Chapter 672 — The Youth Bestows the Art

"Shen'er is back?

" The Pill Master turned his head, saw Shen Mu, and laughed: "That dragon qilin of yours, I fed him well for you, and he has grown a good deal stouter. " Shen Mu's face went numb.

"Stouter.

. . " That fat ball pulled its head from the pot; at the sight of him it was both startled and delighted, and hastily paddled its little short legs toward him. Two steps in, its four limbs could no longer hold it off the ground, and its head plunged into the earth. Thump — it bounced up, bounced several times more, and rolled over to Shen Mu, crying, "Sect Master, I am fine, no need to help me up, a couple of rolls and I will get up on my own.

" Shen Mu dodged aside in a fluster and said, aggrieved, "Grandpa Pill Master, this is not what I would call stout! Where is Ling'er?

Ling'er! How could you let Fat Dragon eat so much, grow so fat?

" The Pill Master said, "Ling'er went off to cultivate with the fox immortal; she is not here.

Does Fat Dragon not eat three meals a day, and a peck of spirit pills at each meal? " Shen Mu was struck dumb. The dragon qilin stopped rolling, four limbs to the sky, claws scrabbling twice, and could not right himself.

His little tail lifted, tried to brace against the ground and flip him over, yet strain as it might, stretch as straight as it might, the tail could not touch the earth. The dragon qilin panted, "Sect Master, lend a hand.

Sect Master, Sect Master! Do not go. . .

will somebody turn me over? " The First Ancestor Human Emperor could not bear the sight; he stepped up and gave him a push.

The dragon qilin rolled upright, worked hard to shift his body, and at last could see the First Ancestor Human Emperor; he hastily thanked him, "Many thanks, Senior, for the hand. My lunch is not finished yet!

" So saying, he ran with all his might back toward the great pot.

The First Ancestor Human Emperor could not help saying, "You are still eating? Your master is already angry, and before long he will kill you and set you on the table. " The dragon qilin took fright and hastily stopped eating; he thought about it, then ate on, saying in a muffled voice, "Better to die with a full belly.

. . " "You are beyond saving! " The First Ancestor shook his head and went after Shen Mu.

In the temple, the Headman was saying something to Ma Rulai; hearing Shen Mu's voice he too hastily floated up, and saw Shen Mu approaching. The others in the village heard as well that Shen Mu had returned, and came out of the meditation rooms one after another; at the sight of him there was naturally another great commotion. Seeing the Headman alive again, Shen Mu could not help wiping at his tears a few more times.

The Headman laughed, "Do not put on such childish airs. You are a Human Emperor, and the Sect Master of the Heavenly Saint Sect, and the Grand Libationer of the Heavenly Saint Academy besides — how can you be forever wiping your nose?

Am I not alive again? " So he said, yet his own eye rims had gone red. Just then he suddenly caught sight of the First Ancestor Human Emperor coming over, and hastily — with a thud — planted himself on the ground and prostrated himself stiff and straight: "This junior, Su Muzhe, pays his respects to the First Ancestor Human Emperor!

" The First Ancestor Human Emperor helped him up and set him in a reclining chair, saying, "Rise.

The last time you saw me you were not so formal. " The Headman was shaken to the core. He said to the First Ancestor, "This is my disciple!

The Human Emperor of this age!

A born Overlord Body!

Shen'er, Shen'er, come and pay your respects to the First Ancestor — kneel, knock him a few heads! " Shen Mu shook his head: "Why kneel to him?

He cannot even beat me.

In the Human Emperor Hall I made him cry. " The Headman raged, "Outrageous! Betraying your master and your ancestors!

The First Ancestor has vast divine powers, and all his skills come down from the Kaikhuang era.

If he could teach you a single move or half a stance, it would serve you for a lifetime.

.

. " Shen Mu reminded him: "Headman, he has already passed his cultivation arts and seal arts on to me.

" "He has passed them on already? " The Headman's interest in the First Ancestor Human Emperor vanished at once. He said, "First Ancestor, pray be seated. Forgive this junior his crippled body; I shall not rise to entertain you. " The First Ancestor Human Emperor was taken aback.

He found a seat and sat down.

Shen Mu said in high excitement, "Headman, I have found a cultivation art of physical body creation — the Emperor's Throne Divine Art of the Supreme Emperor era.

It can make your severed limbs grow back! The First Ancestor was beaten crippled, and it was I who passed him the art and brought him back!

" The Headman was startled and overjoyed. He said, trembling, "A severed leg, a severed hand — can they grow back too? " "They can! " The Pill Master ventured, "Then can a face grow back?

" Shen Mu hesitated, troubled: "I have not tried it. The First Ancestor only had his chin shattered, and a new chin grew; but whether a whole face can grow back, I do not know. " The Pill Master laughed, "I once cut off my own face to sever all feeling.

I never thought I would walk out of the Desolate Ruins and take up my old feelings again; now I find I miss that face of mine. My enemies no longer dare hunt me.

If I could have my face back, so much the better; if it cannot grow back, it does not matter, I am used to it. Can the Deaf Elder's ears grow back — and the Silent Craftsman's tongue? " The Deaf Elder gave a cold snort and turned to go: "I am not cultivating it! I do not want ears!

" The Pill Master laughed, "That old fellow.

. . Pay him no mind.

When he has thought it through, let him cultivate then. " Shen Mu set out the Bright Emperor's Flawless Creation Mystic Sutra, whole and entire, from beginning to end.

Ma Rulai said hastily, "Let me disperse the monks, lest the art be spread abroad. " Shen Mu shook his head: "No need. This Emperor's Throne art — I meant from the first to spread it through the world by way of Emperor Yanfeng.

The Crimson Brightness Divine Son will certainly pass the art on to his clansmen. If I hoard it as a treasure of my own, Jingping will never be a match for the remnants of the Crimson Brightness clan, and it will bring down great calamity.

" Ma Rulai thought it over and nodded: "The Emperor's Throne arts are exceedingly hard to comprehend thoroughly. Even if you spread them through the world, those who can cultivate them will only be those who command divine abilities, and those among them who achieve anything will be very few. " What he said was the truth: the higher the art, the greater its demands upon aptitude, comprehension, and wisdom, and the harder it is to cultivate.

For example, the Mystic-Fanged Demon Ape Zhankong and Monk Chenghuai had gone to follow the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha and study the True Sutra of the Throne; yet the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha did not transmit it to Shen Mu, but instead left a great Buddha, transformed from himself, to suppress the heavens above the Shenzi Continent, saying the art was within it, and bidding Shen Mu comprehend it himself.

To this day Shen Mu had comprehended nothing at all from it. The Mystic-Fanged Demon Ape and Chenghuai were men of the very highest Buddhist nature and great wisdom within the Buddhist gate. Those two could learn the Great Brahma Heaven King Buddha's art, while other monks rarely could — at most they caught its surface.