by Fang Xiang
Having lost their targets, the ling and spiritual power slowly steadied.
Boom!
The figure of the female xiu above him sank again.
The golden light of the ling shield of Golden Crow City was burning. When the sky full of sword energies smashed onto it, the golden ling shield rippled.
Everyone knew this was the most crucial time, and put all of their power into fighting.
Shu Long led the Guard Camp and activated the Crow Fiend Mo Killing Formation again. The battle formations of Vermillion Bird Camp were primary offensive. Defense was not one of their talents. The only thing they could do was to activate some of the simpler defensive formations, and contribute as much as they could.
Lil’ Pagoda spun into a five colored after-image. The Skyring Moon Chime Formation was pressed to its limits.
The xiuzhe of the Eastern and Western Camps seemed to have gone insane as they furiously switched out the jingshi. Everyone knew that if the ling shield broke, no one could escape the calamity.
At this time, everyone directly experienced just how strong the female xiu was. With just her own power, she could stop such a terrifying sword essence. It really was hard to imagine. They had to rely on the big formation of Golden Crow City, and were still wavering when they used all their power. The ling shield could break at any time.
Everyone’s face was filled with hopelessness.
The sword essence coming down seemed to be endless and unstoppable. A nearby mountain peak was brutally destroyed, only leaving behind the bottom half. If they were not personally experiencing it, no one could imagine that sword essence could reach such a terrifying level.
Were their lives really going to be lost here today?
This thought uncontrollably flashed across everyone’s mind.
Gongsun Cha called over Xie Shan, Ma Fan, and a few others. He said in a low voice, “We probably can’t hold out for much longer. Later when the city’s ling shield breaks, you guys take Boss and break through.”
Everyone’s face was sorrowful. Each of them tightly bit their lips and didn’t speak.
Shu Long’s nose and mouth bled blood. He bit down on his teeth and continued to channel the Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation. Almost everyone in Guard Camp were bleeding from their nose and mouth.
Boom!
The enormous power surpassed the limits that the Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation could tolerate. Shu Long felt as though someone hammered him hard. His entire body was thrown into the air. The camp guards behind him were also thrown up.
The Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation was broken!
Everyone’s expression changed. Without the Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation, the ling shield of Golden Crow City could not last for long.
Just as everyone felt it was hopeless, someone suddenly said in a trembling voice, “Boss … …”
Boss?
Many people instinctively moved their gaze. Even if they would die here today, it wasn’t a bad idea if Boss could escape. Many people hoped the female xiu could take Boss and escape this place.
They were filled with terror and hopelessness, but they were not regretful. With Boss, they had a loud and great run. Compared to the lifeless days they had lived before, it was the difference between the earth and the sky! From the bottom of their hearts, they hoped that Boss could live!
So when someone exclaimed, many people couldn’t resist moving their eyes.
Zuo Mo’s body was covered in red, gold, and silver. He was standing upright like a spear.
His features were still twisted, but it gave people a completely different feeling. He raised his head and looked at the female xiu.
For some unknown reason, a thread of hope rose in everyone’s hearts at the same time.
Faster … … faster … …
Panic flashed through Zuo Mo’s eyes. The rampaging forces inside his body had gradually stabilized. His body had gradually returned to his control. He seemed to have entered an unfamiliar body and slowly recovered his strength.
It wasn’t a long process, but the timing really made him panic!
Countless bits of hard lightning swam across the surface of his body, a golden liquid flowed in his bones, the channels were filled with pure and crimson earth fire, his body that had been tempered again … …
His body had undergone another breakthrough, but at this time, there was no joy in him. He looked with panic at the figure above him.
Without the purple fire, the female xiu looked as weak as a dry leaf in the wind.
Boom!
The female xiu’s figure sank again, her long hair flying.
“Faster!”
Zuo Mo’s heart suddenly ached.
Boom!
The female xiu sank once more. Sparks flew off the purple fire disk and it showed signs of collapsing.
“Motherf***ing faster!”
Zuo Mo’s eyes suddenly turned red.
Boooooooom!
The female xiu was like a nail that was being hammered down, and unable to stop.
Booooooooooooom!
The purple fire disk finally could not stand it anymore. It turned to countless wisps of purple fire and disappeared into the air.
The female xiu seemed to be heavily struck. Her eyes unfocused, her body dropped down at an even more rapid rate!
Zuo Mo’s mind exploded, his body exploded and suddenly became open. All of his strength suddenly poured into his body like water.
He disappeared from his spot.
In the air, his figure was arched. His back towards the sky, the female xiu was shielded against his chest.
His right hand held a handful of Golden Thread Lightning Walnuts. Like he was crazy, he threw them viciously at the howling sword essence!
“Go away!”
* * *
Translator Ramblings: Zuo Mo really has an affinity for fire. His Stalagmite fire, the inky black fire, the earth fire on Desolate Wood Reef, the Golden Crow Fire and now more lava fire.
So imagine the sky shattering like glass and raining down at you … … it’s a meteor shower.
Chapter 302: A New Beginning
Booooooom!
More than ten Sonic Lightning Walnut exploded at the same time!
A blinding and scorching light passed through his back.
Zuo Mo felt his back was heavily struck. His throat turned sweet and then he spat out blood. Before he had the time to respond, like a meteorite falling from the sky, he and the female xiu smashed heavily into the dirt.
Ping!
The ground was really hard!
That was the last thought before Zuo Mo fainted.
———
Ma Fan looked at the half-collapsed city walls. Thinking about the scene from two days ago, he still felt fear. The big formation inside Golden Crow City had been completely damaged, and almost all of the formation battle watchtowers were ruined.
Most importantly, Boss had thrown out a huge number of Sonic Lightning Walnuts to save everybody.
The simultaneous explosion of the Sonic Lightning Walnuts had forcibly cleared out an empty area twenty mu in diameter.
The mountains around Golden Crow City did not have such good luck and had been bombarded and left half standing. Not one mountain peak remained whole. There was no untouched land near Golden Crow City. Everything was in disarray.
In the sky, it was possible to see xiuzhe from Vermillion Bird Camp patrolling everywhere. After the battle, some xiuzhe had nefarious aims, and wanted to get rich. They were completely annihilated by the members of Vermillion Bird Camp, who had a whole belly full of frustration. In the defense of the city, Vermillion Bird Camp’s utility had been pitifully small. This made them feel especially irritated.
They had almost all died, and were even unable to take Boss and escape. To the Vermillion Bird Camp that had been trained through many battle and successfully won, this undoubtedly was a great humiliation.
No one had expected that, in the end, Boss had saved everyone. Thinking about
it now, it still seemed like a dream.
There was not much joy on Ma Fan’s face. Boss was still unconscious now. This caused a heavy cloud to settle on everyone’s hearts. In this present group, Boss was the true leader. No one could imagine what they would become if Boss wasn’t present.
Maybe this group that had been so difficult to gather together would face a fate of collapse.
Ma Fan chewed on a stalk of green grass as his feet unconsciously kicked pebbles.
“Old Fan, Old Fan!” His ears suddenly heard Xie Shan’s joyous voice.
“Oh.” He turned his face and dazedly responded.
Xie Shan said urgently, “Boss woke up!”
It was as though Ma Fan was struck by lightning. After a moment, he suddenly reacted, and asked hurriedly, “Boss woke up?”
“Hee hee, just woke up! It was just my turn to stand guard!” Xie Shan said with slight pride.
“That’s great!” Ma Fan muttered to himself.
“Isn’t it? This is great … …”
The news that Zuo Mo woke up quickly spread through Golden Crow City. Golden Crow City rejoiced, the gloom of the past days swept away.
———
Zuo Mo felt his body hurt all over as though it was being torn apart. He couldn’t help but give a deep groan. Looking at the familiar faces, joy at surviving the calamity washed over his heart. His expression suddenly changed and asked Gongsun Cha, “Where’s the female xiu?”
Gongsun Cha’s expression became strange.
“How is she?” Zuo Mo was very alarmed.
Even though he did not know the actual situation but there definitely was a great connection between him and the female xiu. The scene of the female xiu sacrificing herself to save him, and that pair of eyes filled with emotion flashed in front of his eyes.
Who are you … …
Zuo Mo could find the answer to many of the problems haunting him on her body.
She could not die!
Seeing Zuo Mo’s panic, Gongsun Cha did not joke and revealed, “Come and you’ll understand.”
When Zuo Mo saw the female xiu, he was dumbstruck.
The female xiu silently sat in the corner of the room, and didn’t seem to notice the existence of the two of them.
“Her, her cultivation … …” Zuo Mo asked in a trembling voice.
Gongsun Cha shook his head. “She woke up before you did, but for some reason, her cultivation disappeared.”
Zuo Mo’s heart suddenly sank. He silently walked in front of the female xiu. When he saw the female xiu’s empty eyes, his heart couldn’t help but shake, and his nose felt sore.
That pair of clear and joyous eyes … …
She sat silently. When Zuo Mo walked in front of her, she did not seem to detect it. Zuo Mo reached out and waved a hand in front of her. She still did not respond.
“Inspect her body,” Pu Yao’s voice suddenly sounded. He was quite stern.
Zuo Mo tightly pressed together his lips, reached out a hand and placed it on her body.
She was motionless like a wooden puppet.
Zuo Mo’s expression changed.
The channels inside her body had all broke, the strange purple power had disappeared to leave behind an extremely minuscule thread of life as though it was a candle flickering in the wind, that could be extinguished at any time.
He couldn’t even feel her soul.
Why was it like this?
Zuo Mo’s mind rang and blanked.
After a long time, he refocused. Looking at the female xiu’s hideous and wooden face, especially when his gaze landed on the empty pupils, a certain chord in his heart was gently plucked.
The confused gaze suddenly became determined.
He entered the sea of consciousness and looked at Pu Yao. Pu Yao glanced at him and said, “I know what you want to ask. Truthfully, it’s very difficult.”
Pu Yao’s voice was deep and solemn without any of the mockery it usually held.
Zuo Mo’s expression was serious. “Tell me.”
Pu Yao did not raise any conditions. He looked at Zuo Mo, and threw a ball of light with formation scripts floating on the surface. He said, “This is [Adversity Overcoming Scripture] . I got it from a dhyana xiu. Maybe it can be of use.”
Zuo Mo’s mind jumped and he hurriedly took the light ball.
“Don’t be happy prematurely. This scripture can only support this thread of life remaining in her body.” Pu Yao said heavily, “If you want to save her, the best method is to get a Water Cloud Embryo.”
“Water Cloud Embryo?” Zuo Mo asked curiously. He hadn’t ever heard this name before.
“En, Water Cloud Embryo can nurture souls, and is the best for soul injuries.”
“Soul injuries?”
“En, her secret technique is very strange. It burns the soul to create great power.” Pu Yao’s expression was grave. “It is the first time I have seen such a strange secret skill. Her origins, I’m afraid, are not simple.”
When he finished, Pu Yao looked at Zuo Mo. He felt somewhat strange inside. Zuo Mo probably wasn’t simple himself since he had a connection with such a complex female xiu. However, he had never seen uncommon qualities in Zuo Mo.
Pu Yao gathered his thoughts and continued, “She should have definitely died this time, but fortunately, she had left a soul-thought inside your body … …”
Zuo Mo’s boy shock and he interrupted, “She has a soul-thought inside my body?”
“Her soul-thought is inside that five element glass bead in your body.” Pu Yao secretly celebrated that he had not crushed that bead [1]. Otherwise, it would be very troublesome now.
“Five element glass bead … …” Zuo Mo murmured to himself.
“When your cultivation reaches a certain level, you can see some of the mysteries inside,” Pu Yao said, “This five element glass bead is a very rare treasure.”
Zuo Mo’s hand unconsciously balled into a fist.
He was suddenly filled with motivation.
For a long time, he had lacked a clear goal, including his time at Wu Kong Mountain. Long days of low-level living had caused his expectations of life to be very low. When his most basic needs were fulfilled, he had been lost.
The unexpected encounter between him and the female xiu now seemed like fate.
He knew the female xiu definitely was very important to him!
How important would the connection be t that the other would place a soul-thought inside his body? He could not think of it, but he knew that no one other than the female xiu could do this.
Just this was enough!
Leaving the sea of consciousness, he looked at the female xiu. Her disfigured and wooden face could not cause any revulsion in him now. Suddenly, he thought of his past zombie-face, and laughed.
The fate of the zombie and female ghost?
“In the future, you will be A Gui.”
The female xiu was unmoved.
[Adversity Overcoming Scripture] was extremely cryptic and complex. The main reason was that Zuo Mo didn’t know much about many of the things of dhyana xiu. Pu Yao did not know much about dhyana xiu either. According to him, he had taken this from the body of a dhyana xiu he killed.
Luckily, Zuo Mo had Zong Ru who was a much more orthodox dhyana xiu to help him resolve many of the parts.
Pu Yao’s judgment was correct. [Adversity Overcoming Scripture] was able to help A Gui’s stabilize the thread of life. Under the Buddha mantra, the deathly presence on A Gui’s body dissipated greatly.
Zuo Mo was very encouraged and worked even harder.
———
After a few days, Gongsun Cha led a female xiu to Zuo Mo.
Zuo Mo looked with puzzlement at Gongsun Cha. “Shidi, this is?”
“This is Miss Rong Wei.” Gongsun Cha first made introductions and then said, “She hopes to work with us.”
“With us?” Zuo Mo stilled.
Rong Wei bowed and said, “This one is from Sky Water Jie’s House of the
Crow Marquis and has been ordered to come to Little Mountain Jie to investigate Stars in Daytime. This one asks Daren for your aid.” She then took out a few talismans. “A small token of our intentions, please accept them.”
“Stars in Daytime?”
Zuo Mo’s heart jumped. Damn it, Stars in Daytime, wasn’t that caused by him?
What were the origins of this Crow Marquis House, why were they investigating him? His heart instantly became wary.
He pretended to be confused and asked, “We did see the Stars in Daytime, but what does this apparition mean? Miss Rong Wei, please teach us.”
“This one does dare to teach.” Rong Wei bowed slightly. “The old records say that when Stars in Daytime appear, there are great yao and great mo healing.”
“Great yao and great mo?” Zuo Mo’s heart jumped again. He finally understood.
It seemed he needed to be careful in the future. If this appeared a few more times, he would be in danger.
“En, the Marquis believes great yao may have infiltrated Little Mountain Jie,” Rong Wei said. This was the most probable guess. A yao army had appeared in Little Mountain Jie, and now a great yao, that wasn’t too much of a surprise.
But what was there in Little Mountain Jie that made the yao put so much effort and even be injured?
Zuo Mo secretly released a breath inside. He hurriedly shook his head. “Miss Rong is joking. We aren’t enough if a yao army comes, much less a great yao. We plan on immediately leaving Little Mountain Jie to go to Sky Water Jie. Your House resides in Sky Water Jie, and we are unfamiliar with the area. At that time, please guide us.”
Rong Wei was slightly disappointed, but she had expected this. Unless there was a special order, no one was willing to stay for long in Little Mountain Jie. She had come this time with the intentions of making acquaintances.
The power of Golden Crow City, even if they entered Sky Water Jie, would definitely be a significant force.
There were no disadvantages to forming good relationship now.
Before, she had the idea of recruiting Gongsun Cha, but after personally seeing the battle that day, her thought had instantly disappeared.