Chapter 676 — I See Through You

The sky of Taihuang Heaven was battered apart by these thousand-odd demon-gods.

The enormous star was slowly entering the space, threading its way toward Jingping!

The sky, crushed to fragments by the star's gravity, suddenly erupted as a thick pillar of incomparably dense light burst up from the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge, surging straight into the heights! The light was dense; striking the vault of heaven, it burst apart, forming cloud-like masses that spread in every direction, while the flowing radiance sank slowly from the dome like white ink diffusing in water. To the eye, the light seemed to sink very slowly, but in truth its speed was tremendous!

That was spirit energy. The function of the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge was to open an energy channel between Taihuang Heaven and Jingping. When the strange star squeezed into the world of Jingping, a portion of Jingping's energy would migrate across through the Transfer Bridge to maintain the balance of energy.

This time the migrating strange star carried several thousand demon-gods of the Void Realm, along with millions of common folk and a star itself; the energy transfer was therefore violently intense, verging on exceeding the Transfer Bridge's limits!

The ground near Licheng was trembling too. These were tremors transmitted from the Transfer Bridge. Shen Mu's expression changed slightly. The Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge had been built by him and the Tiger Venerable together; he knew its energy limits well.

If the demon-gods of the Void Realm all migrated at once, the limit would certainly be exceeded, and if that happened, the Transfer Bridge would explode!

If the Transfer Bridge exploded, the consequence would be the closing of the energy transfer channel!

And if that happened, the strange star would be cut cleanly in two by the sealed world barrier!

Half remaining in Taihuang Heaven, half remaining in Jingping!

And the common folk of Chiming aboard the strange star would likely all perish, with scarcely any surviving!

"These fellows of the Void Realm are far too reckless! " Shen Mu abruptly slapped the Dragon Qilin, and it shot into the air, treading fire as it raced straight for the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge. His voice came down from above: "Lou Qianzhong, we'll fight another day!

" "You think to escape from my hands?

" Lou Qianzhong's eyes lit up. Countless black feathers suddenly surged around him, whirling about his body, and in an instant transformed him into a black-winged Garuda, beak of a bird, face of a man, crowned with a pointed pagoda hat. Its wings spread to cover several li around, and as they beat, a hurricane swept in all directions! Lou Qianzhong soared straight up; at a beat of his wings black wind filled the sky, and he hurtled straight at the Dragon Qilin.

His speed was, incredibly, a shade faster than the Dragon Qilin's!

The two flew off one after the other, and Qi Jiuyi, Zhe Huali, Xu Shenghua, Dao Master Lin Xuan and the rest all gave chase, some fast, some slow.

Fastest of all was Qi Jiuyi: with a shake of his body he became a nine-headed phoenix and flew off on beating wings, even faster than Lou Qianzhong! Next came Xu Shenghua, a lotus blooming at every step, his figure flickering in and out of sight.

His strides were not swift, but when his foot touched a lotus he vanished, and the next instant he appeared far away; where his foot came down, another lotus bloomed. Among them all, it was Zhe Huali who was slowest; every step he took covered exactly the same distance, which in fact capped his utmost speed.

The True God Pang Yu, worried for everyone's safety, rose into the air and was about to give chase when an aura suddenly came from behind and locked onto him. Pang Yu's body went rigid; he crashed down from midair and did not dare turn around. Just then a melancholy man was seen walking toward him head-on.

Pang Yu immediately felt the aura locking onto him snap off, and knowing it was this melancholy man who had acted, he was finally able to relax. Lou Yunqu frowned slightly and looked at the First Ancestor.

He took up the Book of Life and Death and turned it upon him, and his eyes lit up again. He laughed. "So it is Prince Shen Wu of Yuming Palace.

How very interesting. " "Prince Shen Wu of Yuming Palace! " Pang Yu was greatly shaken.

He looked at the First Ancestor and blurted out, "You're still alive? " The First Ancestor's face darkened. The reason he had never met with Pang Yu was that he did not wish to see the demon-gods of the old Kaihuang Heavenly Court; he felt a secret guilt in his heart.

Now he had no choice but to appear, and yet his identity could no longer be concealed.

Lou Yunqu's eyes flickered.

He smiled. "Let the youngsters fight it out among themselves; that is well enough. But now that this sudden turn has come, does Prince Shen Wu not wish to go and take a look?

" The First Ancestor said dryly, "Very well. " With that he turned and walked toward the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge.

He took a single step, and a thousand li of ground abruptly contracted, warping into the space between them; Pang Yu and the others, without moving a step, found themselves a thousand li away, their hearts full of astonishment and doubt.

The First Ancestor's step landed exactly where Shen Mu had ridden the Dragon Qilin to. In the air, Lou Qianzhong flew on beating wings to a point above the Dragon Qilin, talons hooking downward, grasping for Shen Mu and the Qilin. His talons were incomparably sharp, covered in strange scales that gleamed with black light; the patterns at the center of each scale were exceedingly bizarre, like so many eyes opening and closing, blinking and blinking.

Lou Yunqu, Vajra, Lu Li and the others followed the First Ancestor and looked up. Shen Mu's angry voice came down: "I told you we'd fight another day! I have urgent business, no time to settle a victory with you!

" Boom, a great crash sounded in midair. Lou Qianzhong's body was thrown back; the grab had failed, blocked by Shen Mu, but the Dragon Qilin too was pressed down, falling from the air, its speed greatly reduced. "Divine Son of Youdu, do not imagine you can escape!

" Lou Qianzhong pounced again; Shen Mu blocked again and forced him back, and again the Dragon Qilin was pressed downward, its speed dropping further. Lou Qianzhong pounced a third time, laughing. "Have you not even the courage to fight me?

A Divine Son of such renown, driven by me to flee into Jingping! " Shen Mu suddenly leaped from the Dragon Qilin's back and said in a low voice, "Fat Dragon, go on ahead and steady the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge. Brother Xu, you go to the Transfer Bridge as well and help me steady the runes on that altar.

" The Dragon Qilin shot away with a howl, racing straight for the Spirit Energy Transfer Bridge.

Xu Shenghua did not linger either, following close behind the Qilin. "Take care, Brother Shen.

This man's strength is no small thing, and his divine ability is stranger still. I have never seen its like.

His dark divine ability is much the same as the darkness of the Desolate Ruins. " "Much the same as the darkness of the Desolate Ruins? " Shen Mu's heart quivered, and disbelief showed on his face.

Lou Qianzhong folded his wings and resumed human form. He smiled. "The darkness of the Desolate Ruins was set in place by my master, the Black Emperor of Mingdu. " Shen Mu nodded, his face expressionless.

"Use the Black Emperor of Mingdu's divine ability.

Let me see it. " Darkness poured from Lou Qianzhong's body, dense beyond measure, in an instant shrouding the sky for tens of li around.

His figure seemed at once to stand in another world, no longer within Taihuang Heaven, and his black silhouette came howling at Shen Mu! Shen Mu's face showed no change of expression.