Chapter 661 — The Floating Realm

You mean one to whom destiny belongs? " Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he said: "Then is the Chiming Divine Son also one to whom destiny belongs? " Chixi did not answer. Suddenly the labyrinth of light came to an end, and ahead a continent appeared, floating amid the many-colored radiance; above it sun and moon moved in their courses, along with a scattering of stars. Shen Mu looked around and saw that the continent was wholly wrapped in light; the outside could not be seen, nor could any other stars. This place was utterly cut off from the world beyond — calling it the Floating Realm was no exaggeration!

The green boat, overgrown with forest, sailed toward the center of the continent. The Primordial Ancestor, the Human Sovereign, said weakly: "Mu'er, look at the sun.

" Shen Mu's heart stirred: "He calls me Mu'er — is he trying to close the distance between us?

Hmph, I have not forgiven you yet. .

.

" Yet even as he thought it, he could not bring himself to hate the Primordial Ancestor.

He looked at the sun of the Floating Realm and was slightly startled. The Floating Realm had three suns; they were very large, but the light they shed was strange, like divine radiance, and within the suns were layer upon layer of patterns, like the pupils of eyes.

"A formation structure?

" Shen Mu said in astonishment.

"These suns are man-made?

" The Primordial Ancestor shook his head: "They are eyes. " Shen Mu's heart skipped; he blurted out: "The Red Emperor's eyes?

You mean the Red Emperor died here, and his eyes became the suns? " "And the moons.

" The Primordial Ancestor weakly raised his hand and pointed to the bright moon in the sky — there were three moons as well — and said: "The moons must also be formed from the Red Emperor's eyes.

Those scattered stars in the sky are most likely the Red Emperor's Five Luminaries Divine Treasury.

This Red Emperor must have died here; his body became this continent, turning into fertile soil, his blood became rivers, and his sea of qi became the vast ocean.

" Shen Mu was awestruck, and murmured: "The Red Emperor used his own flesh to create the Floating Realm, giving his descendants a place to stand.

This Red Emperor is truly admirable.

. . " Before long a divine general with six arms and three heads flew over to question them; seeing Chixi, he hastily saluted and said: "Sir, you left the Floating Realm to seek news and did not return for several thousand years; the Divine Son has been worried beyond measure. Now that you have returned, the Divine Son will be overjoyed!

" Chixi was deeply moved and said: "This old minister has weathered many perils and at last returned alive, but the clansmen who went with me all met with misfortune. This old minister must beg the Divine Son's punishment!

" Shen Mu was surprised; Chixi's words did not seem feigned. This execution overseer of the Chiming era looked coldly upon everyone, yet toward the Chiming Divine Son he showed heartfelt reverence. "Could the Chiming Divine Son also be a figure as compelling as the Red Emperor and the Bright Emperor?

" he thought to himself, filled with anticipation at the coming meeting. The green boat landed outside a divine city of extraordinary grandeur.

Chixi hurried down the gangway and was about to go to the imperial city to report his experiences to the Chiming Divine Son, when he suddenly remembered something and said to the three-headed, six-armed divine general: "These are envoys from Jingping, come to pay their respects to the Divine Son and discuss an alliance. Arrange lodging for them first, and let them wait at ease for the Divine Son's summons.

This is Bangongcuo, a disciple I have taken; arrange for him to stay in my palace. " The six-armed deity assented and said: "Envoys, please follow me.

" Shen Mu, Ling Yuxiu, the Primordial Ancestor and Bangongcuo followed the divine general into the divine city, looking around and marveling. The people here all had three heads and six arms, three heads and six eyes; some even had nine eyes, and some had cultivated a vertical eye in the center of the brow — no doubt because their cultivation arts differed. Beyond that, Shen Mu noticed many strange beasts; these beasts too had three heads and eight legs, and high-ranking divine-power cultivators rode them through the streets! "Even the beasts' cultivation arts resemble the Great Venerable's Flawless Battle Divine Art!

" Ling Yuxiu looked at a civet cat crouching on the eaves — the cat was as large as a tiger, with three heads set side by side — and said in astonishment: "The civilization of the Chiming era seems to be built entirely upon the foundation of three heads and six arms.

It is simply incredible! " They came to the center of the imperial city; here was a city within a city, its walls wrought of purple gold, and within it a thousand palaces and ten thousand halls, towering and magnificent. Outside this city must be where the gods and demons dwelled, also with layer upon layer of palaces.

The three-headed divine general led them to a palace estate and said: "Envoys of Jingping, lodge here for now; before long the Divine Son will summon you. " Shen Mu heard a clear recitation of texts from next door; he walked over and looked up inside.

The hall was exceedingly luxurious — it must be a private school for noble gods and demons, where some three-headed, six-armed children sat reading aloud after their teacher.

They had three mouths each, and their voices, clear and bright, carried distinctly to Shen Mu's ears: "Threefold split the Firmament's Dragon Han, the Chiming in two was torn! North and South the Supreme Sovereigns stood, one age of Kaibing passed on! "