Chapter 388 — Metamorphosis into Adulthood

"You snore in your sleep — not loudly, more like a cat.

There's likely some disorder in your throat, most likely the aftereffect of a qi deviation once in your training. I've refined a pill for you; take it morning and night, and it will set you right.

" Si Yunxiang rose from the bed, stretched, and took the elixir.

Shen Mu exhaled a breath of turbid air, a gleam shifting in his eyes. "This time I can surely escape. But Blind Grandpa only unsealed my Primal Embryo Divine Treasury, and my mana is not enough to carry me far — so I must use the Dragon-Riding Formula from the Classic of Dragon-Rearing, and have the flood dragons coil about my body and lend me their mana!

" Si Yunxiang was startled.

"You still mean to go? " Shen Mu laughed. "Naturally.

Blind Grandpa is certain I shall die at Jingping, so I shall prove it to him: if I can escape his grasp, then in the days to come I can escape the great calamity as well!

There is no one under heaven who can kill me! " Full of confidence, he pushed open the door and walked out with Si Yunxiang — and there stood Blind Grandpa just outside the round-arched garden gate, watching them with a look that was not quite a smile.

Si Yunxiang hurriedly looked to Shen Mu, and a smile surfaced on his face as well. Blind Grandpa raised his brows, produced from somewhere yet another bamboo staff, tapped it lightly on the ground, and said, "Shen'er, granddaughter-in-law, time to eat.

" Shen Mu said with a smile, "I was just about to.

" Si Yunxiang could not shake the feeling that between these two men lightning and sparks were crackling without cease; Blind Grandpa plainly had no eyes, and yet he gave one the sense that the two of them were locking gazes, contending in the dark. At the table, Ling Yuxiu too put in her appearance as the "old wife," while little Xue Hu'er sat with her head down, eating in sullen silence, her displeasure written on her face, both cheeks stuffed round, sulking at no one knew whom.

"Fatty Dragon, if you're picky I'll beat you to death!

" The little girl suddenly vented her temper on the Dragon Qilin, frightening it so badly that it nearly overturned its own food bowl. The flock of small flood dragons were all delighted, crying mah-mah.

The Dragon Qilin said with an ingratiating smile, "Sister Ling'er, I'm not being picky, look — I've already lost half a tael of weight. " When breakfast was done, Blind Grandpa's smiling look returned; his brows rose, and he said unhurriedly, "Shen'er, the Desolate Ruins lie just ahead.

If there's anything you wish to do, then do it.

" Shen Mu's eyes flickered. "Blind Grandpa, you sealed away my Five Luminaries and Six Heavens Divine Treasuries — how would I dare do anything?

" Blind Grandpa gave a ha-ha, reached out a finger and touched him between the brows.

"Don't say I never gave you a chance. " Two loud thuds sounded from within Shen Mu's body, and the Five Luminaries Divine Treasury and the Six Heavens Divine Treasury burst open with a roar; mana came rolling in, and he felt power flood him from head to foot.

"Blind Grandpa is very confident," Shen Mu said, narrowing his eyes, the fires of battle blazing high.

Leaning on his bamboo staff, Blind Grandpa smiled.

"You flatter me, you flatter me. " Suddenly Shen Mu stamped hard, and gorgeous teleportation array patterns spread over his whole body; the patterns kindled, and with a whisk his figure vanished.

The Teleportation divine art!

No sooner had he vanished than Blind Grandpa raised his staff and pointed, and Shen Mu dropped out of the empty air; in the midst of his fall the gorgeous array patterns whirled and spun, and his figure vanished once more.

Blind Grandpa tossed up his staff — a bamboo staff green as jade, wheeling and turning in midair like an azure dragon, tapping again and again in space, cutting off and shattering Shen Mu's Teleportation time after time, forcing him to reveal himself again and again.

Shen Mu's form flickered in and out of being, but he was driven steadily back toward the courtyard, and at last the staff forced him down into it once more.

Before his feet had touched ground, a flute note suddenly sounded, and several flood dragons flew swiftly at Blind Grandpa, winding him round as tight as could be in an instant! Blind Grandpa paid them no heed; the staff flew back to him and tapped lightly beneath the necks of two flood dragons, and they went limp as dead snakes.

At the same moment two more flood dragons flew to settle beneath Shen Mu's feet; he felt surging mana pour into him, and chopped forward again and again with his palms! Whisk, whisk, whisk — countless teleportation array patterns came surging madly forth, appearing between him and Blind Grandpa; the space between the two of them swelled at furious speed, the distance growing ever wider, and all that lay between them was array patterns and symbols ablaze with every hue of light!

Blind Grandpa's expression shifted; he took up his staff and gave chase, the staff tapping and tapping, breaking through one array pattern after another — when all at once the patterns around him rolled inward, engulfing him where he stood at the center.

Blind Grandpa stopped, let the patterns drown him, and a gratified smile came over his face: "Shen'er, you win.

.

. " Whisk.

A flash of light passed, and the Teleportation art bore him away. Outside Mishui Pass, Blind Grandpa stepped out from a shaft of light, looked at Mishui Pass, fell silent for a moment, and smiled.

"You've grown up. "