Chapter 645 — The Primordial Creation Ring

Shen Mu shook his head, greatly alarmed. "We cannot! The gods and demons of the Chiming Era were fierce and battle-hardened, and from Divine Man Chixi's conduct, this man will stop at nothing. If the gods and demons of the Chiming Era are unsealed and restored to their true bodies, I fear it will be utter ruin for Jingping! The enemy of an enemy is not necessarily a friend — he may be an enemy as well! There is no chance he will join hands with us, so we must destroy..."

"There is no longer any need. You look at this from the standpoint of race; I look at it from the standpoint of the Dao and divine abilities."

The First Ancestor Human Emperor showed a trace of pity and shook his head. "Three hundred and fifty thousand years. Chixi surely never imagined that the gods and demons of his era, after three hundred and fifty thousand years of transformation, no longer hold the primal spirits they once did; their souls are no longer the souls of old."

Shen Mu was stunned for a moment. He put away the small mirrors, but kept the great mirror formed from the sword pellet. "You mean the primal spirits of these sea beasts and great fish can no longer be changed back?"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor nodded. "It has been dragged out too long; their primal spirits and souls have all been twisted. The Chiming Era's attainments in soul and primal spirit were likely not high — not the equal of the Kaihuang Era. They forcibly used creation divine abilities to alter the bodily structure of gods and demons and the structure of their primal spirits and souls. Had they changed back then, they might still have awakened. But after three hundred and fifty thousand years, with souls and primal spirits warped for so long, there are likely very few primal spirits or souls left that can awaken. Whoever gave them this counsel surely meant them no good."

Shen Mu was deeply shaken. "You mean the one who gave that counsel back then did it deliberately, so that once the gods and demons of the Chiming Era became sea beasts and sea monsters, they could never return?"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor nodded gently. "It is possible that this person had long since thrown in with the Heavenly Court, and so set a trap for the gods and demons of the Chiming Era."

Shen Mu shivered several times. "No wonder the village headman and Blind Grandpa say I am too simple, not cunning enough. I truly am too simple."

The wheels turned without cease, countless rune-marks flashing out swiftly, and upon the sea beasts, great fish, sea monsters, and sea trees more seals appeared; the seals kept coming undone, and their bodies too began to change without cease.

When the wheels slowly came to rest, throughout this magnificent undersea divine city lay gods and demons by the score, all stark naked — three-headed, six-armed, their bodies branded with the patterns unique to the Chiming Era.

Their bodies were incomparably powerful, the mightiest bodies for battle!

Yet these gods and demons lay on the ground, writhing without cease, as though they were still great fish or sea monsters; some rose to their feet, six arms spread, as though they were still sea trees.

Shen Mu also saw one god-demon of the Chiming Era wiggling its toes against the ground — it must have returned to human form from the state of a jellyfish and still fancied it had tentacles. It blinked its eyes madly, as though trying to glow like a jellyfish.

"Awake! My clansmen! I have returned!"

Divine Man Chixi's voice shook and echoed through the divine city, surging with passion, three voices overlapping as one: "The Chiming Era has returned! The battle is not yet over — the Divine Sons of the Chiming Era still await word from you! Awake!"

The First Ancestor Human Emperor released his hand-seals and settled to the ground, then walked forward following the sound of Divine Man Chixi's voice. "Let us go over."

Shen Mu followed. Again came Divine Man Chixi's voice, this time carrying bewilderment and alarm: "What is wrong with you? Why have you not awakened? Wake up at once! Have you forgotten the glory of three hundred and fifty thousand years ago?"

His voice grew more and more panicked; he could not fathom why these gods and demons of the Chiming Era had not awakened as he had expected. Once more he urged the wheels into motion; the wheels turned, runes flew out in all directions, but upon these gods and demons they had no effect at all.

Before long Shen Mu and the First Ancestor Human Emperor came beneath the wheels. Divine Man Chixi sensed them too; the wheels stopped turning, and this execution supervisor of a bygone age turned all three heads at once, gazing at them coldly.

"Sect Master Shen!"

Suddenly a familiar voice called out. Shen Mu looked toward it and saw Ban Gongcuo standing atop a tall tower, watching him with feverish excitement.

Shen Mu was overjoyed and waved. "Great Venerable! What brings you here as well?"

Ban Gongcuo laughed heartily. His body shook, his flesh changed abruptly, and he revealed a three-headed, six-armed form; he came charging down from the tower, his three heads crying loudly, "I have sought you a long while, and now at last I can take my revenge and wash away my hate! Behold my Flawless Battle God Art!"

His feet struck the tower as he rushed down; his six arms whirled high and low, six palm-seals shifting beyond all prediction, bursting the air with peals of thunder; in the air thunderbolts clashed, crack-crack, slashing wildly!

The hand-seals of the Flawless Battle God Art were exceedingly fearsome; with so many arms, there was no flaw before or behind, above or below, and the speed of his attacks increased greatly. Nor was this art merely flawless — it could devour the blood and vital essence of others to strengthen oneself, keeping one at the peak of one's state at every moment!

Shen Mu looked up. Before Ban Gongcuo had even arrived, the wild wind pressed down like a mountain range; the ground around Shen Mu kept sinking — one could well imagine what terrifying pressure he bore!

Ban Gongcuo laughed aloud and descended from the sky, the full might of the Flawless Battle God Art bursting forth!

Boom—

Ban Gongcuo's body shuddered violently and was sent flying backward, crashing into the wall of a great hall, the smiles on his three faces not yet fully faded.

"Stacked Hands!"

Shen Mu put his right hand before and his left behind, palms pressed together, and pushed at Ban Gongcuo through the air. The power of the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand burst forth, stacked and doubled, and with another boom, stones flew, the wall collapsed, and Ban Gongcuo, together with the palace wall, was driven into the great hall.

Shen Mu pushed dozens of times in succession; dozens of thunderous booms came from within the hall before he finally stopped.

"He runs fast indeed."

Shen Mu shook his head and said in admiration, "Worthy of the Great Venerable — your cultivation has risen so alarmingly; I fear you are not far from the Realm of Life and Death. The Great Venerable is still so tough against blows, and still so quick-witted."

Behind Divine Man Chixi, Ban Gongcuo's figure suddenly appeared, drenched in blood, five of his six arms broken, two of his three necks snapped, two heads lolling limply; his body swayed, then suddenly pitched to the ground, twitching without cease.

"You surnamed Shen, you..." Ban Gongcuo spat blood in great mouthfuls.

Shen Mu turned around, as though he had done some trifling thing, and saluted Chixi. "Senior Chixi, we meet again. The Chiming Era is truly astonishing. Are the runes branded on these wheels the runes of creation divine abilities? Might Senior explain them to me?"

His two eyes shone bright, showing an eager look, humbly seeking instruction.

"That expression is exactly like a silly roe deer's..." The First Ancestor Human Emperor's forehead bulged with veins as he thought to himself.