Chapter 332 — Peering in Secret

The smile on Lizheng's face froze. A thousand feelings surged in his heart, and he murmured, "Perhaps it is because of the Overlord Body. For an ordinary person, one miracle may be chance, two miracles may be luck; but when three, four miracles happen to him, then it is neither luck nor chance — he is truly different, truly an Overlord Body worthy of the name. Our Shen'er has inherited the strengths of us failures who hide in the Wasteland Ruins, and drawn lessons from our mistakes. He will surely go farther than we did!"

As Imperial Preceptor Jingping comprehended the Dao, his understanding of the sword Dao deepened, and Shen Mu, peering at his enlightenment through that single dewdrop, saw the whole process of it.

The higher the realm of sword Dao that Imperial Preceptor Jingping comprehended, the greater the benefit it brought Shen Mu.

Though Shen Mu was still at the elementary stage of Art among the three stages of Skill, Art, and Dao, by borrowing Imperial Preceptor Jingping's enlightenment he could glimpse the stages of the sword Dao. How immense was the shock this brought him, how unimaginable the benefit!

Compared with a giant like Imperial Preceptor Jingping, Shen Mu was only a child — yet this child stood upon the giant's shoulders, and from there gained a higher and broader vision.

Others in Qingmen Pass were also comprehending Lizheng's move, "Sword Treads Mountains and Rivers," but those who could obtain its supreme mystery were very few. Most comprehended only one or two sword moves; the insights they gained, though remarkable enough to serve them for a lifetime, were nothing like what Shen Mu had obtained — his case was utterly unique!

He had, as it were, received the supreme understanding of the sword from two Sword Gods at once — from Lizheng and from Imperial Preceptor Jingping!

After a long while, Imperial Preceptor Jingping awoke from his enlightenment, and a nameless bearing had come over him.

When one reaches the summit, all other mountains look small.

Now he had set foot upon the summit of swordsmanship, and looking again at all the sword arts and divine powers of the world, he felt a sudden melancholy: among all the sword arts and all the divine powers under heaven, there was nothing left that could make his eyes light up.

A look of desolation came over Imperial Preceptor Jingping's face — but then he sensed something different. He actually sensed that someone was spying on him, peering into his Dao-heart, peering into his enlightenment!

Startled, Imperial Preceptor Jingping followed that thread of sensation and looked over; his gaze fell upon Shen Mu's fingertip.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping was taken aback, then he laughed and shook his head. "So that is how it is. The Leader of the Heavenly Sage Cult is far too persistent."

Shen Mu immediately felt his eyes sting as that gaze came toward him, and at once he shifted his eyes away. When their gazes met, Shen Mu showed a bright, sunny smile. "Heavenly King, forgive the intrusion."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping smiled and gestured. "It is no intrusion."

Suddenly the mountains and rivers dispersed, all the sword-light vanished. Lizheng withdrew his sword-light and said to Imperial Preceptor Jingping, "You have attained the Dao."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping bowed in thanks and said, "Had you not instructed me, Daoist brother, I do not know how long it would have been before I entered the Dao realm."

The vital essence that composed Lizheng's legs and arms also dispersed of itself. He said, "Come forward and look at where my arms and legs were severed. I have kept these sword scars all this time and never worn them away. In the future you may meet the god who left me these wounds."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping grew solemn, stepped forward, and crouched down to examine them closely.

These were sword scars. The sword wounds on the old Human Emperor's body had been left by a stronger sword. One who excels with the sword is wounded by the sword; in his eyes Lizheng's swordsmanship had already reached the Dao realm, and Lizheng's sword Dao was still above his own — only his vital essence was depleted, unlike his own abundant vigor. Yet from these wounds he saw a stronger swordsmanship, a stronger sword Dao!

"Are you confident you can defeat him?" Lizheng asked.

Imperial Preceptor Jingping's face was grave. "Not now. Perhaps in the future! You have passed the sword Dao to me, and you were also the one who first awakened my swordsmanship — you are my master. The burden on your shoulders — may I take it?"

Lizheng shook his head and smiled. "No need to give it to you. I have already given it to someone else."

Imperial Preceptor Jingping was greatly shaken. Suddenly he understood, and looked toward Shen Mu. He said in a low voice, "A new Human Emperor?"