Chapter 874 — Fierce Flame Shakes All Under Heaven

For geniuses like Shen Mu, Xu Shenghua, and Zhe Huali, who walked at the very forefront of their age and led its advance, the gap between humans and demigods was imperceptible; but to other divine-ability practitioners it was all too plain.

And more than that, Jiangling Academy was pitting the scholars of a single academy against the most outstanding disciples of several hundred heavens in the north!

One could well imagine the pressure Jiangling Academy bore.

Something stirred in Shen Mu's heart, and he stepped forward toward Jiangling Academy.

Beside him, the river water rose slowly. Sheet upon sheet of water floated into the air, rising higher and higher, until at last the whole river, tens of li wide, lifted off and drifted up into the sky.

Before Jiangling Academy, whether Jiangling scholars or the demigods and god-devils of the Northern Heavens, all could not help but raise their heads and stare dumbstruck at the magnificent sight.

The Jin River had flown up into the air, and the great fish, several zhang long, swam in the air as well, buoyed by an invisible force, swimming upward into the sky.

And river monsters of hideous, savage visage, water demons too, now capered and flailed, following the Jin River up into the air.

The great cargo ships on the Jin River's surface had flown up into the air as well, still sailing upon the river's face; the pill furnaces aboard still turned, the engines still spun, and the divine-ability practitioners guarding the cargo ships crowded to the gunwales, craning down to look, plainly with no idea what had happened.

The four-armed demigod and the Academy's Doctor of Sword Studies, who had been fighting but moments before, were now lifted by that same force. Caught in its grip, unable to move, they watched helplessly as it bound them and bore them, against their will, floating upon the river's surface.

The Jin River hung several hundred zhang aloft, flew over the peaks of Jiangling Academy's mountains, traveled tens of li, traced an arc, and only then returned to its own channel and went on rushing forward.

The sight was enough to make the heart quail.

"Has Jingping's god come?"

A deity of the Northern Heavens looked up into the sky and sneered, "Some strength, but nothing more than showing off."

He drew back his gaze and looked ahead. Beneath that soul-stirring great river, a youth trod upon empty air, step by step walking toward Jiangling Academy, as unhurried as one strolling a courtyard.

Behind him followed a Dragon Qilin and a Water Qilin, and a youth with a somewhat plump face, gazing about in curiosity.

The sound of waves and rushing water in the sky came clear to the ear.

The youth in the lead walked with slow steps, yet his pace was not slow at all. As he came on, step by step, the sky suddenly darkened, growing blacker and blacker.

A towering portal appeared behind the youth, growing ever clearer. The vast dark portal opened, and the demonic qi of Youdu poured forth, staining the sky black.

"Disciples of the Northern Heavens."

The portal was like a vast maw that would swallow heaven and earth. From within it came a voice that made the blood run cold, echoing between heaven and earth; the surge of sound struck them in the face, and the skin of every demigod practitioner of the Northern Heavens standing at the mountain gate rippled and flapped backward with a rustling clatter.

"Not one of you is worth a fight!"

The wave of sound rushed over them; hair flew in wild disorder, robes streamed backward.

Several demigods of lesser cultivation could not keep their footing; flung into the air by the surge of sound, they tumbled backward like windmills.

The voice was steeped in demonic nature, seeming to dredge up the most terrifying feelings in a person's heart. At the sound of it, one felt as though plunged into Youdu, sinking and falling endlessly through the dark!

The demigods from the Northern Heavens were drenched in sweat, their legs trembling.

Suddenly the strange phenomena vanished. The Jin River split in two and settled slowly down, rushing past on either side of Jiangling Academy.

And the darkness in the sky was abruptly drawn in, vanishing into that towering portal; the portal faded and was gone, and soon the sky was bright again.

The youth had already reached the mountain gate of Jiangling Academy, a smile on his face, watching with amusement those demigod practitioners before the gate who had just recovered their shaken souls.

A demigod deity's eyes flashed with keen light, fixing upon the youth, and he bellowed, "A deity comes here to stir up wind and waves and terrorize the practitioners of our Northern Heavens — is this Jingping's way of receiving guests?"

At that moment a heaven-shaking laugh came from within Jiangling Academy: "Scholars all, follow me out of the Academy to welcome Shen the Overlord Body of Jingping!"

An uproar filled the Academy. An old deity with white hair and a face glowing red led the thousands upon thousands of Jiangling Academy's scholars out of the Academy. The old deity bowed, his voice like thunder, shaking the waters of the Jin River into ceaseless leaping: "I, Duke Wei, acting Libationer of Jiangling, with all the scholars, respectfully welcome the arrival of Shen the Overlord Body of Jingping!"

The thousands of scholars' voices were even louder than Duke Wei's, shaking heaven and earth: "We respectfully welcome the arrival of Shen the Overlord Body of Jingping!"

All straightened up, and Duke Wei bowed once more, smiling: "Wei the Heavenly King of the Heavenly Sage Cult pays his respects to the Cult Master and Holy Master!"

Shen Mu laughed heartily and caught him by both arms, his voice much softer than the old man's: "The Holy Master Woodcutter went about this without telling me, so I arrived a few days late. Duke, you have been wronged these days. Of the Northern Heavens, is there any who wishes to challenge me?"

He swept his gaze around in a circle, his eyes like lightning, light springing from the empty air; in that instant, for a hundred li around Jiangling Academy, all was bright as snow. Only when Shen Mu withdrew his gaze did everyone's sight return to normal.

All around was dead silence, broken only by heavy panting and the chattering of teeth. Not one demigod practitioner dared to speak.