Chapter 334 — The Divine Pupil Reappears in the World

His thoughts stirred again. Though the Fire Heaven Eye was inferior to the Sun-Shooting Sacred Pupil, the Blind Elder's Sacred Pupil was the Ninefold Heaven Gazing Eye Art — the Sacred Pupil contained the array patterns of all nine heavens, equivalent to the power of the nine heavens stacked together. That was truly terrifying!

"When Blind Grandpa still had his eyes, I fear whoever he glared at simply died?"

Shen Mu could not help but yearn. The Blind Elder was short of stature, always muttering mysteriously, leaning on his bamboo staff and putting on airs; it was hard to imagine how dreadful his gaze had been when he still had eyes!

And who had dug out the Blind Elder's Sacred Pupil?

In those years the Divine Spear possessed such a fearsome Sacred Pupil — who could have taken his eyes and reduced that godlike being to such a state?

"The Daoist Sect? The Great Thunder-Roaring Temple? Fan Xuanshu? Or Little Yujing?"

Shen Mu mused, and suddenly thought of that youth named Xu Shenghua; his heart stirred. "Could it be that place called the Above, from which Xu Shenghua came?"

The Blind Elder was called the Divine Spear, yet his strongest attribute was his Sacred Pupil — and his eyes had been dug out.

The Butcher was called the Heaven Blade; he had once slain his way up into the sky, and it was said that gods appeared and cut the Butcher in two at the waist.

Lizheng was called the Sword God, yet his four limbs had been severed by a sword.

Was there some connection among these?

The Lame Elder was the Shadow Thief; his leg had been cut off by the Jingping Imperial Preceptor when he went stealing in the imperial palace — different from the Blind Elder and the Butcher. No one knew who had cut out the Silent Artisan's tongue; if the Silent Artisan did not speak, no one would ever know the truth of it.

The Alchemist had cut off his own face, severing the entanglements of love. The Deaf Elder had deafened himself, hating that his ears heard nothing of the world beyond. Granny Zhu's inner demon was Fan Xuanshu; master and disciple had fought over godlike beauty. Old Master Huo had cut off his own arm to repay his master's grace. None of these were connected.

Only the Butcher and Lizheng — the maimings upon them surely sprang from the same cause.

Gods.

And who had dug out the Blind Elder's eyes remained unknown.

"Where is Blind Grandpa's Sacred Pupil now?"

Shen Mu sat staring blankly, then suddenly shook his head and cast the matter from his mind, thinking, "By the principles of the true-essence cannon, one could use the Ninefold Heaven Gazing Eye Art to create eye-art divine powers. Blind Grandpa taught me only the eye arts, not the divine powers — but I can create them myself! Once I have mastered the Sacred Pupil, I would like to see who dares come dig out my eyes!"

No sooner thought than done. He roused the Mystic Body Three Cinnabar Art, called up the Seven Chapters of Creation from the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra, and urged on the Creation Human Sovereign Art and the Creation Earth Origin Art; at once a blazing vitality and fire gathered in his eyes.

Layer upon layer of array patterns condensed in his pupils, and the Azure Heaven Eye appeared. As the art surged, two shafts of firelight shot out.

Fire blazed in Shen Mu's eyes, the light growing ever more intense, his gaze fixed on the cannon platform before him — and it cut that platform into three pieces!

Everyone on the ship turned to look. Shen Mu hastily withdrew his gaze and dispersed the array patterns in his eyes, then smiled. "No need for alarm, everyone. I thought this cannon platform was ruined, so I might as well melt it down and forge it anew."

The astonishment on the others' faces did not fade. Shen Mu's heart pounded; he clenched his fists. "The Sacred Pupil is formidable — whoever it glares at dies..."

The Lame Elder and Lizheng sat together in the sun before the City Lord's manor. Seeing those two beams of light, they could not help shaking their heads. "That rascal Shen — up to his reckless tricks again. Isn't he afraid of burning out his own eyes? The Blind Elder's heart is far too bold, teaching him such a perilous thing."

Lizheng narrowed his eyes. "How strong the Blind Elder's Sacred Pupil was can be seen from Shen's display. Whoever dug out his eyes was no ordinary being. If that person could take his eyes, you had best be careful too — someone may yet take a fancy to your leg."

The Lame Elder's body gave a slight shudder. He looked at Lizheng and said in a low voice, "You mean someone wants to gather all things that have reached the divine realm? What would he want with them?"

"To piece together a god."

Lizheng sighed. "Of the people of my age, I am not the only one still alive. You may yet meet such a person."

The Lame Elder shrank his neck. "I am a coward — don't frighten me. Can't I just run?"

Lizheng looked toward Shen Mu on the ship and said softly, "I hope I can cut away some of the obstacles in Shen'er's path and let him grow up. But I do not know whether I can live that long... Shen'er is still too innocent. It would be better if he were a little more cunning..."

In the Loulan Golden Palace, around Ban Gongcuo, powerful fleshly bodies sat in shrine after shrine, each wielding shamanic arts and divine powers, ceaselessly bombarding an ancient book floating in the center, breaking the seals upon it.

These ancient books were the volumes he had plundered from the Qin-Han Treasure Ship.

Boom!

A great crash rang out; the seal on the ancient book finally broke. Ban Gongcuo could not contain his excitement; he hurried forward and opened the book — then his face turned ashen and he flung it to the ground. "The Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra again! This god who came from Wuyou Township — is he of the Nether Demon Sect?"

At his side, ancient books already lay strewn across the ground; now only one remained unopened.

He steadied himself, roused his past-life body with all his strength, and opened the last scripture.

Ban Gongcuo lifted the first page, and at once a burst of golden light blazed forth, illuminating the sacred hall.

Ban Gongcuo was wild with joy.