Chapter 541 — A Black Heart Beats a Demon
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
"You were the slowest of them all, and you came by air besides. You landed here and gave away your position — of course you would draw a hunter."
The demon expert watched the broken stones on the ground with a wary eye, yet his manner stayed unhurried. "And of everyone, you are the one who looks the easiest to push around. How could I not come? Though your strength truly is beyond what I expected..."
He looked at the rubble strewn across the ground, his pupils narrowing, his aura unfurling little by little. "You look easy to bully, but your strength is monstrous. You may not have the makings of a true god, yet your power has reached that height. You are no weaker than Shuyou or Huangyue. I am very curious — after that death-match with Shi Quansong, how much of your strength do you still have? Is this peach of mine so easy to pluck?"
The flying swords on the ground drifted up one by one. Shen Mu straightened his back, gasping hoarsely, then his breathing suddenly steadied. His face broke into a smile. "Ever since I became the Dark Demon Cult Master, it has been a long time since anyone dared say I look easy to bully. If you want to pluck the peach, why not come and try?"
A moment ago he had been panting like an ox; now he seemed as though nothing had happened.
The demon expert smiled. "Shi Quansong is immensely strong. Even I must be wary of his skills. You fought him to the death — your wounds cannot be light. You are suppressing your aura, but you cannot hide your injuries. Still, rest assured: if your strength is truly still great, great enough to wound me, I will turn and walk away and go look for someone else."
He surveyed his surroundings and said leisurely, "After all, who knows how many opponents are hidden in these mountains and forests. I need to save my strength for the others, do I not?"
His voice carried a seductive demonic cadence, like a kind elder brother from next door, as though he were sincerely thinking of Shen Mu's welfare. Yet Shen Mu's mind remained clear.
He was the Dark Demon Cult Master himself. Though he often styled himself the Heavenly Sage Cult Master, the Dark Demon Cult after all held many great masters steeped in the demonic path, and the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture is exceedingly strange: it changes with the heart. Let demon-nature arise in the heart, and the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture is demonic art; let god-nature arise in the heart, and the Great Nurturing Dark Demon Scripture is upright and honorable.
As the Dark Demon Cult Master, Shen Mu was not about to be blinded by his demonic voice.
He did not believe a single word this demon expert said!
Those words had been spoken for one purpose only: to make Shen Mu lower his guard. "I will turn and walk away" — "who knows how many opponents are hidden" — believe that, and you are dead!
Shen Mu stood motionless. Eight thousand swords lay scattered, drifting around him — the formation of Sword-Steps Over Mountains and Rivers, poised and ready to strike.
Suddenly the demon expert moved, charging straight at Shen Mu. The energy erupting from that youth's true-god-like flesh was terrifying. Shen Mu's Sword-Steps Over Mountains and Rivers had only just unleashed its power when the man was about to burst out of the landscape.
Shen Mu roared. Sword-Steps Over Mountains and Rivers still locked his figure in place. At that instant the demon expert drew out a great banner and rolled it against the sword-light — and a large piece of the landscape scroll was gone.
"A formation expert!"
Shen Mu was startled. The banner planted itself in the ground, its cloth unfurling to reveal countless demonic patterns. The patterns revolved, and an eye appeared.
The demon expert retreated, leaping into the demon eye, and vanished. The power of Sword-Steps Over Mountains and Rivers burst forth, but it could do nothing to that demon banner — clearly the banner was a rare treasure.