Chapter 538 — The Blade's Divine Ascension

Shu Yao walked over, gave Sang Hua a gentle smile, and said, "Sang Hua, little sister, you have not yet entered the God-Suppressing Tower, have you? I can see that your cultivation and strength are now considerable, a great improvement over before. You will surely pass the God-Suppressing Tower's trial."

Sang Hua was greatly encouraged.

Shu Yao looked at Shen Mu and frowned slightly. He said in a low voice, "And this one?"

"Shen Mu the thresher."

Yu He said helplessly, "From another world. A bit strange in temperament—he came here to forge iron."

Sang Hua's face reddened slightly. She said in a low voice, "Shen Mu is very formidable. He has a gate such as I have never seen. Wherever it passes, not a blade of grass grows, and he has killed many demon experts. He also has a Lunar Jade Eye—even Fuyuxiao was shot dead by that eye. His attainments in divination arts are extremely high, but his medical skill is even higher than his divination, and his iron-forging is higher still than his divination..."

"Furiluo's disciple Fuyuxiao was shot dead by him?"

Everyone's heart jolted. They all looked at Shen Mu, only to find him still hammering iron. Yu He said calmly, "This senior brother Shen's treasures are truly extraordinary."

The others nodded. Fuyuxiao was greatly renowned among the younger generation, a master of the Heaven-Man realm. That Shen Mu could kill Fuyuxiao must surely have relied on the power of that so-called Lunar Jade Eye.

Sang Hua hurriedly said, "It was not entirely the treasure's doing. It was mainly that the thresher's attainments in divination arts are extremely high. He said he calculated Fuyuxiao's next move through divination, and only then could he use the Lunar Jade Eye to shoot Fuyuxiao dead..." As she spoke, even she began to lose confidence.

"Divination arts?"

The others shook their heads. Huang Yue said indifferently, "What use are divination arts? They cannot raise one's combat power in the slightest. On the contrary, they eat into one's cultivation time."

The Black Tiger God coughed and said in a deep voice, "First, each of you calm your minds. There will be a fierce battle shortly! Just now, my lord has exchanged blows with Furiluo several times, and neither could gain the upper hand. Hence this proposal—let the juniors contend, and decide the ownership of Li City! Whether we can seize Li City depends on your abilities!"

Shu Yao glanced at Shen Mu, still forging iron, and frowned. "This senior brother forges iron here—how is he to calm his mind?"

The others nodded.

The Black Tiger God said helplessly, "Bear with him. His attainments in mental state are not the equal of yours, so he must rely on forging iron to steady his mind."

Suddenly, Huang Yue's gaze fixed dead on the opposite side, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Zhe Huali—Furiluo's most prized disciple! I encountered him on the battlefield. It was in the darkness, and I nearly died at his hands. Luckily, reinforcements arrived in time."

Shu Yao was also staring at that young demon expert. The long saber on his back rang with a ding-ding sound, emitting wave after wave of blade-song. He said in a low voice, "I have crossed blades with him too. I lost. Perhaps only senior sister Yu He could defeat him..."

Yu He's gaze fell upon Zhe Huali. She shook her head. "I encountered him on the battlefield just now as well. Though we exchanged only two moves before the battle formation scattered us, two moves were enough for me to judge his strength. I am not fully confident I could defeat him... If you cross blades with him, you must be careful!"

The Black Tiger God looked at the young demon expert across the way and was slightly startled. He was a gentle, refined youth. Judged by appearance alone, one could not tell at all that he was of the demon race.

"No—he is not of the demon race. He is of the human race!"

The Black Tiger God was shaken inwardly. At once he knew Zhe Huali's origins. He said in a deep voice, "He is not merely Furiluo's disciple. He came down from the upper realm!"

Yu He, Shu Yao, Huang Yue, and the others were startled and were about to ask for details when the Black Tiger God leaped up, jumped to the top of a nearby palace, and said to the Woodcutter Sage, "My lord, that Zhe Huali's origins are wrong. He is not of the demon race—he must be from the upper realm!"

The Woodcutter Sage nodded and looked across. He said in a deep voice, "Furiluo, you seem to have some connection with the so-called Heavenly Court as well. This disciple of yours came down from the upper realm. I wonder whose disciple he is?"

Furiluo laughed heartily and said leisurely, "Zhe Huali has the steadiest foundation. His demonic arts rival my own of those years. His abilities are outstanding. He is the disciple I value most. But you have not guessed wrong either—his origins are considerable. He has another master. Speaking of him, you would know him too. This man is called a god among blades, calls himself Peerless, and has crossed blades with you."

The Woodcutter Sage's expression darkened slightly. He nodded. "The Divine Blade Luo Wushuang, supreme general of the Lingxiu Army. Indeed an old friend. I merely never expected that you had become entangled with him."

Shen Mu, who had been forging iron all along, suddenly twitched both ears. He set down the hammer in his hand, raised his head, and said to Sang Hua, "What army? What Wushuang?"

Sang Hua hurriedly said, "The Lingxiu Army. Luo Wushuang."

Yu He said calmly, "My master, the true god Pang Yu, mentioned him. Luo Wushuang is the one-armed divine blade of the ancient era, a true god whose blade technique is formidable indeed! He has only one arm, yet his blade technique is transcendent!"

Shen Mu was dazed for a moment. Suddenly he recalled that night forty thousand years ago, when he had encountered that Luo Wushuang of the Lingxiu Army.

That night, he had stood upon a crate to cover the retreat of Shanghuang's common folk, and had severed the arm of Luo Wushuang of the Lingxiu Army.

Could these two Luo Wushuangs of the Lingxiu Army be the same person?

Shen Mu immediately looked toward Zhe Huali. Shu Yao, smiling, asked, "Senior brother Shen the thresher, why have you stopped forging iron?"

Shen Mu did not answer. Across the way, Zhe Huali sensed his gaze at once and looked up. Their eyes met. Shen Mu's gaze fell upon Zhe Huali's back—a long saber, very demonic, very sinister, with an eye growing from its hilt.

That eye suddenly opened and fixed upon Shen Mu.

Zhe Huali saw Shen Mu's face and was slightly startled. An expression of disbelief appeared. He took a portrait from his bosom, glanced at it, then looked at Shen Mu again, and suddenly his face lit with delight.

Shen Mu's gaze was locked dead on that demonic blade. He said in a deep voice, "Sang Hua, little sister, if I told you that I severed the arm of the Divine Blade Luo Wushuang, would you believe it?"