Chapter 115 — A Wicked Nature
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
These ninety-nine Daoists had still not reached the level of Fu Yundi, City Lord of Crimson Dragon.
The phantom of the eight-armed, eight-headed god behind Fu Yundi was fully manifested, as though substantial, terrifying beyond measure; plainly these Daoists were a grade or two below Fu Yundi. "But why are the deities transmuted from the vital essence of these ninety-nine Daoists all identical? " Shen Mu frowned. If an opponent had their measure, could he not kill them however he pleased?
"Such Daoists as these, Granny could kill ten of with one hand! " the youth thought.
The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping's promotion of the lesser and great schools had its drawbacks too: the martial arts and divine abilities taught were too uniform.
Shen Mu began to think that sects had their own merits after all — each sect and school had its own strengths and specialties, and their skills were wonderfully varied.
Of course, the lesser and great schools were still immensely useful: they kept more scholars from having their talents buried. After all, the sects of old took in only a few disciples, whereas now there were lesser and great schools everywhere, and men of talent came forth in abundance. The ninety-nine Daoists stood motionless; suddenly the deities transmuted from their vital essence drifted out from behind them and settled upon the round platforms before the hall.
The leading Daoist said in a deep voice, "Scholars from every region, in groups of ten, come forward in your ranks and unleash your strongest moves, each attacking the deity phantom before you!
Any means may be used — whether the way of gods, the way of demons, or the way of buddhas, employ them freely, no taboo!
The deity phantoms will attack you as well.
Of ten, one survives: the one left standing on the platform passes. " The scholars before the hall clamored. To withstand the deity phantoms' attacks, one of ten surviving — this trial was crueler still than the last.
The cliff trial had already eliminated half the scholars, and this one would eliminate nine out of ten! After a flurry of confusion, they divided into groups and took the platforms. Wei Yong hurried to put some distance between himself and Shen Mu, mounting a different platform.
Shen Mu stood on his platform; before long there were ten men on his round platform, and ten scholars on each of the other ninety-eight platforms as well. "Begin!
" shouted a Daoist. Scarcely had his voice fallen when on every round platform the ninety-nine deity phantoms stirred at once and attacked the scholars upon them; all of them defended themselves. Just then Shen Mu's movement technique was like a ghost's: he slipped past the deity phantom's attack and ran about the round platform, striking at long range and close in, and with nine thuds in succession nine figures flew out and tumbled off the platform. The scholars who shared his platform had not been knocked off by the deity phantom — he had knocked them all off himself!
On the platform, the deity phantom that had attacked Shen Mu abruptly halted, motionless. "You pass," said the leading Daoist in a deep voice, and the ninety-nine Daoists before the hall showed astonishment. Shen Mu bowed to him and stepped down from the platform.
The Daoist's face darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice to the Daoist beside him, "I observe that this youth's heart is not upright; there is something wicked in him.
Everyone else on the platform was joining forces against the deity phantom's attacks — he alone turned his hand against the others. " Even as he spoke, cries of alarm rose from the other round platforms: other scholars, following the example, dealt vicious blows to their platform-mates even under the deity phantoms' attacks, and within moments several hundred were forced off the platforms.
Soon the trial ended, with only a hundred or so remaining.