Chapter 1621 — Cloud and Flame Converge
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Shen Mu thought of something and warned him, "Brother Yun, hide that Emperor Sword of Taichu well; do not carry it on your person. Within Great Luo Heaven, Taichu cannot sense his Emperor Sword, but once you leave Great Luo Heaven, he will sense this supreme treasure born alongside him, track you down, and cut you dead. That Emperor Sword must never fall into his hands."
Celestial Venerable Yun nodded. "The Ultimate Void is vast beyond measure. Celestial Venerable Hao and Taichu may possess Great Luo Heaven, but so long as I wish to hide, they will never find me."
He made his preparations and followed Shen Mu aboard the Golden Ship of Deliverance.
He could no longer wield his power, so Shen Mu bore him onto the ship with magic. Celestial Venerable Yun went to Celestial Venerable Ling's side; she sat there reckoning something or other and paid him no heed.
"Ling, you're still as odd-tempered as ever." Celestial Venerable Yun shook his head and sat down unsteadily.
He had spent far longer in Celestial Venerable Ling's company than Shen Mu had. Throughout the whole of the Longhan era, Celestial Venerable Ling had worn that same strange temper, and when spoken to she answered or ignored you as she pleased.
Shen Mu said, "Once you reach the Ancestral Court and meet your teacher, I expect it won't be long before you can reopen your divine treasures. By then your heavenly palace will open of its own accord. Oh — I have only sealed your physical body; should you meet enemies, you may use the power of your primordial spirit. We wouldn't want a Celestial Venerable Yun, a Celestial Emperor of the Firmament, a Dao-attainer of the present day, to be killed off by some blind little nobody."
Celestial Venerable Yun said in surprise, "You're not coming with me to the Ancestral Court?"
Shen Mu shook his head. "I'm going to see Celestial Venerable You."
Celestial Venerable Yun nodded, then abruptly said, "Why won't you teach me yourself? How does that teacher's ability compare with yours? If he's not your match, I'd rather stay with you."
Shen Mu laughed. "His ability is naturally no match for mine, but what he cultivates is the orthodox way; the road I walk is heretical and crooked, and it does not suit you. When you arrive, you'll understand. No need to ask more."
Hearing this, Celestial Venerable Yun wanted all the more to know who this teacher was, but Shen Mu refused to say, and there was nothing he could do about it.
The Golden Ship of Deliverance sailed out of the Ultimate Void and came to Jingping. Shen Mu entered the Academy of Hearing the Dao to see the village chief, and barely suppressing that tradition of the Human Emperor Hall — beating one's teacher — said, "Grandpa Village Chief, this is Celestial Venerable Yun. Escort him to the Ancestral Court and find Fatty Lan."
The village chief looked at Celestial Venerable Yun with profound respect, bowed, and said, "This latecomer and petty student, Su Muzhe, pays his respects to Celestial Venerable Yun! Celestial Venerable Yun, please follow me!"
Celestial Venerable Yun went off with him, and Shen Mu heard the village chief's voice come drifting back from afar: "Celestial Venerable Yun is a good friend of little Shen, are you not? Come to think of it, I am little Shen's teacher as well — it was I who taught him his swordsmanship. When he was small, an old granny in our village even sold him to a cloth shop, hahahaha, I'll tell you the whole tale on the road..."
Shen Mu watched the two of them recede with a black face, then urged the golden ship on toward Youdu.
Celestial Venerable Ling was still aboard and had not stirred the whole way. As the Golden Ship of Deliverance entered Youdu and flew toward Earth Count's two horns, Shen Mu labored over the transformations of the Dao patterns of Miluo Palace, though many knotty points remained that he could not penetrate in so short a time.