Chapter 175 — Martial and Mystic Arts in Mutual Support

The Dragon-Qilin had drunk its fill of water, then looked at Shen Mu.

"Still a little hungry.

. . " "I'll take you to make some pills," Shen Mu said. He led the Dragon-Qilin toward the storehouse, planning to buy herbs for refining Crimson Fire Spirit Pills. Across Jade Dragon Lake, a Taoist priest watched them, taking in the retreating figures of Shen Mu and the Dragon-Qilin, and muttered to himself: "Has the dragon-lion in front of the mountain gate come to life? How did it get here to drink from Jade Dragon Lake? Who is that youth?

Doesn't he know the waters of Jade Dragon Lake are an imperial tribute?

Ah well, so long as it doesn't leap in for a bath, a few sips are nothing to worry about. " When Shen Mu passed the Princes' Court, he saw a crowd of scholars gathered there, cheers ringing out.

He glanced over from a distance. Even scholars from the Scholars' Residence had dashed over, and no small number of divine-ability practitioners from the Divine Abilities Residence had also come, thronging the gate of the Princes' Court in an impassable mass.

Suddenly, with a thunderous boom, a figure was sent hurtling into the air and came crashing down headfirst into the ground. A voice shouted, "Another one beaten!

" Shen Mu was taken aback.

The person whose head was driven into the earth was precisely one of the princelings of the Princes' Court. A princeling was the son of an imperial prince—who would dare strike so viciously? "I'll take you on! " A girl's voice rang out from the crowd.

Shen Mu had already gone some distance when another loud crash sounded, and a girl in green flew out backward, with a crack smashing through the wall of Hanguang Hall not far ahead of him, leaving only her slender legs protruding from the hole.

"Seems like a commandery princess. .

. " Shen Mu turned back toward the crowd, thinking to himself: "That style is rather familiar—it's Senior Brother Bashan's battle-magic technique. " Chancellor Bashan had pioneered a supreme battle-magic art, combining the moves of the martial-arts path with spells and divine abilities, and its power far exceeded that of either martial techniques or spells taken alone. It was exactly this innovation that had allowed Chancellor Bashan to rise among the ranks of sect-master-level experts.

In the world today, no one could surpass his attainment in such battle-magic arts. The only flaw in these arts was that their moves lacked the agility and versatility of pure martial techniques or pure spells, which was also why Chancellor Bashan, despite reaching the height of a sect-master, had been unable to advance a step further. "Could it be sister Yuxiu?

Why is she fighting the princelings and commandery princesses?

" The Dragon-Qilin was so hungry it walked with unsteady steps, its belly flat and empty. Shen Mu suppressed his urge to watch the fight and continued to the storehouse, where he bought the herbs. The storehouse alchemist handed him the herbs and only then noticed the huge beast behind Shen Mu; he gaped at it, unable to look away. Shen Mu set off back the way he had come with the Dragon-Qilin, analyzing the potency of the ingredients on the road, and refined a furnace of Crimson Fire Spirit Pills.

The Dragon-Qilin wolfed them down, but one furnace of pills was not enough to fill it, and it stared at him with longing eyes. Shen Mu had no choice but to refine another batch, and at last the enormous creature was satisfied.

The Dragon-Qilin perked up, walked beside him, and said with an ingratiating smile: "From now on, if there's any need, just say the word. I'm a capable fighter.

" Shen Mu shook his head and headed for the Princes' Court. Snow Fox sneered, "You wouldn't even dare fight an ox, and you call yourself a good fighter?

" The Dragon-Qilin immediately went listless. In front of the Princes' Court there was still an ocean of people, and more had arrived.

A scholar could be heard saying: "Has no one in the Princes' Court been able to defeat her?

Since the Seventh Princess returned from her trials outside, it is as though she's been replaced—her skill has advanced with terrifying speed. " "Coupling spells and martial arts together with the royal Nine Dragon Emperor's Art, the Seventh Princess can basically sweep the entire Princes' Court. I wonder if she can go blockade the gates of the Scholars' Residence and Divine Abilities Residence.

" "The Divine Abilities Residence is uncertain, but the Scholars' Residence—probably not, after all, that fiend is in the Scholars' Residence. " "Right. That fiend hasn't been seen in three months; likely he's dead outside.

At least that would rid the Scholars' Residence of a great scourge. " "But that fiend's ability is not necessarily better than the Seventh Princess's.

" . .

.

"Stand aside, stand aside!

" The scholars at the front felt a disturbance behind them and turned their heads, their gazes frozen.

A mammoth creature, half dragon and half qilin, was shoving its way forward, pushing aside the scholars blocking the road. Some of the scholars, jostled by the Dragon-Qilin, lost their footing and were sent flying out of the crowd. The behemoth forced its way through the crowd all the way to the gate of the Princes' Court, clearing a path, while the scholars stared in astonishment and felt a surge of dread. Even the imperials of the Princes' Court, well-versed though they were in wonders, were stunned into gawping at the sight of this majestic Dragon-Qilin, unable to tear their eyes away. The Dragon-Qilin shook its body, fluffed its fur, turned back, and said with a fawning smile: "Young master, these dim-witted souls have cleared a path.

Do go in. " Shen Mu stepped up to the gate of the Princes' Court and scolded: "Too flashy, too flashy!

Don't ever do that again! Everyone, fellow students, my apologies, my apologies.

" The faces of the crowd froze. Shen Mu looked into the Princes' Court and saw Ling Yuxiu, with her Five Radiance Divine Vault sealed shut, trading blows with Princeling Minyue.

Princeling Minyue was one of the other scholars Chancellor Bashan had chosen; after barely a few exchanges he could no longer withstand Yuxiu's frightful explosive force and was sent flying. Ling Yuxiu burst open her Five Radiance Divine Vault, with nine dragons coiling before and behind her, truly brave and spirited, radiant with vitality. Shen Mu gave an inward commendation.

After her journey to the Golden Palace of Loulan, Ling Yuxiu's cultivation and strength had progressed at such a pace that in these three months she had established a crushing dominance over the other scholars.

Clearly, after her door-blocking challenge at the Golden Palace, she had trained with relentless diligence, refining the Nine Dragon Emperor's Art ever deeper and mending the weaknesses in her foundation. Chancellor Bashan taught according to the student's nature, not in the manner of the instructors in the Imperial Academy, and had cultivated Ling Yuxiu specifically around her weak points, finally enabling her to grow by leaps and bounds. But when Shen Mu cast his gaze over the Princes' Court, he saw that nearly half of it had been demolished by this princess. Where had she learned such violence?

"Cowherd! " Ling Yuxiu spotted Shen Mu, and her large eyes brightened.

She waved at the imperial kin in the Princes' Court and laughed, "No more fights today; let's settle victory another day. " So saying, she came over to Shen Mu. Shen Mu praised her: "Sister Yuxiu, in the month or more that we've been apart, your skill has grown ever more impressive.

" Ling Yuxiu complained a little: "Where have you been all this time? I was so worried.

" She hastily added, "Chancellor Bashan was also very worried about you! Do you know, the Grand Chancellor resigned. The new Grand Chancellor is not Chancellor Bashan; it's that frozen man whom I and Young General Shen rescued from the Fierce River Dragon Palace in the Wasteland.