Chapter 683 — Merit Heavier Than Heaven

You, in that age of great terror, led countless old, weak, sick, and disabled, crossed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, avoided countless dangers, and even fought to the death, and only thus found a way to live for all beings, found Jingping. " The First Ancestor was lost in a daze. Wei Liao continued, "If not for you, there would be no Jingping of today, no reforms and transformations of later ages, and none of these colorful youths. Your Highness, even the most ferocious people of Jingping hold respect for you in their hearts and call you Ancestor. Even the most powerful people of Jingping are your subjects, and honor you as Human Sovereign. You only know yourself as a deserter, but you have never considered the achievements you have made. In these days, I have observed that the Human Sovereign Shen has never called you by your name, but calls you First Ancestor, and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping is also deeply reverent toward you. From this you should know how much they respect you. " The great skeleton laughed.

"They treat you as their closest kin! Even the Human Sovereign Shen leading tens of thousands of divine power practitioners away across the destroying Taihuang Heaven this time is imitating what you did back then! " "They have been discussing the Jingping Reforms all along, but without you, how could there be a Jingping and the Jingping Reforms?

" "Your Highness, you left behind seedlings for the Kaihuang Era, but the Jingping Era was also opened by you! " "You only notice one stain in your life, and forget that behind you, the seedlings you left have already grown into towering trees and emerald forests.

Your Highness, look forward. " "Your stain is small, but your achievements are greater than Heaven!

" Wei Liao laughed. "We dead old brothers are watching you from the heavens. Those classmates of yours in Yuming Palace are also watching you from the heavens.

They hope you will walk out of this.

They do not wish to see you sink any further. " The First Ancestor Human Sovereign suddenly burst into tears. Ahead, a cliff appeared, packed with shattered spatial fragments.

Shen Mu and the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping went forward to look, and saw that the shattered spatial fragments here were exceedingly numerous, dense as can be, gleaming with lights of every color.

Some spatial fragments were pure, flawless azure skies drifting by in silence; others were seas like sapphires; still others were flames, or earth, or mountain peaks. But these spatial fragments had no thickness at all. If one fell into them here, one would likely be sliced to pieces without feeling a thing.

Shen Mu looked around. The cliff was terrifying in length and breadth, its end invisible at a glance, and what lay on the other side of the cliff, their eyes could not see either. Too many spatial fragments on the opposite side blocked their view.

The lava of the lava sea also came to an abrupt stop here, and no one knew where it flowed. "This is the great hole smashed out when the Wild Ruins fell from the Celestial Court.

" Shen Mu had the dragon qilin halt the south-pointing chariot, and said, "If we go to the Wild Ruins from here, I do not know the way, but if we go to the Wild Ruins from Taiming Heaven, I do know the path. " "The key is how to enter Taiming Heaven from Taihuang Heaven!

" Grandmother Zhu walked over and said softly.

Having replenished her water, she had become incomparably beautiful once more.

The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping glanced at her, then hurriedly withdrew his gaze, thinking, "I am already married.

I must not entertain improper thoughts. " The Lame Elder raced along the cliff at an unimaginable speed. After a moment, a hot wind came howling against their faces, and the Lame Elder stopped before the others and said rapidly, "There is a bridge over there, it seems to lead to the other side!

" The people could not help being astonished.

"How could there be a bridge in a place where space itself is shattered?

" They hurried to the place the Lame Elder had spoken of, and indeed saw a bridge leading to the other side. The bridge was woven from a dozen or so willow branches, still emerald green, though the willow branches were as thick as dragons.

Someone must have used creation divine power to make these willow branches enormous, and immeasurably long! The willow branches interlaced and crossed one another, leading straight to the opposite shore, and on this side the willow branches had actually taken root in the lava, drawing nourishment from it! Shen Mu said in a low voice, "Commissioner Wei Liao, was this bridge built by you?

" Wei Liao looked at the bridge, also at a loss, and shook his head.

"I died early. I did not know there was such a bridge. " Shen Mu looked toward the True God Pang Yu, and Pang Yu shook his head. "We fought the demon race for twenty thousand years.

There was no bridge here. To build a bridge from willow branches, we do not have such means.

" The willow-branch bridge connected the two realms.

Strangely, this bridge avoided all spatial fragments. The willow-branch bridge was not straight, but wound a hundred turns and a thousand bends through the spatial fragments before the cliff, forcibly finding a way to live!

"Such profound arts of calculation. . .

" Daoist Master Lin Xuan and the old Daoists of the Daoist sect were aghast. Gazing at this crooked bridge, they were shocked beyond measure. One old Daoist murmured, "This level of attainment is truly unfathomable, and only thus could one calmly avoid the chaotic spatial fragments that leave no trace to follow.

Who built this bridge?

Who possesses such profound attainments in the arts of calculation? " The First Ancestor Human Sovereign went forward to examine it, and said, "This is the work of the Heavenly Master. He came here, calculated a way to live, and then used willow branches to build this bridge. The end of the bridge should be Taiming Heaven! " Shen Mu said excitedly, "The Heavenly Master is the teacher of the founding patriarch of our Heavenly Sage Cult.

If any of you wish to learn the arts of calculation, you may come to our Heavenly Sage Cult or the Heavenly Sage Academy! " Daoist Master Lin Xuan's face darkened, and he said nothing, sullen. Beside him, the White-Browed Monk Jingming revealed a faint smile, thinking, "Now you know that Shen Mu's corner is not easy to dig, don't you?

" Daoist Master Lin Xuan thought for a moment, then said to the old Daoist beside him, "After we return, should we discuss with the Emperor about opening a Daoist academy? " Shen Mu first sent someone across the bridge to scout the way.

After a long while, the man returned from the other end and said, "The road is safe. The other side is a dead, silent world.

" "That is Taiming Heaven! " Shen Mu's spirits soared, and he immediately ordered the people to cross the willow-branch bridge in an orderly manner.

"Commissioner Wei Liao, we have been fortunate to have your protection along the way. Will you enter the Wild Ruins with us?

" Shen Mu said to Wei Liao, "The Wild Ruins contain Fengdu.

I once promised you a place in Fengdu.

It is time to fulfill that promise. " Wei Liao turned back and looked at the destroying Taihuang Heaven.

After a long while, this Star Lord raised his arm and called out loudly, "Brothers who died in battle, come with me to Fengdu! " The headman looked at these thousand-odd white-bone gods and demons and could not help sighing.

Shen Mu, puzzled, asked, "Why does the headman sigh? " "I am thinking of the Daoist Lingjing, who rows his boat and ferries people in Fengdu.

" The headman sighed. "This time Fengdu has gained over a thousand more gods and demons.

Daoist Lingjing, who earns money only by rowing his boat and ferrying people, will be even less able to afford a house.

The housing prices in Fengdu will surely soar. . . "