Chapter 783 — The Giant Palm Condensed by Magnetic Force
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
Deva King Buddha said: "Fortunately it is the Vermilion Emperor who hunts me; she leaves me a little chance of staying alive. But I hear the Heavenly Court is preparing to send other experts, who will stop at nothing to take me, and from my mouth obtain the Old Buddha's Emperor Throne cultivation art. The blame the Old Buddha pinned on me is firm and solid. And how goes your blame?"
"A few more pieces of it," Shen Mu said.
The two could not help feeling a mutual admiration, and a deep sense of sharing the same affliction.
"The Vermilion Emperor hunted me all the way here; luckily that Bai woman frightened her off, or I would truly have been captured by her, and half a lifetime of cultivation ruined."
Deva King Buddha glanced at Yu Tianzun and asked curiously: "And which benefactor is this young friend?"
"He is Lan Yutian."
Shen Mu did not introduce him at length. "Another Overlord Body, very clever, not inferior to me. Someone entrusted him to my care, and I am bringing him along to cultivate. He learns anything quickly, and his cultivation advances at astonishing speed. King Buddha, I intend to seek out old acquaintances in the Desolate Ruins and rescue the common folk. Since you happen to be here, will you come along? You could also teach Lan Yutian some of the basic Buddhist runes."
Deva King Buddha hesitated a moment. "These old acquaintances you seek — would I know them?"
Shen Mu shook his head. "No. Just ordinary villagers of the Desolate Ruins."
Deva King Buddha set his mind at ease. "To heal the sick and save the dying is the duty of the Buddhist order. I will go with you."
Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief as well. The three set off together, and Deva King Buddha taught Yu Tianzun the basic Buddhist runes. After some time he could not help marveling: "Layman Shen, is this Benefactor Lan truly an Overlord Body? He learns the basic Buddhist runes even faster than you!"
Shen Mu's face darkened.
The more Deva King Buddha looked at Yu Tianzun, the better he liked him. "If the Old Buddha were here, he would surely be glad to pass on the Emperor Throne cultivation art to him. Why do you let me teach him only the basic runes? I have learned the Old Buddha's Emperor Throne art as well; I will simply pass it on to him."
Shen Mu said hastily: "You must not. That would ruin a fine sprout. Not only must you not teach him any cultivation art, you must not even teach him divine powers! Divine Treasury, Heavenly Palace — none of it! Teach him only principles!"
Deva King Buddha was puzzled by his meaning, but he still taught Yu Tianzun the Buddhist runes as asked.
The Buddhist runes were called Sanskrit, a language system created by Mahabrahma King Buddha; the sounds of the spoken and written words all carried the rhyme of the Way, and bore some resemblance to the ancient divine script.
Lan Yutian learned very quickly, drawing three inferences from one instance, and Deva King Buddha marveled aloud.
But he soon discovered that though Lan Yutian was clever, he was also somewhat foolish.
"It seems something is missing from his soul."
Deva King Buddha, having seen much and traveled far, soon found where Lan Yutian's trouble lay. "His soul is somewhat unstable, and there are other fragments of soul scattered outside."
They walked out of that ancient battlefield, and suddenly the earth shook violently, the ground cracked open, and a stone statue of a divine beast rose from underground, higher and higher. Springs gushed up from beneath the earth, more and more of them, and soon a great river formed before them.
The stone statue of the divine beast was half submerged in the spring water, half exposed.
"A demigod — a water qilin!"
Shen Mu halted. In the river water, that demigod statue was transforming at flying speed; the stone veins on its body sloughed away, and it swiftly recovered flesh and blood. All at once it shook its head, tossed its mane, and stamped upon the great water, soaring into the sky!