Chapter 577 — The Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art

That was his spirit embryo, his Five Luminaries, and his Sixfold Universe Divine Treasury; the vital essence ran through these divine treasuries and formed an unspeakably complex system, and the track it followed in each treasury was different from every other. Nor was that all: look at any single organ of his body, and one would find that the vital essence ran through the heart along a strange track, through the kidneys along a track unlike the heart's, through the legs along a track unlike that of the five viscera and six bowels, exquisite beyond all telling.

He sought to blend the Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones into the movement of his vital essence, and there was little that needed changing: when the vital essence ran to the heart, he need only apply the Pulling Tone; when it ran to the blood vessels, the Adhesive Tone; when it ran to the spirit embryo, the Spinning Tone. That was all. There in the True Dragon's lair he revised his art, blind and deaf to all around him, and Elder Qinghuang and Jiang Miao were drawn by the commotion of his revisions, their eyes falling upon the diagram of the art's movement before him. "Don't bother looking.

" Elder Qinghuang shook his head and said to Jiang Miao, "You cannot learn it. This man's wit borders on the monstrous; his foundations and his wisdom have reached a point you cannot understand, cannot learn.

Let me tell you of the mysteries within the Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art, and resolve your doubts.

" Jiang Miao said in a small voice, "Maha.

" Elder Qinghuang laughed.

"You need not fear me.

" Jiang Miao, taking his courage in hand, took human form and stood obediently to one side. Elder Qinghuang explained the Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art to him, keeping it as plain as he could lest the boy fail to understand. The explaining went on four or five days, and at last Shen Mu had blended the Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones into his Mystic Body Three Elixirs Art.

When he roused that art, the Eight Tones came forth of themselves as his vital essence moved, tempering flesh, primordial spirit, vital essence, and the heart of the Dao. Even when he used his divine abilities, the Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones ran on, tempering those abilities too!

Shen Mu paced about the True Dragon's lair, sending out one divine ability after another, dragon roars unending, the power of each move greater than the last, and he could not help but rejoice. Zheng, he drew his two Butcher Knives and swept them out in Night Slaughter of a Thousand Cities' Wind and Rain, but no sooner had the blade art come forth than both knives in his hands were shattered to powder!

Shen Mu stared a moment, then drew a bamboo staff from his Taotie Pouch and thrust it out; the staff turned to dust. "The Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones are too powerful; common essence weapons cannot bear them at all. " He took out the Sword Pellet.

Within it flying swords flowed like water; they became a long saber, and Shen Mu seized it and pulled it apart to either side. The long saber split in two, and he used them to perform Crosswise and Lengthwise, a Vast Thread of Sky! The blade lights crossed, mightier than ever before, and nearly cut through the dragon pillars of the lair; Shen Mu hastily withdrew the move, and so the lair escaped being torn down.

He examined the two long sabers, then suddenly tossed them up; in the air they came apart into flying swords that slowly circled around him. Shen Mu looked them over carefully, let out a breath of turbid air, and said with relief, "A good thing my flying swords were well forged; otherwise I would truly have no weapon left to use.

" He fell to brooding again.

Besides the Ancestral Dragon's Eight Tones, the divine abilities within the Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art could also be borrowed and studied. The art held many divine abilities of endless variation; some could be turned into Buddhist divine abilities, some into Daoist ones, and some would serve well enough even as demon-path divine abilities! He also felt that many of them could be evolved into sword arts, and would carry great power as blade arts too.

And among them were many exquisite points in the arts of movement, and eye-arts most terrifying.

The deeper he studied, the more extraordinary he found the Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art, and he could only regret that he was not of the dragon race, and so could not bring the divine abilities within it to their utmost.

When he woke again, Elder Qinghuang and Jiang Miao were both gone from the True Dragon's lair.

He leapt hastily out of the lair, and saw Jiang Miao cultivating the Ancestral Dragon's Grand Mystery Art outside the village.

The youth had become a sapphire-blue chi dragon, and as he roamed he roused the art and performed the killing techniques within it; in these few short days Jiang Miao's cultivation and strength had grown greatly, coiling and soaring, changing shape, a remarkable sight. Shen Mu praised him aloud, and saw that many young men and women of the little village were watching Jiang Miao train as well, cheering again and again. Shen Mu walked up, and caught sight of a girl about his own age, a year or two younger perhaps.

He smiled.

"How should I address this young sister? " The girl's face went red at once.

"My name is Qingya.

Don't call me sister; I am three hundred years old this year. How old are you?

" Shen Mu's face flushed.

He looked at a youth beside her, about his own age, and ventured, "This brother.

. .

" "I am six hundred and thirty-seven this year," the youth said, blinking. Shen Mu gave a stifled grunt.

Every one of these boys and girls was frighteningly old. A middle-aged man nearby laughed.

"I am twenty thousand eight hundred. " Shen Mu asked no more of their ages.

Suddenly he gathered his spirits and said with a laugh, "Have you ever been to Jingping?

I am the sect master of the Heaven Sage Sect of Jingping, and just now we are in sore need of people. .

.

" Elder Qinghuang came over with a fishing net, his face dark.

"Don't you go scheming after our village! I have taught you the art; it is time you left!

" Shen Mu said hastily, "Senior, Taihuang Heaven is at war just now, and my master has gone to lend his aid. .

. " Elder Qinghuang said, "Qingya, see our guests out. " The girl called Qingya reached out a hand, and a terrifying vital essence burst forth, pinning Shen Mu where he stood, unable to move.

With her other hand she seized Jiang Miao.

"You two, do not move. I will send you a thousand li away!

" With that she opened her mouth and spat, and at once cloud and mist filled the sky; Shen Mu and Jiang Miao, wrapped in the mist, flew off at great speed. "Such terrifying cultivation?

" Shen Mu was startled, and called out loudly, "Senior, I still have things to say.

.

.

" Suddenly the clouds scattered and they landed on a mountain peak.

Shen Mu was dazed a moment; he gazed far off toward the little mountain village, and it was nowhere to be seen. He had not even finished a sentence before the girl who looked his own age had sent him a thousand li away.

"Maha! " Jiang Miao said, his face full of envy.

"You will be that strong too.

" Shen Mu sighed.

Suddenly the True Dragon's lair came whistling toward them and in an instant arrived before them.

Shen Mu's face changed greatly; the lair was immensely heavy, and he was about to dodge when he saw the lair halt, then settle gently upon the mountain peak. Only then did he breathe easy, and inwardly he was all the more appalled: "Could Qingya have thrown the True Dragon's lair here as well? Her magic power is far too great, surely?

My magic power can drive a flying sword weighing two or three hundred catties out to two hundred li, and she can drive the True Dragon's lair a thousand li.

.

. " "Maha!

" Jiang Miao said enviously.

Shen Mu was helpless.

He turned and said, "Daoist Friend Jiang, you may speak like a man now.