Chapter 854 — Reunion with an Old Acquaintance at the Peach Blossom Spring
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 4 of 4
" Shen Mu searched the entire Academy but found no trace of the blind elder.
His heart tightened, and he hurried to find the Dragon Qilin, who was listening to a lecture with the utmost seriousness.
The Dragon Qilin said, "Old Blind went into the peach grove.
He said he would just take a look inside and told me not to tell the Cult Master. " Shen Mu flared up. "That old blind fool never lets one rest easy! How long has he been gone? " "He went in as soon as the Cult Master began his studies. " The Dragon Qilin hastily added, "Cult Master, just go and find him.
I will protect Young Master Lan. Young Master Lan can also refine spirit pills, so the Cult Master need not worry about my provisions.
" "You must guard him well—there must be no mishap!
" Shen Mu hurried out of the town and arrived at the edge of the peach garden. He cast his gaze about and saw the grove dense and luxuriant, blossoms clustering like brocade in countless profusion—one could not count how many trees, how many flowers. He flew up into the sky and looked ahead, only to find the peach trees still stretching before him; he could not fly over them.
He had no choice but to descend and walk step by step into the grove, his imperishable divine sense flying forth in all directions in search of the blind elder.
He walked for no telling how long.
The peach trees around him put forth green fruit; he walked on, and the peaches reddened; farther still, the leaves withered and fell in crimson drifts; and as he continued, snow began to flutter from the sky. Abruptly he turned his head and saw that he was still at the edge of the grove, having advanced only a short distance into it.
"Just as Daoist Master Lin said, this grove is indeed strange!
Grandpa Blind need only turn around to walk out, so why has he still not come out? " He steadied his mind and tried to find a formation, but no matter how he urged his sage eye, he could detect not the least trace of one.
His imperishable divine sense likewise could not find the end of the peach grove. By then the sun had set, the sky was darkening, and stars were beginning to glitter overhead.
Shen Mu looked up to study the stars, attempting to fix his bearings, when he suddenly gave a slight start.
"This configuration of stars is not right. .
.
indeed, it is not right. This is not the star chart that hangs over Jingping—this is the true night sky!
" He abruptly tore away the willow leaf at the center of his brow and said in a low voice, "Lord Heaven, can your true body see me? " From the Shen Continent came Lord Heaven's voice: "Wait, let me search.
.
. Found you!
Eh, when did you leave the Origin Realm? " Shen Mu's mind reeled.
"I am not in the Origin Realm?
Then, Lord Heaven, where am I now? " "A very strange cosmos—you are standing beside a peach tree.
" Shen Mu said in a deep voice, "Lord Heaven, are there palaces ahead of me?
Can you point out the way?
" The avatar of Lord Heaven within the Shen Continent laughed.
"Look up at the stars, and I shall light a guiding star for you. Follow that star.
" Shen Mu raised his eyes to the sky, and a star suddenly appeared among the heavens—evidently Lord Heaven had pinched a sun from somewhere and hung it above Xuandu. Within Xuandu, Lord Heaven set the star moving, and Shen Mu followed its track forward.
After a long while, a stretch of palaces suddenly appeared before him; in the night, ever-burning lamps hung outside the palaces. Then he heard a very pleasant female voice laugh, "I have a guest—an old acquaintance.
Go and bring him in. " "Yes.
" Several girlish voices answered from within the palace, and then a few young women, lanterns in hand, came rustling out through the palace gates.