Chapter 545 — A Fate Between Us

Yu He and Shu You hurried after him. The three raced around to the rear of the great hall, where Sang Wan was already hiding. The moment the four of them steadied themselves, Shen Mu crouched down, shut his eyes, opened his mouth, and covered his ears. Seeing this, Sang Wan hastily crouched too, shut her eyes, opened her mouth, and covered her ears.

Before Yu He and Shu You could grasp what was happening, a dreadful wave of force erupted from the plaza. Light of incomparable brilliance burst from both sides of the great hall; in a single instant their eyes were seared blind by the flashing glare, and by the time they shut them, two streams of bloody tears were already running from their eyes!

Then came the shockwave of space collapsing utterly. The bodies of Yu He and Shu You stretched at incredible speed, drawing the two of them out almost into a pair of noodles.

A dreadful sound rolled over them; in an instant their ears could hear nothing at all—an eerie stillness!

Warm blood flowed from their ear canals.

Above the great hall, the deities of Taihuang Heaven each unleashed their divine might, raising a high wall of divine light to block the energy bursting from the collapsing space. Even so, the two of them were tormented half to death.

Shen Mu and Sang Wan, crouched low, came to no harm. Only when the light dispersed and the shockwave had passed did the two close their mouths, open their eyes, and stand up.

Yu He and Shu You thudded to the ground from midair and lay prone, unable to move. When at last they clambered up, their faces were covered in blood.

After a while, they still could hear nothing and see nothing.

"Sister and Brother are too young; they have never been through anything like this."

Shen Mu shook his head, stepped forward, and examined the two of them. "I have encountered something similar before—god-and-demon-like powerhouses fighting to the death at my side—so I know what happens... They are not badly hurt. In a moment I will refine some medicine and let their eye membranes and eardrums grow back."

Sang Wan asked anxiously: "What happened to their eyes and ears?"

"The eye membranes were burned through and the eardrums torn. Nothing serious."

Shen Mu rummaged through the Taotie Pouch for medicinal ingredients. "If their eyes had burst and the ear bones snapped, I could do nothing—by then the brains would be cooked through. Their eye membranes were not entirely burned away, and the eardrums only have small holes; they can still regenerate. Sister Yu He and Brother Shu You do have formidable bodies, tougher than mine. Had it been me, I fear my eye membranes would have been burned away completely."

Sang Wan stuck out her tongue and looked around. Nearly half the buildings of Li City, this divine city, had been destroyed in an instant; collapsed houses and pavilions lay everywhere, and many demon race members had fallen, rolling on the ground in agony.

Furiluo drew up his demon spear, and his three faces spoke as one, the voice carrying through all of Li City: "A wager lost is a wager honored! Hear my command, all you sons of the demon race: abandon the city! Brother Pang Yu, lead all our people out of Li City!"

One after another the demon gods acknowledged the order, each restraining their demon race followers and preparing to withdraw.

"Heavenly Master, today is not a good occasion to cross hands with you. Another day we shall resume."

"By all means, by all means."

Furiluo leaped down from the great hall and departed with his followers. Shen Mu, refining pills to heal Yu He and Shu You, caught sight of Furiluo emerging not far away and hurriedly looked toward him—and could not help but start slightly.

He saw that the back of Furiluo's head was covered in thick, black curly hair—there was no fourth face. And from the thick curls emerged two pointed ears, standing straight up.

"He has three faces."

Shen Mu had settled a matter that had weighed on his mind. Ever since first laying eyes on Furiluo, he had wanted to know just how many faces the man had; the question had nagged at him all this while, and now at last his wish was granted.

Furiluo sensed his gaze, twisted his neck, and revealed a face. Smiling, he said unhurriedly: "You are called Shen Mu? Shen Mu the blacksmith?"

Shen Mu was about to speak when a figure flashed and the Woodcutter Sage appeared before him, blocking Furiluo's line of sight.

Shen Mu poked his head out from behind the Woodcutter Sage and said with a smile: "Yes, I am Shen Mu. I greet the Vajra Demon God."

"You understand the demon tongue? Furiluo does indeed mean vajra."

Furiluo nodded and said with deep meaning: "You and I are bound by fate. We shall meet again."

With that, he twisted his neck back and strode away, saying: "Zhe Huali, follow."