Chapter 40 — The Wind Blade First Appears, Rending the Vast Sky

er, so the sun does not set." Shen Mu dashed forward, hoisted the man onto his back without allowing any protest, and said: "Mind the blade on my back—do not let it cut you." The man said hastily: "Put me down! Carrying me, you will not run fast..." Before the words were out, a howling gale burst past his ears. Shen Mu sprang up, leaped clear of the mountain forest, and raced away with the man on his back, his feet treading on the leaves! The man was terrified; the wind roaring in his ears grew louder and louder, and he felt the boy's steps grow faster and faster. Astonishment filled his heart: "How has this young lad cultivated himself? He is far too strong for me!" As he sped along, Shen Mu had a sensation of treading on the wind, and his heart stirred: "Lame Grandpa said that when he tempered his body he was in the Spirit Embryo realm, treading the wind ridges and riding the wind. If I could find the wind ridges, would I not also be able to ride the wind? But what are wind ridges?" He had no leisure to think it through while running. The man on his back was still worried whether Granny Zhu and Blind Old Man could catch up, when suddenly he saw those two old people seated cross-legged behind Shen Mu—the pair was being borne along by the whirlwind stirred up by Shen Mu's sprint, their speed not a whit slower than his! "What manner of movement art is this?" His mind spun. At last the sun sank beneath the western hills, and darkness came rolling from the west, blotting out sky and earth, devouring everything in its path. Shen Mu was exceedingly fast; catching sight of Zhang Family Stockade in the distance, he sped toward it at once, and just before the darkness could overtake him, he charged into the village! Whoosh— Though he had halted his body, the great wind behind him still howled forward; Granny Zhu and Blind Old Man sat calm and unconcerned in the wind, drifting more than ten zhang before they stretched out their legs and landed firmly on the ground. Shen Mu stood blank for a moment, then wild joy flooded his heart: "The wind ridge—so this is the wind ridge!"