Chapter 1663 — Summoning the Soul of That Old Man
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
The Ancestral Court.
The Sky Sea. Emperor Haotian descended upon the Sky Sea and walked upon its waters; the surface did not stir, calm as a mirror.
Emperor Haotian thought of Shen Mu, of the humiliations Shen Mu had once dealt him, and still the Sky Sea showed no ripple at all. "The demon in my heart is utterly erased.
" His heart was perfectly still, and he felt the manifold subtleties of Dao arts and divine powers come crowding in upon him; the Dao resonance about his body rose steadily.
These were the signs that he was about to break through into the Dao Realm! The Myriad Dao Heaven Wheel spinning behind his head grew ever more powerful, its Dao resonance ever heavier, and after a long while it suddenly began to split, again and again, hum, hum, hum, until thirty-one Myriad Dao Heaven Wheels appeared above the Sky Sea, the forward and the reverse perfectly distinct! One stage of the Dao Realm, one heaven.
These thirty-one Myriad Dao Heaven Wheels stood for his achievement of the thirty-first heaven of the Dao Realm! ! Abruptly all the Myriad Dao Heaven Wheels merged as one, and behind his head they became a single heaven wheel, turning slowly. As the second of the Longhan Heavenly Venerables to open up a realm, Emperor Haotian's aptitude and insight were both superb.
"Kaihuang, who founded the whole system of the Dao Realm, a talent so dazzling the world was struck blind by it.
A pity you died. That I never truly fought you to a conclusion is the regret of my life.
" His robes flapping, Emperor Haotian rose slowly from the Sky Sea and set off toward the Heavenly Court. "Kaihuang is dead, the Shepherd Heavenly Venerable is wounded.
Who in this world can still be my rival, or help me take another step forward? " A thread of melancholy welled up in his heart, yet no sooner had he reached the Heavenly Court than a divine official came to announce, "Your Majesty, a man named Xing An has come up from the lower world.
He says Your Majesty summoned him, to serve as Master of the Zaofu Palace. " Emperor Haotian's eyes lit up, and he laughed aloud.
"The Shepherd Heavenly Venerable is brisk about his business! Bring him in at once! " The melancholy in his heart vanished without a trace.
"With this Heavenly Venerable Xing An," he laughed, "I can take another step forward! " The Heavenly Palace above the Yong River, where Shen Mu lived in seclusion, lay utterly still. These days Shen Mu herded cattle, raised chickens and fed fish, picked worms off the carrots, drank tea with the Alchemist and the Village Head, matched knife work with the Butcher, contested sacred pupils with the Blind Elder, helped the Silent Craftsman at his forge, and now and then went to the Deaf Elder's place to paint and write.
It was, all told, a comfortable life. Ling Yuxiu ran off to Granny's to learn sewing from her, and as Granny Zhu stitched baby clothes she kept casting glances at the girl's belly.
Ling Yuxiu's face reddened faintly. "Ten months of carrying a child.
In a few more days it ought to show, no? " Granny Zhu rubbed her silver needle against her hair and asked, as if idly, though perhaps not. "Not at all! " Ling Yuxiu said hurriedly, "My husband says the Heavenly Court may descend upon us at any moment, so he doesn't want a child. " "Nonsense!
" Granny Zhu cursed, then suddenly burst out laughing. "So long as the Heavenly Court doesn't attack, you two won't have a child? If everyone under heaven thought like you, the human race would have died out long ago.
Have one soon. " Ling Yuxiu murmured an assent and hastily changed the subject.
"Granny, don't you think the Plumed Fire Pheasant Dragons have been strange lately?
These past days they've been sneaking about as if plotting some great matter. .
.