Chapter 480 — Realms in Fusion
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Ban Gongcuo's heart tightened. He said hastily, "I had no choice in the matter. As the saying goes, 'no blows exchanged, no bond formed.' Had I not crossed blades with Brother Xing An once, how would I ever have had the chance to know you?"
Xing An smiled faintly. "Your master's primordial spirit — I would very much like to add it to my collection."
Ban Gongcuo was just thinking of luring him into some perilous place, letting him clash head-on with Imperial Preceptor Jingping, and delighting in the sight of both sides suffering grievous losses. He smiled and said, "If Brother Xing An finds it worthy, by all means take it. Only, brother, this leg of mine — you see..."
Xing An leaped into the chest with a thud, and his voice came from within. "The great divine physician Shen has seized no small number of my collection. What remains is not much. Make do with the deer leg for now. Once I have killed Divine Physician Shen and Imperial Preceptor Jingping, gifting you a divine leg will be no trouble at all."
Ban Gongcuo had no choice but to pick up the deer leg and reattach it, this time with greater care, lest it leave some hidden ailment. He thought to himself, "Xing An is stingy. When the time comes, he may not be willing to give me a divine leg. But once he and Imperial Preceptor Jingping have battered each other half to death, his entire collection will be mine!"
Long Qilin bore Shen Mu back into the Barren Ruins, racing like wind and lightning all the way toward Yin Mountain. After two days of travel, he saw that the strange beasts around them gradually grew sparse, but many villages appeared, along with monks coming and going.
When those monks saw him riding past on Long Qilin, they halted one after another and turned to look at him, their gazes strange.
"Sect Master, why are they staring at us?" Long Qilin wondered.
The formation patterns in Shen Mu's eyes rotated as he looked toward those monks. What met his gaze was no longer monks at all — but one after another great demon with a ferocious, snarling visage!
He looked at the villagers along the way. These villages were thriving with people, and they too were a host of great demons, each with a different face.
Suddenly, a bell tolled from afar with a single resonant note, deeply melodious.
Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly. "We have arrived near Little Thunderclap Monastery."
He leaped down from Long Qilin's back and proceeded on foot. The monks who had been watching them all turned their heads away and looked no more.
Long Qilin was puzzled. "Sect Master, why have they stopped looking?"
Shen Mu said in a low voice, "All beings are equal."
Long Qilin was still somewhat confused. "I carry you on my back, Sect Master, to earn a meal. If all beings are equal, who will refine spirit pills to fill my belly?"
Shen Mu could not help but laugh. After a moment, they passed by Little Thunderclap Monastery. Shen Mu looked up and could not help but marvel again and again.
Little Thunderclap Monastery was built by Little Tathagata. Little Tathagata had originally been a demon monk of Great Thunderclap Monastery, who became a disciple of the Tathagata of that time. His cultivation realm was exceedingly high, his divine powers vast. Because he had not become the Tathagata of Great Thunderclap Monastery, he left in indignation and came to the Barren Ruins to found Little Thunderclap Monastery.
The luxury of this Little Thunderclap Monastery was in no way inferior to Great Thunderclap Monastery — it even surpassed it. Strange peaks and steep ridges rose tall and sheer; upon each peak stood stone statues clad in gold; temples and monasteries great and small burned with abundant incense; and there were good men and faithful women transformed from all manner of great demons, come to worship the Buddha.
The smoke of the incense had even transformed into clouds and mist among the mountains, wreathing and spreading, forming incense clouds.