Chapter 860 — The Supreme Token
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 4
" The Lanjiang Academy had more than twenty academies in all — the Sword Dao Academy, the Demon Dao Academy, the God Dao Academy, and others, each with its own strengths — and Shen Mu challenged them one by one. His aim was to learn the fruits of Lanjiang's reforms, so he used the Lanjiang Academy's own cultivation arts and divine powers to duel each academy, winning some and losing some.
His worst defeat was at Ban Gongcuo's Shaman Arts Tianxing Academy: Shen Mu competed with Ban Gongcuo in the art of fleeing for one's life, and was utterly routed. Shen Mu could not bear the loss of face and wanted to compete in shaman arts, but Ban Gongcuo would not compete with him at all; having beaten him, he fled and vanished without a trace. His easiest win was at the Crimson Radiance Divine Son's Creation Academy: in the arts of creation the Divine Son was indeed inferior to him, even though his cultivation and strength surpassed Shen Mu's by an immeasurable margin. The most relaxed was Xue Hu'er's Demon Academy, where Shen Mu romped with Xue Hu'er for a while, then drank himself senseless with the fox spirits and a whole horde of demons.
The worst beating was at the old farmer's Martial Academy: once he entered, Shen Mu began to take blows, until he could no longer stand. The warmest, though, was the Heavenly Blade Academy, where the two of them traded blows and stopped, fought and rested; Zaifu earnestly instructed him in the cultivation of the blade, hoping he might enter the Dao through the blade, and Shen Mu felt as though he had returned to his years in Yincan Village — it was very warm.
When Zaifu was not mad, he had the warmth of an elder. One day, Xing'an walked out of the Lanjiang Hall and said to Shen Mu, "Cult Master Shen, we may set out. " Shen Mu took his leave of them all, and said to Zaifu, "Grandpa Tu, this journey will surely be full of perils.
I will leave Lan Yutian here for now, and let him study Lanjiang's ways and arts. Grandpa Tu, you must look after him well.
There is no need to teach him cultivation arts, but you must urge him to cultivate. " Zaifu shot Xing'an a glance.
"I don't trust little Xing'an. This fellow is cruel and ruthless; if you travel alone with him, I fear he will do you harm.
Shen boy, a dog will never stop eating filth — the way he looks at you is wrong.
I suspect he badly wants your body! " Shen Mu said calmly, "Xing'an cannot harm me in the slightest. " Zaifu was still somewhat uneasy.
Shen Mu called Dragon Qilin and Yan'er, and set off on the road with Xing'an.
Xing'an took a dragon from the chest and blew a single breath upon it; the divine dragon came to life at once, riding the clouds and mist and darting through them at great speed.
Shen Mu sat on Dragon Qilin's head, and Dragon Qilin, driving clouds of fire, ran at full stride and caught up with the divine dragon. "This lunkhead of yours, Cult Master Shen, does not cultivate slowly at all. " Xing'an looked back, much surprised, and said, "Cult Master Shen, on this journey you have not brought a few experts along.
You truly trust me. " Shen Mu said leisurely, "Xing'an, what dazzling talent was yours in those years! In the battle at the Heavenly Sage Academy, the experts of my Yincan Village and the nation of Jingping were all but wiped out to the last man.
But times have changed, and your skills are no longer as dazzling as once they were.
To travel with you, I have no need of other experts.
" Xing'an said calmly, "You underestimate me.
Though I have realized that the path I walk is wrong, among all my peers in this world there is still scarcely a match for me. Even Su the Sword God would be one part or two inferior if he met me.
You should have called a few experts along, because you are very attractive to me.
You have seen what I keep alive in my chest; you should know that I have not wholly abandoned my former path.