Chapter 702 — All the Worthies Assemble

Shen Mu stood in the darkness and swept his gaze around. There were still famished ghosts in the dark, but their numbers had dwindled; wherever his eyes fell, he saw only a scattered few drifting to and fro in the gloom. Of course, these famished ghosts were still exceedingly dangerous.

They were too swift; if an ordinary man were to walk into that darkness, he would surely be gnawed until not a whole limb remained. The darkness lingered, yet the famished ghosts had thinned, and that proved the battle between Lady Tianyin and the Netherworld Emperor was over, and that the Netherworld Emperor had failed to enter the Tianyin Realm and put her to death.

His grip upon the Tianyin Realm had weakened, and so the number of famished ghosts had fallen. The rest, he supposed, had been suppressed by Lady Tianyin within the Tianyin Realm. Shen Mu's spirits soared.

"Wait here for me," he said.

"I will enter the Tianyin Realm again and see how matters stand.

" "Very well. " He Yiyi was about to speak further, but Yan Jingjing cut in decisively: "Take care of yourself.

" Shen Mu leaped into the air and flew toward the rift that led to the Tianyin Realm.

He Yiyi said in a low voice, "Sister Jingjing, why let him go alone to so perilous a place?

You are a deity; would it not be safer if you went with him? " Yan Jingjing shook her head. "His skills are extraordinary; if danger comes, he can escape.

If we followed him, we would only distract him. Besides, if he truly faced the Netherworld Emperor, a deity like me would be of no use at all. " He Yiyi fell into thought and gave her a long, searching look. Shen Mu sped through the rift in the mountain.

Only after a long while did he reach the boundary stele of the Tianyin Realm.

He circled past it and looked around: a pagoda hung in midair, weighing down upon the realm, twisting its very space as though an iron ball had been set upon a taut bedsheet. Around the place where the pagoda pressed down, no famished ghosts remained. Countless of them had been cowed into hiding at the far edge of the sky, trembling; the once murky heavens had grown clearer, though still far from bright. Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief and hurried on, until at last, by the sea, he saw again that lady who sat brooding.

Lady Tianyin sat there, chin propped on both hands, staring listlessly at the sea, her feet in the water — the waves barely covering the tops of her feet. She wore no garment in any traditional sense; only ribbons of divine light, manifested to veil her body, lending her the untrammeled wildness of an ancient god. Shen Mu walked up and sat on the sand, mimicking her by putting his feet into the sea.

A great wave came rolling in and drenched the youth from head to face. Lady Tianyin burst out laughing.

"You are too small," she said. "Just now, in my duel with the Netherworld Emperor, I stirred up great waves in the sea.

" Shen Mu was briefly tongue-tied, then smiled. "Is my lady troubled by these famished ghosts and this darkness?

" Lady Tianyin let her arms fall, braced them behind her, and looked up at the sky. "I do not wish to be left all alone here.

I want this place of mine to be as bustling as Xuandu. Xuandu is lively indeed: many gods and demons build houses upon the Lord of Heaven, and countless living beings dwell on the continents upon his body, with favorable winds and rains, all in harmony and joy.

Even Tubo has numberless ghosts dwelling in his horns.

Only my domain is to become a world of famished ghosts and darkness, and the famished ghosts are stupid things that know nothing but eating. " Shen Mu thought it over. Another great wave rolled in; the youth hurriedly warded it off with his vital essence, so that he was not struck full in the face. "My lady," he said, "to resolve the predicament of the Tianyin Realm, I think we may need the Lord of Heaven's help. " He recounted the stopgap remedy he had conceived. Lady Tianyin shook her head. "Steal a sun and hang it here, and the Shade of Heaven will simply become a part of Xuandu. If the Tianyin Realm ceases to exist, how am I to stand as the Lord of Heaven's equal?

Would I not become his little serving girl? Bore a hole through the sole of his foot — he would certainly not agree, and neither would I. From that stinking foot, the blood would seep and flow down to me. " Shen Mu could not help but laugh.

"I have a volume of the Book of Life and Death here. Perhaps my lady could comprehend the Netherworld Emperor's divine arts from it. " "The Netherworld Emperor's divine arts are also a stopgap, and not suited to my need. " Lady Tianyin shook her head. "I want my Tianyin Realm to have living, breathing life. The Netherworld Emperor's abilities are fine, but even he cannot deal with the famished ghosts. " Shen Mu thought until his head was splitting.

Then he suddenly smiled. "One man's wit is short.

Let my lady wait here a few days while I fetch several people of surpassing wisdom.

Perhaps they can find a way to deal with the famished ghosts and the soul-black sand. " Lady Tianyin said in surprise, "Are there people in this world cleverer than you? " Shen Mu looked utterly solemn and said in a low voice, "My lady jests.

Of course there are those cleverer than I. I am extremely dull by nature — how would I dare claim to be first under heaven? Those cleverer than me number one, two . .

.

hm, four or five! " Lady Tianyin lowered her head and looked at his solemn expression, then broke into giggles. "Very well. Go and fetch them.

I would also like to see who these four or five people cleverer than you are. " Shen Mu smiled. "They are the pillars of the Jingping Reforms, and also the King of Hell of Fengdu.

My lady is sure to be astonished. " He was about to send his primal spirit out of his body when he suddenly remembered something.

He rose and stepped back several paces before activating the Three Primal Spirits Convergence Art. Lady Tianyin watched him curiously, and saw Shen Mu's primal spirit leave his fleshly body and depart from the Tianyin Realm.

"So at ease? Is he not afraid the famished ghosts will eat his body?

" Lady Tianyin thought, as she dispersed the famished ghosts that had come sniffing after the scent. In the Imperial Academy, within its great hall, many a primal spirit came at the summons, appearing one after another in the hall.

"What does the Hierarch need again? " Si Yunxiang asked.

"I need to find the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, the Woodcutter Sage, Xu Shenghua, and the First Ancestor.

" Shen Mu said hurriedly, "Trouble you all to find them and bid them set out at once for the cliff at the source of the Yong River; the matter is urgent!

Also, ask them, when passing through Fengdu, to have the King of Hell bring several mighty ones well versed in the arts of the soul. " "Rest easy, Hierarch; they will be found before long. " The others withdrew their primal spirits one after another. Before long, Shen Mu's primal spirit returned to his body, and he found Lady Tianyin staring at him with wide, dark, curious eyes.

"You have already contacted them?

" Lady Tianyin said in surprise at how quickly he had awakened. Shen Mu smiled.

"Rest easy, my lady. In a few days they will arrive here.

My lady, I will go outside to refine my sword core and return after some days. " Lady Tianyin nodded, and Shen Mu took his leave at once.

Beneath the cliff, He Yiyi led the women of the He family in continuing to repair the road, while Yan Jingjing helped Shen Mu control the Xuandu heavenly fire to smelt the Buddha-Essence Crimson Chromium and the Tianyin Gold.