Chapter 588 — The Creator of Darkness

In the Barren Ruins, the hours had never been the same as those of Taihuang Heaven. The divine and demonic arts of Taihuang Heaven were woefully crude; the sun did not rise and die by the twelve double-hours, and so in ages past the days and nights of Taihuang Heaven had never kept proper time. But after Shen Mu shattered the sun, the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping remade it, and the twelve double-hours of Jingping were what he used.

The Imperial Preceptor was a man of some compulsion, striving always for perfection: the instant the new sun kindled was the instant of sunrise in Jingping, and the instant it guttered out was the instant darkness fell upon the Barren Ruins, without the slightest deviation. Which is to say that the Barren Ruins, too, now lay in night.

To walk abroad in the darkness of the Barren Ruins, there were only two possibilities; otherwise one would die a death of unspeakable misery, devoured by curses or by the monsters of the dark. The first possibility was to possess the strength of a god. The second was to have been born in Youdu, as Shen Mu had been. The first path: a powerful being repels the darkness with his own divine or demonic majesty, so that it cannot draw near.

The second: one of special birth like Shen Mu enters the darkness, and the curses and the monsters of the dark cannot harm him.

By the former means, the powerful one who enters the darkness of the Barren Ruins cannot see Taihuang Heaven, nor can the people of Taihuang Heaven see him. By the latter means, it is as though one walks within Taihuang Heaven itself; the people there can see a shadow like black sand, and it was by this means that Shen Mu had first come to know Sang Hua.

Yet the latter means, though it allowed one to see the people of Taihuang Heaven, permitted no exchange—no useful message could be conveyed.

And now Shen Mu had seen another who could likewise walk into the darkness of the Barren Ruins, and his heart could not but be shaken.

"Both Yama and Earth Earl have said that I was the first living being born of the womb in Youdu. Could it be that after me, another was also born there? Why did Earth Earl never speak of this?

" He was perplexed, and he studied the black shadow in the darkness; the black shadow was studying him in turn, as though pondering something. The two of them began to move, circling one another slowly, each trying to discern something from the other.

Shen Mu halted, and the black shadow halted as well, turning its head to speak to someone beside it—but the words could not be heard clearly. "There must be someone beside him! " Shen Mu's heart gave a small jolt.

"But that one does not walk in the darkness; he repels it. That is why I cannot see him.

" The black shadow suddenly spun around, leaped like a flying thing, and vanished. Shen Mu did not pursue.

The other must be somewhere in the Barren Ruins; if he wished to hide, there were a hundred ways—he need only slip into any ruin and vanish from sight. "A Tyrant Body of the demon race. .

. how did he come to be in the Barren Ruins?

Could he have crossed by the Spirit-Energy Transfer Bridge?

Impossible. There must be a being of demon-god level at his side, and if a demon-god crossed the Spirit-Energy Transfer Bridge, it would surely be detected.

" He could make no sense of it, and murmured, "Could it be that there are other passages into the Barren Ruins?

" The Barren Ruins held countless secrets. Shen Mu himself had once passed through the Barren Ruins into the Era of the Supreme Emperor, and had gone from the Nether Valley to Youdu, and had visited Fengdu two or three times as well—proof enough that the Barren Ruins might well connect to other worlds.

"Reverent God Sang Ye and the others called the Barren Ruins the Celestial Court of Kaihuang.

There are still countless hidden things there awaiting discovery. . .

Hmm. Perhaps I might ask the Lord of Youdu! " Shen Mu roused his spirits, shook his body, and behind him appeared a Gate of Heaven-Bearing. The gate swung slowly open, and the demonic qi of Youdu surged forth, making the darkness darker still.

The Blind Elder frowned slightly, considered, and did not stop him, thinking, "Shen'er has always had a mind of his own. Best not to interfere—let us see what he intends.

" Shen Mu steadied himself, and from his mouth came the long, cadenced demon tongue of Youdu. He only chanted the demon speech; he did not activate the Soul-Drawing Art. After a moment, a lamp's light shone from within the Gate of Heaven-Bearing.

The Blind Elder looked toward the gate and saw a small boat sailing out of the darkness, the light coming from a lantern at its prow. "A Yin Envoy! " The Blind Elder's heart lurched, and behind him the Dragon Expansion Divine Spear gave a low dragon-cry, frantic and urgent.

"Blind Grandfather, Senior Dragon Expansion, there is no need for alarm. This is the Benevolent Sage King of Tianqi of Youdu, one of the great lords of Youdu, known as the Lord of Youdu.

" Shen Mu's voice came to them. The Blind Elder's eyes went wide, and his heart was greatly shaken.

"Shen'er has actually gotten himself entangled with Youdu? And with the Lord of Youdu, no less?

In the days I have not seen him, this boy has grown more capable than ever! " Yet even as he thought this, he dared not relax in the slightest. Dragon Expansion transformed into a black dragon spear and slowly circled him, ready to strike at any moment.

"You again. .

. " A paper boat sailed out from the Gate of Heaven-Bearing. The lantern was taken down, and the old man aboard wore a face without expression, hidden behind the lantern.

The light shone on Shen Mu's face, and the voice held no emotion either: "Do not stir up trouble. Wielding the tongue of Youdu so recklessly will do you no good. Beware of touching the seals—then you will regret it too late.

" Shen Mu hastily put on a smile. "Lord of Youdu, this time I have asked you to come.

.

. " The Yin Envoy old man shook his head. "It is not that you asked me to come. It is that your Youdu speech compelled me to come, lest you do something else foolish. What is it?

Speak.

So long as it does not violate the rules of Youdu, I will help you if I can. If it is too difficult, then I take my leave. " The Blind Elder's eyes shimmered with divine light as he peered at the face of the Yin Envoy old man behind the lantern, but try as he might, he could not make out the Lord of Youdu's features, and his heart was filled with dread. His cultivation had advanced greatly; he had crossed the Divine Bridge and stood outside the Southern Heavenly Gate.

His power had risen enormously, and the power of his Sage Pupil had risen with it—yet still he could not see this lord's face. The man's abilities were unfathomable.

"Shen'er truly does have a connection with this Benevolent Sage King of Tianqi. " The Blind Elder praised inwardly, "Shen'er is indeed like me—friends all under heaven. He has not failed my years of teaching.

" Shen Mu recounted what he had just seen and his two conjectures, then said, "May I ask the Lord of Youdu: after I was born, was a second living being born in Youdu?

And was that one also born of the womb? " The Yin Envoy old man gave a cold laugh.

"One Shen Fengqing was enough. Who would dare let a second Shen Fengqing come into the world? One such vicious, incorrigible wretch was trouble enough.

After your birth, Earth Earl strictly investigated every realm of Youdu—there is no second one! " Shen Mu was greatly bewildered. "Then why could this black shadow enter the darkness of the Barren Ruins as I can? " "You have named only two possibilities.

You do not know there is a third. " The Yin Envoy old man said, "The darkness of the Barren Ruins is a curse, and it is also destruction, and it is also a seal.

Such darkness did not come into being for no reason—someone made it.