Chapter 736 — The Pinnacle of Martial Arts
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Shen Mu hesitated. Rescuing his woodcutter teacher was important, to be sure, but to go with Hu Bugui in search of Xu Shenghua, and together with Xu Shenghua to pioneer a method of uniting the divine treasury and ascending to the Heavenly Palace — that seemed the more interesting and meaningful path by far.
And besides, the Woodcutter Sage was, after all, a deity of the Yaotai realm; soaking in a stinking ditch for a year or so would hardly kill him. There seemed no need to rush.
Still, he was the woodcutter's disciple. To leave his teacher soaking in that filth without hauling him out — that truly would not do.
Yet even if Old Ox turned a blind eye, there was no way they could defeat an Imperial Throne powerhouse.
The old farmer was a powerhouse of the Imperial Throne realm, and one who had entered the Dao through martial arts. From Lingxiao to the Imperial Throne lay an insurmountable gulf. The Deva King Buddha of the Imperial Heavens was of the Lingxiao realm, yet even he had shamelessly gone to beg the true scriptures of the Great Brahma King Buddha — from which one could see just how formidable the Imperial Throne was.
As he stood there wavering, the old farmer suddenly stepped down from the Imperial Throne, walked out of the Lingxiao Hall to the gate. His face was full of creases, steeped in the vicissitudes of time, and he said, "Sanduo, they have already passed."
Old Ox was slightly startled, and said hastily, "Master, they could not even pass my test, let alone yours. Why does Master say they have passed?"
The old farmer descended the steps of the Lingxiao Hall. Old Ox hurriedly dropped to his foreknees and transformed back into an ox, following behind him. The old farmer shook his head and said, "The purpose of the Dou Niu Palace's trials is to let the children comprehend the Dao through martial arts, to fathom a path that can cross the Spirit Bridge realm and ascend directly — to give those who come after a hope. I once believed that if someone defeated me, they could pioneer this path."
He walked down and summoned Shen Mu and Hu Bugui, sizing them up from head to toe. On his plain, rugged face, scored like earth furrowed by an iron plow, a smile emerged. "But just now it suddenly occurred to me — crossing the Spirit Bridge and ascending directly to the Heavenly Palace, I had already accomplished that long ago. I was the first person to lack the Spirit Bridge realm. I have not read many books; my path does not suit others."
Shen Mu and Hu Bugui were both shaken to the core, gazing at him in disbelief.
Who could have severed the Martial Arts Heavenly Master's Spirit Bridge?
Since the Martial Arts Heavenly Master had already advanced into the divine realm despite missing an entire realm, why had he not passed his cultivation method on to the people of the Dou Niu Realm?
Yet the thirty-six War Gods of Jade Capital were not in the least surprised — clearly they had long known that the old farmer was this sort of person.
"I have just realized that what I can do, not everyone can do."
The old farmer said, "I have devoted my life's energy to the martial Dao. There is nothing else in my heart — wholehearted, pure as a newborn. I may possess wondrous methods and wondrous secrets, but others cannot learn them, cannot master them, and cannot possibly ascend to the Heavenly Palace as I did. Even if Hu Bugui cultivates to my level and ascends to the Heavenly Palace, he will merely be walking my old road; his method still cannot help more people of the Dou Niu Realm ascend. The woodcutter was right — this is not the way to solve the Dou Niu Palace's predicament."