Chapter 1463: If You Do Not Betray Me, I Will Not Betray You
"I also need to return to the other shore of the void. Mục Thiên Tôn, would you see me off?" Lang Uyển Thần Vương said softly.
Tần Mục hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
The two walked on the sea of heaven. The surface of the sea was very calm; only when their footsteps fell did ripples spread out in circles.
Lam Ngự Điền did not follow them. Instead, he sat down. He sensed that this sea of heaven contained wondrous great dao, so he planned to quietly comprehend it first.
"You were preventing me from meeting Cung Thiên Tôn." Lang Uyển Thần Vương suddenly said.
A wave involuntarily rose beneath Tần Mục's feet and surged into the distance. Lang Uyển Thần Vương looked at this wave that surpassed the other ripples and sighed softly: "So that's how it is. In the battle of Huyền Đô, you repeatedly placed yourself between me and Cung Thiên Tôn. I already felt something was amiss, so I formed this guess. What are you worried about, Mục Thiên Tôn?"
She had always called Tần Mục "Thánh Anh" before, but ever since the battle of Huyền Đô, she had changed her address to "Mục Thiên Tôn."
Thánh Anh represented the Holy Infant of the Creator race, while Mục Thiên Tôn represented Tần Mục's lofty identity and status—a form of respect.
Tần Mục did not deny it. This sea of heaven was too wondrous; even if he denied it, the fluctuations in his dao heart would be revealed by the sea.
"I am worried that after you come into contact with Cung Thiên Tôn, she will persuade you to betray our alliance."
Tần Mục openly revealed his thoughts, saying: "The battle of Huyền Đô is extremely important. If you were to betray our alliance, it would cause us heavy losses, which I cannot tolerate. Therefore, I asked Khai Hoàng to strike out and severely wound Cung Thiên Tôn. But I did not expect Thái Tố to heal her injuries, and she still appeared in Huyền Đô. That is why I had no choice but to block you when you met her."
Lang Uyển Thần Vương turned her face sideways to look at him. Her skin was like warm, lustrous mutton-fat jade. She said with a soft laugh: "Since when has Mục Thiên Tôn been so lacking in confidence? Do you think that if I come into contact with Cung Thiên Tôn, I would defect to her side, defect to the Ten Heavenly Venerables, and become one of them? Are you saying you believe your own charm is inferior to theirs?"
Tần Mục's face flushed slightly, and the ripples beneath his feet fluttered like the wings of butterflies.
"In my heart, the Mục Thiên Tôn who established the dao through divine powers is beyond the reach of the Ten Heavenly Venerables of the Heavenly Court. Hiểu Thiên Tôn is Thái Sơ, the great enemy of my Creator race. Tường Thiên Phi is Thái Đế, and there is also a blood feud between us. Hồng Thiên Tôn is already dead. Lang, Tổ, Hỏa, Hư—their ambitions are too small, and they cannot even protect themselves, let alone protect me?"
Lang Uyển Thần Vương said unhurriedly: "Nghiên Thiên Phi and Thạch Kỳ La are entangled in deep grudges that never end—a messy affair. They cannot even settle their own disputes, so how could I possibly defect to them? As for Cung Thiên Tôn..."
She smiled faintly: "Cung Thiên Tôn's life has been a life of failure. She relied on men to accomplish things, yet she herself has little real ability. First she borrowed the power of Thái Đế, then the power of Thái Sơ, and now she wants to borrow the power of Hạo Thiên Tôn. But she has always been petty and scheming, never amounting to much. If you think a single speech from her could make me bow my head and hand over the future and destiny of the Creator race to her, then you are underestimating yourself—and also underestimating my judgment, Lang Uyển."
Tần Mục smiled: "I was wrong."
Although Lang Uyển Thần Vương was always in a state of absolute rationality, being with her was both pleasing to the heart and pleasing to the eye. No matter what one talked about with her, it was always a pure enjoyment.
"You should have let me meet Cung Thiên Tôn. Perhaps if I talked with her, instead of her persuading me, I might have persuaded her instead—that possibility is not entirely absent." The girl laughed.
Tần Mục laughed heartily: "That possibility does exist. I was too anxious about gains and losses."
Lang Uyển Thần Vương heard the meaning in his words but did not point it out, saying: "Now that you have resolved your inner conflict, I can rest assured. Back then, you and I captured Thái Đế's divine consciousness and split it into three parts—you, I, and Thúc Quân each received a share. You haven't used yours yet, have you?"
Tần Mục was slightly startled.
Lang Uyển Thần Vương looked into his eyes and said: "My path of cultivation has already reached its peak. It is difficult for me to advance any further. Thái Đế's divine consciousness—if you have no use for it, then since I am helping you this time, could I exchange it with you for that treasure?"
Tần Mục shook his head: "Thần Vương, you have already used Thái Đế's divine consciousness once. If you use it again now, your future path to enlightenment will become even more difficult! The reason Thái Đế could not become invincible, could not refine a true dao fruit with his divine consciousness, is precisely because he relied on sacrificial power to forcibly pile his divine consciousness cultivation to the level of branding the ultimate void. Giving you Thái Đế's divine consciousness would be harming you."
Lang Uyển Thần Vương smiled serenely, her bearing graceful and elegant: "Do you think I still have room to improve? My cultivation aptitude has reached this point—it has already peaked. For existences like you and Khai Hoàng Tần Nghiệp, there is still a road ahead, but for me, there is no road ahead anymore. Therefore, no matter what means are available, I must try them all."
Her eyes were as bright and clear as stars and moonlight, and she said softly: "Your cultivation and strength are rising rapidly, and Khai Hoàng is even more astonishing. In the past, I could keep pace with him, but now I am far from his match. In the future, you will catch up to me and surpass me. My usefulness to you will grow less and less, and I will become less and less significant."
Tần Mục opened his mouth but said nothing.
Lang Uyển Thần Vương said: "Mục Thiên Tôn, I have spent a million years cultivating to this point. I already know where my limits lie. Give it to me."
Tần Mục was silent for a moment, the corners of his mouth twitching. He forced a smile and took out the Thái Đế divine consciousness to hand to her.
Lang Uyển Thần Vương took the jade bottle and said: "As an ally, I will not hold you back. And you must not betray my Creator race."
Tần Mục nodded solemnly.
Lang Uyển Thần Vương drifted away.
Tần Mục watched her figure disappear into the void, then withdrew his gaze and turned back to Lam Ngự Điền's side.
Lam Ngự Điền was actually in a state of dao comprehension at this moment. Dao resonance emanated from his body. The sea of heaven was calm and peaceful, and the heavenly dao was profound. The heavenly dao in Huyền Đô was already empty, but on the sea of heaven, heavenly dao was rising anew.
This was a heavenly dao anomaly caused by Lam Ngự Điền. At this moment, he was in communion between heaven and man, as sacred and solemn as the former Thiên Công.
Tần Mục came to his side, and for a moment, he felt something stir in his heart. Before he knew it, he too fell into a state of dao enlightenment.
One sat on the surface of the sea, the other stood on the surface of the sea. In that moment of looking up and down, the sea of heaven and Huyền Đô seemed to merge into one.
After who knows how long, Tần Mục awoke from his dao enlightenment. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked up at the broken sky and said in a low voice: "The great encompasses the sea of heaven, the small does not neglect grass and trees. Not only do I delight in scenery, I also wish to pour out my heart. This sea of heaven's dao heart—it is the heart of the heavenly dao, and also the heart of the human dao."
His gaze was bright as he looked at Lam Ngự Điền, who had already risen to his feet.
Tần Mục began to walk toward the edge of the sea of heaven.
"Let's go, to the Ten Thousand Sacred Mountains. Let us see what exactly is inside this Phi Hương Palace!"