Chapter 1515 — Divine Retribution
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
After this transmission of the Dao, Shen Mu still strove relentlessly to refine the World Tree. His cultivation had advanced greatly, his mana grown mighty and profound. He shrouded the World Tree within his own domain, yet refining it remained fraught with difficulty.
Two more days passed, and the World Tree once again punched a great hole through his Primal Embryo God Treasury domain.
Shen Mu was stunned for a moment. Everyone else stole glances his way, yet no one spoke.
Shen Mu dispersed his domain and turned to leave.
"Heavenly Lord Mu has likely given up in despair," people said, one after another.
Not long after, Shen Mu found Tai Yi, who was mending the Black Mountain. This Tai Yi was an elderly Tai Yi, doddering with age, hauling a water bucket on trembling legs.
Shen Mu bowed, snatched the bucket from Tai Yi, and volunteered to help him repair the Black Mountain, cracked open by the tremors the night before.
Tai Yi was glad to take his ease, and stood by watching him work.
When Shen Mu had finished mending the cracked Black Mountain, he set down the bucket and looked at Tai Yi with a smile.
Tai Yi stowed away the bucket and made to leave. Shen Mu hastily barred his way and said with a placating smile, "Daoist brother, that great axe of yours, I have always thought it rather fine. How was it forged?"
"That is my Dao weapon, a companion supreme treasure, a thing born of chaos."
Tai Yi said imperturbably, "When I came into being in that age, it was by this treasure that I severed the World Tree. Any other treasure would have been powerless to harm this precious tree in the slightest."
Shen Mu opened his mouth, and before he could speak, Tai Yi's beard quivered and he said decisively, "This treasure cannot be given to you."
Shen Mu said hastily, "I do not mean to take it from you, but to borrow it. Lend it to me for a while, and I will return it."
The elderly Tai Yi looked him up and down and asked suspiciously, "What do you mean to do?"
Shen Mu said nothing.
"Lending it to you for a while is no great matter."
Tai Yi produced an axe. In his hand it was exceedingly small, but before Shen Mu it appeared incomparably vast. "You may use it for only half a day. After half a day this axe of mine will fly back to my side."
Shen Mu thanked him hurriedly, then dragged the great axe away. At first the axe was not too heavy, but the farther he went, the heavier it grew, until even Shen Mu was left panting for breath and had to stop and rest.
"This axe is too heavy. I fear half a day will have passed before I even reach the edge of the World Tree."
He wiped the sweat from his brow and thought, "Tai Yi said he would lend it to me for half a day. Is he playing a trick on me? Could it not be a little lighter?"
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the axe grew a little lighter. Shen Mu was overjoyed. Hefting the great axe onto his shoulder, he bounded off like the wind straight for the World Tree, thinking, "The moment I thought of lightness, it became lighter. Could this be a treasure that grants every wish?"
Sure enough, as he was thinking this, the great axe became lighter still.
Shen Mu was both startled and delighted. He stood the axe upright before him and thought, "Suppose it were a long saber..."
The great axe showed no change at all. From within it came Tai Yi's voice: "Do not bother. It is an axe, and it does not grant wishes. I am the one lightening its weight for you."
Shen Mu was left thoroughly disgruntled.
Xu Shenghua, Lan Yutian, Ming Huang, and the others were still beneath the World Tree, pondering its mysteries and exchanging what each had gleaned, when they saw Shen Mu come charging over with great strides like a falling star, dragging a great axe straight toward the World Tree.