Chapter 301 — The Gloomy Dark Valley
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
" Shen Mu's blood ran cold. He at once dispersed the Bodhi Swaying True Body, spread both hands flat before him, interlaced his fingertips, and made a light stroke — one hand raised to the sky, one hand pressed toward the earth!
First Form of the Dao Sword: One Point Pierces the Vast Motion; the Two Modes Reverse Yin and Yang Within! Vital essence from his two hands turned to threads and became swords; calculations of immense complexity unfolded, and the sword light became two taiji diagrams, one above and one below, guarding him and Long Qilin in the middle!
The sword light flashed without cease, the taiji diagrams revolved, yin and yang shifting back and forth, and then from the edges of the two diagrams streamed down blade after blade of light!
"The stupid ox isn't so stupid after all.
" The bodhi tree rustled; the two white bats hung upside down from the crown, their bodies covered in wounds.
One of them coughed blood, spat out bloody phlegm, and said in a faint voice: "That bald donkey broke in here more than ten years ago, trusting in the blessing of the Buddhist dharma, thinking he could come in safely — and the tree worms did him in.
" "Tree worms? " Shen Mu was slightly taken aback.
"They're the seeds of a kind of tree.
The seed is a lively, hopping worm that lurks underground; when it meets a man it burrows into him, and its roots grow in his muscles.
The muscles inside this bald donkey have all been eaten away, leaving only skin; the tree worm has already taken root and sprouted inside him.
" The other white bat stretched out a claw and made a cut on the eminent monk's head; at once a burst of green broke through the monk's scalp with a pop and became a small crown of foliage.
"That's the tree worm — though it's nearly grown into a tree now.
" The cleverer of the two bats blinked and said: "Stupid ox, we're wounded.
If you can protect us, we can point out the way and let you avoid the perils here! " Shen Mu smiled. "Fellow Daoists, as it happens I am also an alchemist, skilled in healing.
How about I heal your wounds, and once you're well, you protect me?
" The two white bats exchanged a glance and dropped from the bodhi tree, astonished: "An ox-headed doctor? Since when do you Yinghuo folk play physician?
Aren't you lot always sticking your ox noses in the air, setting fires and spitting flames at people wherever you go? " Shen Mu turned his ox nose to the sky and shot out two jets of fire.
"So, what do you say to my proposal?
" "Agreed! " The two white bats agreed readily, thinking to themselves: "Once the ox-headed doctor has healed us, it'll be time enough to turn on him!
" Shen Mu's eyes flickered, and he thought: "While I'm healing them I can slip in some poison, and then these two will have no choice but to obey me and protect me!
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