Chapter 263 — The Sovereign Lord's Secret Treasury

His vital essence shifted and changed as he worked the Red Lotus Demon Heart Mantra; he bent a finger and flicked, and a single red lotus flew out.

Fan Xuanshu looked closely: it was indeed the Red Lotus Demon Heart Mantra—and in truth somewhat more profound than her own casting. What she had flicked out a moment ago was demonic qi that evolved into a demon-fire red lotus, not so pure as Shen Mu's red lotus karma fire. Yet because his realm was limited, the power of the Red Lotus Demon Heart Mantra he worked was much the lesser.

The two of them came next to the Six Directions divine treasury. Emperor Yanfeng's Six Directions divine treasury was likewise in utter ruin, leaking air on every side, swept clean. Here too half of a Heavens Treasury remained, and the gods and Buddhas of the heavens were assaulting this divine treasury, shattering the six directions.

Fan Xuanshu could not help saying: "This emperor is beyond saving. His divine treasuries are more ruined with every layer. Even if you revive him, he will be a cripple. Is he worth all this trouble?"

Along the way she had come to rather approve of Shen Mu, this Holy Preceptor of the Cult, and her impression of him had improved a great deal; she felt it hardly worth his while to labor so over Emperor Yanfeng, only to bring back a cripple.

Shen Mu shook his head. "For the Heavenly Sacred Cult, he must be saved."

Fan Xuanshu asked no more. She made her move and gathered away the lingering traces of Tathagata's divine power within the Six Directions divine treasury.

"I may no longer be the Holy Cult Leader, but I was one once," she said softly. "Anything that benefits the Sacred Cult, I am willing to do."

Shen Mu was surprised, and nodded in silence.

The two came next to the Seven Stars divine treasury. There the sun and moon hung in the void—both already shattered—and two divine swords hung there as well, quivering now and then, whereupon sword qi filled the heavens and stabbed out in every direction.

Shen Mu could not help but wonder, and said in a low voice: "The Seven Stars divine treasury—from the name, there ought to be seven stars..."

"The Seven Stars divine treasury has the twin stars of sun and moon; add the five luminaries of the Five Elements divine treasury, and only then are there seven stars."

Fan Xuanshu prompted him: "Look down, and you will see the Five Elements divine treasury."

Shen Mu looked down, and his heart gave a small jolt: beneath their feet lay the Five Elements divine treasury, and the five luminaries together with the sun and moon here made up the seven stars. But Emperor Yanfeng's Five Elements divine treasury had already been destroyed; beneath their feet, too, ghastly cracks had opened, and now and then a stretch of sky would collapse—a perilous sight indeed.

"These two divine treasuries are joined as one. When your cultivation reaches the Seven Stars divine treasury, you will see the five luminaries and the seven stars forming a single body. And if you reach the Heaven-Man Realm, you will see the six directions encircling the spirit fetus, the five luminaries spread across the sky, and the sun and moon of the seven stars suspended at the zenith of heaven. That is the Pole of Heaven and Earth."

Fan Xuanshu instructed him further: "When you reach the Life-and-Death Realm, darkness will appear in the earth beneath your spirit fetus—that is the road to the Nether Capital. When you reach the Divine Bridge, a divine bridge runs straight to the Heavenly Court! By then you will not be far from becoming a god."

She smiled, and the smile was a little cruel, a little savage. "But by then you will discover that this bridge to the Heavenly Court is broken! Heh heh—broken! All your life's cultivation, all your life's persistence, all your life's ideals and convictions—utterly useless. When your final hour comes, everything is empty, all of it a void!"

"Cult Master Li, be calm," Shen Mu said.

Fan Xuanshu shot him a very feminine glare, and could not help asking: "Aren't you disappointed?"

Shen Mu was puzzled. "If one lives a life full of splendor, why be disappointed?"

Fan Xuanshu was taken aback a moment, then nodded. "That is why I must live this life brilliantly, and be the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Shen Mu's scalp went numb. He could not tell whether this former Holy Cult Leader had been unhinged by Granny Zhu's provocation, or whether practicing the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Sutra had left her brain somewhat out of order.

They walked into Emperor Yanfeng's Heaven-Man divine treasury, and Shen Mu at last saw the spirit fetus, the six directions, and the Pole of Heaven and Earth formed by the five luminaries and seven stars of which Fan Xuanshu had spoken.

When they reached the Life-and-Death divine treasury, Shen Mu saw the dark Nether Capital appear beneath his feet.

At last they came to the final divine treasury: the Divine Bridge divine treasury.

A divine bridge spanned the sky, stretching across life and death, sun and moon, the five luminaries, and the six directions. At the bridge's far end there seemed to stand a Heavenly Court of incomparable brilliance and glory, where the gods waited for them to come.

Emperor Yanfeng's bridge, however, had broken into more segments than one could count. Now and then a broken span came crashing down with a terrifying roar, punching straight through one divine treasury after another until it struck the Primal Fetus divine treasury itself!

Fan Xuanshu looked around. "The emperor really is beyond saving—finished. Give me his skin. I will go be emperor, and Jingping will become ours—the Heavenly Sacred Cult's!"

Shen Mu shook his head. "You are not emperor material. You are only fit to wreak havoc on the countless living beings under heaven."

Fan Xuanshu flew into a pout, glaring at him, cheeks puffed with anger. "If I become empress, I will grant you the title of Imperial Concubine!"

Shen Mu rolled his eyes upward until only the whites showed, and looked at her.

Fan Xuanshu was startled for a moment, then suddenly burst into giggles.

"A formidable enchantress!" Shen Mu hastily sealed off his five senses to keep himself from being disturbed.