Chapter 640 — Reunion with the First Ancestor

But why did you Ancestors beat the Headman? " Human Sovereign Qikang spoke bluntly: "That stinking boy tricked us and had you give us a solid thrashing, disgracing us, and then he came scurrying back saying he had found records of the Overlord Body. If not him, then who should we beat? I took on such a disciple, and he schemes even against his own master. A beating is too light a punishment, so we beat him every day.

.

. " "Every day? " Shen Mu's face darkened, and he said softly, "Ancestors, this junior has learned a few more skills out in the wider world, and I would like to ask you Ancestors for a little instruction.

" The faces of the Human Sovereigns all darkened, and they began to talk of other things.

"A few days ago someone burned me a set of clothes. The workmanship was excellent.

Today I forgot to wear it out and show it off.

" "Someone heard I was a Human Sovereign and made offerings to me! " "Someone burned me a few big paper girls, I suppose someone in the world of the living remembers us again.

" "Old Ling, I heard it was Emperor Yanfeng who ascended the Heaven Altar to sacrifice to his ancestors and continued the clan genealogy, and that it has something to do with you. They say you are his forebear. Those big girls were probably burned for you by the emperor.

" Shen Mu had never truly meant to beat them, and he smiled.

"Ancestors, I ran back this time to see the Headman. Since the Headman is not here. .

.

" Before he could finish, he looked toward the end of the street, and his aura abruptly surged. The Human Sovereigns sensed the surge in his aura at once and looked toward the end of the street, where a youthful Human Sovereign stood, quietly gazing at Shen Mu. The Second Ancestor Human Sovereign tensed, and said hurriedly with a smile, "Human Sovereign Shen has not met the First Ancestor yet, has he?

Let me introduce you. First Ancestor, this is Human Sovereign Shen, the Human Sovereign of the present day, who came all this way to see us! That Between of Life and Death of yours was built by him, to connect the two realms of yin and yang! A very clever notion, is it not? Human Sovereign Shen, come quickly and pay your respects to the First Ancestor. .

.

" "No need! " Shen Mu raised a hand and said calmly, "Second Ancestor, your bones were smashed to powder by him, your gravestone toppled by him. That, I think, is something you know.

You know his deeds far better than I do.

" The Second Ancestor Human Sovereign was slightly stunned.

He opened his mouth, but could not speak.

The First Ancestor Human Sovereign walked over and said calmly, "Since you have come. . .

" "Indeed, since I have come!

" Shen Mu raised his hand gently and peeled the golden willow leaf from his forehead. With the golden willow leaf removed, he who had been a mere skeleton in Fengdu now had flesh and blood return to his body at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in a moment his frame was whole again! Shen Mu flexed his hands and feet and said indifferently, "Then after I beat you to death, I will be on my way.

" The Human Sovereigns were startled. The place where Shen Mu stood was not the Between of Life and Death, yet he had regained his fleshly body and was not bound by the rules of Fengdu. This was all but impossible!

But they did not know that Shen Mu had been born in Youdu, and that Fengdu was a part of Youdu. In the past he had been bound by the rules of Fengdu: once he entered, he would turn into a skeleton, all flesh and blood gone. Now, with the opening of his third eye, part of his identity and bloodline as a divine child of Youdu had been awakened.

With the third eye open, he could take on a body of flesh and blood even in Fengdu! Shen Mu watched the approaching First Ancestor Human Sovereign with cold eyes, tides surging in his heart. Outside the Hall of Human Sovereigns he had been defeated by the First Ancestor Human Sovereign's hand, and had watched helplessly as the First Ancestor destroyed the life's work of every Human Sovereign before him, watched helplessly as this god ground the Second Ancestor's bones to powder and crushed the Second Ancestor's tablet and gravestone to dust! At his hands Shen Mu had suffered the greatest defeat of his life, a defeat that had sunk him for months on end, that had forced him to venture into Taihuang Heaven in search of a higher level of cultivation, in search of a way to defeat the First Ancestor Human Sovereign! His Tribulation Sword, his entry into the Dao through his arts, were breakthroughs wrung from his own latent potential under that man's oppression! The greatest enemy in his heart was not the demons of Taihuang Heaven, nor the lofty Heavenly Court, but this man before him, the founder of the Hall of Human Sovereigns, and the one who had shattered his dreams and his reverence!

The First Ancestor Human Sovereign's face was calm. "Here? This place is no good. If we wreck Fengdu, it will be hard to explain to the King of Hell.

Come to the Hall of Human Sovereigns. After I defeat you, I will destroy another Human Sovereign's bones!

" Shen Mu turned and walked out of Fengdu, his face dark. "Wait for me in the Hall of Human Sovereigns! "