Chapter 483 — Where in Life Shall We Not Meet

Shen Mu was moved. Xu Shenghua's Seven Stars Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit Art took the Spirit Fetus as its core—the Spirit Fetus combined with the soul to become the primordial spirit.

The primordial spirit became the center of the four great divine treasuries, the hub connecting the Seven Stars and Six Harmonies divine treasuries, mobilizing all the power of the four great divine treasuries, refining the barrier between heaven and earth, fusing them into one.

"If done this way, it seems all divine treasury barriers could be shattered. By the time one reaches the Spirit Bridge divine treasury, the seven divine treasuries would all be one..."

Shen Mu stared blankly, lost in thought.

His Primordial Spirit Guide was a starting point. Xu Shenghua's Seven Stars Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit Art had taken two or three steps forward from that starting point, and beyond it lay countless possibilities. Not only could Seven Stars and Six Harmonies fuse, but the barriers between Spirit Fetus and Five Luminaries could also be dissolved!

The barriers of Heaven-Man, Life-Death, and Spirit Bridge could likewise all be melted away!

After cultivating to the Spirit Bridge realm, Heaven-Man fused, Life-Death connected, the seven divine treasuries would become one divine treasury, with no more distinction between realms!

If that came to pass, it would absolutely trigger a tremendous transformation!

The strength of all divine power practitioners under heaven would undergo an extraordinary elevation!

And the elevation of practitioners' strength would bring changes of no small consequence.

"To shatter all realm barriers would likely require decades or even centuries of effort, but now the dawn is visible. Brother Xu, you have done a remarkable thing..." Shen Mu murmured.

Xu Shenghua said modestly: "Without the Hierarch's Primordial Spirit Guide, I could never have taken this step. Hierarch, it is you and Princess Xiu who have done a remarkable thing."

Shen Mu laughed heartily. Xu Shenghua did not know that the reason he had been able to comprehend the Primordial Spirit Guide was mainly that chance encounter on the painted boat. When Shen Mu saw Xu Shenghua, two strong forces collided, and in his agitated state, his primordial spirit resonated with Ling Yuxiu's—and thus he cultivated the primordial spirit.

The creation of the Primordial Spirit Guide owed something indirectly to Xu Shenghua as well.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash came from beside them. The Xuanliao Demon Ape's physical body swelled section by section, involuntarily revealing its true form—transforming into a dark, massive ape, like a small mountain peak!

Xu Shenghua had finished explaining the Seven Stars Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit Art, and the Xuanliao Demon Ape had activated its primordial spirit, circulating it according to the art he had described.

Everyone was startled and retreated. They saw the Xuanliao Demon Ape's primordial spirit rumbling and shaking—Xu Shenghua's Primordial Spirit Art was being circulated by him without the slightest obstruction, and he was about to fuse the Seven Stars and Six Harmonies divine treasuries!

Xu Shenghua was shaken. He glanced at Shen Mu and said: "Hierarch, this Brother Zhankong's aptitude is somewhat too good, is it not?"

Shen Mu suppressed his shock and looked up at the Xuanliao Demon Ape's abnormally towering frame, saying: "His mind is simple, free of any distracting thoughts. In the past, when he learned the Eight Thunder Roar Techniques of the Great Thunder Roar Temple, he was also much faster than I was. Because his mind is singular, his cultivation progress is instead extremely rapid."

Xu Shenghua said with suspicion: "Could he also be a Tyrant Body?"

The Xuanliao Demon Ape's physique was innately powerful, his cultivation profound. This time, activating the Primordial Spirit Art, he advanced with fierce courage, incomparably domineering.

He had received instruction from Old Tathagata, who taught him the Great Thunder Roar Vehicle Sutra, and later he had followed Little Tathagata in cultivation, gaining guidance and transmission from these two supreme Buddhist figures. His cultivation foundation was already very deep.

However, though his mind was simple, in terms of pioneering he was far inferior to Shen Mu and Xu Shenghua. Shen Mu's mind was complex, but he could often draw inferences from one instance and pioneer new cultivation methods.

Xu Shenghua's mind was less complex, but what he had learned was diverse and miscellaneous, and he had been pushed by Shen Mu into a spirit of refusing to concede. Thus he could build upon Shen Mu's foundation and pioneer the Primordial Spirit Art.

As for the Xuanliao Demon Ape, he had no such comprehension—but learning others' cultivation arts was incomparably swift and fierce for him.

The three of them represented three modes of cultivation.

The Xuanliao Demon Ape was the learner—not seeking deep understanding, cultivating whatever he could as soon as he could. Xu Shenghua was the integrator—seeking deep understanding and seeking more understanding still. Shen Mu was the pioneer—where there was no direction ahead, he would tinker one into existence.

Shen Mu also had his shortcomings. After tinkering a direction into existence, he would often move on to other things, not continuing forward. Thus it was Xu Shenghua, not he, who pioneered the Seven Stars Six Harmonies Primordial Spirit Art.

Of the cultivation arts and divine abilities that Shen Mu and Xu Shenghua pioneered, the Xuanliao Demon Ape learned them fastest. Before Shen Mu had even begun cultivating the Primordial Spirit Art, the ape was already about to shatter the realm barrier.

Shen Mu hurriedly cast aside his other thoughts and devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivating the Primordial Spirit Art, striving to shatter the realm barrier between Six Harmonies and Seven Stars.

Two days later, Shen Mu finally broke through the barrier between the two great realms. Only then did he open his eyes, and he saw Xu Shenghua and the Xuanliao Demon Ape clashing in the mountains. The two—one large, one small—fought with extraordinary ferocity, while various demons, monsters, and monks gathered around to watch and cheer.

Shen Mu was about to head over when suddenly a familiar voice drifted up from the foot of the mountain, laughing loudly: "Little Thunder Sound Temple has some nerve, daring to steal my master's primordial spirit! Listen well, you bald donkeys on the mountain—hand over my master's primordial spirit, or I will exterminate every one of you!"

Shen Mu looked down the mountain and saw Ban Gongcuo walking up, his legs bent backward, half-crouched, his gait extremely conspicuous.

"This brat—didn't I only cut off one of his legs? How did the other one get replaced too?"

Shen Mu was overjoyed. Without a word, he sent a sword flying out. The sword traveled dozens of li, heading straight for Ban Gongcuo.

Ban Gongcuo, after all, had newly replaced deer legs and was caught off guard. By the time he saw the sword light, it was too late to dodge. He hurriedly dashed two steps forward, only to see the sword light fly from behind him to ahead of him.

He quickly turned to look back, and saw his two deer legs sprinting away behind him.

"Son of a bitch!"

Ban Gongcuo's body dropped to the ground, a full head shorter. He looked up and roared furiously: "Shen, you and I are irreconcilable!"

"Where in life shall we not meet!"

Shen Mu sheathed his sword, stood atop the Golden Peak, hands on his hips, and laughed heartily: "The Great Honored One is too kind, even bringing two deer legs as a gift. How could I decline? I'll just have to accept them!"

Just then, a young man carrying a box on his back walked up from the mountain gate. He looked up at Shen Mu on the Golden Peak, and a smile appeared on his innocent face.

"Divine Physician Shen, where in life shall we not meet—we meet again."