Chapter 759 — Ten Thousand Ages of Time Return to Dust
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
By Shen Mu's reckoning, crossing back through the mist of the Yongjiang into antiquity allowed only "half a day"—and that "half a day" meant neither six two-hour periods nor any exact span of time, but simply the turning of dark and daylight. In the Heavenly Court there was no night; there light reigned in eternal day. However long they lingered here, it was all daylight; so long as night had not fallen, not half a day had elapsed.
But once Tubo made his move, all that changed.
The darkness of Youdu shrouded the Heavenly Court and brought night down in a single stroke, and with that the condition for returning to the future was fulfilled.
In the dark, Shen Mu waved farewell to Zhu Que'er and Heavenly Venerable Ling; his figure, and those of Kai Huang and Old Ox, adrift in the flowing blackness, were like a sand painting in murky ink, scattered on the wind.
Heavenly Venerable Ling's mind roared, and she stared at the sight, dumbstruck.
Zhu Que'er, as if she had seen a ghost, rushed to the very spot where Shen Mu, Kai Huang and Old Ox had stood moments before and groped about in every direction—but the three had vanished as though into thin air! "Monstrous strange, monstrous strange!
" Zhu Que'er cried in utter astonishment.
Yet waves upon waves surged through Heavenly Venerable Ling's heart, and unwittingly she recalled what Shen Mu had once said to her: 'Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, you will meet someone who returns to the past through your divine art, and it will prove that the world's judgment of you is wrong. ' Her face was rapt as if with wine, and she stared blankly at Zhu Que'er, who was still hunting for word of where Shen Mu and the others had gone.
"So there truly exists in this world a divine art that leaves matter unwithered, unaltered, unchanging, neither increased nor diminished—and it was I who created it?
" The towering breakers in her heart turned into matchless confidence, and the conviction that bore her on in her studies: "I will create it. In the future, Heavenly Venerable Mu, Heavenly Venerable Shen and the rest will follow my divine art back to see me, to spur me on! I can surely create it!
" She swept away at a stroke the prostration that the death of Heavenly Venerable Yu had brought upon her and roused her spirit afresh, for Shen Mu and Kai Huang had studied alongside her a long while, and with the stores of knowledge they carried from the future they had paved the first step smooth for her.
All that remained was for her to lay down step after step, until she entered the inner hall, until she brought forth a peerless discipline to astonish the world.
She took her leave of Zhu Que'er, the Southern Emperor, and walked toward Yaochi. On the road she met Heavenly Venerable Yue and Heavenly Venerable Yun, and greeted them. The two were astonished; the Heavenly Venerable Ling in their memory was a girl of odd temper who never greeted anyone, and who, when greeted, would never deign to answer if she did not care for the person.
And now she had greeted them of her own accord—the sun had truly risen in the west.
"Heavenly Venerable Ling, do not be in such haste to leave. " Heavenly Venerable Yue abruptly called her back; she halted and turned, and Yue and Yun exchanged a glance, came up to the girl and said in low voices, "Much has happened at this Yaochi gathering.
Heavenly Venerable Yu is dead, Heavenly Venerable Hao was gravely wounded by Heavenly Venerable Mu, and the Heavenly Emperor has ordered the arrest of Heavenly Venerable Mu and Heavenly Venerable Shen. There is too much right and wrong tangled up in it all.
" Heavenly Venerable Ling listened in silence.
Heavenly Venerable Yue mustered his courage and lowered his voice: "We can see plainly that it was Heavenly Venerable Hao who killed Heavenly Venerable Yu, and Heavenly Venerable Mu who avenged him.