Tales of Herding Gods

Panda Novel

Qin Mu was filled with excitement as he walked towards the River Tomb Academy. He understood the deeper meaning of the actions of Saint Woodcutter and Heavenly Teacher Zi Xi.

After the Primordial Realm broke through its seal, all kinds of powerful forces emerged. Amongst them, Eternal Peace was just a drop in the bucket. It was looked down upon and was deemed a pushover.

When all the other forces deem you a pushover and all come running to pick on you, you will really be crushed.

In order for Eternal Peace to survive in the danger-filled Primordial Realm, simply relying on the strength of the former subordinates of Founding Emperor wasn’t enough—it first needed to make a name for itself.

As for the title of the saint that appears once every five hundred years, the various major heavens of the Primordial Realm wouldn’t consider it a big deal. In comparison, the title of the unrivaled Overlord Body of Eternal Peace was more striking, thus selling Qin Mu’s reputation was only natural.

What was more crucial was the Pact of Little Earth Count.

Little Earth Count was the Son of Youdu, the other “self” within Qin Mu’s body—his older brother Qin Fengqing.

Saint Woodcutter and the gods of the northern heavens laid down the Pact of Little Earth Count, meaning they were swearing to Qin Fengqing, and thus also to Qin Mu. If the powerful individuals of the northern heavens defeated Qin Mu, even if Eternal Peace Empire didn’t surrender, Qin Mu would also not do anything to Woodcutter.

In restraining his brother Qin Fengqing, Qin Mu was still sure he could do it. Qin Fengqing would definitely grumble about it, but Qin Mu had confidence that he could convince him.

On the other hand, should the gods of the northern heavens lose and not intend to honor the Pact of Little Earth Count, the consequence was naturally to be eaten by the high-spirited Qin Fengqing.

The constant source of worry for Qin Mu, which was the issue of his brother’s diet, would thus be instantly resolved.

More crucially, Eternal Peace Empire was an ante; Woodcutter and Zi Xi only had a single bargaining chip to gamble with the heavens of the north. The heavens of the north were in the hundreds, and this gamble would most likely get them something valuable in exchange for nothing!

This exchange yielded definite profit with no risk, so of course the two crafty and tricky heavenly masters, Woodcutter and Zi Xi, would be able to come up with it.

River Tomb Academy.

This academy was designed by Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, and it wasn’t built within River Tomb County. River Tomb County was commerce-based and didn’t have much land for academic development. Hence, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor built the River Tomb Academy along the Gold River delta.

At the delta, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor had invited the strong workers of Eternal Peace Empire to move several huge mountains and then built the academy by the mountains.

He also invited the likes of Blind, who were formation experts, to build a few floating palaces. He used a connected rope-way to surround the mountain with the palaces, like the petals of a flower.

Apart from this, there were disciples of the academy who would test the formations, leaving imprints of all kinds of formations on rocks and mountains, causing the academy to be surrounded by giant floating rocks.

Some scholars who were too lazy to walk would then choose to leap across the giant rocks instead—it could also be considered a unique sight of River Tomb Academy.

Qin Mu arrived with Celestial Venerable Yu. Looking from afar, they saw that River Tomb Academy was bustling with activity. There were youths in spells combat on the river surface, fighting unusually intensely. Waves were exploding out of the surface of the river, and divine arts burst out, making the roaring noises of giant beasts. It was stirring up havoc within the river.

Suddenly, the huge waves atop the river’s surface transformed into enormous icebergs. The icebergs flew out and spun around, making striking and explosive noises nonstop. Numerous ice swords grew out of the icebergs and flew out in all directions, attacking the surroundings!

More icebergs rose from the river, producing a spectacular sight. The ice swords flew alongside the iceberg, and the sword techniques were so wonderful that they made everyone gasp in amazement.

Qin Mu stopped in his tracks, exclaiming his admiration endlessly.

Although River Tomb Academy was quite accomplished in its attainments of formation spells, it was still most well-known for its sword techniques. This Glacier Sword Technique was considered a rare ultimate skill that integrated eighteen foundational sword techniques.

‘Imperial Preceptor has produced many outstanding figures. The one executing the sword techniques is most likely an academician of sword studies from the academy.’

Qin Mu looked to the heart of the formation, only to see it was a woman in her twenties who was executing the sword techniques. However, he didn’t recognize her—she was likely a rising star of Eternal Peace.

At this very moment, a furious roar could be heard from the iceberg sword formation. A half-god giant several yards tall in height had held up the sword formation and was dashing towards the sword studies academician.

His corporeal body was monstrous; he had four arms and carried a shield and hammer. He smashed the icebergs and shattered the ice swords. As the hammer made contact with the shield, it exploded with magic power, and circles of formation markings radiated in all directions, shattering all the flying swords in his way.

The four-armed half-god dashed towards the woman, leaping into the air and smashing his big hammer down mercilessly with abnormal courage.

In regard to the exquisiteness of their divine arts, the half-god couldn’t rival this academician of sword studies from River Tomb Academy. Yet, as a half-god, he was physically overpowering, and his powers were also much stronger than those of the human race.

In addition, half-gods had the bloodline of ancient gods and had certain special natural gifts of the ancient gods. Compared to the human race, they already had a very huge innate advantage purely due to their bloodline, and in close combat, they could even make use of their large physiques to break through their opponent’s divine arts.

This four-armed half-god struck down with his huge hammer, causing the river water to burst apart. The woman bounced outwards into the sky, and although she was losing, she didn’t lose her composure. Waving her hand, innumerous droplets of water from the river floated out and transformed into a water mirror that stood upright in the air.

Rays of sword flashes emerged from the mirror and shot at the half-god together. The half-god cried out, shattering the floating water mirror into pieces. He shoved his shield forwards, and a thick and heavy wall of water immediately emerged from the Gold River’s surface, stretching upwards to a hundred yards tall and then smashing towards the woman.

The sounds of cheering rang out from all around.

“This divine art of Qiu Xiaoyi is definitely going to make this little maiden not be able to get up!”

“River Tomb Academy has already lost a dozen rounds, where is the Overlord Body of Eternal Peace? Is he still not going to come out and embarrass himself?”

“Get your Imperial Preceptor who appears once every five hundred years to come out and receive his death!”

…

Qin Mu looked in the direction of the voices and saw many half-gods standing at the mountain gate of River Tomb Academy. There were apparitions of all kinds floating in the air; it was a bustling sight.

There were also some half-gods who had cultivated to the god realm, and their divine glow pierced the heavens. Although there were gods in River Tomb Academy, their auras were weaker compared to these half-gods.

These gods were confronting each other, and the gods of River Tomb Academy were being overwhelmed by them; it was a huge blow to the morale of those in River Tomb Academy.

Some of the scholars in River Tomb Academy were also looking dejected, perhaps due to the blockade of the half-gods from the northern heavens. They had also lost more than they won against them, so their morale was on the decline.

On the basis of divine arts, these scholars were naturally exceptional, but there was too wide a difference in innate advantage. As a result, it would be difficult for the scholars of the human race to win when they fought in the same realm.

Geniuses like Qin Mu, Xu Shenghua, and Zhe Huali, who walked at the forefront of their era and led the advancements of the era, wouldn’t be able to sense the gap between the human race and the half-gods. However, to the other divine arts practitioners, this difference was only too apparent.

Moreover, River Tomb Academy had sent a scholar from the academy to go up against the cream of the crop from the hundreds of heavens from the north!

One could only imagine how much stress the River Tomb Academy was put under.

Qin Mu’s heart wavered slightly, and he walked towards the River Tomb Academy.

Beside him, the river slowly rose up, and portions of water floated in the air, rising higher and higher. Gradually, the river surface that was almost a dozen miles wide had flown up and floated into the air.

Before River Tomb Academy, the River Tomb scholars and the northern heavens half-gods, gods, and devils all raised their heads up to look towards the magnificent sight before their eyes with dazed expressions.

The Gold River had flown into the air, and within the river were numerous enormous fish several yards in length that were swimming in the air; they were lifted up by an invisible force as they swam towards the air.

There were also sinister and fierce-looking river monsters and water demons who were now waving their limbs around, following the Gold River, and flying into the air.

The huge cargo ships that were sailing on the Gold River were now also flying in the air; they continued to sail on the river’s surface, the pill furnaces in the boats were still in operation, the turbines still turning. The divine arts practitioners who guarded the ships all came to the side of the ships, sticking their heads out to look downwards; clearly, they also didn’t know what had just happened.

The four-armed half-god and the academician who were in combat previously were also lifted up by this force. The two of them were rolled up by the force and rendered immobile. They could only watch as the force restrained them, and they floated on the river surface involuntarily.

The Gold River levitated at several hundred feet in the air, flying above the mountain peaks of the surrounding mountains of River Tomb Academy and to a distance of several miles beyond. It drew an arc in the sky and then finally returned to the river path of Gold River, continuing to surge forwards.

This sight made everyone feel their hearts palpitate.

“Is the god of Eternal Peace here?”

One of the gods from the heavens of the north raised his head to look at the sky, sneering. “He has some abilities, but he’s just a show-off.”

He retracted his gaze and looked forward. At the bottom of this breath-taking river, a youth was stepping on the air and walking towards River Tomb Academy in a leisurely manner.

Behind this youth was a dragon qilin and a water qilin, and there was another youth with a chubby face who was looking around curiously.

The sound of the waves and water flowing from the air could be heard distinctly.

Although the footsteps of the youth walking in the front were slow, his speed wasn’t slow. As he walked towards River Tomb Academy, the skies suddenly darkened ominously, and it continued to grow even darker.

An imposing gate appeared behind the youth, growing more distinct. The huge gate of darkness then opened up, and the devil qi of Youdu surged outwards, dyeing the skies black.

“Disciples from the heavens of the north.”

The gate was like an enormous mouth that could swallow up heaven and earth, and from it came a blood-curdling voice that reverberated from heaven to earth. The sound waves crashed forwards, and the skin on the faces of the half-god divine arts practitioners from the northern heavens, who had stood at the front of the mountain gates, were creased up and blown backwards.

“There’s not a single one who can fight!”

The sound waves surged forward again, everyone’s hair flew about messily, and their clothes fluttered backwards.

A few half-gods with lower levels of cultivation couldn’t hold their ground and were flung into the air by the sound waves, falling backwards like windmills.

The voice was filled with demonic aura, it was as if it could bring out the most terrifying feeling within one’s heart. When the voice emerged, it made one feel like they had fallen into Youdu and were continuously sinking into the darkness!

The half-gods of the northern heavens were now sweating profusely, their legs trembling in fear.

Suddenly, the apparition disappeared, and the Gold River split into two streams and descended gradually, flowing by the two sides of the River Tomb Academy.

The darkness in the sky retreated in an instant and disappeared into the towering gate. The gate became faint and then disappeared completely. Very soon, the skies became bright again.

The youth had already reached the mountain gate before River Tomb Academy. He was all smiles, and he looked at the half-god divine arts practitioners by the mountain gate who had yet to recover from their shock with a small smile.

A half-god god with a radiance in his eyes looked at the youth and shouted with rage, “A god coming here and inciting trouble, intimidating the divine arts practitioners from the heavens of the north, is this how Eternal Peace treats their guests?”

At this very moment, world-shaking laughter erupted from within River Tomb Academy. “Scholars, follow me out of the academy to greet Eternal Peace’s Overlord Body Qin!”

There was a commotion within the academy, and a white-haired old god with a radiant face led the thousands of scholars of River Tomb Academy out of the academy. The old god bowed, and his voice was like thunder, causing violent tremors in the Gold River as he said, “Substitute Grand Chancellor of River Tomb, Duke Wei, along with the scholars, are here to welcome Eternal Peace’s Overlord Body Qin’s arrival!”

The voices of the thousands of scholars were even louder than Duke Wei as they cried out in a world-shaking voice, “We welcome Eternal Peace’s Overlord Body Qin’s arrival!”

Everyone straightened up, and Duke Wei bowed again, smiling. “Heavenly Saint Cult’s Heavenly King Wei pays my respects to Cult Master Sacred Teacher!”

Qin Mu laughed out loud, holding onto his arms. His voice was a lot lower than Duke Wei’s as he smiled and said, “What Saint Woodcutter did, he didn’t inform me of. That’s why I have arrived a few days late. Duke, these few days must have inconvenienced you. From the heavens of the north, who are the ones who want to challenge me?”

Qin Mu looked around him, his gaze like lightning, and light emerged from his eyes. In this split second, the several miles around River Tomb Academy were lit up brightly. Only when Qin Mu retracted his gaze did everyone’s vision return to normal.

There was a sea of silence, and only the sounds of heavy breathing and teeth clattering could be heard. Not a single half-god divine arts practitioner dared to speak up.