Chapter 682 — The Sword God Smiles

Shen Mu laughed. "I never thought we would meet again here. Is this the Land of Ill Omen?"

"It is indeed the Land of Ill Omen. But this place too has become a sea of magma; the Land of Ill Omen no longer exists. We had meant to hold the Land of Ill Omen and sink into the magma beneath the sea floor. Just now the Book of Life and Death startled us awake, and only then did we learn that our benefactor was in peril, so we came to lend our aid."

Wei Liao's gaze passed over them to the battlefield, and he laughed. "A pack of filthy, worthless knaves — they cannot stand against the army of my South Dipper Star Division! Rest easy, benefactor; in a moment the foe will be broken!"

Shen Mu said to the Village Head, "This is the Star Lord of Seven Killings from the Kaihuang era, Military Commissioner of Taihuang Heaven. He fell in battle here when the demon tribes invaded."

The Village Head nodded slightly, somewhat numbly. "Military Commissioner of Taihuang Heaven, and the Star Lord of Seven Killings besides... How did you two come to know each other?"

Shen Mu scratched his head. "I was captured by Vajra. When I escaped the Demon Capital and passed through here, I woke him, and that was how we met."

"That was all?" The Village Head's eyes went wide with disbelief.

A Military Commissioner who had died in battle for Taihuang Heaven was still a Military Commissioner — and that was how they met? And he even called Shen Mu benefactor, and the moment he saw Shen Mu and the others in danger he rose up to rescue them though he was dead — all from a single casual meeting? Could such a deep bond come from so simple a thing?

The Village Head did not believe it.

Shen Mu answered honestly, "That was all."

"Then this army of divine and demonic bones..."

"I woke them along with him."

The Village Head was dumbfounded. "That was all?"

Shen Mu said lightly, as if it were nothing, "That was all. Though the underworld constables of Youdu nearly hauled me off to Youdu to be punished — luckily Star Lord Wei Liao blocked them."

The Village Head sighed, a little bleakly. "I should not have lingered so long in Fengdu. I have missed so many interesting things. Next time something like this happens, you must call on me."

Shen Mu nodded. "Next time I am captured, I will be sure to bring you along, Grandpa Village Head!"

Wei Liao's army of bones soon smashed all their opponents to pieces. A crowd of skeletons came charging over in high excitement; Wei Liao gave a shout, and the skeletons dared not run wild, hastily falling into neat ranks.

The Butcher, the true god Pang Yu, and the other deities came over in a daze, sizing up these white-boned gods and demons, their hearts full of doubt and alarm.

Lou Yunqu had used the Book of Life and Death to wake the gods and demons who had died in Taihuang Heaven and make them fight for him — who would have thought Shen Mu would also have an army of white-boned gods and demons to aid him!

Had the army of the South Dipper Star Division under Wei Liao not arrived in time, they would surely have suffered casualties by now.

Still, standing together with these white-boned gods and demons could not help but leave a man uneasy at heart.

Wei Liao laughed heartily. "This doomsday world is somewhat perilous for you, but for us dead it is no peril at all. Benefactor, let us escort you out."

Shen Mu said hastily, "My enemy holds the Book of Life and Death, which can bring the dead back to life — it is a formidable thing. And if the Book can raise the dead, it can also strike the living dead. You had best stay hidden in the Land of Ill Omen..."

He had barely spoken when the Book of Life and Death appeared again, hanging high in the sky. Its pages, like bright mirrors, blazed with light, and beam after beam shone down.

Shen Mu's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly took out several mirrors and poured his vital essence into them; with a hum they were activated, and mirror after mirror swelled large, shielding the heads of Wei Liao and the rest.

"Grandpa Alchemist, where are your mirrors?"

Shen Mu shouted, "Everyone, activate your mirrors and block the light of the Book of Life and Death!"

The Alchemist hastily activated several dozen mirrors, large and small, and the other Gifted caught on as well. In an instant tens of thousands of mirrors floated into the air, great and small, blotting out the sky and the sun, sealing the heavens tight and letting no light through.

The light of the Book of Life and Death poured down, was reflected back by the mirrors, and never fell upon Wei Liao and his company.

Four in ten of these tens of thousands of Gifted were women. Women who had cultivated to success still could not wholly shed the nature that loves beauty, and so carried a mirror or two on their persons — but the one with the most mirrors by far was the Alchemist.

Some of the Gifted practiced arts and divine powers unlike the rest, and took mirrors as their primordial weapons; once refined into primordial weapons, a mirror could grow to tens of mu across — a magnificent sight.

Seeing that the Book's light could not descend, Shen Mu still dared not relax in the least. He said gravely, "The Book of Life and Death flies with incredible speed; with only the people we have, we cannot react in time. So long as it moves swiftly, it can still shine upon you. Military Commissioner, you had best take cover."

Wei Liao seized his ceremonial axe and said in a low voice, "The Book of Life and Death can shine through the Nine Shades and the Yellow Springs — where could we hide? Heh heh, and besides, the fellows of Mingdu are sworn enemies of our Southern Heaven and South Dipper! We have died once already; what does it matter if we die again?"

Shen Mu frowned. "Military Commissioner Wei Liao, if Lou Yunqu sends you to Youdu, I still have a way to fish you back out. But if you are sent to Mingdu, that is beyond my power. While there is life there is hope — I beg you to think it over!"

Just then they saw the light and shadow shifting rapidly; clearly the Book of Life and Death was moving at speed. Lou Yunqu and the others must have seen its power reflected back by the mirrors and changed direction.

"If there is nowhere to retreat, why retreat at all?"

Wei Liao was about to charge out from behind the mirrors' protection when a familiar voice suddenly reached them: "Military Commissioner, there is no need for a pointless sacrifice. Sect Master Shen, do you not have a volume of the Book of Life and Death yourself? Activate that volume, and will it not serve perfectly to counter the power of the enemy's Book?"

Shen Mu's heart leapt with joy. He turned, and saw the Imperial Preceptor Jingping walking toward them across the sea of fire, as calm and unhurried as ever, the very picture of one who plans victory from afar.

"Junior brother, you have come out of seclusion? You did not die at Luofu Heaven?"

At the sight of him, the panic in Shen Mu's heart vanished in an instant. He hurriedly took out the Book of Life and Death and asked, "Where is the Master? Why has he not appeared? If the Master were here, he could activate the power of the Book..."

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping took the Book from him and said calmly, "The Master has other urgent business. But as to how to activate the Book of Life and Death, I do know."

His dharma power erupted, and the Book of Life and Death unfurled with a sharp rustle, dazzling bright, high above, a curtain of light shining down upon Wei Liao and the white-boned gods and demons. "Junior brother, you may withdraw these mirrors."

Shen Mu, startled and uncertain, ordered everyone to withdraw the mirrors. Another volume of the Book of Life and Death flew over, and its light too shone down — yet Wei Liao and the others were unharmed.

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping had truly activated the power of the Book of Life and Death, holding off the might of the enemy's Book!