Chapter 277 — Killing Intent Arose Suddenly

So young, and already of such cultivation; it fills even me with admiration. Had it been the very day we broke through into the Six Harmonies realm, against you I would have had but eight parts in ten of victory. " "Hm? " Shen Mu smiled and said nothing, toying with his wine cup. Ban Gongcuo said gravely, "Counting this life, I have lived nineteen lives. In my long span I have seen many heaven-gifted talents, many peerless heroes, and many partings and joys, lives and deaths. Sometimes I feel that I am a reef standing in time, while around me countless men of unmatched splendor stream past like so many pictures hurried before the eye; even an emperor unmatched in his age is but a passing image, and even Heaven's Blade, who levels his saber at the heavens, is after all only a traveler hurrying by. I remember that in my sixth life I felt my arts and divine powers could advance no further, so I entered the Central Plains and took refuge in the Daoist order, learning the Innate Grand Mystery Art and the Dao Sword. At that time the Dao Lord of the order held me in the highest regard, named me a Dao Heir, and even hoped that I would one day become Dao Lord and lead the order. " The corner of Shen Mu's eye twitched slightly. This old monster had once entered the Daoist order -- and had even been made a Dao Heir?

The order's supreme arts, the Innate Grand Mystery Art and the fourteen chapters of the Dao Sword, had he learned those too?

"The Dao Sword is very hard to comprehend.

In that life I learned as far as the thirteenth sword; the fourteenth I could never fathom to the end. " Ban Gongcuo said with feeling, "The Dao Sword is truly too difficult; even with the power of the Innate Grand Mystery Art one can hardly fathom it through, and to bring it off one needs a terrifying comprehension of the arts of reckoning.

I never learned the fourteenth sword, not even to old age; in my seventh life I entered the Daoist order again and still could not learn it, mastering only half a move. Then in my eighth life I took refuge in Buddhism, at the Great Thunderclap Monastery. " Shen Mu was greatly shaken. He gave him a deep look and asked softly, "You felt the Dao Sword could no longer make you break through, and so you went to the Great Thunderclap Monastery to study the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra? " "Wrong.

" Ban Gongcuo said gravely, "I went to fathom the Buddha-dharma. The Buddha-dharma of the Great Thunderclap Monastery attains the highest in the fathoming of the nature of the mind, and the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra is a Mahayana work that gathers up the cultivation of the mind; naturally I had to learn it.

But first I began as a little monk, reading through every scripture of the Great Thunderclap Monastery and fathoming each in turn, and only then did I study the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra.

" Shen Mu asked, "The Tathagata of that generation must have held you in the highest regard as well? " "He said my endowment and understanding were first in the world, that my attainments in the Buddha-dharma had already surpassed his own, and that my eloquence was unimpeded. " Ban Gongcuo said, "The Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra -- I cultivated all twenty heavens of it. Yet still I left the Great Thunderclap Monastery.

Its Buddha-dharma could not let me break through the final realm.

In the next life I was reborn a woman, and I went to the Palace of Parting Sorrow. Another life after that, I went to Little Jade Capital.

I spent several lives in Little Jade Capital before I had learned all its supreme arts; truly it is a holy land above the three great holy lands. " He sighed with a thousand feelings, seeming to recall his days at Little Jade Capital, and paused, then said, "And after that I went to the Celestial Sage Sect. " A keen light flashed in Shen Mu's eyes. "The Celestial Sage Sect? You learned the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra? What did you comprehend?

" Ban Gongcuo smiled. "The Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra is strong, but beside the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra and the Dao Sword it is a little inferior.

I had meant to leave; later I heard that the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra contained a Grand Unification Art that could be passed only from sect master to sect master. I wanted it greatly, and so I stayed in the Celestial Sage Sect.

It is only a pity that the Nether Demon Sect Master of that generation was very strong, and his disciple was strong as well; this disciple was hailed as a sage such as appears once in five hundred years. I lost to him, and had no fate with the seat of sect master. " Shen Mu let out a breath. Ban Gongcuo continued, "So I turned traitor to the Celestial Sage Sect and, with the masters of the Daoist order, gathering all the righteous men of the orthodox path, came to attack the Celestial Sage Sect, and beat this sage who appears once in five hundred years to death. " The wine in Shen Mu's cup trembled slightly; a drop spilled on the table. "This sage was truly a rare man. He fought the Dao Lord to death; after I had struck him by stealth and made it good, he could still wound me grievously.

But in the end we wore him out with countless righteous men of the orthodox path. " Ban Gongcuo said slowly, "Before he died, he passed the seat of sect master and the Grand Unification Art to the Azure Heaven King of that time. I was badly wounded then, but thinking that only one step remained before the Celestial Sage Sect would fall, how could I let it fail for want of a last effort?

So I led the host on to attack.

I did not expect that this Sect Master Qing would pass the Grand Unification Art to the Holy Maiden of that time, and then lead the sect in a desperate battle against me; and I had no choice but to withdraw to the grasslands, wounded as I was. " He said with feeling, "Later I heard that this Sect Master Qing had also died, at the Green Wave Pool. The Holy Maiden succeeded him as sect master, and at last struck such chill into the Daoist order and the orthodox path of the world that their hearts quailed; in the end her strength failed her too, and she passed on the seat and died.

These three sect masters -- what does the Celestial Sage Sect call them? " Shen Mu's face was cold. "The Three Kings. " "The Three Kings? " Ban Gongcuo said in praise, "They deserve to be called the Three Kings. Now you should know my connection with your Celestial Sage Sect.

And now you should know where my eight parts in ten of victory came from. But that was a day ago. Now, facing you, I have ten parts -- and you have not one. " Shen Mu rose and stretched his body.

"Let us go.

I find I have somewhat of a mind to kill now.

" Ban Gongcuo rose, and the two walked out side by side. Ban Gongcuo turned his head and instructed the two great shamans: "Leave the food; warm it. I will be back in a moment. "