Chapter 507 — The Legend of the Tempered Body

The Third Ancestral Master raised his palm and said in a deep voice, "This move of mine is called the Yin-Yang Heaven-Overturning Hand. The palm is yin, the back of the hand is yang. Left and right can complement each other, or both can be yin or both yang—yin and yang overturning heaven."

He explained the path of the vital essence once, then struck with a backhand seal. At once pure yang true essence roared like thunder; a string of thunderbolts exploded across the river surface with a rumbling boom, a hundred or more reports in succession. More than ten li away, the pure yang palm force burst forth, and waves surged up dozens of zhang high.

The Third Ancestral Master turned his palm over into a yin seal, and the river water that had just exploded into the air, not yet fallen, froze at once, turning into glittering ice sculptures on the river surface.

"You try it," the Third Ancestral Master said to Shen Mu, withdrawing his stance.

Shen Mu pondered carefully for a while, then suddenly stepped forward and struck backhanded with yang. A string of rumbles ran across the river surface, blasting more than ten li away; then he turned his hand over into yin, and as the palm force issued forth, the river water just blasted up froze solid at once.

The Third Ancestral Master's brows twitched. He said nothing.

"Boy Shen, come learn this move of mine!"

The Fifth Ancestral Master stepped forward. "This move of mine is called the Five Thunder Heaven-Supporting Bell. It combines thunder arts with boxing!"

His body moved, and he struck a fist seal. At once a bell tolled; thunder light coiled around his body and formed a transparent great bell. As his fist blasted out, the bell rang out mightily.

The Fifth Ancestral Master's moves were wide and open, his fists and feet incomparably crisp and clean, simple yet effective. Every punch and kick set the bell tolling, and the Five Thunder Heaven-Supporting Bell around him swelled and shrank, quivering without cease, the power it unleashed now surging, now ebbing—a different mood and flavor altogether.

He withdrew his stance and taught Shen Mu his Five Thunder Heaven-Supporting Bell, a look of expectation on his face.

Shen Mu mused for a moment, then suddenly raised both hands high. With a hum, thunder light descended and clamped down over him. His every punch and kick carried the force of ten thousand jun, utterly solid and heavy; the bell tolled without cease, and that Five Thunder Heaven-Supporting Bell quivered unceasingly, its power blasting out in all directions with his fists and feet.

"Exactly the same!" The Fifth Ancestral Master narrowed his eyes and let out a breath of turbid air.

"Now learn a move of mine!"

Human Emperor Yishan stepped forward. "My divine abilities match my cultivation methods. Different trajectories of vital essence become different divine abilities, and only when the divine ability erupts does it possess terrifying power. This move of mine is called the Sky Cavern, Silver River Hanging in the Azure Vault!"

...

Imperceptibly, Shen Mu had learned a move or two of the divine abilities and techniques of nearly all thirty-four Human Emperors. Any divine ability or technique, he learned at a single demonstration and performed with proper form, and at the same realm its power was in no way inferior.

The Second Ancestral Master's expression was grave. He looked at the Third Ancestral Master, the Fourth Ancestral Master, and the others; the Third, the Fourth, and the rest nodded silently.

"Human Emperor Shen, go take a turn in the city first."

The Second Ancestral Master smiled. "I hear from young Su that you are also the Cult Master of the Nether Demon Cult. Since you have come, why not go over to the Nether Demon Cult and meet the successive Cult Masters of your Nether Demon Cult."

Shen Mu said delightedly, "I was just thinking the same thing!"

The Second Ancestral Master put away Between Life and Death; the great river, the long bridge, and the painted boat all rushed with a swish into his sleeve. Shen Mu at once changed from a body of flesh and blood into a clothed skeleton. Having asked the way to where the successive Cult Masters of the Nether Demon Cult resided, he begged leave of the Human Emperors, then descended into the city and walked off in that direction.

The Second Ancestral Master and the other Human Emperors of every age descended into the Five Yang Divine Hall. They looked at one another, then looked away again.

"Is there such a mortal body? I don't believe it!"

Human Emperor Qi Kang let out a breath of turbid air and shook his head. "Beat me to death and I still won't believe it!"

"Nor do I."

Human Emperor Lan Po wore a look of disbelief. "The Human Emperors of every age have all been stubborn as mules. Not one of us was willing to learn from our master; every one of us insisted on walking his own path. So much so that our line of the Human Emperor Hall has no single supreme art passed down in order—every one of us had to come up with his own! Different cultivation methods, different divine abilities—who could ever learn our methods and abilities? That would be truly bizarre!"

"But he learned them, and it did not take him long. In the short time we spent teaching him on the river, he learned them, and used them with ease, as exquisitely as though he had spent a hundred years of bitter effort."

The Second Ancestral Master sighed. "I suspect he really is an Overlord Body. Young Su may have been right by accident. This child he never thought much of since childhood truly is a unique Overlord Body."

The others were doubtful. Human Emperor Qi Kang ventured, "Do you think it's possible that Su boy is deliberately fooling us? He clearly knows that Shen boy is a true Overlord Body, and deliberately said he was lying to him—but in fact he was lying to us, to make us lose face?"

"That's possible!"

Human Emperor Yishan slapped his thigh with a sudden crack. "That's exactly your style, boy! He's your disciple, so he must be the same style—he'd lie a man to death and never pay for it!"

Human Emperor Qi Kang clenched his fists until they popped and sneered, "That boy has gone to look for the First Ancestral Master. When he comes back, just watch how I deal with him!"

"Watch how we deal with him!" The others all sneered in unison.

And at that moment, deep in the Desolate Ruins, secret realm after secret realm gave off a dim glow in the darkness. Li Zheng drifted and floated, passed through an ancient ruin, and came to another wondrous world. After walking a long while, he finally smiled.

Before him lay a cluster of ancient, timeworn buildings, with an antique charm and an exotic air that this age no longer possessed.

He searched for a while, and at last found the person he sought.

That person stood before a stone stele beside a palace, reading the inscription.

"What is the First Ancestral Master looking at?" Li Zheng asked curiously.

"This is the last relic of the Supreme Emperor Era. After the Heavenly Court of the Supreme Emperor Era fell, its remnants fled here and rebuilt the Supreme Emperor Divine Realm. This place was their land of no sorrow—only in the end it fell as well. I am searching for their history."

The First Ancestral Master did not turn his head. "The records they left are too few, but I still found this."

Li Zheng was slightly startled and looked at the stele. "What does the stele record?"

"The legend of the Overlord Body from forty thousand years ago!"