Chapter 292 — The Intoxicating Long Night at Sea

But Shen Mu thought even further. He wished very much to fuse the Change of the Nine Dragon Emperor Art, the Stability of the Thunder Roar Mahayana Sutra, and the Number of the Dao Sword into his own art.

The Nine Dragon Emperor Art was famed for Change. Emperor Yanfeng had transmitted it to him and guided him in practice. Though he had cultivated it only briefly, Shen Mu had already attained the true essence of its Change.

The Change of the Nine Dragon Emperor Art could be understood as the mind's mastery of all moves and techniques. Divine dragons are endlessly transformative. Through the transformation of nine dragons, one could cast out sword moves, spells, and battle arts of other sects—supremely hard and fierce, or supremely soft and yielding.

The Thunder Roar Mahayana Sutra was famed for Stability. The Old Tathagata had not personally taught Shen Mu this art, but allowed him into the Academy of All Heavens to contemplate it. Shen Mu went through the academy's twenty halls and thereby mastered it.

With the twenty heavens of the Thunder Roar Mahayana Sutra—the gods and demons of the twenty heavens lending their power—its stability was unmatched, as immovable as Mount Sumeru.

The Dao Sword was famed for Number. It used mathematical principle to illuminate heaven, earth, and nature, and to expound the Great Dao. By the fourteenth sword it was already a Dao sword, near to the Dao itself.

If he could master all three arts and melt them in one furnace, selecting their strengths to blend into the Great Unification Art, he would surely improve by leaps and bounds!

But in those days, though he had focused his mind on it, he gained little. The arts he wished to fuse were the most supreme arts, each containing a universe—cornerstone arts that guarded a sect and underpinned a school, the highest secret arts of sacred lands.

If he could actually fuse them, would they not become the number-one art under heaven?

"I'm becoming too greedy."

Shen Mu suddenly felt he was going down a dead end. These arts were already perfect; truly fusing them was beyond his present vision and understanding.

If so, why go to so much trouble?

"What I want are the principles within these arts. Since that is so, why fuse the arts? Wouldn't fusing the principles be far easier?"

In the beautiful sea night, a sudden insight came to him. His heart eased, and the sea before him and the girls beside him seemed far more lovely and moving.

Fusing cultivation arts was something he could not accomplish, and it had been putting the cart before the horse. Fusing principles rather than arts was much simpler.

With that thought, he stopped forcing it, let nature take its course, and cultivated however felt most comfortable.

After passing the sea folk's territory, the sea quieted considerably. A great old sea turtle surfaced and offered to carry them onward.

The turtle had cultivated well. Drifting on the sea like a little island, it swam westward while asking them difficult questions about cultivation.

Shen Mu and the two girls told all they knew and resolved many of its doubts. The old turtle was overjoyed and invited them to visit. Shen Mu asked curiously, "Where is your home, sir? Where are we going as guests?"

"I make my home on the four seas. That said, some of my descendants live on my back."

As the old turtle said this, many other turtles in the sea cut through the waves, leapt up, and landed on the old turtle's back.

"Light the lamps!"

The old turtle laughed. Then one enormous pearl after another lit up beneath its shell, illuminating the island of its carapace brilliantly.

The turtles on its back stood up on their hind legs, surrounded Shen Mu, Ling Yuxiu, and Si Yunxiang, and sang and danced, slapping their bellies and shells in rhythm.

Si Yunxiang pulled Shen Mu into the song and dance on the turtle-island. After a while of merrymaking, Shen Mu pulled up Ling Yuxiu too. The princess was still a bit reserved, but she soon joined in as well.

The celebration ended all too quickly. When the sky brightened, the old turtle said, "Land has arrived. Farewell, the three of you!"

Shen Mu looked ahead: land was not far away, with the city and docks wrapped in the mist of an early spring morning.

They jumped from the turtle's back and landed on the dock.

"Farewell!" The turtles on the carapace waved to them.

"Farewell!" Shen Mu waved back. When the old turtle had vanished, they walked into Hezhou City.

"The enchanting sea," Ling Yuxiu said softly.

Si Yunxiang's gaze was distant. "A sea night that intoxicates the heart. But once ashore, we step back into the mortal world..."