Chapter 1661 — The Strange Beast's Congratulatory Gift
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Shen Mu regarded him with a calm expression, and after a long while, he smiled and said, "If Your Majesty had me as an opponent, you would likely not only refrain from shedding tears, but would be racking your brains over how to eliminate me. What Your Majesty desires is eternal power, to hold such power firmly in your grasp. It is merely that when you saw me, you were momentarily overcome by sentimentality."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao laughed heartily, his voice so loud and resonant that the waters of the Heavenly River trembled without cease.
"You speak the truth."
The Heavenly Emperor Hao looked at him directly, the smile on his face gradually fading, and said in a deep voice, "If you had not conceded defeat, I truly would have been plagued with a splitting headache. I could kill every soul in Jingping, but even if only you remained, I would not be able to eat or sleep in peace. The threat you pose is greater even than that of Kaihuang Shen Ye!"
Hearing him mention Kaihuang, Shen Mu could not help but feel a pang of sorrow.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao's gaze fell upon his face, and sensing the faint ripples emanating from his dao heart, he smiled slightly and said, "You possess an indestructible body. No one in this world can kill you—not even I, the foremost man of this age. Even if I were to cast you into the ultimate void, I fear you would still survive. Mu Tianzun, the only one who can defeat you is yourself."
Shen Mu raised his head, a look of confusion on his face.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao tapped his chest and said with earnest sincerity, "Because your heart has a weakness, Mu Tianzun. You place too much importance on Jingping—that is the fatal acupoint in your dao heart. I need only grasp Jingping to grasp your fatal acupoint. While Jingping exists, you are no match for me. For as long as Jingping endures, you will be defeated every day."
He smiled and said, "If you wish to be invincible, you may. Are you not skilled at breaking the board? You killed Tubo before I could—how stunning was that? Had I not had the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master as my reserves, I would certainly have lost that round. At that time, Shen Fengqing transformed into the new Tubo, and you had Kaihuang to assist you—I could only split the realm with you as equals. Now you can use the same method to break the board."
His tone was aggressive as he said in a deep voice, "Annihilate everyone in Jingping, and you will have no weakness! I am precisely that kind of man! Nothing can stand in the way of my footsteps, everything can be used by me! That is the reason I am the victor!"
Shen Mu's gaze shifted, not daring to meet his eyes.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao said coldly, "You have disappointed me! After your defeat, if you had disregarded the lives of the people of Jingping and preserved your dao heart, I would have eagerly anticipated a true confrontation with you! But not only did you fail to annihilate Jingping to perfect your dao heart, you instead sank into despondency and took a wife, adding yet another shackle to yourself!"
Shen Mu's lips moved slightly, but he said nothing.
The Heavenly Emperor Hao suddenly felt an inexplicable exhilaration, his dao heart becoming clear and transparent, the inner demon suppressed within it vanishing without a trace. He smiled gently and said, "But you are Mu Tianzun—you cannot annihilate Jingping. I am the Heavenly Emperor, and for as long as you live, I too cannot annihilate Jingping to perfect your dao heart. My apologies—I referred to myself as 'Zhen' again."
He smiled and said, "Mu Tianzun, seeing you as you are now, I feel both heartache and comfort. Heartache at your despondency, comfort that it was I who defeated you."
Shen Mu's voice was hoarse as he struggled to say, "It was not you who defeated me, but the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master of the Miluo Palace who defeated me!"