Chapter 801 — The Great Dao Is One

"The Heaven Alliance — that nest of traitors and villains?

" Shen Mu was deeply suspicious.

The Earth Mother Yuanjun had once said that it was the Heaven Alliance that had killed her, and that her earthly soul had hidden among the roots and escaped. The Earth Mother Yuanjun had revealed another piece of information as well: that after killing her, the Heaven Alliance had cut down the Primeval Tree and carried it away.

From these two facts Shen Mu had concluded that the Primeval Tree had fallen into the hands of the Heaven Alliance, and that the other Earth Mother Yuanjun was the product of a wondrous method developed by some formidable figure within the Alliance out of the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha's art of entering the Dao through dreams — a method that had caused a new Earth Mother Yuanjun to be born from the Primeval Tree. And yet this girl called Yan Qiling said that she did not come from the Heaven Alliance! If she did not come from the Heaven Alliance, then the other Earth Mother Yuanjun had not been cultivated by the Alliance, but by someone else! That was strange indeed.

Could it be that the one who had slain the Earth Mother Yuanjun in those years had not been the Heaven Alliance?

But how could the Earth Mother Yuanjun have mistaken the identity of her killer? "Or is it that the Heaven Alliance did kill her, but someone snatched the Primeval Tree from the Alliance's hands and cultivated another Earth Mother Yuanjun?

" Shen Mu was utterly bewildered.

Since the Heaven Alliance could slay the Earth Mother Yuanjun, its strength was plainly extraordinary.

Who could have seized the Primeval Tree from the Heaven Alliance?

"Still, from this girl called Yan Qiling, I may be able to find a thread to follow! " Shen Mu raised his head and looked at the crooked peak.

To him, so long as Yan Qiling used the divine art she was most accomplished in, that in itself would count as leaving a trace — and through those traces he could discover who truly stood behind her! Yan Qiling came down from the mountain and said with a smile, "Cult Master Shen, you need not keep guessing where I come from.

However clever you are, you will never guess my origins.

I came to see you this time for another matter as well — I have come to take someone away. " The light in Shen Mu's eyes abruptly withdrew. He said mildly, "Take whom? " Yan Qiling's gaze drifted, moving from his face to Gongsun Yan's, then to Yutian Zun.

"Lan Yutian. Yutian Zun. " She laughed softly. "Following you, Yutian Zun has no future; it would only waste his talents.

But with me, I can find him the finest of teachers and fully develop his potential!

In the future he is certain to shine brilliantly! " She was very beautiful, with looks that yielded nothing to Granny Zhu or Di Yiyue, like a goddess fallen into the mortal dust.

Yet Shen Mu looked at her as though he did not see her.

A moment before, the divine light in his eyes had been drawn inward; now even his aura began to withdraw. The Dragon Qilin shifted uneasily, its dragon scales quivering, and quietly backed away two steps. No one knows the master like his familiar. The Dragon Qilin knew Shen Mu deeply: the more Shen Mu withdrew into himself, the heavier his killing intent.

This very beautiful woman had touched Shen Mu's bottom line and roused his murderous intent. Shen Mu, withdrawn into himself, was like a fierce beast that had fixed its eyes on prey, ready at any moment to leap up and kill! "You know a great many things. " Shen Mu's tone was stiff and dry.

"Many things that someone your age should not know.

They make me all the more curious as to where you come from. " Yan Qiling raised a hand and smoothed the hair at her temple, smiling.

"I defeat you, and I take Yutian Zun away.

How does that bargain sound?

" "Yutian Zun is not a commodity for trade.

He is the person I respect most. " Shen Mu's tone grew stiffer still.

"Someone entrusted him to me. But even without that bond, I would never tolerate anyone treating him as a tool, as a thing to be traded.

" Yan Qiling looked at him, tilted her head in thought, and said, "There is something very wrong with you.

You seem to be more than the Cult Master Shen of Jingping. If you were merely Cult Master Shen, you would not feel so much for Yutian Zun. " Shen Mu said calmly, "Fat Dragon, take the others farther off.

" The Dragon Qilin felt as though a weight had lifted. It hurriedly led Gongsun Yan, Yutian Zun, and the Water Qilin away from the place, whispering, "The Cult Master is angry. Let us leave quickly, lest we be caught up in it. " Gongsun Yan asked curiously, "Why not all charge in together and beat up this fake Earth Mother disciple?

Wouldn't that defeat her?

Why do we have to leave? " The Dragon Qilin whispered, "Have you forgotten that there are other young ladies beside that smiling young lady? " Gongsun Yan was stunned for a moment, then understood: the young ladies he meant were the maidservants at Yan Qiling's side.

The Dragon Qilin said, "The abilities of those young ladies are likely no inferior to Feng Qiuyun's. Otherwise, how could Yan Qiling have come here alive?

She would long since have been shattered by the aftershocks of the two Earth Mothers' divine arts. Those young ladies are probably nearby as well.

If we rushed up, could they sit still? In a brawl, we would certainly not be their match.

The Cult Master means for us to leave this place at once and not wait for him! " The Water Qilin said, "But just now he told us to go farther off; he did not tell us to leave. " The Dragon Qilin sneered. "You do not understand the Cult Master's mind. Saying that was only to make those young ladies relax their guard. They will not know we have slipped away while they are off guard, and by the time they notice, we will be long gone.

The Cult Master does this, in truth, for your master's safety.

" Yutian Zun said worriedly, "Then will my brother be in danger? " "Of course there is danger, but we need not ask him about it. " The Dragon Qilin spoke rapidly. "The one in danger now is that girl.

The Cult Master has roused his killing intent.

" Gongsun Yan blurted out, "That little sister just now was so pretty — he could really bring himself to do it?

" The Dragon Qilin led them away at speed.

"In the Cult Master's eyes she is not pretty at all, so of course he can. " Gongsun Yan said earnestly, "But she really is beautiful.

She makes me ashamed of myself. " The Dragon Qilin hid their forms behind one toppling mountain after another, shaking its head.

"Her chest is small.

The Cult Master does not consider small-chested girls beautiful. " Gongsun Yan's eyes went wide.

She looked down at herself, tightened her clothes, and looked somewhat downcast.

Beneath the crooked peak, Shen Mu's breath was steady, not the slightest aura leaking out, no blood-and-qi leaking out either — utterly plain and ordinary. Yan Qiling's beautiful eyes blinked.

She did not understand why Shen Mu had suddenly become so ordinary, as though he were a mere mortal. Then all at once she understood: "Complete withdrawal!

It is the martial dao!

" Scarcely had the thought come to her when a thunderous boom sounded at her ear. Shen Mu crossed a hundred zhang in a single step and arrived before her.

The air between them was compressed into substance, then shattered like glass. Behind the shattered wall of air was Shen Mu's face, still as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple of emotion. Yan Qiling was startled.

She flew backward, rising slantwise like a startled swan, and came to the summit of the crooked peak. She laughed. "Are you not the Earth Mother's disciple?

Why do you use the divine arts of the martial dao? " She had barely landed on the summit when her back suddenly grew warm: Shen Mu was already pressed against her back, arriving at the summit almost at the same instant she did!

"A martial dao combat technique — a sure-kill skill!