Origin Stone, fellow Daoists, will you take it or not? " Lan Yutian looked to Xu Shenghua. He knew Xu Shenghua was a Daoist friend of his elder brother, always full of ideas; sometimes even Shen Mu, when he could not make up his mind, would make a special trip to the Western Lands to seek his counsel. Xu Shenghua pondered for a moment, then said, "We take it.
We take the Origin Stone only for its Dao, using it to comprehend the Dao of Primordial Beginning, not for its power, not borrowing the stone's might.
In this way, whether it be the Great Emperor or Heavenly Emperor Taichu in the future, so long as they wish to reclaim the Origin Stone, we need only return it to them. " Lan Yutian thought it over and praised, "My brother says, 'Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
' When he taught me cultivation, he taught me only the principles of cultivation, never passing on specific divine abilities or Dao arts.
This is the very reason.
" Old Tai Yi sighed, "Cult Leader Mu speaks truly. Yet one must both heed a man's words and observe his deeds.
Cult Leader Mu speaks well, but in his actions he has not merely learned to fish—he will snatch another man's fish as well. This, you must not learn from him. " The two voiced their assent and stepped forward, each coming to the side of the Heavenly Venerable's right hand pinned to the ground, and each picked up several fragments of the Origin Stone. On the surface of the Chaos Sea, all remained silent and still.
Though Molten Earth Uncle had lost the Heavenly Venerable's right hand and the Primordial Origin Stone fragments, he was still surrounded by the Heavenly Venerables, and the standoff continued, none moving. Molten Earth Uncle suddenly sighed, dispersed the mana of this incarnation, and at once it turned into a pile of stone that was ground away and refined by the Chaos Sea, transforming into strands and wisps of chaotic qi. Faced with this situation, his incarnation was of no use whatsoever; to remain blocked here any longer would only invite ridicule, so he simply abandoned this body.
The others still did not move. Heavenly Venerable Xiao, Heavenly Venerable Yan, Ancestral God King, and Langxuan Divine Emperor each remained silent. Cold sweat broke out on the Great Emperor's brow.
He suddenly realized that after Earth Uncle voluntarily abandoned this incarnation, his own position had turned precarious.
"That wretch Cult Leader Mu—it seems he has duped me again!
" The corners of his eyes twitched wildly. Suddenly, Heavenly Venerable Xiao said unhurriedly, "After all, we are Heavenly Venerables.
" "Indeed. No matter what, we are Heavenly Venerables," said Heavenly Consort Yan.
Ancestral God King and Langxuan Divine Emperor each nodded, saying, "We are Heavenly Venerables after all. Though there are grudges and sordid dealings among us, when facing an external foe, we must present a united front.
" The Great Emperor suddenly burst into laughter.
"Well said!
We are Heavenly Venerables after all; naturally we should be of one branch and one blood, united against the common enemy!
" The other four Heavenly Venerables fell silent, as though a sword had pierced their hearts.
The Great Emperor was too sinister—with a single sentence he had made clear that he too was among the Ten Heavenly Venerables, which could not but arouse suspicion and doubt.
Though Heavenly Venerable Xiao knew the Great Emperor's true identity, he would not reveal that the Great Emperor was Heavenly Consort Qiang.