Chapter 447 — Natural Rivals

The sun sank in the west, and a red disc of fire set the Flame Desert ablaze with crimson. Shen Mu stood upon Dragon Qilin's head, transforming his own vital essence into Vermilion Bird essence to temper flying sword after flying sword, deepening the rune-seals graven within each blade. He looked down; Xiong Qi'er had already hidden herself in Dragon Qilin's ear and fallen asleep.

There was no wind in there, and Dragon Qilin had covered its own ear-hole with its ear, guarding the little girl most securely. "Dragon Fatty is really quite something," Shen Mu praised inwardly. "This big lummox is tender-hearted after all.

Scarlet Fire Spirit Pills and Fire Element Divine Essence Pills really do taste foul mixed together.

Once we find a place to settle, I'll improve the flavor for him. " Dragon Qilin suddenly said, "Sect Master, there's an oasis ahead! " Shen Mu peered forward and indeed saw an oasis.

"I wonder if there's water there," he said.

"A whole day without a water source—I can bear it well enough, but I fear Qi'er cannot. " The Flame Desert was unbearably hot, with not a trace of moisture in the air.

Even with his Black Tortoise essence, Shen Mu could not conjure water. He had never worried about water before, but now with Xiong Qi'er at his side, he had no choice but to consider drink. After a moment, Dragon Qilin arrived at the oasis, where several snow-white sheepskin tents stood pitched by the lake, and some people dressed in Western Lands attire were building fires and cooking.

Dragon Qilin warily scanned the surroundings. "I wonder if Ban Gongcuo fled here," it said. "Sect Master, be careful. He took grave wounds; he shouldn't have gotten far.

" Shen Mu leaped down, lifted Dragon Qilin's ear, and carried out the sleeping Xiong Qi'er, saying with a smile, "Rest easy. With me here, even if he's nearby he won't dare approach. And if he dares come, it will be just the chance to finish him.

" The turbaned Western Lands foreigners throughout the oasis all turned to look at them, their faces changing greatly, yet none dared make a sound. Shen Mu glanced around and saw that these people were mostly men, weathered by wind and sun, their faces burned very red.

There were also some large two-legged yellow sheep in the oasis, and beside the yellow sheep were goods—most likely traveling merchants. For though the two-legged yellow sheep, strange beast that it was, ran very fast and bore heavy loads well, its gait was exceedingly bumpy; only merchants would choose such a beast to transport goods. Though riding a two-legged yellow sheep was a bit hard and a bit bumpy, it could carry more cargo.

"Elder, my little sister is asleep—might I borrow a tent? " Shen Mu came before an old merchant and asked.

The old merchant nodded hastily.

"Please, use it as you wish. " Shen Mu thanked him and carried her inside.

At night the desert was very cold, but fortunately the sheepskin tent kept in warmth, and there were also some thick wool blankets.

Shen Mu covered her well. Xiong Qi'er, half-asleep, clutched the blanket's edge with two small hands and turned over, smacking her lips twice—she was probably hungry, but she did not wake. Shen Mu walked out of the tent. The sun had already set, and the campfires by the lake crackled and popped.

"Elder, are you merchants from the Western Lands?

" The others looked at Shen Mu's expression and dared not speak.

The lead old merchant said hastily, "We come from a small country in the Western Lands, on our way to the Waste to do business. Is this elder brother from the Waste? " Shen Mu could not help but laugh.

Though he was a bit tall, he was hardly old enough to be called elder brother. The reason these people feared him somewhat must be the flame patterns on his face. That they judged him to be from the Waste was also because of the flame patterns on his face.

"I am indeed from the Waste, and I'm preparing for a trip to the Western Lands.

" Shen Mu took some fresh beef and fruit from his Taotie Bag and gave them to the other, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Elder, for giving my little sister a place to rest.

If you, Elder, don't mind, just call me Little Shen. " The old merchant could not refuse and had to accept. "I dare not be called Elder," he said.

"We men hold somewhat low status in the Western Lands; only elder women are fit to be called Elders. Young Shen, you are a man from the Waste—going to the Western Lands may not go well for you. This Flame Desert stretches tens of thousands of li, with fire burning and scorching all the way, and for you people of the Waste there are many perils. You had best turn back. " Shen Mu shook his head. "I promised to go to the Western Lands—how can I go back on my word?

Is it women who rule the household in your Western Lands? Jingping has some female generals and female officials too. Back when the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping promoted equality between men and women, he met no small resistance. I didn't expect you to be even more enlightened than Jingping.

" The old merchant's face changed drastically. "Silence! " he said hastily.

"One must not speak of equality between men and women, or else one will lose one's head!

How could men and women be equal? Women can give birth, men cannot conceive—so of course they must be a grade lower!

" Shen Mu was astonished.

The old merchant glanced around and said in a low voice, "When you reach the Western Lands, do not speak such foolish words again.

Of course, if you can live to walk there.

.

.

" Shen Mu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "When you reach the Western Lands, you must not say you are from the Waste.

" The old merchant said solemnly, "If you say you are from the Waste, you will easily be killed.

" Shen Mu frowned. "Why is that? " The old merchant was unwilling to say more. Shen Mu did not press him, and continued tempering his flying swords with his vital essence.

When his cultivation was nearly half spent, he took several spirit pills, and one flying sword after another was refined smaller and smaller. "I still cannot manage, like Grandpa Silent Craftsman, to refine a sword into something like flowing water.

" Shen Mu grasped a flying sword and rubbed it between both hands, and the flying sword turned into a tiny sword pellet, though it still had some edges and corners. He activated the Carefree Sword, and eight thousand swords clanged and collided together, transforming into a single sword pellet.

Though the sword pellet was much smaller, it was still two chi square. Only by refining the sword pellet to the size of a finger would his artifact-refining skill be considered beginner level, and he could basically refine a sword like flowing water. Shen Mu dispersed the sword pellet and grasped the Carefree Sword.

Nearly eight thousand flying swords came howling, colliding one after another with the Carefree Sword and merging into the mother sword. The Carefree Sword grew heavier and heavier. By the time the last flying sword merged into the Carefree Sword, Shen Mu's hand holding the sword trembled; the sword was too heavy, though he could just barely lift it.

He tried to swing the Carefree Sword.

Though the Carefree Sword moved very slowly, the air at once rang with crackling explosions and humming vibrations, as though a great mountain were sliding along! And that crackling sound was because the sword was too heavy and solid, pressing the very space to give off light explosions! Shen Mu swung it twice, his arm muscles aching, and hastily dispersed the child swords, no longer troubling himself. He thought, "The Jade Tablet of the Heavenly Emperor and those dragon script words in the True Dragon's Lair are indeed not bad. The Nine Dragons Sovereign Art upon them has improved my physical body at miraculous speed!