Chapter 474 — A Fatal Flaw

Upon each of the seven great stars stood a deity, strange in form: an ox head on a human body, a three-legged bird's head, a tiger's head with a leopard's tail — seven Star Lords, each of a different shape.

Shen Mu's body shook violently, and behind him rose a spirit soul five or six zhang tall, both hands cupped as if holding nothing, with the seven stars floating between its palms.

The Old Mother of True Heaven blurted out, "Such a powerful spirit soul!

He is only at the Heavenly Being realm — why has this seven-star anomaly appeared? " "You heard how dreadful the sound of his wall-breaking was. " Imperial Preceptor Jingping exhaled a breath of turbid air, his manner bleak.

"I always reckoned myself a straight line, with no weak point at all. Only now do I know that I am not.

He is the straight line; I am a triangle. Is the Overlord Body truly this strong?

" The Old Mother of True Heaven was shocked and uncertain, stunned by the terrifying spectacle of Shen Mu's seven-star wall-breaking.

For a seven-star wall-breaking, the sound should never be so dreadful, nor the momentum so strong.

Yet what shocked her more was the Overlord Body. Never in her life had she heard that such a constitution existed in this world! "Imperial Preceptor Jingping, what is an Overlord Body? " the Old Mother of True Heaven asked humbly.

"The Overlord Body comes from an ancient legend. " Imperial Preceptor Jingping's interest stirred.

"An elder once told me of it; let me explain it in full. It is said that of the Overlord Body, there can be only one in the world.

.

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" They pursued for four or five days. Shen Mu steadied his Seven Stars realm and his cultivation grew ever more vigorous; with the Spirit Embryo, Five Luminaries, Six Harmonies, and Seven Stars divine treasures all open at once, his strength closed in on that of the Dragon Qilin, that monstrous beast. The Dragon Qilin fell into a great panic, a keen sense of crisis rising in its heart: "This is bad!

If the Cult Master's cultivation catches up to mine, I'll be useless! Where am I ever going to find another meal-ticket as prime as the Cult Master?

" The Old Mother of True Heaven let out a breath of relief and smiled.

"We are not far from the Great Venerable now.

" Shen Mu raised his eyes and looked ahead: before them lay the Flame Desert.

In surprise he said, "That Ban Gongcuo has actually fled beyond the Western Lands.

Worthy of the Great Venerable — no one can match his talent for saving his own skin. Were it not for Sister Siyu this time, I fear he would have slipped away again.

" The Flame Desert blazed with leaping fire. The moment they drew near, strange patterns surfaced on Shen Mu's body, crawling over his whole frame.

The corner of the Old Mother of True Heaven's eye twitched. "Cult Master Shen, those patterns on your body. .

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" "Some kind of curse, most likely. " Shen Mu was unconcerned. "They appeared the last time I came here.

These patterns grow all the way down to the soles of my feet, and nothing can remove them; only when I leave the Flame Desert do they vanish on their own.

" "Even the soles of your feet?

" The Old Mother of True Heaven was greatly shaken, and nearly cried out in exultation: "Imperial clan!

He is of the imperial clan! " She had killed she knew not how many nobles among the Forsaken of the Desolate Ruins, but the imperial clan bore the Kaihuang bloodline, and she had never killed a single one of them! "He is no noble of the Forsaken in the Desolate Ruins — he is of the imperial clan!

" A fierce satisfaction welled up in the Old Mother of True Heaven's heart, and the humiliations of the past days seemed to vanish into thin air: "Worn-out iron shoes search the world in vain — yet it comes without the slightest trouble!

What those above fear most is an imperial clansman among the Forsaken.

If I can do away with him, I shall rise to the heights and leave this godforsaken lower realm for the comforts of the upper realm! " Her eyes flickered: "This boy is the easiest to handle, but he is worth the most!

His life is far more valuable than Imperial Preceptor Jingping's!

Before that, though, I must first get rid of Imperial Preceptor Jingping! Elsewhere it would be hard to deal with him, but once we enter the great desert I will have both the means and the chance! Only, Great Venerable, you will have to bear the hardship. " She gathered sand and cast her art, awakening the sand-dune giants one by one and asking after Ban Gongcuo's whereabouts.

The Dragon Qilin quickened its pace and raced on. By the next dawn it had come to a set of ruins in the desert, fairly well preserved, and beside them an enormous Dawn Ark, and a sun half buried in red sand. The Old Mother of True Heaven smiled. "With this Dawn Ark here, Imperial Preceptor Jingping will find it hard not to die. " Shen Mu's spirits rose sharply, and he laughed.

"Imperial Preceptor Jingping, Sister Siyu, stay here and hold the field for me; do not let him slip away again.

I will go find that Ban Gongcuo!

" Imperial Preceptor Jingping gazed at him. "You do not need my help? " "No need!

" Shen Mu quickened his steps; in a few bounds he crossed into the ruins and landed atop a broken-down hall.

Laughing aloud, he called, "Ban Gongcuo! A friend has come from afar — why do you not roll out here and die?

" "Shen!

You clinging ghost!

" A figure shot up from the ruins, exploding a skyful of sand grains; with a great thud it landed at the other end of the hall — a youth, none other than Ban Gongcuo, high-spirited, roaring with laughter: "You have come at just the right time! My cultivation has surged these days, and today I can fulfill my lifelong wish: to spell out a great big 'I yield' with your corpse!

" And at that very moment, the Old Mother of True Heaven was staring at Imperial Preceptor Jingping's back — and Imperial Preceptor Jingping had finally shown a flaw!