Chapter 850 — A Single Line of Sword Mark
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 5
In recent years Jingping had achieved a great deal in array arts. Besides battle arrays, killing arrays, city-defense arrays and the like, all manner of new arrays had appeared, and the most fundamental of them were the array patterns.
Just as swordsmanship has nineteen basic sword moves, array patterns are the foundation of which arrays are composed. To be able to add several new patterns to the existing ones was already a remarkable achievement!
In the nation of Jingping there were many array masters, though each cultivated in a different direction. Among them, Su Yunzhi, Grand Libationer of Yongjiang Academy, was a great expert in array arts, specializing in city-defense arrays; and Shen Jian, also known as Shen Baoyue, Grand General of Heavenly Strategy, specialized in battle arrays — he and the Duke of Wei were together called gods of the army.
Wei Pingbo, the Minister of Works, oversaw Jingping's waterworks; he too was a master of arrays, skilled at laying them out by making use of terrain.
And though the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping had made his name by his swordsmanship, his attainments in array arts surpassed even those of the Grand General of Heavenly Strategy and the rest.
These talents of Jingping had absorbed the array achievements of the Kaihuang Era and then pushed them further, and their accomplishments were naturally extraordinary.
Shen Mu called for the Dragon Qilin and the Water Qilin, took his leave of Su Yunqing, Yuyuan Chuyu and the others, came to the riverside, and summoned the Dragon-Rearing Lord.
At the sight of the Blind Elder, the Dragon-Rearing Lord could not help but shiver, and he smiled apologetically. "Lord Divine Spear, it has been a long time."
The Blind Elder closed his eyes and surveyed him with the Heart-Sage Eye, then opened them and said, "Why have you still made no progress? Dragon-Rearing Lord, your cultivation is too low — how will you ever command the Heavenly River? If you do not strive to improve, sooner or later someone will do away with you."
The Dragon-Rearing Lord hesitated. "This little dragon is dull of talent—"
The Blind Elder sneered. "You have lectured at Yongjiang Academy and served as a Libationer there; you must know that the Tower of Heavenly Records at Yongjiang Academy holds the Ancestral Dragon Grand Mystery Art. Why have you not studied it?"
The Dragon-Rearing Lord glanced at Shen Mu and smiled apologetically. "The Ancestral Dragon Grand Mystery Art is such a formidable cultivation method — how would I dare learn it by stealth?"
The Blind Elder did not know whether to laugh or cry, and shook his head. "You are too cautious. Your lord has already made the Ancestral Dragon Grand Mystery Art public — anyone in the world may cultivate it. How could he possibly forbid you to learn it? Those flood dragons that used to lie on top of you crying 'Maha maha' have all learned it, and some of them now surpass you in ability. If you do not improve, the day will come when it is your turn to lie on top of them crying 'Maha maha.'"
The Dragon-Rearing Lord was overjoyed and thanked him again and again, then carried him up the river toward the Dao Sect.
Shen Mu sat on the Dragon-Rearing Lord's head and sought the Blind Elder's instruction in array arts, while Yu Tianzun listened in as well. The Blind Elder had thought it would take half a year of teaching before they could learn it, yet after only six days he had nothing left to teach.
The Blind Elder's eyes went round as saucers. Suddenly seized by a fit of inexplicable anger, he pounded his fist on the Dragon-Rearing Lord's head a few times.