荒墟牧神 - 雷音古剎驚塵世 - 雲海書庫

n Mu did not possess—surely a secret art comprehended only through life-and-death trials! "Martial artists from other villages truly do have their own unique strengths!" Dragon patterns emerged on Shen Mu's back and wound around his body. His steps moved as if the Long River hung upside down, pouring headlong into the sea, waves roaring like thunder. He drove the first stance of the Eight Thunderclap Arts with his water-attribute Black Tortoise vital essence. Though he could not manage a palm thunderclap, he brought out with exhilarating abandon the momentum of river water cascading from high mountains down into the sea! The instant the two clashed, Shen Mu's fist met his opponent, and the water-attribute might of his Black Tortoise vital essence exploded, actually forming the likeness of a dragon head around his fist, riding the surging water in a furious charge! The young man felt at once that the other's power was overwhelmingly mighty, smashing through his vital essence as easily as snapping dry twigs. With alarm in his heart, he was sent flying by that one move. Yet in the very instant he was hurled away, the man actually lifted both feet from the ground and kicked at Shen Mu's chest. His soles, like tiger claws, were razor-sharp—with a ripping sound they tore through Shen Mu's clothes and nearly disemboweled him! In his haste Shen Mu stood on one foot and pitched backward, his other leg lashing out like lightning, sending the man tumbling head over heels through the air to crash more than a hundred feet away, flying clear off the platform. The man flipped over and sprang up, but just as he braced to stand, a sharp crack sounded from his leg—the bone had been snapped by Shen Mu's kick. The Alchemist's voice drifted over, unhurried: "Fine wound medicine! A broken bone mended by the next day—won't delay your hunting." Old Man Ma called out in a loud voice: "A pair of crutches, made of dragon-eye wood, sturdy beyond compare!" The Blind Old Man declaimed: "If your luck is bad, come to me—I'll defy heaven and rewrite your fate." "A pair of fortune scrolls—may great fortune arrive at your door!" the Hard-of-Hearing Old Man said loudly. Shen Mu's face darkened. He straightened himself. The situation a moment ago had been dangerous in the extreme, and yet the Alchemist and Old Man Ma were still concerned about whether their wares could be sold! "But Old Man Ma and the others were right. I lack life-and-death experience. That man's cultivation was not high—far lower than mine. I sent him flying in one move, yet in that instant of being flung away he could still kick with a tiger's leg, nearly disemboweling me and turning defeat into victory!" Shen Mu drew a long breath, his eyes gleaming. "I have far too little experience in this regard. The temple fair is a rare chance to fight with martial artists from villages two hundred li around and absorb their battle experience! This platform—I will defend it to the end, defend it to the very last!" Below the platform, the crowd grew ever larger, voices seething. The fight between Shen Mu and that young man had been witnessed by all, and they quickly saw that Shen Mu's cultivation was profound indeed, but his experience thin. To survive in the Desolate City, every village basically had its martial artists—some villages even had those who wielded divine powers. For the Desolate City was fraught with peril; the villagers honored martial might, brimming with wildness and fierce valor. Soon, another person leaped onto the platform—a girl. Her vital essence was a variant of Black Tortoise essence, but her attacks were vicious and ruthless. The moment they met, her vital essence coiled around Shen Mu's legs like a great serpent, constricting him tightly. After binding his legs, she slithered over his body like a female python, striking with deadly intent from front and back. Her vital essence was uncanny, turning into a great serpent that coiled around her. This essence was not pure Black Tortoi