Chapter 479 — In the Barren Desert, a Crimson Sea and Rising Radiance
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Shen Mu examined his wounds with the utmost care and said, "I had an agreement with him. I could not take his life. And without taking his life, it is very hard to keep him. The Great Venerable's talent for fleeing is unmatched in this world; never have I met a man so slippery. But at least I left him half a leg."
Imperial Preceptor Jingping said gravely, "Letting him go will bring endless trouble. I cannot withstand his soul-worship sorcery either. Few know my true name, but if he goes to Jiangling to inquire, he can still find out what I am called. The Emperor's name, too, can be found out."
Shen Mu took out silver needles and stuck them into him until he bristled like a hedgehog, the last one going into the space between his brows. He said with a smile, "To me, the Great Venerable is no longer worth worrying about. The god-demon behind him is called Kuiwu. The Great Venerable plotted against him and stripped away his divine flesh. He hid Kuiwu's body on Yang Mountain in the Wasteland and his primal spirit on Yin Mountain. Destroy the primal spirit of Kuiwu, and the Great Venerable's soul-worship sorcery is broken."
Imperial Preceptor Jingping shot him a glance and said calmly, "And if the Great Venerable moves Kuiwu's primal spirit before you get there?"
Shen Mu was struck dumb. He slapped the Imperial Preceptor hard on the thigh; Imperial Preceptor Jingping's eyes streamed with tears from the pain. Shen Mu hastily withdrew his hand and swiftly refined several batches of spirit elixirs, saying, "The Great Venerable's skill in medicine is superb — only a hair short of mine. Even with half a leg gone, he will not die. You stay here; I will go to Yin Mountain first! Remember to take your medicine on time!"
Imperial Preceptor Jingping fetched the Black Tortoise Pearl and tossed it to him. "Take the Black Tortoise Pearl, just in case!"
Shen Mu left behind several bags of water and food, leaped onto Long Qilin's back, and sped away.
Imperial Preceptor Jingping leaned against the great boulder and tried to struggle to his feet, but fell back again. He panted a few rough breaths and smiled bitterly. "Wounded like this again... A good thing that little bastard of a Cult Master shoved the Black Tortoise Pearl into the Old Mother of True Heaven's hands and she did not strike at once. Otherwise he really would have played me to death..."
He could not help feeling a lingering dread.
Time and again Shen Mu had thrust the Black Tortoise Pearl or the Azure Mystic Water Dragon Pearl into the Old Mother of True Heaven's hands to test her, never once considering that Imperial Preceptor Jingping was not nearly as strong as he imagined.
The fellow had boundless faith in him — faith even Imperial Preceptor Jingping did not have in himself. Following at Shen Mu's side, the Imperial Preceptor felt danger at every turn.
"Good that the boy is gone. Yin Mountain is dangerous; following him is more dangerous still."
Imperial Preceptor Jingping lay back and closed his eyes to rest. Just then, behind the great boulder he leaned against, sand began to swirl without a sound, gathering, slowly forming a dune giant.
Imperial Preceptor Jingping noticed nothing. A snore rose in his throat, yet his eyes slowly opened.
Quietly he raised his hand and plucked from between his brows the silver needle Shen Mu had driven there.
It was no silver needle, but a sword — the Sorrowless Sword.
Holding the sword, eyes narrowed, Imperial Preceptor Jingping suddenly stabbed backward into the boulder behind him!
Behind the boulder, the dune giant smiled and lunged forward — and at that moment the Sorrowless Sword burst through the stone and ran in through the giant's heart. With a great boom, the eight thousand sword-lights within the Sorrowless Sword shot out in all directions, flying from the dune giant's body!