Chapter 876 — The Sword Leaves a Faint Fragrance — Please Vote

" Inside the palace the darkness surged; Great Black Heaven came walking, the black sun behind his head dragging the darkness, and along the way it swallowed up the blazing furnaces of lamplight that stood to either side of the palace, so that those furnaces gave out not a shred of radiance.

"Tubo is a being accomplished by the Great Dao; the Little Tubo is a divine son of Youdu, possessing the power of the ancient gods and the abilities of a creature born after heaven and earth. I was the first god-devil of Youdu to attain the Dao, and I know well what a divine son of Youdu can do. To swear an oath to the Little Tubo — you were truly audacious beyond measure!

" Great Black Heaven took out Shen Mu's challenge missive, gave it a sudden shake, and hung it in the air, shouting, "Look upon the missive! " Those seventeen demigod ability-wielders looked toward Shen Mu's missive; in it, Shen Mu, sword on his back, smiled and said nothing.

After a moment, the eyes of one who had entered the Dao went wide and round, his body trembling violently; suddenly he gave a great cry, and his body split into four and five pieces, dead where he stood! A moment more, and another who had entered the Dao drew his sword and danced; his sword force was like light and lightning, and the man himself like one mad and frenzied. "A fine sword art—" He suddenly halted his sword and stood still; a ray of sword light shot from between his brows, and there at the brow a sword wound opened, blood flowing without cease.

Another man's astral qi spun madly all around him, and strange sounds of great bells and booming bronze rang unendingly, dang-dang, clanging; the runes all about him became a great bell, and the bell quivered on and on, his divine ability exquisitely wrought.

Suddenly blood-light burst within the bell, dyeing the rune-formed bell a blood red.

The great bell scattered, the runes collapsed, and all that remained was a corpse riddled with a thousand holes. Fewer and fewer remained; soon only six of the seventeen were left.

These six demigod ability-wielders had withstood the Undying Consciousness within Shen Mu's challenge missive, as though they had gained a great trial and a great enlightenment; the six of them were clear in spirit and bright in mind, and their strength had, remarkably, improved considerably.

The gods and demons of the various heavens saw this and all breathed out.

"In our Northern Heavens there are six who can stand against this Jingping Overlord Body; at last we may salvage a little of our face.

" "These six ability-wielders are of surpassing quality, of extraordinary comprehension; with the aid of the Sword-Bearer Painting they have raised themselves up, and at last they can face the challenge of the Jingping Overlord Body! " "After this battle, the Northern Heavens will have produced six more prodigies to shake the world.

The future achievements of these six will surely move all the heavens!

" .

.

. Just then, Great Black Heaven spoke: "This is the first trial of the Jingping Overlord Body's challenge missive.

You have passed the first trial.

" The gods and demons of the Northern Heavens were startled, and they heard Great Black Heaven say, "Only when the Sword-Bearer Painting within the missive is destroyed may the missive be counted as accepted.

This Jingping Overlord Body is, to give him his due, fair. The missive holds his consciousness; at whatever cultivation you stand, the sword god with the sword on his back in the missive will meet you at that same cultivation.

So you need not fear that he will crush you with a higher realm. Now.

.

. " He swept his gaze around, his eyes passing over the six ability-wielders who had entered the Dao, and said coldly, "Come up one by one, and use your own vital qi to trigger the missive!

" One ability-wielder came forward and triggered the Sword-Bearer Painting with his vital qi; and behold, Shen Mu in the painting drew his sword within the picture, and of a sudden sword light filled the heavens, stabbing out from the painting! That ability-wielder who had entered the Dao roared, and unleashed his own Dao-entering divine ability. Two great Dao-entering divine abilities collided; their might swept in all directions, raising wild waves of force, and only after a long while did all grow calm. Before the Great Black Palace, the gods hurried to look; they saw that ability-wielder standing there in awful majesty, motionless.

Suddenly he toppled backwards and died on the spot! The gods of the Northern Heavens shuddered and looked toward the Sword-Bearer Painting; in the painting Shen Mu's figure was still crisp and clear, lifelike and nimble, and his sword was still in its sheath.

Great Black Heaven said coldly, "Next! " Another who had entered the Dao came forward; this was a master who had entered the Dao through the blade.

He did not use vital qi to stir the Sword-Bearer Painting, but drew his saber outright and unleashed his own supreme art of entering the Dao through the blade, chopping toward the painting!

Blade light and sword shadow — a flash and gone; in the air there remained only thread-thin dark lines, the wounds left where space had been torn by sword art and saber art.

Only after a long while did those black threads vanish.

The Half-Saint who had entered the Dao through the blade twitched at the corner of his eye, lowered his head to look at his own waist — and blood came gurgling from his mouth.

A thin line of blood appeared at his waist, and his upper body was slowly parting from his lower. "You are quite good, to have not died under his sword; you may be well cultivated.

" Great Black Heaven said indifferently, "Next!

" A god hurried forward, gathered the man up, and staunched the blood; his two legs and his backside had fallen to the ground, and the god hurried to gather up the lower half as well and carry him off for healing. Yet another who had entered the Dao came forward to face Shen Mu's Sword-Bearer Painting.

His divine ability burst forth, its might terrifying! .

.

. Two more corpses lay upon the ground, and another was crippled; and yet of the six who had entered the Dao, one young demigod remained unharmed, having withstood the attack of the Sword-Bearer Painting and even ground that painting out by main force!

"What is your name?

" Great Black Heaven looked at this youth, and hope showed in his face.

The youth bowed and said, "Your disciple is an ability-wielder of the Flower-Brocade Heaven, surnamed Feng, named Huayu.

My ancestors were the Ancient God of a Hundred Flowers. " Great Black Heaven nodded: "Your bloodline is exceedingly high, your comprehension excellent, your quality outstanding.

That you could withstand his sword painting with a Dao-entering divine ability and grind the Sword-Bearer Painting to nothing is no small thing.

You have entered the Dao through divine ability, and your powers are already rare in the Yuan World; but to contend with the Jingping Overlord Body, there is still something lacking.

" Light flickered in Feng Huayu's eyes; he was somewhat unconvinced.

"Yet there is a way to make up for it. " Great Black Heaven turned and walked into the palace, saying, "Come with me. You destroyed the challenge missive of the Jingping Overlord Body, and he has sensed it; by now he will be setting out for this place.

It will take him three months to reach the Great Black Palace.

In these three months I will teach you the ultimate art of my Imperial Throne, the Dark Mojia Scripture.

If I teach you myself, in three months your cultivation and strength will advance by leaps and bounds! " Feng Huayu was both startled and delighted, and hurried after him into the Great Black Palace. "Send someone to invite Khan Luandi here! " Great Black Heaven said in a low voice, "Khan Luandi once surrendered to Jingping and learned the fruits of the Jingping reforms.