Chapter 695 — A Bow Brings Death

Eight thousand swords flew in, clashing with a ringing of steel, and before Shen Mu they coalesced into a great shield. The shield was a curve of consummate perfection, able to hold back a shockwave on impact and withstand the mightiest force with the least pressure. Shen Mu turned side-on, one knee to the ground, one arm braced behind the shield—the most powerful defensive stance for meeting a shockwave head-on. Behind him, his primal spirit poured countless strands of vital essence into the great shield, reinforcing its structure.

The flying swords of its face were interlocked in a chain-lock formation, ring clasping ring, so that the structure itself might bear the strongest impact. Beyond that, defensive runes surfaced across the shield—Xuanwu runes, turtle and serpent joined; the face bore the pattern of a turtle's shell, the rim the pattern of a soaring serpent.

Weng—the shockwave of the Heaven-Mourning Bell came crashing in. No bell's chime, only a violent quaking of space.

Shen Mu felt no terrifying force, yet behind him his primal spirit took the blow as if struck by a hammer, lurching violently and blasted out of existence. "This Heaven-Mourning Bell—it is a divine art aimed at the primal spirit or the soul!

" Shen Mu was startled. His primal spirit raced back.

The speed of a primal spirit is the fastest thing in the world; though blasted ten thousand li away, it needed but an instant to return.

The problem was that Shen Mu did not know whether his primal spirit could withstand the Heaven-Mourning Bell's assault. He knew little of the Gloom Capital's divine arts. He had seen them only in Lou Qianchong—and Lou Qianchong had managed but one technique before Shen Mu killed him, so there had been no chance to witness more of the Gloom Capital's cultivation arts and divine powers. His primal spirit had scarce returned when the second shockwave of the Heaven-Mourning Bell followed close behind, and with another weng it blasted his primal spirit even farther.

Yet Shen Mu's physical body still felt little of the impact.

"The Heaven-Mourning Bell is powerful indeed, but it works only against the primal spirit or the soul! In that case. . .

" Shen Mu's mind commanded his body. Suddenly the great shield disintegrated. In the instant it shattered, Shen Mu had already transformed into three heads and six arms.

Six arms seized and grasped, eight thousand swords became six divine sabers, and he leapt, charging straight to the Heaven-Mourning Bell. Like a fierce tiger plunging into a flock of sheep, six divine sabers, their blades flashing high and low, heads and severed limbs flying in every direction—slaughter as if mowing grass—he unleashed the Nine Techniques of the Heavenly Saber with exhilarating, unimpeded ferocity.

The Nine Techniques of the Heavenly Saber—from Night Slashes a Thousand Cities of Wind and Rain, Sun Blazes the East Sea's Thousand-Layered Waves, to Long Saber Hangs the Moon's Soul, Swift Horse Startles the Star-Spirit—every technique was exquisite and profound, and at once grand and majestic.

The saber light was like wind and rain, sea and wave—truly, a long saber hanging the moon, a swift horse startling the stars! Add to that the supreme creation divine art of the Crimson Bright Era, three heads and six arms—three heads watching all eight directions, six arms attacking with no blind spot, as though three Shen Mus fought as one, slaying into the flock of sheep!

Suddenly, the saber light snapped shut. Shen Mu raised his six arms high, the six sabers clashed together and became one long saber, and all six arms swung down as one! Chi—the saber light was stunning; one stroke split open the great hall's doors.

The doors sundered and flew apart to either side, and the great hall lay open! And before him and behind, to left and right, corpse after corpse toppled down, falling into pools of blood. Not one remained who could stand.

With a whoosh, his primal spirit flew back and settled again behind him. Shen Mu's six hands rubbed lightly together; the long saber became a sword pill that floated before his brow. He paused a step, vital essence swept up the little box into his hand, and only then did he enter the great hall.

Clang.

Behind him the Heaven-Mourning Bell fell to the ground and rolled down the steps with a clanging, clanging, clanging. In the great hall, a demon-god sat in stern repose, cloaked in black, two curved crimson horns growing from his head, yet his eyes were black and white, distinct—like a man's eyes. This demon-god held a book and was studying it.

Shen Mu approached, carrying the little box, and the box clicked open a crack. The demon-god set down his book and looked at him, then chuckled: "The Tianyin Realm has not seen an outsider in a long while.

The last to enter this place was twenty thousand years ago.

Kaihuang, ignorant of the heights of heaven and the depths of earth, actually sent demon-gods to spy here. This time you come—can it be that some other reckless fool in the outer world wishes to overturn the heavens?

" Shen Mu held the box and bowed: "Kaihuang, one hundred and seventh generation descendant, Shen Fengqing, greets the elder of the Gloom Capital. " "So you are a descendant of Kaihuang, and still young.

" The demon-god laughed: "Is Kaihuang dead?

If he were not, he would have told you never, never to reveal your true name to another—especially not to one of the Gloom Capital. This little ghost has some skill, but he is still too young. Do you know who I am?

" He rose to his feet, his frame massive and tall, towering even beyond Shen Mu's ten-zhang primal spirit.

"The surname Kui is a great surname in the Gloom Capital; it has given birth to many demon-gods. And I am surnamed Kui.

" His voice was exceedingly resonant: "My Dao name is Kui Wuqu. Of course, that name too is false—though many still call me the Honored King Wuqu.

" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly. "I once encountered two demon-gods surnamed Kui—one called Kui Wushen, one called Kui Qingpei.

Might they have some relation to the elder? " "Kui Qingpei is His Majesty's disciple, an outstanding genius of our Kui clan. " The demon-god, the Honored King Wuqu, laughed: "And Kui Wushen is my disciple—sent down from the Celestial Court to the Gloom Capital to take me as master. That you could meet them and not die shows you have some means. But since you have met Kui Wushen, you must know that he studied under me, and you must know how perilous it is to speak your true name before me.

" Shen Mu's face turned ashen; he hefted the little box. Wuqu laughed: "It is useless.

The God-Slaying Mystic Blade is remarkable—I am far from its match—but your God-Slaying Mystic Blade cannot land a hair's scratch on me.

In fact, when you dealt with the demon-gods of my Gloom Capital just now, I already saw the flaw in the God-Slaying Mystic Blade. You used it to slay many demon-gods under my command, yet you never used that blade against those whose bodies hide within the Gloom Capital. Against such ones, you always killed with your flying swords. What does that mean?

" He could not help but laugh aloud: "The God-Slaying Mystic Blade cannot cut into the Gloom Capital!

" Shen Mu's face was pale, without a trace of blood.

The Honored King Wuqu was well pleased, and said leisurely: "Just now I watched you slaughter my subordinates—why did I not show myself? Now I can tell you: I fear the God-Slaying Mystic Blade. The head of a sovereign-level power, its eyes like blades—that head has drunk the blood and slain the gods of countless beings.

I could not see through it, so I did not strike. But now the God-Slaying Mystic Blade has been seen through by me. You cannot harm me in the slightest.

" Shen Mu was lost and dazed, murmuring: "You watched your subordinates be killed by me and still held yourself back—you are too cruel.