Chapter 355 — Young Fox Demon

"Those gods of High Heaven have not concealed their auras; they seem to have gone to Granny Zhu's. " The Steward and the Blind Elder lived in Shuzhou, a thousand li away, and the Blind Elder seemed to see these several figures, his face turning strange.

"It is night now," he said. "Old Demon Li has come out. " The Steward said in astonishment, "They have met Old Demon Li wearing Granny Zhu's face — surely they are as good as dead?

" The Blind Elder's face grew stranger still. "Old Demon Li is chatting and laughing with them.

" The Steward said, "Then they truly are dead.

When Old Demon Li was in the village, who was not bewitched body and soul? Even the Village Head dared not look at him; you alone were blind to the old woman's beauty. When do you think these four gods of High Heaven will turn on one another and slaughter each other? " The Blind Elder shook his head. "They are gods, after all — how could they come to blows over a woman?

I think. .

. eh, they have started fighting! " The Blind Elder "watched" for a moment, then let out a breath.

"Merely a little sparring. But their rivalry runs deep; it is not far from a true fight. Granny Zhu — a calamity to the nation and its people! " The Steward shook his head. "The old woman has never been a calamity to the nation or its people; it is Sect Master Li who is the calamity.

The old woman is kind — she has never brought us harm.

But the moment Grand Sect Master Li appears, the village nearly splits apart. By the way, on the road, did you see the Deaf Elder or the Silent Craftsman? Those two are always inseparable. " "I did not see them," the Blind Elder said.

"The Silent Craftsman ran off chasing a ship, and if the Deaf Elder went after him, he most likely could not catch him — the Silent Craftsman is fast, second only to the Lame Elder. When do you think these four gods will turn against one another? " The Steward chuckled.

"That depends on how long Grand Sect Master Li cares to toy with them. These four gods of High Heaven are no longer worth worrying about; we need not draw too near. When Sect Master Li tires of his game, we shall act as the situation allows.

" On the back of the Dragon Qilin, Shen Mu suddenly remembered something and asked the recluse Qingyou, "Immortal Qingyou, when Xu Shenghua entered the Three Primes Hall, what manner of breakthrough did he choose? " Immortal Qingyou said, "He did not say himself, but the Old Man of the Three Primes knows, and told me: a Heaven Prime breakthrough. His breakthrough was effortless, and he said he regretted not choosing the Three Primes breakthrough.

" "Then in the Five Qi Hall, what breakthrough was it?

" Shen Mu asked again.

"The Earth Luminary breakthrough of the Five Qi Hall. Of the Five Luminaires, the Earth Luminary is the strongest. " Shen Mu nodded.

Xu Shenghua was indeed very strong; his former abilities had been no lesser than his own. Though his cultivation had been a thread weaker, his divine powers had been more exquisite. This time Xu Shenghua had broken through in both the Three Primes Hall and the Five Qi Hall; the shortfall in his cultivation was likely now filled. Shen Mu had obtained the Three Primes breakthrough, which shored up the foundation of the divine storehouse of the primal fetus; but Xu Shenghua had two — the Heaven Prime breakthrough and the Earth Luminary breakthrough — and the Earth Luminary belonged to the foundation of the divine storehouse of the Five Luminaires.

Whether Shen Mu's own dharma power and cultivation could still press him down by a thread was hard to say.

"I did not know he was a disciple of High Heaven; I begged some tea from him, and I still owe him a round of wine. " Shen Mu mused.

Xu Shenghua was a decent man, of generous bearing, a rare opponent; he very much wished to meet him again — and yet did not wish to meet him. "Village Head, just what sort of place is High Heaven? " "High Heaven?

A place of running dogs, where those true gods keep their hounds," the Village Head said.

"That place lies in the Western Lands, and it is deeply mysterious.

But I have never been there, and I do not know precisely where it is. I only know that some people can climb the holy mountain of the Western Lands and burn incense that carries their prayers up to High Heaven. But I have no such incense; it must be a specially prepared kind. Had I such incense, I would long ago have charged up to High Heaven. " Shen Mu was caught between laughter and tears; the Village Head had likely spent a lifetime fighting the strong men of High Heaven, and held this holy place in no favor at all. "Have you heard of High Heaven, Palace Master?

" Shen Mu asked Xiong Xiyu. "High Heaven is indeed in our Western Lands.

The True Heaven Palace has seen its people before.

But this holy place is deeply mysterious — more so even than Little Jade Capital. " Xiong Xiyu's eyes flickered, and she said softly, "The incense the Village Head spoke of is called divine incense. The True Heaven Palace has three sticks.

If Sect Master Shen can help me win back the seat of Palace Master, I can gift them to you. " Shen Mu blinked and did not take up that thread, musing, "I wonder whether the Loulan Golden Palace has such divine incense. That Ban Gongcuo has lived so many lives; the treasures he has collected must be enormous — perhaps he has such a thing.

And the Imperial Teacher of Jingping still owes me a hundred treasures. . . Speaking of which, why has Grandpa Lame still not appeared? Little Jade Capital ought to have been picked clean by now. " Xiong Xiyu sighed.

When they came to the capital, Shen Mu led everyone to the Imperial Academy.

Few scholars remained there; many of the Academy's students had rushed to the front and gone to war. "So this is the Imperial Academy, the holy place of Jingping? " The others looked about with curiosity.

Apart from Shen Mu and the Dragon Qilin, everyone was here for the first time.

Compared with the other holy places, the Imperial Academy was still young: not so towering as Mount Sumeru of the Great Tingming Temple, not so serene as Mount Yuxu of Kunlun in the Daoist sect, not so mysterious as Mount Shenglin of the Youmo Cult. And of course, it could not compare with the deep foundations of Little Jade Capital. Judged by appearance alone, the Academy did not match the True Heaven Palace of the Western Lands either. Yet from a place like this had come an unending line of famous generals and ministers; the masters born here were beyond counting. Young though it was, the Imperial Academy already showed signs of surpassing — even outshining — the other holy places.

Shen Mu came to the Abode of Divine Powers and found his dwelling kept in perfect order; he was puzzled.

"Can Ling'er have arrived at the Academy? " Suddenly a voice came from outside: "Cowherd, so you have finally deigned to come back?

You do not know — Libationer Bashan took me and the Holy Maiden Si to follow my second brother north on campaign, fighting the Kingdom of Langjuxu until.

. .

" Shen Mu turned, and saw Ling Yuxiu come bursting in from outside in a whirlwind. Seeing so many people, she was startled, and did not dare make a racket; she hurriedly held her breath, even shortened her steps, and walked over quite the demure lady, perching like a little bird at Shen Mu's side, and asked in a whisper, "Cowherd, who are they? " "This is my Grandpa, the Village Head.