Chapter 859 — Soaring to the Azure Clouds

The sky blazed bright in an instant; the thunder in the heavens became a vast whirlpool, bolts of lightning linking into thick beams of light that rushed from the whirlpool and joined with the Overlord Blade!

The blade in Libationer Bashan's hand became a bridge linking the grand forces of heaven and earth, brighter than the sun, more dazzling. The ninth form of the Overlord Blade.

Shen Mu had already withdrawn his blade and no longer led the Overlord Blade along, yet Libationer Bashan had already broken through the fog before his eyes and found his own road; his blade light, carrying thunder, poured out in splendid abandon! The thunder whirlpool in the sky roared and turned; behind Bashan a vast sea of fire emerged, flames surging, flowing into the blade, recklessly pouring out the might of the Fusion of Combat and Dharma.

His Fusion of Combat and Dharma had reached an entirely new realm.

He had originally stood on the very edge of entering the Dao, but for want of wisdom he lacked one step; Shen Mu supplied that step for him and led him across it. With that step taken, a whole new heaven and earth opened; without Shen Mu to lead him further, he could walk on by himself!

Libationer Bashan's figure rolled and turned as he struck; his blade light split heaven and earth and became a surging ocean, and the ocean bore the blade light down in a slash; one blade passed, and the sky was washed clean, turning a deep, deep blue. Shen Mu laughed aloud, stepped forward, and said in a ringing voice, "Senior Brother Bashan, from this day on you are the Grand Master of the Fusion of Combat and Dharma!

" Bashan abruptly ended his move and stood in the air, grief and joy mingled on his face, tears rolling from his eyes.

The rough fellow stood there, holding his blade, silent for a long time; suddenly he raised the blade in both hands and bowed down in the air, kneeling, his head deeply lowered. "Thank you, junior brother!

" Shen Mu hastily knelt and bowed in return, laughing.

"Senior brother, I only saw that you were short one step and lingering outside the door.

I have no depths in that regard; I could only lead you across that step and help you into the hall. That you could enter the Dao through combat and dharma and become a grand master in your own right—that is your own doing.

" The two rose, looked at each other, laughed heartily, and descended from the sky. Bangongcuo wore a look of bewilderment.

"Libationer Bashan seems not to have entered the Dao through the martial way, nor through the blade, nor through divine arts.

Strange—how did his strength suddenly rise so much? " Beside him, Xing'an said, "He entered the Dao through the Fusion of Combat and Dharma, taking a shortcut and forming a system of his own.

Sect Master Shen went with the flow of it and gave him a step—and that one step set him soaring to the azure clouds.

" The Crimson Radiance Divine Son nodded. "Libationer Bashan once wished to advance further, and so he labored bitterly at the martial way, the blade way, and divine arts; but to enter the Dao through those three is terribly hard—he had already gone astray.

Sect Master Shen used the eight forms of the Overlord Blade to lead him, in truth abandoning those three roads and guiding him back to his own.

Sect Master Shen gave him a step, and one step's distance made a grand master of an age.

" Bangongcuo was startled, and said in a low voice, "That little Shen bastard. .

. is he that formidable? " "Not formidable—clever," said Xing'an.

Xing'an walked toward Shen Mu, the box clattering along behind him; it came to Shen Mu's feet, circled him several times, and rubbed against his leg.

"Xing'an. " Shen Mu stroked the box, and only then greeted him with due courtesy, saying with a smile, "Every time you appear, you look different.

Whose flesh is this now? " "This is the true me," Xing'an said, returning the greeting, his face grave.

"This is how I looked as a youth. " Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly. He probed, "The Creation divine art—remaking a body? Yet in the past you searched everywhere for the bodies of others, cutting the strongest parts from powerhouses of accomplishment and piecing together a body—and piecing together a primordial spirit as well.

Your remaking a body I can just understand, but how did you remake your primordial spirit?

" "That is precisely why I have come to see you," the youthful Xing'an said bleakly.

"I no longer know whether the me of now is still me. In the past, to prolong my own life and to explore divine arts and dharma, I studied my own body and primordial spirit to their utmost, then broke them apart and seized the bodies and primordial spirits of others.

But now that the Jingping Reforms have come this far, I find that the longer I continue this way, the greater the harm; only by returning to my true self might I advance further.

Only, I can no longer find my own soul, nor find the true me; even if I restore my youthful body, it is not the true me.

I have fallen into terror.

" "If you had known today would come, why did you act as you did then?

" Shen Mu said with a cold laugh. "You want me to gather your soul for you and reshape your spirit? Forgive me, but I cannot obey.

" Suddenly the box opened of its own accord.

Shen Mu's gaze fell upon what lay inside, and his heart skipped. The youthful Xing'an's eyes too fell upon the box; there was reluctance in them, but still he said resolutely, "Is this price enough to make you act? " Shen Mu steadied himself, closed the box, and said in a low voice, "Enough! "