Chapter 1656 — You Have Been Collected by Me

Shen Mu returned to the Golden Ship of Salvation and gazed down upon the Southern Heaven. The many heavens of the Southern Heaven hung like lustrous pearls suspended in the cosmos, glittering and radiant, splendid beyond measure.

Huotian Zun of the Longhan Era, once a Heavenly Man — this battle had at last brought him low, and a profound melancholy weighed upon Shen Mu's heart.

"Caught between power and desire, it is hard for a man to hold fast to his original heart; more often than not he sinks, and loses himself?

" Shen Mu murmured inwardly: "Huotian Zun likely lost himself the very moment Yutian Zun died. In the end, he sank deeper and deeper, and by now he has wholly forgotten what manner of man he once was. " He recalled the scene when he had returned to a million years past, when he had encountered Huotian Zun at the Grand Gathering of Yao Chi.

In those days Huotian Zun had been a high-spirited youth, a man of kindness, who believed that Shen Mu's lavish praise and encouragement of Lingtian Zun's painstaking research into the Unwithering Divine Ability had done Lingtian Zun harm — and for that reason had come to blows with Shen Mu. Even after being defeated by Shen Mu, he had borne no grudge. That Huotian Zun was the true Huotian Zun. Yet after Yutian Zun's death, that Huotian Zun had died as well.

"A pity that from first to last he never awoke, never performed one final good deed.

He educated the people of the Southern Heaven into slavery, yet even before death he could not lead them out of their servile nature. " Shen Mu withdrew his gaze, and the Golden Ship of Salvation sailed on toward the Yuan Realm.

Meanwhile, ever since Lady Yuanmu had appeared, the battle between Taichu and the Haotian Emperor had come to an abrupt halt. Taichu was too shrewd and seasoned — the moment he saw Yuanmu, he knew at once that he had not the slightest chance of victory. Not only was Huotian Zun certain to die; even his own son Langxuan could not be saved.

Better by far to settle down quietly and play the retired emperor.

And the Haotian Emperor, wary of his strength, would not strike him down. "Retired Emperor, tomorrow, I want to see the head of my elder brother Langxuan placed upon my desk. " The Haotian Emperor called out to Taichu just as he was about to leave, his tone bland and indifferent. Taichu's body stiffened; he nodded silently.

"Two fellow Daoists, will you not leave with Us?

" Taichu looked toward the two Taiji Ancient Gods, frowning slightly. He moved his feet, yet the two Taiji Ancient Gods remained where they were, and did not depart with him.

Taiyin Zun and Taiyang Zun exchanged a glance, then shook their heads together, saying: "Brother Taichu, our path to enlightenment stretches long before us.

We must still temper ourselves in the mortal world, gain clarity into our Dao-hearts, and cannot retire from the world alongside you.

" "You intend to throw yourselves upon the Haotian Emperor, then?

Indeed, indeed. . .

" Taichu laughed heartily, then turned and said solemnly to the Haotian Emperor: "Hao'er, if you wish to sit securely upon the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, the Taiji Ancient Gods must never be given high office.

Let them charge into battle and break the enemy lines, but grant them no authority whatsoever! These two have long since been tainted by the struggle for power — they trim their sails to every wind, they are fickle and ungrateful, they lean whichever way the wind blows, selfish to the bone. The Empress Dowager is a lesson from the past; Our own case is a lesson from the past. You must not fail to take heed! " The Haotian Emperor smiled with a hint of irony and said leisurely: "The Retired Emperor's lesson — I have heard it, but I may not necessarily adopt it. Retired Emperor, go and bring me my brother's head.

I have reserved a place of retirement for the Retired Emperor: the Eastern Pole Heaven. As for the Azure Dragon of the Eastern Pole Heaven, I shall trouble the Retired Emperor to deal with him. After all, he has already died in battle in the Southern Heaven, and I do not wish him to still be alive. " Taiyang Zun frowned, and Taiyin Zun said: "Brother Taichu, you lost — why blame us? Things vie, nature selects; the fit survive.

You cannot adapt, and plan to retire in seclusion, but we still seek the Dao! " "Two fellow Daoists, you have already become Ten Heavenly Venerables, just as We once did. " Taichu sighed, then laughed long and loud: "We — haha, I have truly become a lone man now!

" His spirits sunk low; he waved his hand, turned, and departed for the Eastern Pole Heaven.

The Haotian Emperor had won a great and complete victory, full of ambition and satisfaction.

The Golden Ship of Salvation sailed through the void, when suddenly Shen Fengqing and Taishi came flying through the void, leaping onto the ship.

Taishi shook his head and said: "There was no chance to dispose of Xutian Zun and the Ancestor God King — the two Taiji Ancient Gods arrived.

Their strength is exceedingly great; Datou and I found it hard to seize the opportunity to kill them. " Shen Mu nodded and said: "It is only natural that you could not dispose of them. One of these two holds the Xuandu, the other holds half the Youdu. By now Yin Tianzi should be dead, and for Xutian Zun to seize the whole of the Youdu should be no difficult matter.

These two pose a fatal threat to Jingping — even to the Yuan Realm! " He frowned slightly. Still more fatal was the Haotian Zun. Now the Haotian Zun stood alone in dominance, and with Lady Yuanmu's aid, even Taichu was no match for him.

Given Taichu's temperament, he would certainly surrender all his power.

More crucially, Taichu would never throw in his lot with Jingping; on the contrary, if the Haotian Zun moved against Jingping, Taichu would still come out of retirement to lend aid.

After all, their interests were still bound together. That the Ten Heavenly Venerables were a community of shared interests was no empty saying.

Once one became one of the Ten Heavenly Venerables, it was all but impossible to extricate oneself from that community of interests! "Little brother, Huotian Zun still has a clone in Jingping — who will deal with him?

" Shen Fengqing asked.

Taishi mused: "The Yanxiu Emperor should already have made arrangements, no?

Among Jingping's younger generation there are many experts; we need not concern ourselves.

" Shen Mu thought for a moment, then said: "The Emperor need not send anyone.

Huotian Zun's clone will find it hard to escape death as well. The one who most wants him dead is not, in truth, any of us — it is the Haotian Zun.

" Shen Fengqing and Taishi looked somewhat perplexed; the two pondered deeply, when suddenly Shen Fengqing clapped his hands and said: "I understand! The one who most wants him dead is actually the Haotian Emperor!

Was it not the Haotian Emperor who moved against Huotian Zun this time? The Haotian Emperor also has a clone in Jingping. He certainly will not let this opportunity slip — he is bound to strike at Huotian Zun's reincarnated body! " Shen Mu smiled. His elder brother had truly grown up.

Jingping.

Beside the Wendao Academy of the Dide Heavenly Palace, Zhaixing Peak.

Ling Yuxiu, clad in imperial robes, with only a few attendants at her side, came to the palace at the summit of Zhaixing Peak and addressed the palace: "Master Xing, these years you have lived in seclusion, avoiding the world.

I have had the fruits of Jingping's reforms sent to you without cease. You have received no small benefit, Master. I wish to ask you to do something. " "The Emperor has shown me kindness — speak freely," came a youth's voice from within the palace, carrying a note of childishness.

Ling Yuxiu said: "I wish to ask you, Master, to kill a man. This man is the reincarnation of one of Huotian Zun's souls, fallen into Jingping, named Gudu Yi.