Chapter 472 — A Thousand Men Stay Their Hands, Who Dares Go Forward?
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
When Kui Sou painted the village headman as a youth, that painting of the Sword God with the sword upon his back displayed power and might that were terrifying. When this painter painted the Heavenly Emperor, he must have been utterly devoted, seizing upon the Emperor's spirit and resonance, and so this Heavenly Emperor was strong enough to send the Jingping Imperial Preceptor flying.
Shen Mu grew somewhat uneasy at heart.
He had brought the Imperial Preceptor into the painting to shatter the fear in his heart; if the Imperial Preceptor could not even defeat the Heavenly Emperor within the painting, such a setback would very likely break his faith to pieces.
Yet at that moment the Imperial Preceptor came down off the wall and charged out again, battle-lust blazing, in no way diminished.
After a moment the Imperial Preceptor came flying back again, and Shen Mu roused his eight thousand swords, slaughtered the gods surging in, and looked toward the Imperial Preceptor on the wall, and saw him beaten black and blue. "Er, this is somewhat thorny; the Heavenly Emperor in the painting is likely above the gods.
.
.
" Even as he thought it, the Imperial Preceptor charged again. Bang.
The Imperial Preceptor was beaten back again. And so it went, over and over. The gate of Heaven before the Lingxiao Hall was already heaped full with the corpses of gods and demons; Shen Mu too was exhausted, gasping for breath, and the Imperial Preceptor still rushed again and again at the Heavenly Emperor atop the Lingxiao Hall, and again and again was beaten back, each time more wretched than the last.
Shen Mu's eyes flickered; he made ready to bring out the Five Thunder Pot, thinking, "Even if I must blow this place apart, I cannot let the Heavenly Emperor in the painting utterly defeat the Jingping Imperial Preceptor.
. .
" The Imperial Preceptor charged out once more, and after a moment every killing cry suddenly ceased; outside the Lingxiao Hall, all the gods and demons wore looks of terror, turned, and scattered in flight.
Shen Mu was stunned; he looked back, and saw the Jingping Imperial Preceptor standing behind him holding the Heavenly Emperor's head.
At that moment, though his whole body was covered in wounds, the Imperial Preceptor was smiling, a very pure smile.
The two looked at each other, and burst out laughing together.
The Imperial Preceptor raised his arm and flung the Heavenly Emperor's head far out of the Lingxiao Hall, and said in a loud voice, "Blade in hand I come forth from the forbidden palace, my hand holds the sovereign's head.
The Heavenly Blade truly had a hero's spirit; I have grasped at last the realm of meaning within his blade-art and blade-way! " Shen Mu, aching in every limb, walked toward the hall and laughed, "You're a monstrous freak, your comprehension is too high. Grandpa Tu taught me for so many years and only then did I work out the marvel of his blade-art, and you, who study the sword, can grasp the meaning of his blade-way.
My comprehension is far beneath yours. " The Imperial Preceptor turned and said, grave and earnest, "A person's comprehension grows as his vision and experience widen, and so does wisdom.
Your cultivation and strength are not yet sufficient; when you reach my realm, you will have every chance of seeing through all mysteries. In the future you will not lose to me, you will only be stronger than I.
You could think of using a celestial feast to shatter the god in my heart and set my Dao-heart in order again, and I could not.
Why should the Cult Leader belittle himself?
" Shen Mu came before the Heavenly Emperor's throne, dragged the headless corpse aside, and plumped himself down on the throne, and said in surprise, "The Jingping Imperial Preceptor thinks I can surpass you, that straight line?
" The Imperial Preceptor laughed: "You are of the younger generation. If the younger generation cannot surpass the elder, would this world not be too pitiful a place?