Chapter 682 — The Sword God Smiles

Yet the Book of Life and Death was a treasure forged by the Black Emperor of Mingdu, and even Shen Mu could not draw out more of its uses. To unleash greater power required deep insight into the arts and divine powers of Mingdu; Shen Mu had never studied the arts and methods of Mingdu, and so he was at a loss.

Then when had the Imperial Preceptor Jingping learned the arts and divine powers of Mingdu?

"The Master is profoundly learned, and knows how to control the Book of Life and Death."

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping said, unhurried, "I followed him in cultivation for two years and came to understand every kind of learning. One awakening brings a hundred awakenings; one understanding brings a hundred understandings. Controlling the Book of Life and Death is not difficult."

In the air, a great hand suddenly appeared, reaching for the Book of Life and Death!

The palm shook, and darkness spawned and cloaked the Book of Life and Death, as though it had entered an alien dimension, drawn into another space and time.

Shen Mu was startled. "Lou Yunqu and the others have made their move — they mean to seize the Book of Life and Death..."

With a swish—

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping thrust out a sword, and a brilliant blade of light pierced into the darkness. Shen Mu was about to speak when he saw that sword light strike the great hand in the dark, and in an instant several fingers were severed by the Imperial Preceptor's blade.

The great hand groped for the Book of Life and Death, but with its fingers gone it clutched at nothing, and could only withdraw in pain.

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping swept his sword back into its sheath as though he had done nothing at all, and went on: "If you see through the arts of Youdu, then you can see through the arts of Mingdu and of Fengdu. All arts and divine powers share a fundamental principle, and that principle is called the Way. Once you understand the Way within them, and then look upon the methods within the Book of Life and Death, all is clear at a glance, plain and distinct, and how to activate it is no longer so difficult."

Shen Mu was utterly astonished. That sword of the Imperial Preceptor's could never have struck a palm hidden within Mingdu — the demonic aura the palm gave off was the dark demonic aura of Mingdu, and wherever that aura shrouded was Mingdu itself.

Shen Mu had crossed blades with Lou Qianchong, Lou Yunqu's junior brother, and knew how uncanny the arts and divine powers of Mingdu were. That was how Xu Shenghua had been defeated by Lou Qianchong; and Shen Mu had been able to kill Lou Qianchong only because he had been born in Youdu and could enter the Mingdu space that Lou Qianchong's demonic aura conjured.

That sword of the Imperial Preceptor Jingping's was plainly no art of Youdu, yet it had struck that palm. It seemed he truly had, as he said, understood the Way within — the arts and divine powers of Mingdu held no secrets from him!

"Two years, and you have comprehended to such a degree..."

Shen Mu's face showed admiration, and he murmured, "Just how learned is the Master, to let you advance by such leaps?"

The Village Head floated forward and said gravely, "Imperial Preceptor Jingping, your mastery of the sword has already surpassed mine."

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping saluted him. "You flatter me, senior brother."

The Village Head's vital essence formed limbs, and he returned the salute. "Senior brother."

The Imperial Preceptor Jingping looked startled; then the surprise slowly became a trace of a smile, and the smile grew and grew, until it became a hearty laugh bright as spring sunlight, blue sky, and green water.

The Village Head laughed aloud as well.

The laughter of the two Sword Gods echoed through this doomsday world and rose to the ninth heaven.

Far on high, Fu Yanqi's face was ashen. He drew back his hand and saw it streaming with blood — of five fingers only a thumb remained. It had not been Lou Yunqu who activated the Book of Life and Death just now, but he himself who had wielded its power.

The three fellow disciples had each received a portion of the Black Emperor of Mingdu's legacy. Lou Yunqu could activate the Book of Life and Death to raise the dead; even if a soul had been taken by Tu Bo, he could use the Book to seize it back by force.

Kui Qingpei could wield the Book's power of blood sacrifice, dissolving the flesh and blood of gods and demons together with their primordial spirits.

As for Fu Yanqi, he could control the Book of Life and Death, draining the life from the living and casting them down into Mingdu.

This time he had activated the Book, only to run into the Imperial Preceptor Jingping, so that its power failed to achieve its end. He had meant to seize the opportunity to snatch Shen Mu's volume of the Book, but never expected his divine power to be broken, and lost four fingers for it.

On the other side, Lou Yunqu hastily recalled the Book of Life and Death of Mingdu and shone it toward the Imperial Preceptor Jingping. His heart gave a small jolt, and he said in a low voice, "The one who led the Jingping Reforms has finally appeared!"

Enduring the pain, Fu Yanqi looked toward the Book of Life and Death, and saw a name surface upon its pages.