Chapter 83 — Ultimate Armament

"These statues—one truly could study out of them any number of formidable divine powers!

" These days Shen Mu ate and slept among the dragon pillars and temples of Crimson Dragon City; at night he would sleep in a temple or lie atop a dragon pillar, and the moment he woke he would fall into a trance, studying and pondering the mysteries of the city's carvings. With his Lingxiao Heavenly Eye he observed those sculptures, divining the three resonances of form, breath, and spirit, and the three states of essence, momentum, and measure; and gradually, in his eyes, the god-statues ceased to be god-statues and became instead so many courses of vital essence—form and spirit both complete, momentum beyond the common, breath congealed into essence, breath set in motion into measure, form and breath into momentum.

He was still a martial artist, still far from any contact with divine powers, yet what filled his mind was nothing less than creating divine powers out of the very craft by which gods and men carved their statues. Shen Mu studied a sculpture before him of a goddess treading a river, and his own vital essence began to move briskly of itself. Suddenly—whoosh—his essence flew out transformed into flowing water; between his palms the essence surged vast and boundless like a river, waves curling, waters racing.

Every palm strike carried the sound of breakers; his two palms wove back and forth about his waist, and little by little the sound of waves swelled, surging and roaring.

His palm force grew stronger and stronger, until of a sudden he struck out, and his essence became a river that howled and raced, bursting forth some four zhang, and shattered a great stone at the temple gate into powder. This blow of his was no divine power; it was somewhat like a spell, yet not a spell; it resembled a combat technique, yet was not that either—altogether strange. "My apologies. " Shen Mu bowed low in salute to the goddess treading the river, then withdrew from the temple and went into an ancient shrine nearby.

In this old shrine was enshrined a god with a human face and tiger's claws, treading two dragons underfoot. Shen Mu studied it long, sitting and lying beside it, pondering it over and over.

So in a daze three or four days passed, until Shen Mu had grasped the three resonances of form, breath, and spirit and the three states of essence, momentum, and measure; his vital essence moved of itself according to what he had seen. Suddenly a brilliant golden light surfaced on his body, and his every motion and stillness rang like metal striking metal, clanging aloud.

His bearing was as that of a god-statue; suddenly golden discs appeared before and behind him, seven in all.

Their rims were very sharp, their light faint, while at their centers the gold lay thickest.

Shen Mu stirred his body-technique and formed a sword seal with his hand; the discs moved with him. As his essence circulated, the light at their centers grew brighter and brighter, until of a sudden he thrust his sword-finger forward, and from the seven discs emerged threads of golden light, very fine, like slender golden-wire swords.

Chichichi—seven golden-wire swords shot out like lightning and pierced the spot his sword seal indicated. Shen Mu drew back his hand, and saw a deep sword-hole in the ground. "Still not the equal of Lord Huo's boxing.

. .

Hmm, no—since when has my vital essence become White Tiger essence? " Shen Mu came suddenly to his senses and was pondering this when a strange change erupted in the divine treasury of his primal fetus: his spirit fetus drew a long breath and in one gulp absorbed every last remnant of golden light in his golden sea. He felt his brow suddenly emptied, his mind a blank, and he was somewhat dizzy; when his senses returned he found that the spirit fetus had fallen asleep again.

"No—the Village Head clearly said that the three elixirs of the Mystic Body Three Elixirs Art mean the spirit fetus awakens three times.

So why does mine show signs of a fourth awakening?

" Shen Mu was uneasy.

With the spirit fetus sunk in deep sleep, only half his cultivation remained at his command, and holding the Lingxiao Heavenly Eye was a strain; he stepped out of the ancient shrine at once.

"Young Master, the Patriarch has sent word. " He had barely left the temple gate when he saw an old man in blue robes standing in attendance outside, bent at the waist, no telling how long he had been there.

The old man hurried forward, drew a letter from his sleeve, and said: "Pray read it yourself, Young Master. " "The Demon Cult's Patriarch has a letter for me?

" Shen Mu set aside the matter of the spirit fetus's fourth awakening, took the letter, and the old man in blue hastily withdrew. Shen Mu unfolded it: "For the Young Cult Master's esteemed perusal: three years have passed since our hurried parting at the Yongjiang.

Men say that in old age one knows one's fate; I am old, and having read the mandate of Heaven, I have seven years left. It is my wish, while life remains, to see the Young Cult Master once more, and I look for him to ascend the seat.

" Shen Mu closed the letter.

Its meaning was that the Demon Cult's Patriarch had seven years of life left, wished to see him once more while he lived, and would have him formally become Cult Master. "Ling Yuxiu bids me seek her in the capital of Jingping, and the Demon Cult's Patriarch bids me come out to see him.

It is time to decide whether I stay or go.

" Shen Mu steadied himself. Was he truly to leave the Wasteland, leave Hidden Remnant Village, leave these kin who had raised him? He summoned the old man in blue and said: "Tell the Patriarch in reply that I shall leave the Wasteland before long and travel east to see him. " The old man in blue assented and turned to go.

Shen Mu mused a while, then went to the City Lord's residence. Dusk was falling, and in the residence the Village Head, the Alchemist, and the others had gathered again in one hall, these old men dressed in the clothes Shen Mu had made for them with his own hands.

He had bought much fine silk and satin in the city; it was his first time making clothes, and they fit well enough, only the cloth he chose was a little gaudy.

The Village Head, the Alchemist, the Lame Elder and the rest, in their new garments, looked for all the world like rich landlords, splendid and bright indeed.

But this was Shen Mu's heartfelt wish, and the old men were all delighted.

"Shen'er, the Village Head has come out of seclusion and means to take you into the Dark Realm within the Darkness, to seek the place of your birth.

" The Alchemist beckoned to him, smiling: "We set out tonight! " Shen Mu's heart pounded violently, stirred to the depths; he cast his earlier thoughts from his mind and said, hesitating: "The Darkness holds many perils, Grandfather Village Head. . . " "No matter.

" The Village Head smiled mildly: "This old frame of mine can still bear it.

Shen'er, on this venture into the Darkness you must on no account leave my side.

Granny, give him the Great Nurturing Nether Demon Sutra for his protection.

" Granny Zhu took a ball of thread from her little basket and flicked it with her fingers; a single strand flew straight out, darting swiftly around Shen Mu's palm, and in no time it had knotted itself into a glove. Shen Mu gently clenched his hand and gave a soft cry of surprise: he could scarcely feel that he wore a glove at all.

The Village Head said again: "Lame Elder, bring your Jade Register of the Heavenly Emperor and hang it on him.

" The Lame Elder took a jade ring from his own neck. It was like a pendant, yet not a pendant, the size of a palm, carved with strange characters that were still ceaselessly flowing and changing.

He hung the ring about Shen Mu's neck, his face full of pain, and said: "Shen'er, whatever you do, do not lose it. Your lame grandfather traded a leg for this!