Chapter 858 — Dragons and Serpents Rise in the Southern Wasteland
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
But it was precisely because of this that the Lanjiang Academy of Learning could let all manner of divine powers and dharma arts collide, and all manner of currents of thought collide.
After arriving at the Lanjiang Academy of Learning, Shen Mu had found it the wildest of all the great academies of learning; along the way he had witnessed dozens of brawls, great and small.
And the Directorate of Education and the Libationers of the Lanjiang Academy of Learning paid them no mind; on the contrary, they cheered from the sidelines, and took pride in their own disciples' victories.
Libationer Bashan's eyes flickered. "Junior Brother, you have come here to study, but in truth attending lectures is not the best way to learn."
Shen Mu said, "Oh?" and humbly asked for instruction: "Then what, Senior Brother, is the best way?"
Libationer Bashan laughed heartily. "Fighting, of course. Every academy of my Lanjiang Academy of Learning has its achievements. In Jingping's reform and transformation of the law, the most advanced work is not in the Imperial Academy — the Imperial Academy is too orthodox, too timid in developing dharma arts and divine powers, forever afraid of being punished by the emperor. But here I am far from the emperor's reach; Emperor Yanfeng cannot govern this place. Here any dharma art can be developed, any martial art or divine power exists."
He rose to his feet, shook out his great cloak, revealing beneath it a broad chest and a body of sinew, and said mildly, "And whether any divine power or dharma art is any good still depends on how it performs once blows are exchanged. You have come to my Lanjiang Academy of Learning to study — naturally you should fight your way through, academy by academy, from one end of my Lanjiang Academy of Learning to the other."
Shen Mu showed a look of timidity. "Fighting my way through... that does not seem quite right."
Libationer Bashan shot him a sidelong glance. "Junior Brother is not afraid, is he?"
Shen Mu nodded again and again, and sighed, "Yan'er loves to feed me, and she has already used up all my spirit medicines. I replenished them once on the road, and they are nearly gone. If I injure the Libationers and the Directorate of the Lanjiang Academy of Learning, what shall I use to heal them?"
Libationer Bashan clenched his fist; his bones cracked. He chuckled, "Junior Brother has grown greatly in these years abroad. Even your way of speaking has more spirit than before, and your breathing is heavier too."
Shen Mu, his breath faint as gossamer, said weakly, "I am certainly no match for Senior Brother. Senior Brother long ago broke through the Divine Bridge and cultivated into a god. I have only just barely opened the Heavenly River Divine Treasury, and who knows how long I must cultivate before I ascend to the Heavenly Palace. Grandpa Tu must have taught you some blade art again, surely? And the Martial Combat Heavenly Master must have taught you many good things as well; from the remnant clan of Crimson Bright, Senior Brother must also have learned a great deal. I would not dare claim to be even slightly stronger than Senior Brother."
Libationer Bashan waved both hands hastily. "I am not as diligent as you. You have the Overlord Body, and you are more hardworking than I. I certainly cannot beat you; at most I can beat you half to death."
Shen Mu stretched his body; a dragon's roar came from within him. He laughed, "Grandpa Tu is right here. How could he bear to see me beat his prized disciple until he is crawling on the ground looking for his teeth?"
"The Heaven Blade Master indeed cannot bear to see me thrash you. If the old man saw me beat you so badly you could not get out of bed, would he not draw his blade and kill me?"