Chapter 813 — Aligning with the Great Dao

After the four Heavenly Masters, the Woodcutter among them, had paid their respects, they reverted to their usual demeanor and clustered around the Heavenly Venerable Yu to study the blessings the gods had bestowed upon him. They were all men of inquiry from the Kaihuang era; once absorbed in a subject, they gave no thought to who or what they were studying.

The Heavenly Venerable Yu stood there not daring to move a muscle, letting them prod and ponder as they pleased. The Scholar even produced a needle and pricked his finger, drawing a drop of blood for examination.

As for the discussions among the four Heavenly Masters, those were even further beyond the Heavenly Venerable Yu's comprehension, and Shen Mu, as one of Jingping's most erudite scholars, joined in as well.

The Heavenly Venerable Yu stood there utterly at a loss, when suddenly one of the Heavenly Masters said, "Go fetch Jiang Baigui. He always has ideas.

" Before long the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping arrived, and like a man who had discovered a treasure, he too began circling around the Heavenly Venerable Yu. "My dear Minister Shen, it is quite lively here. My visit this time.

. .

" Emperor Yanfeng came to call, and within moments he too had become one of the crowd circling around the Heavenly Venerable Yu. "Shen'er, what did you call me back for?

" The First Ancestor Human Emperor burst in with twenty or thirty young men and women, the village chief among them, his limbs now fully restored.

The First Ancestor and the village chief went up to join the crowd, while the other twenty or thirty young men and women drew Shen Mu aside, all watching him with smiles. Shen Mu was baffled.

He ventured, "Senior brothers and sisters, you are.

. . ? " "So you are the current Human Emperor, Shen Mu? " One of them, short and squat, asked brashly, "I hear you're quite formidable.

" Shen Mu said modestly, "I am the current Human Emperor, but I am not formidable.

There are quite a few in this world whose intelligence and talent surpass mine—several, in fact.

And those whose cultivation and strength exceed mine are beyond counting. And you are.

. . ? " "Enough talk—let's fight first!

" The crowd rushed him all at once, each of them highly skilled and formidable, every one a top-tier expert.

Shen Mu hurried to dodge, only to find their footwork so wondrous and unfathomable that they could actually keep pace with his own, flanking him from left and right, attacking from front and back, leaving him nowhere to evade. Astonishment rose in his heart.

"Where did Jingping suddenly produce so many experts? Every one of them is extraordinarily powerful. If they were of the younger generation, that would be one thing, but the cultivation realms of these twenty or thirty are all very high—no weaker than mine!

" he thought to himself. The crowd swarmed him, clearly veterans of melee combat, accustomed to brawling, seasoned hands at a fight. "But I have never feared a group fight! " Runes surged around Shen Mu's body, teleporting the dozen or so attackers who had reached him over ten li away.

Then he transformed into a three-headed, six-armed form, and his martial divine powers erupted. With a series of thunderous booms, more than a dozen experts lay on the ground, unable to move.

Shen Mu shifted his steps, his three heads and six arms unleashing one divine power after another.

Figure after figure was sent flying, sprawling on the ground in disarray. He spread his six arms, reversing the runes, and the dozen or so who had just been sent over ten li away and had not yet landed were instantly spun back. "The Great Divine Power of Primordial Magnetism! " Shen Mu thrust both palms forward.

The dozen or so immediately felt their bodies and primordial spirits become immeasurably heavy. With a tremendous boom, they crashed to the ground, crushing out a great pit.

Over ten zhang away, the short, stout man quietly rose, about to launch a sneak attack with his divine power, when Shen Mu backhanded a palm strike. The Heavenly Fire Divine Power erupted, blasting the stout man into the air, flailing, to land who knew where. "More than thirty young experts no weaker than me, all at once—when did Jingping produce so much talent?

" Shen Mu remained puzzled.

He shook his head and walked toward the Heavenly Venerable Yu. The village chief looked at him, his gaze sly, and winked. Shen Mu was momentarily stunned, then it dawned on him.

He blurted out, "Human Emperor Qikang, Human Emperor Yishan! And the Second Ancestor! The Third Ancestor! Yes, it's you!

You came with the First Ancestor! " He hurried to help the young men and women to their feet, stamping his foot.

"I was wondering where so many experts no weaker than me had come from—it turns out to be my venerable ancestors and grand-ancestors!

Why didn't you say something?

If you had, I wouldn't have struck so hard. . .

You're the Second Ancestor, aren't you? " The youth he helped up hurriedly shook his head. "I am not! " "You're the Fifth Ancestor! " Shen Mu said excitedly, sizing up another youth.

"I am not!

Don't talk nonsense!

" The youth's face flushed red.

He stammered in protest, "The Fifth Ancestor is so tall and mighty—how could I compare to the Fifth Ancestor Human Emperor? I am just a nobody! " Shen Mu peeled the willow leaf from between his brows and looked with his third eye.

At once he saw everyone's primordial spirits clearly and distinctly. He laughed. "You are the Fifth Ancestor! Your appearance has changed, but your primordial spirit has not. Did you possess a body, or were you reborn?

" The youth's face flushed red, and he could not speak.

"Ancestor Lanpo! Ancestor Tuoyu! Grand-ancestor Qikang!

It really is you!

The stout man I just blasted away with the Heavenly Fire Divine Power—was that Great Grand-ancestor Yishan? " Shen Mu said in alarm, "I don't know where he flew off to.

What should we do? " Human Emperor Qikang walked over and snorted coldly.

"You just said they were no weaker than you.

Is that what 'no weaker than you' looks like? " Shen Mu explained, "By 'no weaker than me,' I mean they are still a notch weaker than me. " Human Emperor Tuoyu said angrily, "A notch weaker—and the gap is that big? " Shen Mu scratched his head.

"What I mean is, a hairsbreadth's difference leads to a thousand-li error. . . Let's not talk about that. Venerable ancestors and grand-ancestors, the First Ancestor often runs off saying he has important business—could it be that he was teaching you cultivation arts and divine powers? " The Human Emperors exchanged glances.

The Second Ancestor sighed and said dejectedly, "These days, the First Ancestor has been hiding us in the Yuming Palace behind the Human Emperor Hall for secret training, teaching us cultivation arts and divine powers. He also dug out all sorts of texts from the Yuming Palace—those are the wondrous arts of the Kaihuang era—and taught them to us. When we came out this time, we wanted to give you a great surprise. . . " Shen Mu laughed. "Venerable ancestors and grand-ancestors, do not be disheartened.

The First Ancestor's abilities are only a notch below mine, and you are already quite formidable. The key is that during the years you spent in seclusion at the Human Emperor Hall, Jingping's Dao arts and divine powers advanced with incredible speed.

You learned the cultivation arts and divine powers of the Kaihuang era, but not those of Jingping—in my eyes, they are all flaws. Still, in terms of cultivation, you are no weaker than me. . . " Granny Zhu's voice came, surprised. "Shen'er, why is it so lively here?

" Shen Mu hurriedly left the crowd and went to greet her, saying joyfully, "Venerable ancestors and grand-ancestors, Granny is the one who created the Primordial Magnetism Divine Power.

The Great Divine Power of Primordial Magnetism I just used, I learned from her. Find somewhere to sit for now; I'll go welcome Granny.