Chapter 535 — The Sword of Kalpa Fire

"The Woodcutter Sage is brawling with someone... bah, dueling with someone—what does he want me for?"

Shen Mu was perplexed, but he still leaped onto its back. Sang Hua hurriedly jumped up as well and said: "My father is at the front lines too. I will go find him!"

The tiger god, patterned in yellow and black, set off at a run toward the front lines, its speed extraordinary.

Though its body was immense, it was all sinew and muscle, and it ran without a sound, making no noise at all.

"Much faster than Fatty Long!"

Shen Mu clenched his fists, and felt a sudden ache in his heart. When the dragon qilin ran, though it was much faster than before, its steps were heavy and solid, and at full sprint it would crush even rocks to powder.

Sang Hua gazed at the dark, heavy night, a little worried at heart. They had already left the battlefield far behind, leaped past the front lines, and were racing toward Licheng, where the demon race dwelled. Many demon gods were gathered there, among them the true demon Furiluo!

When Licheng had fallen, it was Furiluo himself who had acted, unleashing demonic arts that buried countless people of Licheng, and even buried two true gods of Taihuang Heaven in his hands—his ferocious might was renowned!

This black tiger god had leaped past the vanguard army and was heading straight for Licheng—was it not courting death?

"How do the divine-arts practitioners of Taihuang Heaven determine whether someone has the makings of a true god?"

Shen Mu recalled something and asked the girl beside him: "How do they cultivate?"

Sang Hua suppressed the unease in her heart and said: "First, one looks at one's innate constitution. A spirit body that possesses the makings of a king will not have a poor constitution. If one can also have a renowned master to guide one, to impart true-god-level cultivation methods, and to train diligently, then the physical body can reach the level of a young true god. Beyond that, we of Taihuang Heaven have another trial, called the God-Suppressing Pagoda. Those who can walk out of the God-Suppressing Pagoda are considered to possess the makings of a true god."

Shen Mu blinked: "The God-Suppressing Pagoda? What sort of place is that?"

Before Sang Hua could speak, the black tiger god's voice came: "The God-Suppressing Pagoda is a treasure left behind from the Shanghuang era, used to test the achievements of the physical body. To clear the God-Suppressing Pagoda does not count as possessing the makings of a true god—it only counts as having a physical body that barely reaches the level of a young true god. Among those in Taihuang Heaven who have passed the God-Suppressing Pagoda, at most they possess half the makings of a true god. To become a true god is difficult beyond difficult—how could there be any principle that one becomes a true god simply by learning true-god cultivation methods and training diligently?"

Sang Hua could not help but ask curiously: "Senior, then how can one be considered to possess the true makings of a true god?"

"The true makings of a true god lie not only in the physical body, but also in the primordial spirit. The primordial spirit is further divided into spirit and soul. Has the spirit fetus reached the makings of a true god? Has the soul reached the makings of a true god? Beyond the primordial spirit, there is also the state of mind. Even a state of mind that reaches the divine realm is not enough to become a true god. Because beyond the state of mind, there is also the dao realm of divine arts."

The black tiger god said: "The divine-arts practitioners you call possessors of the makings of a true god are still far from being true gods! For instance... youth, what is your name?"

"My name is Shen Mu!"

Shen Mu said hurriedly: "The current Hierarch of the Heavenly Sage Cult."

"The Hierarch of the Heavenly Sage Cult? Never heard of it."

Shen Mu's face darkened. Since the founding of the Dark Demon Cult, everyone had regarded the Woodcutter Sage as its founding patriarch and holy teacher—yet his mount had never even heard of the Dark Demon Cult!

The black tiger god continued: "Take Shen Mu, for instance. His abilities are considerable. By your reckoning, his physical body has not reached the makings of a true god, yet his strength is formidable, enough to contend with the divine-arts practitioners you call possessors of the makings of a true god."

Shen Mu said excitedly: "That is because I have an Overlord Body!"

"Overlord Body? Never heard of it."

The black tiger god raced through the night as it continued: "His sword technique approaches the dao realm—his comprehension of the Dao and divine arts is roughly at the level of the makings of a true god. His state of mind is a little weaker; his state of mind is not yet strong enough. As for his primordial spirit, it is also very strong, first-rate among the divine-arts practitioners of his generation. Therefore he possesses the strength to contend with young experts who have the makings of a true god... Licheng is here!"

Ahead, light and flame soared into the heavens. A magnificent great city was bathed in radiance, and upon its walls stood demon gods one after another and countless of the demon race.

Sang Hua saw with alarm that these demon gods and demons did not block the black tiger god, but instead let them enter the city.