Chapter 1472 — Seek Your Own Death, and Blame Not Heaven
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Countless banners streamed and fluttered; tower ships and great vessels set sail; innumerable mighty gods and demons rose from the ships, charging toward the Xuandu gods and demons of Tianfang City who had not perished beneath the power of Venerable Lord Hongtian's palm.
There were also planets that had not been shattered by that palm. They drifted and swayed, and upon them still dwelled the people of Xuandu. Surviving Sun Wards and Moon Wards marshaled their mana and divine abilities, striving to lead these people away.
Venerable Lord Hongtian's steps appeared slow, yet his speed was extraordinary—he drew ever closer to that continent.
Upon that continent, Shen Mu, Zaifu, and the other three staggered, their feet shifting ceaselessly. Clang, clang, clang—the five Heavenly Dao Dao-soldiers were planted into the ground, and at last they steadied themselves.
The five exchanged glances, their hearts still quivering with lingering dread.
"Mine here is the Tianyin Dao-soldier!" said Zhehuali, still shaken, in a low voice.
"Mine is the Tianyuan Dao-soldier," said Luo Wushuang, gazing at the Tianyuan Mirror in his hand.
"What I hold should be the Tiandong Dao-soldier," said Tian Shu, bracing himself against a divine tower.
"What I hold is the Tianji Dao-soldier," said Zaifu, glancing at the Heavenly Canopy planted in the earth.
Shen Mu looked toward the Heavenly Dao Dao-soldier he had thrust into the ground. It resembled a heavenly canopy—opened, it became a canopy, transforming into the vault of heaven. Beneath that vault, the Heavenly Dao's principles, centered upon the zenith, hung down in forty-nine strands.
"This one of mine is the Tiangang Dao-soldier—the General Compendium of the Heavenly Dao."
Shen Mu said gravely: "With this rare treasure, one may command all the other Heavenly Dao Dao-soldiers."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Their desperate gamble had not been in vain.
And what had this venture been, if not risking their very heads?
Venerable Lord Hongtian's strike had shattered even matter into chaos. In a state of chaos, the soul itself would likely dissolve into chaos—no longer matter at all, with no soul-black-sand to speak of!
At such a moment, neither Shen Mu's soul-molding divine ability nor the immutability of matter would have availed them in the slightest—there could have been no survival!
"Venerable Lord Hongtian is an existence who can shatter thirty-five layers of void with his own mana. Among the Ten Venerable Lords, his mana is the strongest—surpassing even beings like Venerable Lord Fire and Venerable Lord Dawn."
Shen Mu exhaled a turbid breath and looked back, his heart turning cold. He saw Venerable Lord Hongtian, sleeves fluttering, had already crossed the Heavenly Court's battle lines, walking toward them beneath the brilliant luminance of Xuandu.
It would not be long before he arrived.
"Who are you?"
Suddenly Di Qing's voice came through. Shen Mu did not answer. He touched the black cloth upon his face—it was still there. Heavenly King Tian Shu laughed: "Di Qing, we have already introduced ourselves. I am the Heavenly King of the Dark Capital under Kaihuang, and these four are friends I invited to lend aid."
Di Qing seemed not to hear him. His gaze fixed straight upon Shen Mu as he said solemnly: "Who are you?"
"You do not want to know who I am."
Shen Mu said calmly: "What you should be considering now is how to escape Venerable Lord Hongtian's pursuit and escort these people out of Xuandu."
Di Qing fell silent. He looked back at the people upon this broken continent. At this moment there still remained several hundred thousand Xuandu common folk and over a hundred Sun Wards—but all of them were wounded.
The eyes of those common folk and wounded Sun Wards settled upon him, filled with despair and also with hope. They still held full confidence in him, still believed he could lead them out of this hopeless strait and bring them life.