Chapter 364 — The Azure Heaven Alliance

In the Grand Academy, many masters of the numerological arts had already established the spatial numerological model of the Golden Book Precious Scroll. The Dao Sect had made a copy, the imperial palace had one, the Hermit Qingyou had made a copy, the Grand Academy kept one, and of course the Dark Demon Cult had one as well. Establishing the Golden Book Precious Scroll meant that the cult-leader-level masters once trapped at the Divine Bridge realm now had a chance to break through; a great host of divine beings would likely emerge. Of course, not everyone could connect to the Divine Bridge; to cultivate the arts recorded in the Golden Book Precious Scroll still required great mastery of the numerological arts. Without such mastery, even with the arts of the Golden Book Precious Scroll and the spatial model in hand, one could not complete the Divine Bridge. Shen Mu arrived at his dwelling and found the Hermit Qingyou, Lizheng, and the others all present, their faces grave; Wang Muran was there too, and had evidently already told them of Shen Mu's calculations.

"I have thought of someone. " Lizheng raised his head and gazed at the sky, then said suddenly, as if dazed: "Perhaps he knows some of the hidden secrets. Friend Qingyou, do you know whom I mean? " "I know. The man who drew his blade against the heavens.

" The Hermit Qingyou's eyes flickered. "Heavenly Blade.

" Shen Mu was slightly startled. "Grandpa Tu? " "It is said that Heavenly Blade drew his blade against the heavens and fought his way up into the vault of the sky.

Many witnessed it: his blade split the sky open, the gods appeared, he battled the gods, and in the end his corpse fell to the mortal world.

He was called the maddest of martial madmen. Had it not been for that battle, Heavenly Blade would never have vanished without a trace.

" The Hermit Qingyou said: "If Heavenly Blade had not left back then, Imperial Preceptor Jingping could never have made the sword-technique school prevail over the combat-technique school, and he would never have been called the Sword God.

The god that Heavenly Blade fought did not come from High Heaven, but from beyond the sky.

I never gave it much thought before; now that I do, Heavenly Blade must know a great many things.

Some time ago, Heavenly Blade and the Divine Spear came to visit us at Little Jade Capital, and sensing the aura of a god of High Heaven, they hurried away. A pity we do not know where he is. " Lizheng mused: "That madman has surely gone looking for those false gods of High Heaven. Ever since his waist was reattached, he has been half-mad at best; if the Blind Elder were not at his side, heaven knows what disasters he would have caused by now. He knows many secrets, so let us go and find him.

Shen'er, we are going to find the Butcher. " Shen Mu hesitated. "Imperial Preceptor Jingping still owes me a hundred treasures, and he will soon return to the capital. . . " Lizheng shook his head. "Treasures from the Loulan Golden Palace — worth a second glance? The Great Venerable of the Golden Palace is nothing but a rag-picker; the treasures he has collected in his life are not even worth the Lame Elder's notice.

" Shen Mu hesitated, then hastily summoned Xue Hu'er and instructed her: "Ling'er, Imperial Preceptor Jingping still owes me a hundred treasures. After he returns to the capital, collect them for me. " Xue Hu'er's eyes lit up at once. She laughed: "Young Master, what treasures? " Shen Mu said: "The treasures he brought back from the Loulan Golden Palace — we may pick any hundred of them!

" Xue Hu'er was overjoyed, then hesitated: "Young Master, my eye is not as keen as yours; I fear I will not pick out the best. " "I will teach you the Nine Heavens Eye-Gazing Art.

Open your eyes and look, and you will be able to tell which treasures are worth anything. " . .

. Shen Mu taught Xue Hu'er the Nine Heavens Eye-Gazing Art, then roused the Dragon Qilin and set Lizheng on its back. "Lizheng, how can we find Grandpa Tu?

" Lizheng said calmly: "Very simple.

I need only release my aura, and it will stir the visitor from High Heaven, and stir the Butcher and the Blind Elder as well.

That way they will know where we are. The visitor from High Heaven will surely release his aura to challenge me, and once we go over, we will see the Butcher and the Blind Elder.

" He said softly: "This business of the visitor from High Heaven should be settled as well. " He was about to unleash his aura when his face suddenly showed alarm; the Hermit Qingyou and the other masters of Little Jade Capital showed alarm as well, each raising his head to look in the same direction.

Shen Mu was about to ask, when he too suddenly felt waves of dreadful throbbing coming from afar.

Lizheng murmured: "It is those fellows from High Heaven. Strange — I have not yet released my aura, and they have released theirs first. .

. No, they are fighting among themselves! " Shock came over his face, and he cried out: "The Four Lords of High Heaven are slaughtering one another! What has happened? Shen'er, I go on ahead!

" Boom!

A great crash came from the rocking chair; Lizheng vanished from the Dragon Qilin's back. Then came several more tremors, and the three old immortals — Qingyou, Youhe, and Youyun — vanished into thin air as well. "Muran, once Qingdai has found Long Yu, the two of you come after us!

" The Hermit Qingyou's voice came from far away.