Chapter 88 — The Heavenly Demon Horde
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 4
His strides came faster and faster, and without knowing it he was working the Heaven-Stealing Leg Technique the Lame Elder had taught him into his running; the qi within him surged in torrents and poured into his legs.
Shen Mu gave a long whistle and stamped down.
The air beneath his foot was crushed and compressed together into a wild wind — wind made by his own footsteps.
The instant that foot came down, Shen Mu felt that the sky was level ground; the vast heavens were level ground everywhere, every part of them a place to set his foot! His speed exploded.
He trod the void and ran, and in a few strides burst out of the sullen grey mist, his figure rising above it, speeding straight for the mountain gate of Fengdu.
Suddenly an enormous shape leaped up out of the grey mist — a monster wreathed in roaring flame, as though wrought of lava, its fists heavy as mountains, and it swung one fist at Shen Mu in mid-flight!
Shen Mu ran on at furious speed, faster and faster, the air screaming as he tore through it — and suddenly the Butcher's Blade soared up from the blade-satchel on his back and fell into his hand!
Sun Shines over the Eastern Sea, a Thousand Layers of Waves!
The Butcher's Blade blazed in his hand, a brilliant sun leaping up out of the sea, a thousand waves piled one upon another and surging forward.
Clang, clang, clang — The clatter of blows rang without cease. Shen Mu and that colossal thing crashed together, then rebounded; he sheathed his blade and ran on.
Crack, crack, crack, crack — chunks of stone fell to the ground, and then a huge head dropped and rolled twice: the lava giant had been unmade by his blade art. This was blade-art divine ability.
That lava giant had been a divine arts user, his arts strong and his strength boundless, yet even he was a little weaker than Zai Fu's blade-art divine ability! Suddenly lightning flashed and thunder rolled in the sky, and a handsome youth rose slowly out of the grey mist below him, lightning crackling between his hands; all at once he spread his ten fingers, and bolts of thunder wove themselves into a net and chopped down at Shen Mu!
"A divine ability evolved from the Azure Dragon's qi?
Stronger than Lord Huo's fist-art divine ability?
" Shen Mu bellowed and struck out with his fist; within the fist his qi became a dragon, became forty-five kinds of draconic force — Nine Dragons Command Wind and Thunder!
Forty-five azure dragons roared, dragon-cries rolled, lightning flashed and thunder pealed, swallowing the handsome youth whole.
The two fists met; the handsome youth's body stiffened in the air, then burst apart with a bang, and flesh and blood flew out as forty-five crimson dragons!
"I am this strong? " Shen Mu started in fright. He had seen the power of Nine Dragons Command Wind and Thunder long ago at Lord Huo's hands, but Lord Huo was Lord Huo after all, and it was only natural that his power should be great; now that Shen Mu had raised his fist art to the level of divine ability, he realized how terrifying the might of the Eight Thunderclap Techniques truly was.
But the clamor of Nine Dragons Command Wind and Thunder was far too loud; it was certain to reach the Heavenly Demon Horde in the mist and tell them where he was!
In the next instant Shen Mu heard the whistle of things cutting the air. His heart sank.
The demon god had scattered a vast multitude of the Heavenly Demon Horde, and without ground to his advantage he could not hold them off at all. He drew closer and closer to the gate of Fengdu, when suddenly demon clouds rolled up ahead, a black and heavy mass blotting out his sight.
Shen Mu sighed, halted at once, and let his body drop down into the grey mist.