Chapter 565 — The Netherworld's Soul-Seizing Envoy

The Black Tiger God lay prone on the ground; Shen Mu hastily flung the chest onto his back, gathered Snow Fox in his arms, and with the three girls and Long Qilin leapt up onto the tiger's back.

At once the Black Tiger God surged into a dead run, whole mountain ranges flashing past, a speed beyond compare.

Shen Mu pressed himself flat against the tiger's back, listening to the Black Tiger God's breathing, and heard it gradually quicken. He thought: "I guessed right. Senior Brother Tiger's lifetime of cultivation, ruined in a single stroke by Fat Dragon — his cultivation has been broken by Fat Dragon. I only hope he doesn't grow too fat, or I'll have no way to answer to the Sacred Master... Hmm, and whether we can break through the enemy camp and get back to Li City, that too may prove a problem..."

Just then, from ahead came a sound like a bursting dam and surging floodwaters, deafening; Shen Mu braced against the gale that struck his face and looked forward, and saw sword-light after sword-light tearing apart the high wall of demonic qi, ripping a great gap in the demon army's camp.

Following hard on those sword-lights came tall gourds, one after another, floating in midair, each surrounded by hovering divine-ability users who circled the gourds and channeled their powers; within the gourds a tide of thunder surged, and heavenly lightning poured down on the demon camp like a torrential rainstorm.

Behind the thunder gourds were countless sword pellets — tens of thousands of them spinning madly — and with each thunderbolt, numberless sword-rains shot down from above into the demon camp.

And behind the sword pellets came tower ships in whole fleets, their true-essence cannons plowing the earth with their light, laying waste to the demon camp!

"Jingping's army!"

Shen Mu's spirits soared. "That sword art that broke open the camp just now — that is Jingping the Imperial Preceptor's sword art! That fellow, he truly is an opportunist. The demon god who charged out of the demon camp to kill us must have been that camp's commander. The commander left the camp, and Jingping the Imperial Preceptor spotted the flaw at once and seized the chance to come break the formation! Only Jingping the Imperial Preceptor would be so opportunistic!"

Jingping the Imperial Preceptor's sword art had entered the Dao; his sword path had forged a Dao-heart. No flaw in an enemy could escape his eyes, nor could any evade his sword-light — and the same held for enemy formations. He had turned the sword path into a way of attack and conquest on the battlefield; applied to war, it too was invincible.

Shen Mu's heart eased. Even if the Black Tiger God was somewhat short of breath, he was still more than enough to carry them out through the encircling forces and back to Li City.

Ahead, Jingping the Imperial Preceptor and the Duke of Wei, two deities, cleared the way; behind them came tower ship after tower ship, and many officers and soldiers were drifting down from the sky with thunder gourds, alighting on the ships.

And further back still was an army formed of countless strange beasts and divine-ability users.

The Black Tiger God charged into the battlefield, suddenly gave his body a shake that flung them all off, then rose to his full height, seized two great hammers, and whirled them like windmills, smashing down on the enemy in a storm of blows.

Boom—

One hammer of the Black Tiger God struck the ground, and the surging might swept out in all directions; who knows how many demons were blasted into the air.

The Black Tiger God went madly slaughtering his way toward the enemy battle lines, and howled: "You all go back first! I'll digest these spirit pills, refine away the fat on my belly, so that when I get back my lord won't fail to recognize me!"

With that, this demon god swept all before him, reaching the very front line, leading the charge in person, smashing enemy camps and enemy formations; suddenly he opened his mouth and roared, and a white light of incomparable intensity blasted the demon god charging at him into the distance — the white light pierced a hundred li before it slowly dispersed.

Shen Mu was left gaping. He turned to look at Long Qilin, round and plump and rolling fat, tossed in midair, and a gloom came over his heart: "The Sacred Master's mount is the better one after all. Even if he's a bit of a glutton, he still knows how to cultivate, keeps a well-proportioned figure, and doesn't let it hold back his cultivation..."

Long Qilin too was left gaping; he stole a glance at Shen Mu's downcast face and fell into thought.

A tower ship came flying through the air and passed close by them; at its prow stood a young general, and with a wave of his hand came golden lotuses, one blooming beneath each of their feet, lifting them up and carrying them aboard.

"Shen Feiyue — General Shen the Younger!" Shen Mu was startled and hastily made his salute.

Shen Feiyue, in full armor, bowed slightly in return. "Sect Master Shen. Princess Xiu. This junior officer is in armor and cannot make full obeisance."

From behind him stepped out a man — Shen Yu, with a young dark dragon coiled about him — who also saluted Shen Mu and the others: "Shen Yu pays his respects to Sect Master Shen, Princess Xiu, and the Holy Maiden Xiang."

These two brothers came from the Shen clan of the Grand General of Heavenly Strategy, and were among Jingping the Imperial Preceptor's many disciples; they had cultivated under him for a time, and once they had achieved something, they took posts in the army.

Jingping the Imperial Preceptor had many disciples under his gate, but they usually entered the army, where they held high rank. Ling Yuxiu was bold by nature and made friends widely among heroes, and many of her friends were disciples of Jingping the Imperial Preceptor.

When Shen Mu first met Ling Yuxiu, she had entered the Wilderness Ruins together with Shen Feiyue, intending to survey and map the ruins and take them by force.

The young dark dragon on Shen Yu raised its head curiously and studied Shen Mu, then suddenly slid down from Shen Yu and crawled onto Shen Mu, nuzzling his cheek with its dragon horn and murmuring softly: "Maha..."

Shen Yu was stunned for a moment, then hastily took out the Dark Water Dragon Pearl and tried to call his young dark dragon back, but the little dragon was still reluctant and would not leave Shen Mu.

Shen Yu could not help feeling uneasy: "I was no match for him back in the Grand Academy, and he beat me several times; later, when he became the Nether Demon Sect Master, I was even less his match. Am I to have my dragon taken from me too?"

Shen Mu plucked the little dragon off and examined it over and over, then said in surprise: "This dragon — could it be the true dragon from the Dragon Palace of the Xiong River?"

Shen Feiyue nodded. "Jingping the Imperial Preceptor brought in Fu Yuanqing, the Little Poison King, to revive it, and later gave it to my younger brother."

Something stirred in Shen Mu's heart, and he smiled. "Junior Brother Shen Yu, could you lend me this little dragon of yours for a few days?"

Shen Yu hesitated, and Shen Feiyue laughed. "Sect Master Shen holds extraordinary standing, and he is the Grand Libationer of the Heavenly Sage Academy besides; he has raised more serpents and dragons than anyone can count. How could he covet yours?"

Shen Yu had no choice but to nod. Shen Mu smiled. "Junior Brother Shen Yu, I won't borrow it for nothing; I'll give you something in return. Once this little dragon is returned to you, you'll understand where the benefit lies."

The young dark dragon shrank its form, crawled up to his earlobe, and hung there like a dangling earring.

Shen Mu looked into the distance and saw that the Tai Emperor's army, taking advantage of the Jingping army's breaking of the formation, was striking from both flanks at the demon reinforcements hurrying to aid their comrades, like two fists driving hard into the enemy's tender spots.