Chapter 239 — The Older One Grows, the More Absurd

Those within the prohibition hurriedly roused their vital essence and put forth their strongest defenses against that frenzied energy. Luckily the energy was not aimed at them in particular but merely bursting out on every side, and so they could still hold out.

Had it been aimed at them, it would surely have blasted them to dust and bone shards!

Shen Mu stood before a stretch of forest. In an instant the forest turned to ash; a surging wave of air swept outward, and every tree was wiped away, ground to powder.

Thud, thud — four figures appeared out of thin air and slammed hard to the ground, smashing several great craters in it.

Shen Mu shook his head. "At your age, and still you will not let a person have peace of mind..."

"Lame Elder, get out of the way!"

The Deaf Elder's voice came — the old man plummeted headfirst out of midair, plunging down, and below him the Lame Elder gave a stifled grunt as the Deaf Elder landed on top of him.

In midair Buddha-light blazed forth and a great Buddha descended; from the earth a golden spring welled up, and lotuses bloomed on it. The great Buddha let down his legs, trod upon the lotuses, and slowly came down.

The lotuses and the golden spring vanished, the great Buddha dispersed, and there stood an old man in blue robes — Lord Huo himself. His clothes were somewhat torn, but beside the others he could hardly be called bedraggled.

The company rose to their feet and looked at one another. They had truly come out of that space esoteric art alive; each had taken no small wound, but luckily none of them fatal.

They looked up and saw Shen Mu standing not far away. The youth of Yincan Village kept shaking his head, as though deploring that the older they grew, the less dependable they became.

Before Shen Mu stood a smug great lump of iron, eight arms akimbo, trussed up like a lantern, looking for all the world as though waiting to be worshipped.

And behind Shen Mu was a Dragon Qilin fat as a pig, looking half asleep, listless, interested in nothing at all.

"Shen'er, how did you come to be here?"

Granny Zhu, astonished, came forward and looked him up and down, inspecting him, then scolded him: "A place this dangerous, and you dare go blundering in! Far too much nerve. Are you hurt?"

"Granny, stay a little farther from him."

The Blind Elder came forward, somewhat frantic, and said to Shen Mu: "Old Dame Si can no longer hold back the demon seed in her heart of dao. One moment a man, the next a woman; there is no telling when Fan Xuanshu will take her over. Be careful she does not do you a deadly turn!"

From Granny Zhu's mouth came an aged voice, brimming with demonic nature: "Set your minds at ease. He is the present Hierarch of our Holy Cult, and I, as Hierarch of the generation before, would naturally never lay a hand on him."

Suddenly Granny Zhu's voice became a woman's again: "Fan Xuanshu, get back where you belong!"

The Lame Elder came forward and eyed the Dutian Demon King, eight hands on his hips. "Shen'er, this lump of iron of yours is actually good for something. What was his name again?"

Lord Huo said, "The Dutian Demon King."

The Butcher stepped up to look him over too, and said doubtfully, "Where did you get him? The last time I saw you there was no such iron fellow — and he is rather useful."

"Truly ugly," said the Deaf Elder.

The Dutian Demon King flew into a rage and was about to erupt when Shen Mu hastily said, "This is the Dutian Demon King, supreme sovereign of the Dutian World, whom I invited here to rescue you. The Dutian Demon King's attainments in divine prohibitions are exceedingly high; he will surely lead us safely through every danger."

The Dutian Demon King was pleased. "This boy at least knows how to talk, even if his heart is a little black, his methods a little vicious, and his scheming a little too much..."

"And the Village Head?"

Shen Mu asked, "And Grandfather Alchemy Master and Grandfather Silent Craftsman — have they come here too?"

The Blind Elder shook his head. "My eyes are good. I followed the traces the Alchemy Master and the Village Head left behind and found my way here, but I never came upon the Silent Craftsman or the Alchemy Master."

The others nodded silently.

Granny Zhu said, "The Alchemy Master and the Village Head should be safe enough together, and the Patriarch and Elder Dianxing are with them. It is only that we have not seen the Silent Craftsman either. That fellow never says a word about anything; he never tells us when he means to do something. Alone as he is, I fear it will be hard for him to hold out. Shen'er, to come looking for us through such danger — you have had a hard time of it."

Shen Mu said angrily, "You do not go home for the New Year, you go running off in all directions — what if you get lost? Of course I had to come out and find you! Demon King, you lead the way. And the rest of you, stop running off everywhere!"

"Mm, mm." The crowd of old men and old women nodded hastily.