Chapter 1687 — Though Dead, Their Heroic Spirit Lives On

Bai Quer took a step back as a towering figure sat up within the imperial coffin, a Shanghuang emperor who was plainly no human but a demon of the postnatal races. In the Shanghuang era it was not only humans who held the throne of the Shanghuang Celestial Emperor, for Celestial Venerable Yue and Celestial Venerable Ling upheld that age and chose the most outstanding talents from among the postnatal races, and several of its emperors came from other kinds.

That Shanghuang emperor had already become a corpse demon, a corpse turned fiend, his body wound round with chains, for Yi Shisheng had suppressed him here lest he run rampant as a corpse demon. Though an obsession still lingered within him, once turned into a corpse demon he was ruled more by bloodthirsty instinct, and so Yi Shisheng had no choice but to bind him.

Corpse qi billowed about the Shanghuang emperor as he lowered his head to look upon the edict of Celestial Venerable Yue, green light flooding his eyes. The corpse qi upon him was so thick it sickened all who drew near, which was why Bai Quer had retreated.

"It is indeed my Teacher's own hand," the imperial corpse said in a沉 deep voice, "Senior brothers, our Teacher summons us to battle once more for the human race.

What say you?

" From another imperial coffin came a muffled rumble: "We are already dead, dead in battle for humanity and for all postnatal beings.

Though my heart beats no longer and my blood flows no more, the campaigns of those years still set my heart surging.

Yet we are already dead.

" From yet another imperial coffin a weighty voice answered: "In my mind I still hear the war drums. " "Through three hundred thousand years of Shanghuang, how many heroes were born. That age was ours, and it should not be buried with us.

" "The Longhan era, the Crimson Emperor era, the Kaihuang era, the Jingping era, all have undying ones who emerged to fight for this calamity.

What of the most glorious Shanghuang era?

" "The Shanghuang era has not sunk, has not been buried! " "The Teacher who taught us still lives, still strives and risks all!

We cannot return to dust!

" From coffin after coffin came the thunder of long-withered blood stirring anew, and the chains wound about those imperial coffins rattled and clattered before snapping one after another.

The exhausted blood of those Shanghuang emperors revived and surged, and above the imperial coffins there rose in the tide of blood the lofty visages of great emperors of ancient mien, the phantoms of nine emperors standing amid the gore and turning their gaze upon Bai Quer.

"Though many Shanghuang emperors of past generations have perished soul and body with no bones remaining, we whose corpses were preserved will fight in their stead!

" The last Shanghuang Celestial Emperor, thick with corpse qi, said to Bai Quer: "Go first to Jingping and tell the emperors there that the Shanghuang era endures, that even in death we will crawl from our graves to fight on for humanity and for postnatal beings! " "This is our unfinished cause!

" "Our junior brother, Yi Shisheng, will bear our coffins upon his back to the battlefield!

" Bai Quer bowed low to the nine sovereigns, rose, and led her followers away. In the Great Abyss of Guixu, Celestial Venerable Yun contended against the power of the abyss.

With the Dao fruit of his Dao tree he could already withstand the wind of cold stillness from the Ultimate Void, but the abyss was filled with the wind of hot stillness, which even a Dao fruit could hardly resist, draining his magic power moment by moment and unmaking his Great Dao without cease.

"For one who attained the Dao through the Ultimate Void, this place must be perilous ground!

" Fortunately his cultivation was mighty enough, and at last he reached the lowest depth of the Great Abyss of Guixu, where below he saw a snow-white sphere enfolding Lady Yuanmu and spinning without pause, leaving her unable to resist.

That snow-white sphere was woven of strand upon strand of hair, white hair like silk sealing in Lady Yuanmu, one who had attained the Dao, so she could not escape.

Celestial Venerable Yun gripped the stalk of the twin lotus and gazed downward, and on the seabed he saw a vast woman's face bound about with chains. Yet though he searched long, he never found Celestial Venerable Ling. "Can Celestial Venerable Ling have already met with disaster?

" His heart chilled.

At that moment Lady Yuanmu cried out shrilly: "Sister, only if you and I join hearts can we resist this calamity together. If we escape alive, I will yield this flesh to you!

" "Agreed!

" From within Lady Yuanmu came the voice of the Empress: "If you and I drive the Dao of Reincarnation together, escape will not be hard!

" "The Dao of Reincarnation?

" Celestial Venerable Yun started slightly: "Is that not the supreme art of Celestial Venerable Mu?

" Long ago upon Daluo Heaven, Shen Mu had exchanged arts with him, teaching him his comprehended Dao of divine consciousness while Shen Mu imparted his own attainments, so Celestial Venerable Yun was no stranger to Shen Mu's Dao of Reincarnation. A thought stirred in him: "This must have been taught to them by Celestial Venerable Mu.

Does it require the Empress and Lady Yuanmu to join hands to unleash it?

So Celestial Venerable Mu held something back!

The Dao of Reincarnation he gave Lady Yuanmu and the Empress must hide a flaw!

" His eyes glittered as he watched Lady Yuanmu's every movement, seeking to discern from their working of the Dao of Reincarnation the flaw Shen Mu had left behind.

Below, within the sphere, the Empress and Lady Yuanmu each commanded the flesh and together drove the divine art of reincarnation, and rings of light spun in endless return, cutting outward from the sphere of white hair. Where the white hair was cut, Guixu spaces formed one after another, yet the halos of reincarnation cut through those Guixu and would not be stopped from bearing their forms onward.

Lady Yuanmu passed through ring after ring of reincarnation and soon escaped the sphere of white hair, then soared skyward and rushed toward Celestial Venerable Yun. Wild with triumph, Lady Yuanmu laughed shrilly: "Sister, how naive you are, to truly believe I would surrender this flesh to you? " At that instant she saw a handsome man drift down from above, his ten fingers flying like the turning, blooming petals of a lotus.

Caught unprepared, Lady Yuanmu waved her sleeves in desperate defense, yet the man tapped one finger upon the turning halo of reincarnation. Lady Yuanmu grunted, and the black mole between her brows turned red.

"Minister Yun," the Empress raised her head, her gaze falling upon Celestial Venerable Yun. "Your Majesty the Empress," Celestial Venerable Yun bowed slightly: "Where is Celestial Venerable Ling?

" "Celestial Venerable Ling has already been sent by the Second Prince of Miluo Palace in the Sea of Chaos to the primeval universes, to fulfill her undying renown," the Empress rose into the air and said in a沉 deep voice: "You aided me in suppressing that wretched woman, and I will not lie to you.

" Celestial Venerable Yun walked beside her, saying: "I trust Your Majesty.

" Together they charged out of the Great Abyss of Guixu, one alighting to the left of the abyss and one to the right.

The Empress fixed her eyes upon him and said coolly: "Then why does Celestial Venerable Yun still follow me?

Must you strike at me?

" Celestial Venerable Yun shook his head: "Your Majesty, though you have become mistress of this body, how will you bear yourself upon returning to the Celestial Court?

Celestial Venerable Haotian may not suffer you to live.

" The Empress snorted: "I will seek out Taichu.

With my aid, Taichu may seize the throne!

" Celestial Venerable Yun laughed aloud and shook his head: "How laughable that Your Majesty remains so innocent.