Tales of Herding Gods Chapter 3: Divine Arts

Apothecary operated with a unique philosophy. “Force Qin Mu to consume as much spirit blood as he can handle… saturate him with it! Even if his Spirit Body remains dormant, his physical form will strengthen with every drop. He will possess a physical body far more formidable than any Spirit Body!”

“He’ll be capable of slaying a dragon with a single strike.” Village Chief chuckled. “That sight would surely petrify those fools living beyond the Great Ruins.”

The two shared a look of satisfaction before Apothecary exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

By the following day, the villagers had successfully captured several Iron Bone Tigers, Green Dragon Snakes, Lightning Birds, and Golden Tortoises. Driven by a clear objective, everyone worked with great fervor. However, Apothecary became irritated. “If he consumes this much Spirit Blood at once, Qin Mu will literally drown!”

Mute the Blacksmith hauled two Lightning Birds forward, a mischievous grin spreading across his face to reveal his tongueless mouth.

“Mu’er can take it!” Granny Si expressed her confidence in the boy.

Apothecary merely stared at them in silence. He retrieved the larvae and resumed the blood refining process, yet complications arose. The volume of spirit blood was overwhelming for Qin Mu, causing his frame to swell as if he were being pumped with air. The elderly villagers grew frantic, fearing that Qin Mu might suddenly burst.

Apothecary produced several hollow silver needles, piercing Qin Mu’s back and the crown of his head. From the openings at the ends of the needles, vapors of red, blue, and purple began to hiss out.

Eventually, the gas stopped venting. Apothecary withdrew the needles and cast a stern look at the group. “Proceed with caution, one step at a time! Trying to stuff him like a glutton will only end in his death! He is currently suffering from extreme bloating, so everyone get to work. To assist his digestion of the spirit blood, he will practice knife techniques with Butcher, boxing with Old Ma, and leg movements with Cripple.”

“Mu’er, it is time for the knife!”

Butcher pressed his palms against the earth, propelling his torso into the air to land atop a woodpile. Lacking a lower body, the height of the lumber allowed him to stand eye-to-eye with Qin Mu.

In each hand, Butcher gripped a Pig Slaughtering Knife, though these were far from ordinary. Typical Pig Slaughtering Knives featured crescent-curved blades no longer than a foot, attached to round wooden grips.

In contrast, Butcher’s weapons shared the design but were massive. Each blade spanned a full yard. The spines were thick while the edges remained razor-thin, both gleaming with a polished luster. Positioned side-by-side, the enormous knives looked like the frame of an arched gate.

Qin Mu’s own Pig Slaughtering Knife matched the size of Butcher’s, despite him only having one. It was incredibly heavy, exceeding ten kilograms. Previously, Qin Mu could barely lift it, but after the infusion of the four spirits' blood, his strength had surged. He could now raise the heavy blade with one hand without effort.

“Be ready, Grandpa Butcher!”

Qin Mu gripped the knife and charged at Butcher on the woodpile. Butcher let out a booming laugh, his heroic aura undiminished despite having only half a torso.

Midnight Battle Across Stormy Cities!

Qin Mu’s blade rose and fell as he closed the distance. The metal flashed with increasing speed, whistling through the air.

“Slow, slow, slow! You are far too sluggish!”

Butcher shouted his disapproval as his own blades transformed into a metallic blur. The weapons collided with a clamor that sounded like a tempest ravaging a grove of pear trees. “Faster! Increase your speed! Your Pig Slaughtering Knife can go much faster! Speed defines ‘Midnight Battle Across Stormy Cities.’ The knife must mimic a midnight gale sweeping through every city! Show me more speed!”

The flashing steel accelerated until it looked as though three silver dragons were twisting around the woodpile. The howl of the wind grew sharper, carrying concentrated blade energy. Every time this energy clipped the ground, deep trenches were carved into the dirt.

These were the scars of their blades.

“Excellent! That is the way! Increased speed yields more powerful blade energy. Yet, you are still lacking. You must reach a speed where your blade turns into a blazing inferno, incinerating everything in its path!”

Butcher swung his knives in a manic whirlwind, appearing to enter a state of frenzy. The display left Qin Mu dazzled.

“Burn! Burn! Let your steel, your aura, and your very soul ignite! When your knives catch fire, only then have you mastered the divine art!”

Whoosh——!

As Butcher continued his relentless assault, the intense friction actually sparked, igniting the air. The two knives moved like dragons of flame, creating a magnificent spectacle.

The fiery dragons surged toward Qin Mu, who found them impossible to parry. At the final second before impact, the dragons veered upward, shredding the dark sky above Disabled Elderly Village.

Qin Mu stared up in a daze, stunned by Butcher’s terrifying mastery of the blade.

Soon, the darkness rushed back to reclaim the village, snuffing out the remnants of the fire dragons and their energy.

The sky seemed offended by Butcher’s defiance. The ink-black void descended toward the village, as if to swallow it whole.

Suddenly, the stone statues at the village corners shone brighter, forcing the darkness back.

“Damn sky!”

Still perched on the wood, Butcher waved his knives at the heavens and roared. “One day I will slice through this dark and fight my way back! They took my waist, not my head! I may be legless, but I will still slaughter…”

“Grandpa Butcher has lost his mind again. But his knives were incredibly fast. How long will I need to practice to reach that level and turn my skills into a divine art?”

Qin Mu looked at the furious Butcher with admiration. He then sheathed his Pig Slaughtering Knife and went to find the one-armed Old Ma.

“While Butcher’s blade requires fire to be a divine art, my boxing must produce the roar of thunder!”

Old Ma tightened his fist, his expression grave as his bones began to pop. “Mu’er, once you can grasp lightning in your palms, your fists will have reached basic mastery. Butcher relies on speed, but my fist erupts with peerless power, exceeding the limits of sound! A single arm can master the fist, a single arm can become a thousand, and a single arm can summon thunder!”

Boom——!

Low, heavy explosions like the roll of thunder echoed from Old Ma’s fist as he struck the air.

Boom boom boom!

Old Ma’s movements became a blur as he launched a barrage of strikes. To Qin Mu’s eyes, only afterimages remained, making it seem as if the one-armed man possessed a thousand limbs.

The speed increased further. Lightning began to flicker within the palms of those thousand afterimages, crackling loudly. Every blow was accompanied by thunder and flying sparks!

“This is the Thousand-Armed Buddha of the Thunderclap Eight Strikes! By exceeding the speed of sound, you command the thunder. Every strike of this divine art can shatter an enemy’s body and soul, casting them into eternal darkness and ending their cycle of reincarnation!”

Old Ma pulled back his fist and said sternly, “Use the Thunderclap Eight Strikes I gave you. Attack me. Aim to hold both lightning and thunder in your hands!”

Qin Mu remained focused. The lessons today from Grandpa Ma and Grandpa Butcher were different. Previously, they had only taught him basic techniques. Today, both utilized the same specific term—

—Divine Art!

This was the first time Qin Mu had encountered the concept, and it felt entirely new.

Qin Mu initiated the Thunderclap Eight Strikes against Old Ma. Using only his single arm, the old man parried every attack with ease.

While Butcher had been wild, he had been careful not to harm the boy. Old Ma, however, was relentless. Whenever Qin Mu left an opening, a fist would find its mark. Though the blows weren't full strength, Qin Mu was soon left with a bloody, swollen nose.

Old Ma only called for a halt when Qin Mu was too exhausted to continue.

“The legs represent the wind, the earth, and the foundation of power,” Cripple remarked, leaning on his crutch.

Despite having only one leg, Cripple was the village’s master of leg techniques. Initially, Qin Mu had viewed Grandpa Cripple as the most ordinary resident—always kind and dependable.

However, after seeing Cripple maintain that same warm smile while stabbing the woman from the cowhide, Qin Mu wasn't so sure anymore.

Cripple was a man who hid a blade behind a grin; one could never tell if his kindness was real.

Cripple beamed at Qin Mu. “Mu’er, Butcher loves his knives and Old Ma loves his fists. But true divine arts are found in the legs. If you cannot cut or punch your way out, what then? You run! Survival is the priority! Life is full of unexpected dangers. Staying alive is its own form of triumph! If you are fast enough, you can run up walls, across water, or even through the air! Even fire and air become solid ground if your pace is sufficient! The moment you outrun sound is the moment your leg skills enter the realm of divine arts.”

“Come, Mu’er. Strap these iron weights on.”