Chapter 310 — The Venerable One Is Sagacious

In the Youdu world there was no distinction of above and below, no division of the four seasons; with neither earth nor sun nor moon to be seen, there was naturally no east, west, south or north. Every other world had the divisions of the six directions; here alone there were none.

In the lonely Youdu the treasure ship drifted through the darkness, without aim or purpose. The farther it drifted, the harder it would be to return to the real world. In such solitude, it would not be long before one went mad!

Beyond the ship, in the dark Youdu world, a light suddenly flashed—those were the living things of Youdu, glimmering in the darkness to lure prey to deliver itself into their jaws.

Yet strange to say, ever since the treasure ship entered Youdu, no fearsome Youdu creature had ever come near. Shen Mu and Ban Gongcuo suddenly grasped the crux of it, and their hearts turned cold: "There must be something dreadful aboard this ship, so dreadful that the creatures of Youdu dare not come close! " The dreadful thing was naturally not the two of them, but something else aboard the ship.

Shen Mu recalled again how the demonic qi had surged when they first boarded; now he was certain that they were not the only ones on the ship—something else was hidden aboard! "The hearts of men are treacherous—and this world is so harsh that one misstep and you will be devoured, not a scrap of bone left.

" He rose unsteadily.

Ban Gongcuo grew alert and hastily took a defensive stance, but Shen Mu did not attack; instead he took the Taotie Pouch from his back, opened it, and put his flying sword away inside. Ban Gongcuo breathed a sigh of relief and called back his flying locust as well.

"Sect Master Shen, this ship likely holds dangers beyond foreseeing. We should join hearts and strength and weather the trial together, rather than keep fighting to the death.

What say you? " Shen Mu narrowed his eyes. "That is my own thought as well.

Only, in cooperating with you, I find it hard to set my mind at ease. " Ban Gongcuo's eyes flickered.

"Nor am I at ease about you.

Sect Master Shen, you and I are adversaries; I once underestimated you, but from now on I shall never do so again. This time has not gone as I foresaw—we blundered into the Youdu world, and there are secrets aboard this ship, and something dreadful hidden with them.

You and I must cast aside all past grudges and work together, if we are to have any chance of leaving alive.

If we keep fighting, we will only die here!

" Shen Mu, with a show of reluctance, said, "In that case, we cooperate only aboard this ship. Once off this ship, we are enemies still.

" Ban Gongcuo smiled and nodded.

"Then it is settled! " "It is settled!

" Shen Mu hesitated a moment.

"Shall we also seal a Pact of the Earth Lord? " Ban Gongcuo smiled faintly.

"No need for such trouble; our cooperation is only temporary.

" Shen Mu nodded. "That is indeed the reasoning.

" Ban Gongcuo breathed an inward sigh of relief: "This new Human Emperor is young after all, and no match for me. If I signed an Earth Lord's Pact with you, I would be bound to join hands with you—where then would be my chance to do away with you? " Each nursing his own designs, Ban Gongcuo said, "We must find our subordinates and gather together, if we are to have the strength to protect ourselves.

" Shen Mu nodded.

"The Grand Venerable speaks reason. We shall do as you say. Ah, yes, Grand Venerable—this silver helm. . .

" He produced the silver helmet with its red tassel, a look of difficulty on his face.

Ban Gongcuo was minded to take it, yet feared that in the instant he donned the helmet Shen Mu would strike him unawares; he shook his head.

"You and I are now joined in wholehearted cooperation and must trust one another; let it stay with you for the time being.

This time, follow me—I have already worked out the mystery of this tower ship's rooms, by the method of matching tracks.

" Shen Mu admired him from the heart.

"The Grand Venerable is sagacious!

" The two made themselves ready and stepped out of the cabin door. The ship was empty and silent; there were no other people, not a living thing to be seen—only some green-glowing slime upon the deck.

The treasure ship was vast; White Bat, the dragon qilin, and the Grand Shaman and the Shaman King whom Ban Gongcuo had brought, along with the officers and men of the Man-Di kingdom, must still be trapped in those rooms.

Both swallowed some spirit elixirs and strove to recover their cultivation, then walked shoulder to shoulder into the room by which they had come. Shen Mu worked the Mystic Body Three Elixirs Art to hasten the medicine's power, and recovered two or three tenths of his cultivation; the wounds on his flesh, having been smeared with dragon saliva, began to scab and peel.

Ban Gongcuo's injuries had improved somewhat as well; his spirit medicines were in no way inferior to Shen Mu's. Suddenly Shen Mu again saw that old man from the painting flash past upon the wall; his heart stirred, and he hurried in pursuit. Ban Gongcuo cried out in alarm, "That way is wrong!

" But Shen Mu had already opened another door and rushed into the room!

Ban Gongcuo braced himself and followed, seething inwardly: "If there were not still a use for you, I would have finished you long ago! You little wretch—once you fall into my hands, I will not let you die so easily!

"