Tales of Herding Gods

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

‘What exactly is the so-called martial path and martial soul?’

Qin Mu examined the descendants of the god races, and they indeed had an abnormal bearing and aura. They had a spirit that seemed to be advancing courageously and smashing all obstructions that were in their way.

It was different from the blazing spirit of the divine arts practitioners of Eternal Peace Empire.

Even though the divine arts practitioners of Eternal Peace were brave and bold, their auras and spirits were dynamic and had numerous variations. It was like a pot of boiling oil, every bubble had a different color, and that was the spirit gifted to them by the reform of the era. Talents bloomed everywhere, and a hundred schools of thought contended.

On the other hand, the spirit of the god races wasn’t the spirit of an era; it was the spirit of martial arts.

That kind of spirit wasn’t full of emotions like Butcher, the knife expert. It wasn’t dynamic and reserved like Village Chief, the sword expert. It was also not quick-witted and strange like Granny Si, the divine arts expert. It wasn’t similar to Deaf whose talents lie in his art. It was different from Blind who could see through everything and was unruly and free. It was also different from Mute’s blazing fire that was hidden within the volcano furnace.

They were like ascetic monks; they were like Old Ma, who had yet to become Buddha.

Qin Mu’s eyes sparkled.

That was right, just like Old Ma!

Old Ma of Disabled Elderly Village.

Back then, Old Ma wasn’t good with words and laughter. He had a serious expression at all times and did everything seriously. Qin Mu’s seriousness was learned from him.

Even though Old Ma’s body was straight, he gave off a feeling that he was carrying a burden while walking forward. It was like he was carrying a Mount Meru and the mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

That kind of pressure became his motivation.

Of course, pressure turning into motivation was only the situation when one didn’t get crushed. If the pressure was too heavy, one would be completely crushed.

Old Ma had been crushed for a period of time. Only after Qin Mu arrived at Disabled Elderly Village did he finally resist the pressure and continue to fight on.

The young descendants of the god races were like Old Ma. They were also a bunch of martial arts practitioners that were holding up against immense pressure.

However, their pressure wasn’t from Mount Meru; it was because the divine bridges of their races had been completely broken. With Divine Bridge Realm not existing at all, they felt the despair of being unable to become gods.

That kind of despair would become their motivation to force them to continue moving forward, making them search for a solution.

It would also become a huge mountain that could completely crush their spirit and will.

‘It’s martial arts practitioners!’

Qin Mu’s gaze shone brighter and brighter. He revealed a smile. “Once upon a time, before I had cultivated divine arts, I was also a martial arts practitioner like this. But after I opened up my Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, I gradually forgot this spirit.”

Martial art practitioner was the term for people who had yet to enter the path of cultivation. Martial arts practitioners could only rely on low-level methods such as their fists, legs, and weapons. Old Ma’s state in Disabled Elderly Village was also similar to a martial arts practitioner, creating effects of divine arts through battle techniques from their corporeal body. Furthermore, the power was even stronger and fiercer!

Finally, everyone started to enter Southern Heavenly Gate. Qin Mu stood on the spot and didn’t move. He didn’t understand the intention of Martial Arts Heavenly Teacher to get them to enter Southern Heavenly Gate. What did entering the path with martial arts have to do with entering the celestial palace?

Under Southern Heavenly Gate, a girl suddenly gave a dull grunt as the immense pressure broke her bones and snapped her tendons. She was completely squashed by a huge chunk. She laid on the ground and coughed up blood continuously!

Another youth continued walking, and his thigh bone just snapped.

Some people even had holes bursting open from their bodies. Fresh blood spewed out and flowed from everywhere.

Some people even suddenly vomited out huge mouthfuls of blood as their five viscera and six bowels burst apart from the pressure.

On the other hand, others seemed to be carrying a Southern Heavenly Gate, and some of their corporeal bodies slowly shrank as they walked forward while enduring the pressure. The pressure would suddenly increase drastically with each step they took and soon, they were no taller than five feet.

As they continued forward, their body became smaller and smaller. Soon, they were no taller than one foot.

Some people got crushed and knelt down, pressing down on the ground with their arms while coughing up huge mouthfuls of blood. Even their arms couldn’t endure the pressure of Southern Heavenly Gate, and the bone snapped.

More people roared and swung their fists and legs to use corporeal body divine arts to defend against the pressure of Southern Heavenly Gate. Their fists and legs were like heaven splitting ax, which split apart the pressure to allow them to walk forward.

Qin Mu frowned and looked at Southern Heavenly Gate in doubt. Could the gate really be the gate of an Emperor’s Throne, could the pressure really be the pressure which only a true god could withstand?

How could divine arts practitioners on Life and Death Realm withstand that kind of strong pressure?

If it was the Southern Heavenly Gate of an Emperor’s Throne, only true gods could possess the ability to cross. Those that had yet to cultivate to true god would probably be crushed!

Martial Arts Heavenly Teacher couldn’t be using that kind of method to eliminate them, right?

‘The runes on Southern Heavenly Gate aren’t completely lit up.’

Qin Mu observed for a moment, and not even one percent of the markings on Southern Heavenly Gate were lit up. That meant that the pressure was far from the level of a true god.

It was obvious that Martial Arts Heavenly Teacher was still in check.

Even though the god races had walked for a long time, Southern Heavenly Gate was too tall and too wide; they hadn’t even crossed half of the distance, and the pressure was only growing. Just that gate alone was going to eliminate more than half of the divine arts practitioners.

Qin Mu took off his shirt and was topless. Tying the end of his pants, he said with a smile, “Fatty Dragon, you don’t have to go in, help me look after my clothes.”

He handed his shirt and taotie sack to the dragon qilin. With his empty hands, he didn’t bring along any weapons.

The dragon qilin let out a sigh of relief and took the clothes. “Cult Master doesn’t need your sword pellet?”

“I don’t!”

Qin Mu gave a low shout and raised one hand up and lowered one hand down. The markings of a green dragon appeared on his back and gradually transformed into a big green dragon. The green dragon flew out from his body and coiled around his corporeal body.

He stretched his body once again, and his bones crackled. The green dragon dispersed and the markings of a white tiger appeared on his back. A white tiger leaped out from his back, and the roar of the tiger rang throughout the forest.

With one leg stretched back and one leg bent forward, the markings of black tortoise appeared, and under his feet rose a huge tortoise that had a dragon-head and a tortoise-body. It stepped on the black sea and a malicious looking thousand-winged serpent coiled around it.

Qin Mu opened his arms and the black tortoise dispersed. Flames rose behind him, and a vermillion bird flapped its wings to rise from the flames.

“I want to pick up the martial arts spirit and fight my way in!”

He threw aside all of his distracting thoughts and forgot all about divine arts. He forgot his sword skills and sword path, ignoring all of the disputes and troubles on the outside. He forgot about Eternal Peace and let his spirit returned to when he was young, during the days he had cultivated diligently in Disabled Elderly Village. He returned back to the time where he was cultivating diligently with Old Ma, Blind, and Butcher.

Back then, he followed the elders in the village to train his body. When he could relax, he would herd the cows and play his bamboo flute.

His thoughts became incomparably pure as though he had transformed back into that cowherb boy. Yet, he was different as well.

In the past, his thoughts were pure as white paper, and at that point, his mind had finally settled after experiencing all kinds of dangers.

On his neck, the wisdom beads gifted by Sakra Buddha suddenly opened up. The wisdom beads fell off, and for every wisdom bead that fell off, another wisdom bead would form and take its place.

Those were wisdom beads that were formed by his wisdom.

Every bead was the size of an egg, and every wisdom bead was smooth, round, and translucent. They flowed continuously around his neck and seemed to be able to penetrate into the hearts of others.

Qin Mu walked into Southern Heavenly Gate with wide steps, and just as he entered, he felt an invisible pressure on him that caused his bones to give off popping sounds.

The pressure on the corporeal body was still considered light; the pressure on the primordial spirit was the fiercest one!

Qin Mu roared and executed Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique and defended against the pressure while walking forward.

The more he walked forward, the stronger the pressure was. Waves of dragon roars came from Qin Mu’s body, and they were the Eight Voices of Ancestral Dragon vibrating and ringing throughout his entire body with his qi and blood.

He had already caught up to the first batch of people and raised his hands to lift them up. He threw them out of Southern Heavenly Gate. If he left them under Southern Heavenly Gate, they would only be crushed to death, and he couldn’t bear to see that.

The pressure grew stronger and stronger, and qi and blood leaked out from Qin Mu’s body and became denser and denser.

His qi and blood was close to berserk and formed a torrent behind him, and his eyes were becoming brighter and brighter.

Behind him, the torrent of qi and blood sometimes transformed into a green dragon which rumbled with thunder. It sometimes transformed into a black tortoise, creating waves on the black sea. Sometimes it would transform into a vermillion bird with flames overflowing into the sky. Other times, it would transform into a white tiger that was fierce and brave.

All kinds of apparitions changed behind his back to help him slash everything in his way, allowing him to advance courageously!

Finally, he caught up to the people in front, and everyone had already been squashed into three-inch humans. Even so, none of them moved back, and they continued to walk forward.

Fresh blood kept pouring out from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, yet they kept fighting against the pressure and tried to walk out of Southern Heavenly Gate.

Qin Mu also pressed down until he was only a foot tall. He walked in front of the others and suddenly laughed, releasing his restraints. “Even the best painter can’t draw out the spirit of people!”

He used his Eight Voices of Ancestral Dragon to sing loudly with the Sanskrit of Buddhism, and he continued to walk forward with his bare feet. He chanted loudly, “How could mere records write down the thoughts of sages! With wings lighter than powder and thinner than silk, fluttering in joy while being led by flowers.”

The people behind him listened, and they were subconsciously infected by his voice. The qi and blood in their bodies surged and connected with one another. They were motivated by Qin Mu’s spirit.

“I don’t know if I believe in Nirvana so how could I send myself to death for my celestial palace?”

Qin Mu took off the willow leaf on the heart of his brows and trembled to show his three heads and six arms. A golden light shot from the three vertical eyes in the hearts of his brows. His faces broke into smiles, and he said, “Moonlight shine through the pines like broken pieces of gold, wind blow on the river water creating waves like an avalanche! Stepping through the heavenly gate and seeking an audience, sitting on the ancestral court and smiling at the heroes!”

“Good!” A descendant of the god races couldn’t help cheering when his spirit was roused.

His song was heroic and unrestrained, fusing everyone’s essence, vitality, and spirit into one as he brought them to walk forward.

Everyone’s spirit connected, and the unity of will was an impregnable stronghold. They actually defended against the pressure of Southern Heavenly Gate. The qi and blood behind them were like a sea that was raging with waves.

At that moment, the old farmer had already led the old bull to Numinous Sky Hall. They were about to walk through the hall when they sensed something and looked back. They saw the blood light at Southern Heavenly Gate rushing into the sky of the Bullfighting Palace and shaking the stars!

The old farmer was astonished. He looked at the sight and saw Qin Mu leading everyone below. Everyone was actually taking wide steps, and their bodies were gradually growing taller and taller. The pressure of Southern Heavenly Gate was useless to them!

“Old master, this one hundredth and seventh descendant of Founding Emperor seems to be quite remarkable.”

The old bull said, “His enthusiasm is infectious, he’s heroic, and he’s like Founding Emperor back then. There were few that could pass Southern Heavenly Gate in the past and now that he’s here, there are probably over a dozen people that can pass through Southern Heavenly Gate.”

“Southern Heavenly Gate is merely the first test. The danger still lies at the back.”

The old farmer was expressionless as he walked into Numinous Sky Hall. “You shall guard Numinous Sky Hall. I want to see if they can fight their way in!”

The old bull stood on his hind legs and shook his body. His green dragon scales rustled and he said with a smile, “Old master, this is bullying them. However, if they don’t defeat old master, who can fly to the celestial palace with a realm missing?”