Chapter 635 — The Soul-Reaving Strings

As the two great beings spoke, the sky suddenly blazed bright, and an ancient tower-ship came sailing through the air. The ship ran with flowing radiance, and — strange to tell — it bore pair upon pair of wings, symmetrical left and right; and its prow was not the dragon head or Baxia head such ships commonly bear, but the head of a phoenix.

The ship was dazzling beyond measure. It sailed into the sky over the Great Brahma Heaven Realm and slowly halted. On its prow stood many deities gleaming with golden light, clad in armor and bearing painted halberds for ceremonial weapons; even at the sight of Tubo and King Buddha Great Brahma they said not a word, nor offered any salute.

"So it is the two Brothers Dao — the Great Emperor of Youdu and King Buddha Great Brahma."

A voice came from within the ship, utterly free of the smoke and fire of this world, and a woman stepped out from the tower, her face indistinct, four wheels of light behind her back, her dress incomparably splendid. Meeting the eyes of King Buddha Great Brahma and Tubo as an equal, she saluted them: "Xiayu greets Old Buddha and Brother Dao Tubo."

King Buddha Great Brahma returned the salute, and Tubo bowed slightly.

"So it is the Vermilion Emperor of the Southern Heaven, Senior Sister Qi."

King Buddha Great Brahma said hurriedly: "I never thought that my little Buddha Realm of twenty heavens could disturb Senior Sister Qi; this humble Buddha is deeply dismayed."

"Old Buddha is too courteous."

The woman, the Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu, said: "I govern the heavens of the South and seldom stir abroad; today I too have business in the Buddha Realm. Not many days ago word reached me that the Buddhist Order has fallen into disorder. May I ask whether Old Buddha knows the particulars?"

King Buddha Great Brahma said: "I was just speaking of this with Tubo. It was my failure to discipline him: my junior brother Sakra suddenly conceived an evil intent, released the Youdu Son-of-Heaven, killed a great many Buddhas and Buddha-sons, and turned my Great Brahma Heaven Realm into a Youdu. Brother Dao Tubo is here; ask him, and you will know."

The Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu looked to Tubo, and Tubo nodded: "It is indeed so. The killer was my Youdu Son-of-Heaven. I sealed the Youdu Son-of-Heaven long ago; without great dharma power he could never have broken free. Someone of great dharma power must have set him loose."

The Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu smiled faintly. "So that is it. Sakra was always a restless man. Later he entered the gate of emptiness, and I had thought he would settle down here with Old Buddha, the four elements all void. I never expected him to rebel after all! Old Buddha, you too have come off the worse; this matter cannot be blamed on you, nor on Youdu, but only on Sakra. Since all is now clear, I must go on to the Sakra Heaven Realm, seize that wretch, and haul him onto the God-Slaying Platform to make an example of him. By your leave, I take my leave."

King Buddha Great Brahma said hastily: "Please do, Senior Sister."

The tower-ship suddenly beat its wings and vanished from the Great Brahma Heaven Realm.

King Buddha Great Brahma raised his brows and said nothing. Tubo's vast body slowly sank into the demon sea and disappeared.

And in the Sakra Heaven Realm, the tower-ship abruptly appeared. The Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu looked into the sky, her expression shifting; she rose from the ship into the air, streaking in a blaze of dazzling, many-colored light straight toward the Spiritual Energy Transfer Bridge. "Fled! But you will not get away!"

Just as she was about to enter the Spiritual Energy Transfer Bridge, the bridge shuddered violently; the divine power King Buddha Sakra had left behind erupted, and the whole altar, vast as a mountain range, twisted, collapsed, and caved inward toward its center!

"You think to leave?"

The Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu suddenly transformed into a nine-headed phoenix of many hues and gave chase to the stream of light vanishing in midair, striving to overtake the radiance of the disappearing Transfer Bridge.

Whisk—

Her figure vanished into the stream of light, but an instant later she was flung back out by space, and the stream of light dispersed utterly.

"Ship, come!"

She cried out sharply, and the winged ship flew to her. The Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu settled onto the deck and sat down, took out a phoenix zither, laid it across her knees, and laughed coldly: "The little thief escaped in the Kaihuang era, but today I will not let you escape."

So saying, she plucked a tune; the notes rose and fell in cadence, and the sound of the zither turned to substance and faded into nothing.

When the Vermilion Emperor Qi Xiayu had finished playing, she rose and said: "He cannot escape my zither's summons to death. If he does escape, then I will truly admire his skill!"