Chapter 586 — The Profound Art of the Throne

But that was only so for divine power users. For powerhouses like Grandmother Zhu, who had already completed the divine bridge and stepped into the Heavenly Palace, or were about to step into it, it was somewhat insufficient. After all, the Taihuang Heaven divine power users who went to Jingping to study were usually not of very high cultivation, whereas Grandmother Zhu and the others needed a god-tier cultivation system.

Shen Mu thought for a moment and asked, "Then who is in charge of the Heavenly Sage Academy now? " "Heavenly King Shi and Heavenly King Yu are in charge. Several elders are there as well. " Grandmother Zhu laughed. "Those scholars of Taihuang Heaven are dreadfully stupid, pitifully dull. They simply cannot learn the arts of calculation. Let the elders and Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Sage Cult worry over them.

Just now the Venerable God Sang Ye asked us to help guard the Wuwang City watchtower—let us go over. " Shen Mu nodded. The group chatted and laughed, and Shen Mu soon forgot his bloodied backside, joking with the Blind Elder, the Silent Craftsman, and the Lame Elder. The Green Ox saw the Dragon Qilin's four short legs striding along and his eyes lit up.

He trotted over to the Dragon Qilin, reared up on his hind legs, and circled him again and again. The Dragon Qilin's face was gloomy.

Without a word, he strode forward. The divine spear Long Tuo transformed into a black dragon skeleton and swam through the air with a clatter, coming to Snow Fox's side. It nudged her with its head and lifted the little fox onto the top of its skull, asking curiously, "Are those two enemies?

" Snow Fox whispered, "Enemies? It's a grudge over a stolen wife!

" She recounted what she knew.

The feud between the Dragon Qilin and the Green Ox went back to when Shen Mu entered the Grand Academy.

The Green Ox was a lecherous fellow, and blind to boot. At the Grand Academy he had taken the Dragon Qilin for a female, and every day as he passed the mountain gate he would pester him, even presenting him with flowers and grasses. The Dragon Qilin knew he could not beat Bashan, so he had no choice but to swallow his anger at this brute of an ox. He even incited Shen Mu to drug the Green Ox and cook him for a meal.

Shen Mu refined the Lost-Confusion Incense, which was learned by the physicians of the Hall of Imperial Physicians and stirred up quite a commotion. Only later did the Green Ox learn that the Dragon Qilin was male.

He was heartbroken for a while, then cheerfully went off to chase heifers. Naturally, the two exotic beasts had thus become sworn enemies.

"The Green Ox thought Fatty Long was female, but Fatty Long is male.

Isn't that a grudge over a stolen wife? " Snow Fox said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The black dragon shook its skeleton and said in surprise, "There's such a twisted history behind it?

" The Dragon Qilin's eyes watched his nose and his nose watched his heart; he seemed calm, yet his ears twitched.

The Green Ox sneered, "What are you twitching your ears for? You fat lump—you used to be quite slender, like a female. How did you get so fat now? I can't even tell whether you're walking upright or lying down and rolling forward. Look at me!

" He flexed his arm, muscles bulging. "This is called being brawny," he sneered. "What you have is called fat!

Someone like me fights fierce—every punch lands on flesh, thud, thud, full of power! " The Dragon Qilin narrowed his eyes, opened his great mouth, and spat out a qilin pearl two feet square. It blazed with light in midair, illuminating the surroundings.

The Green Ox shivered, crouched down, and transformed back into a great green ox. He turned and slunk back to Bashan's side with his tail between his legs.

The Dragon Qilin opened his mouth and drew the qilin pearl back in, sneering, "Fat?

Do you know how much effort I put into this fat?

Without this fat, could I refine such a large qilin pearl? " Snow Fox whispered, "Fatty Long, take the win and be satisfied. Quit while you're ahead—if it really came to blows, you might not beat that brute of an ox!

The Green Ox has fought more battles at Bashan's side than you've eaten spirit pills. Be careful he doesn't see that you're strong on the outside but weak within. " The Dragon Qilin felt a chill.

He knew this ox, like Bashan, was a battle maniac, and faster than himself, with better stamina. If it truly came to a fight, he feared he would be no match.

"I must hurry and cultivate the Ancestral Dragon Great Mystery Art. If that ox sees I'm no match for him, he'll surely come after me!

" He urged on the Ancestral Dragon Great Mystery Art and cultivated diligently. Seeing this, Shen Mu felt a warm relief and smiled. "Fatty Long finally doesn't need me to worry over him—he knows to cultivate on his own.

Oh, right—Ox Two! " The Green Ox hurried over with a fawning smile. "At your command, Little Master! Little Master has forgotten—I'm Ox Three.

Ling'er is the Big Sister, Fatty is Dragon Two, and I rank third. But I'll soon take out Dragon Two and move up to second. " Shen Mu smiled.

"You have the Azure Dragon bloodline too, don't you? Not long ago I obtained a profound art, loftier and more formidable than the Mysterious Body Three Elixirs Art—the finest cultivation method I have seen in my life.

Since you carry dragon blood, I'll teach it to you as well. " The Green Ox was overjoyed and choked up. "Little Master is so good to little ox.

Little ox has no way to repay it—only by laying down his life can he repay Little Master's kindness! " Shen Mu smiled. "You saved my life at the Golden Palace, and I haven't even thanked you yet. What's this little thing worth?

" He explained the Ancestral Dragon Great Mystery Art. Not only did the Green Ox listen spellbound; even Zai Fu, Grandmother Zhu, the Blind Elder, and the others were entranced. "A fine art! " Zai Fu exhaled a turbid breath and said in a low voice, "A divine art the likes of which I've never seen!

Shen'er, this must be a method that leads straight to the Lingxiao Hall of the Heavenly Palace, one that can ascend to the imperial throne, is it not? " The Dragon Qilin could not help but feel a strong sense of crisis.

"This is bad," he thought. "If this dead ox learns the Ancestral Dragon Great Mystery Art, that's the end of it!

Won't he beat me to death? No—I must cultivate.

I must eat Water-Phase Divine Essence Pills!

"