Chapter 462 — Duel of Arts in Thunder Mountain City
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Thunder Mountain City.
In the early morning, the smell of medicine hung over every corner of Thunder Mountain City. Shen Mu sniffed the air and knew at once that no small part of that fragrance was the poisonous mist breathed out by creatures of great venom. He promptly refined several poison-warding pills and had Long Qilin and Xiong Qi'er hold them in their mouths.
The city of Mu Yingxue, the Poison Master, was like no other. Poisonous grasses, poisonous flowers, poisonous insects were to be seen everywhere, planted by the people of Thunder Mountain City in their own gardens. Venomous insects crawled in swarms over the ground; some folk even kept poisonous birds and beasts, which ran loose in every direction. Poison vines covered the houses as well, and now and then a green snake would poke its head out from the green tangles and hiss.
With a clatter, a troop of scaled, big-eared opossums scurried past them, chasing several centipedes two or three feet long.
Morning in Thunder Mountain City was a noisy affair; quarrels broke out in the streets at every moment.
"Damnation, whose poison bees are these? My face has swollen up — bring the antidote, quick!"
"Whose heartless family dumped their dregs in the street? My leg has gone numb, gone black... it's about to rot off! Who dumped them? Speak up, and see if I don't poison you dead!"
...
Shen Mu walked the streets of Thunder Mountain City. Vendors lined both sides, openly displaying the poisons they had refined and crying their wares, their hawking never ceasing.
"Sister Mu's Thunder Mountain City is a thriving place indeed."
He looked about him and found no small number of precious medicinal ingredients, so he bought some. Some of the poison pills the vendors had refined were of fine quality as well, good enough to serve as base toxins for refining higher and stronger venoms, so he purchased some of those too.
Before he knew it he had reached the center of Thunder Mountain City. Here it was noisier still; there were many great round arenas, and some poison-refining adepts were fighting on the platforms.
Shen Mu stopped and watched a while. The adepts on the platforms fought their duels in a manner quite unlike any other. Around them were ranged jars beyond count, along with all manner of green leaves, flowers, and grasses.
The adepts on either side worked their arts, and the venomous insects and creatures in the jars fell to slaughtering one another. The victor crawled out of its jar, gnawed the green leaves, and evolved. Then the adepts swiftly planted seeds within the insect's body and, with strange arts, hastened the seeds, making them grow with incredible speed, blossom, and bear fruit.
The adepts fed the roots, stems, or fruits to other venomous insects, using the art of All Things Have Spirit to make them grow at furious speed, spraying poison mist or poison fire at the foe. The two venomous creatures battled furiously, while the adept on this side dodged the enemy's attacks and prepared a good antidote.
"Fighting on the platform means refining poison on the spot; the insects and poisons used are identical, so it is fair enough. Only these adepts are of mediocre skill — not much of a spectacle."
Shen Mu walked on. Suddenly, with a thunderous boom, one of the platforms split open. A colossal thing burst out from within, taking up more than half the arena. The venomous creature was a giant spider with the upper body of a beauty; it roared, shook its body, swallowed clouds and spat mist, driving the onlookers back again and again.
Astonishment showed on Shen Mu's face. "To breed a venomous thing like this from the few poisonous grasses, flowers, and insects on the platform — this adept's skill is no small matter!"