Chapter 751 — The Fall of Sovereign Yu

" They walked into the Winding Corridor Pavilion. It was built on the lake of an island, standing at the water's edge, with the waves of the lake beneath it; the place was very serene and elegant.

Because it was the dwelling of the Empress, the Winding Corridor Pavilion was also far larger than ordinary buildings, and very spacious within. The three of them walked into the pavilion and saw the bloodstains on the ground.

The window ledge there had burst apart, and marks left by divine arts still clung to the walls. Sovereign Yu's corpse sat beneath the window, leaning against it, head hanging down, limbs slack. Sovereign Hao, Sovereign Yun, Sovereign Yue and Sovereign You were all present.

Sovereign Hao led a divine hound, which was sniffing about in every direction. Sovereign You raised his palm, vital essence surging out, lifting Sovereign Yu's corpse into the air, three feet above the ground.

The ghost-face mask behind the youth's head began to weep, while Sovereign You's own expression remained exactly as it always was.

Shen Mu looked at Sovereign Yu floating in the air.

His bones were essentially all broken, not one left intact; someone had struck with heavy hands and smashed his skeleton to pieces, leaving him hovering in the air in a strange, strengthless aspect. "Judging by the external wounds, more than one person attacked him. " Shen Mu walked around Sovereign Yu, examining the wounds closely.

He did not draw very near, yet he saw the injuries on Sovereign Yu's body perfectly clearly.

"But the fatal wound was not the injuries caused by the broken bones. The fatal wound came from behind his heart.

Someone struck suddenly from his back and dealt him a devastating blow. " Shen Mu circled slowly, and a picture had already taken shape in his mind.

The man struck suddenly from behind Sovereign Yu; fearing to leave traces, he did not use the divine art he excelled in, but pure physical strength. With the first blow he shattered Sovereign Yu's heart with his own terrifying strength, then dodged Sovereign Yu's counterattack and, with incredible swiftness, ran circles around him! A string of physical blows, like a great hammer smashing down on every part of Sovereign Yu's body, breaking bone after bone!

"The divine-art marks on the walls of the Winding Corridor Pavilion are Sovereign Yu's own. " Shen Mu looked at the wall. Sovereign Yu must have trusted that man deeply, and so the other had gained the chance to ambush him.

And the two were not far apart in cultivation. Sovereign Yu's cultivation was the stronger, but the other's body was far stronger than his; he counterattacked after losing the initiative with his heart shattered, but the other had already closed the distance.

What a terrifying thing it is to be closed in on by a master of the combat arts?

Shen Mu himself practiced the combat arts, and knew this well. "Yet what truly took Sovereign Yu's life was not the wounds to his body.

" Shen Mu's mind stirred slightly. A drop of fresh blood drifted over. His pupils spun layer upon layer, and he opened the Eighth Heaven directly.

Within Sovereign Yu's divine blood were several faint divine-art runes, which swiftly dissolved.

These were traces left by the other man's divine art.

"Sovereign Yu's body bears no trace of spells or divine arts, yet his blood holds divine-art runes.

That means the other man did use divine arts, but the divine art was not aimed at his body. What, then, was it aimed at? " Suddenly, obscure words in the Youdu tongue came through.

Shen Mu's heart stirred, and he looked toward Sovereign You.

The youth was invoking Youdu's divine art, reciting the ancient, ancient tongue of Youdu, trying to call back Sovereign Yu's soul, to summon his spirit from Youdu. His Youdu tongue was already quite good, but to Shen Mu's ear it fell somewhat short; after all, this Sovereign You had not yet entered Youdu, had not yet become the Benevolent Sage King of Tianqi of later ages. Sovereign You's eyes were blood-red; the Youdu words on his lips grew more and more disordered.

Though his face was calm, within him waves raged without cease.

His heart was in chaos, and his attainments were too shallow besides; even with a settled heart he could not have called Sovereign Yu's soul back from Youdu. "I still cannot do it.

. . " Sovereign You suddenly spat blood and fell to his knees, twitching as though convulsing, a whimpering sound in his throat, his teeth clenched.

"I still cannot do it! " He curled into a ball, his body racked with shudders, choking: "I still cannot do it.

I could not save my mother, and I cannot save my big brother either. I still cannot do it.

.

. " He was cold to everyone; even toward Sovereign Yu he had never shown a warm face.

Yet ever since his mother fell gravely ill, it was Sovereign Yu who had cared for him all along.

Long ago he had come to regard Sovereign Yu as his only kin in this world. Just then, a gentle voice sounded in his mind: "I speak, you recite.

" Sovereign You was startled, and then the voice in his mind rose again, unhurried: it was the tongue of Youdu, incomparably ancient and incomparably pure, expounding the vast principles of the way of souls, so profound, so subtle, that for a moment he thought Tu Bo himself had descended. Sovereign You rose again and, following that voice, recited the Youdu tongue.

Around him the demonic qi of Youdu came rolling in, and the floor of the Winding Corridor Pavilion suddenly turned dark, revealing a deep chasm of time and space.

That was Youdu.

His voice spread through all of Youdu, searching for Sovereign Yu's soul. Everyone in the Winding Corridor Pavilion looked over. At this moment Sovereign You no longer seemed a youth, but a god who held the rules of Youdu in his hand, calling the dead home! Kai Huang's heart stirred; he glanced at Shen Mu beside him.

He had sensed Shen Mu's mental fluctuations, a strange spiritual connection. He could tell that Shen Mu's spirit was linked with Sovereign You's! A moment ago Sovereign You's divine art had been crude and could not reach Youdu; now he could send his voice through all of Youdu.

Plainly this was not Sovereign You's doing; Shen Mu was secretly teaching him a profound Youdu divine art!

"He even understands the divine arts of Youdu, what else does he understand?

" Kai Huang had barely had that thought when, in the darkness, a gateway slowly rose: a heaven-bearing gate stood tall in the pavilion, giving off a heavy demonic qi. After a moment, Shen Mu sighed and cut the spiritual link with Sovereign You.

"Sovereign Yu's soul is not in Youdu. He.

.

. his soul has scattered. I know now what that man's divine art was for.

" His heart darkened: "It was for destroying his soul.

" Sovereign You suddenly gave a great cry, and, like a wild beast, snarled in a low voice, snarled again, then fell to the ground writhing, foam spilling from his mouth. Shen Mu stepped forward, his fingers flying as they tapped, steadying his spirit and soul; he helped him up and let him sit by the door.

"Thank you.

. .

" Sovereign You gripped his hand, staring blankly at the lake beyond the door, and said in a low voice.

Shen Mu was struck dumb for a moment. Sovereign You raised his head and looked at his face woodenly: "Thank you.

" In the Winding Corridor Pavilion, Sovereign Hao's voice came: "Sovereign Yu is dead. What is to be done about the Jade Pool Gathering now?

" Kai Huang came to stand behind Shen Mu and said quietly: "At this gathering, whoever spreads the way to godhood is the killer.

" Shen Mu slowly straightened his back.

Sovereign Hao's voice came: "A few days ago, Sovereign Yu passed the way to godhood to me.

Though misfortune has befallen him, his orthodoxy will still be handed down, and flourish! " The corner of Shen Mu's eye twitched, and twitched again.

With difficulty he turned his head. A large hand pressed down on his shoulder, strong, powerful.