Chapter 28 — A Nameless Shadow Emerges from the Ancient Wall
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 3
Then the great door of the side hall boomed shut, and at once swung open again of itself; and between that closing and opening, a hoarse voice came through: "The Great Freedom Mantra. Are you a descendant of my clan? How pitiful — you have not learned the true transmission of the mantra. Has my clan truly fallen so low?"
Shen Mu probed: "Does the Senior know the true Great Freedom Mantra?"
"Naturally I do!"
The door swung open and shut, and a voice brimming with arrogance came forth: "The Great Freedom Mantra of my clan holds supreme power — the sublime power that opened up heaven and earth, the power to attain Great Freedom! And yet in your hands it has come to this? Not the least bit of might! Send this monkey away, and I will teach you the true mantra!"
Shen Mu glanced at the Dark Ape. The ape shook its head and rumbled, "Trust it? Ghost!"
"This Senior is of my clan; he will not harm me. Go outside and wait a while," Shen Mu said to comfort it.
The Dark Ape was still uneasy, but Shen Mu pushed it out.
The door of the side hall opened and closed, and that voice steeped in demonic nature said: "The mantra is the subtlety of moving one's power; it holds within it the strength of gods and demons. You have only the syllables of the mantra, not its spirit and cadence, nor have you received the method by which its power is unleashed. That method is called the Great Perfection Seal — the core secret art of my clan! My power is sealed within this hall and cannot last. Watch closely; I will teach you only once. How much you learn will depend on your own ability!"
On the wall of the side hall the black shadow kept shrinking, and then a smaller shadow appeared, about Shen Mu's height, and within that shadow line after line came into being, all of them in motion — the paths along which primordial energy ran.
That demonic voice said: "The Great Perfection Seal comprises four seal-methods: the Demon God's Divine Power Seal, the Heavenly Demon's Freedom Heaven Seal, the Great Wisdom Radiance Seal, and the last, the union of the three seals, the Great Perfection Demon Seal! This is the first seal, the Demon God's Divine Power Seal! You must give voice to the demonic sound as you strike, only then can its might be roused — kikota!"
Shen Mu did not blink, his eyes fixed on the black shadow on the wall of the side hall, committing the paths of power to memory; and within his body his primordial energy too began to run along those paths.
"Kikota!"
The demonic words burst suddenly from his mouth, and at once Shen Mu felt a dreadful power surge up from within him; that dreadful power drove the five fingers of his hand into a strange seal, and struck forward as though beyond his own control!
Boom —
A dull, heavy sound rolled out. With that single palm strike, Shen Mu had at last produced the thunder note he had dreamed of — Palm Thunder!
Shen Mu stared blankly, finding it hard to believe.
The might of this Demon God's Divine Power Seal that the figure on the wall had taught him was astonishingly great. In variation it could not match Old Master Ma's Thunder Roar Eight Arts, but in sheer power it surpassed the Thunder Roar Eight Arts by a great deal.
Yet the primordial energy consumed by this one move, the Demon God's Divine Power Seal, was immense as well — several times what the Thunder Roar Eight Arts consumed!
The shadow on the wall writhed, as though something were hauling on it, and it was drawn helplessly back into the side hall. Panting, it said: "The power of this side hall is too strong; it presses me down without cease. I have little time left. Watch closely — this is the second seal, the Hidden Demon's Freedom Seal! Samaya!"
On the inner wall, the paths of primordial energy within the black shadow changed once more; but the inside of the side hall was dim, and at this distance Shen Mu could not see clearly.