by Fang Xiang
“Shixiong, you are looking for me?” Chun Yu Cheng was slightly formal. After Zuo Mo had killed Nan Ming Zi, the seeds of awe had been planted in everyone’s hearts.
But quickly, his attention was drawn to the pool that Shixiong was building.
This was a very strange looking nine-palace pool. Formations that he did not understand were carved onto the sides and bottom of the pool, but there were one or two that he recognized.
Those were nurturing formations used in raising beats, it could cause ling beasts to grow faster.
When did Shixiong become interested in animal rearing? He was puzzled. Shixiong was somewhat famous. Rumors had it that he knew something about everything, such as forging and dan-making, and it couldn’t be said that his skil in these crafts was low. But he had never heard that Shixiong knew how to raise animals.
“Hold on a second.” Zuo Mo did not stop. His hands continuously casted light after light that entered the walls of the pool.
Chen Yu Cheng began to understand. After each light that Shixiong cast, the walls of the pool became shinier, and the traces of the formations on the pool became fainter.
When the last light entered the wall, the walls of the pool became transparent like they were made from crystal. The marks of the formations on the walls had completely disappeared.
Zuo Mo panted and raised his head, asking, “What ling beasts do you have on you?”
Chun Yu Cheng paused and hurried to answer, “The flight was too long. It was hard to bring large-sized ling beats, all I brought were some small-sized ling beasts, like ling butterflies.”
“Oh, ling butterflies? Great, sell me some.” Zuo Mo said.
Chun Yu Cheng said, “Ling butterflies aren’t expensive. Shixiong, you don’t have to pay. How many does Shixiong want? Which types?”
“What type of ling butterfly?” Zuo Mo stilled and then asked back, “There are many kinds of ling butterflies?”
Chun Yu Cheng didn’t know how to react, but didn’t show it. “Just what this little brother knows of is about twenty thousand. However, I only have around one hundred eggs right now, but they are all very normal.” He guessed that Shixiong was having an impulse to work with ling beasts. However, just as he said, these ling butterfly eggs really were not worth very much. Even if he gave all of them to Shixiong, he wouldn’t feel it was a loss.
Zuo Mo had an interested expression. “Oh, so there is so much to learn here. Chun Shidi, please introduce me.”
“Shixiong is too polite.” Chun Yu Cheng started to introduce the different kinds of ling butterfly eggs to Zuo Mo.
The introductions hadn’t finished after four hours. Chun Yu Cheng’s throat was becoming dry, and Zuo Mo was left dizzy.
Zuo Mo realized now that even with this beast nurturing pool, if he wanted to get some results, it wasn’t a simple matter. Hearing how clear and knowledgeable Chun Yu Cheng was while he was talking about ling beasts, he couldn’t help but sigh at the level of professionalism needed!
Suddenly, an idea sprouted.
Why couldn’t he pull Chun Yu Cheng into the fold? If Chun Yu Cheng, the expert did it, wouldn’t it be easier to get results than an amateur like him?
The more he thought, the better Zuo Mo found the idea. His first aim was to make jingshi and not just spend his savings. Other than making jingshi, he didn’t have any interest in livestock. He already had too many things he needed to study. If he added another area, he wouldn’t be able to learn it effectively.
Chun Yu Cheng was still relentlessly lecturing. Zuo Mo was very familiar with the enthusiasm in his eyes. It indicated that the other really loved animal keeping.
Seeing such a determined gaze, Zuo Mo made the decision to incorporate Chun Yu Cheng into his plans.
Halfway through, Chun Yu Cheng accidentally saw Zuo Mo’s eerie-green, wolf-like gaze and shuddered inside. His tongue tying up. However, when he did a double-take to check again, Shixiong’s gaze was faint and calm, like a Dhyana expert.
He had just had a mistaken feeling! Chun Yu Cheng released a breath, organized his thoughts and continued on.
Zuo Mo pretended to be listening careful. Secretly, he flipped an empty jade scroll from his ring and imprinted some spells.
When Chun Yu Cheng finished, he hurriedly praised him, “Chun Shidi really has great knowledge. My own knowledge has grown greatly today!”
“Shixiong is too kind, this little brother has just entered the sect!” Chun Yu Cheng said humbly.
Zuo Mo suddenly asked, “Chun Shidi, what do you think about this pool?”
“This little brother is very ignorant and cannot understand anything except the nurturing formation. This pool must be related to raising beasts.” Chun Yu Cheng obediently replied.
“Chun Shidi really has good eyes!” Zuo Mo clapped as he praised. However, when matched with his expressionless face, it looked very strange. He said mysteriously, “Speaking of this pool, I got it from an ancient jade scroll remnant, it is called the [Nine Heavens Illusory Divine Light Serpent Transforming Dragon Pool]!”
“Nine Heaven Illusory Divine Light … … Serpent Transforming Dragon … …” Chun Yu Cheng gaped, stammering as he repeated this strange and extraordinarily lengthy name.
Zuo Mo’s eyes were serious. He did not look as though he was joking. He slowly took out the jade scroll he had just created, “That jade scroll remnant turned to dust after I read it. I do not understand animal husbandry so I only remembered the general gist. Shidi, please have a look.”
He was very certain the temptation that this jade scroll present to Chun Yu Cheng would be sufficiently seductive. Inside the jade scroll, he had redacted large sections of sensitive content, so the jade scroll seemed to lack many things. However, he was confident that even this ruined jade scroll was enough to tempt Chun Yu Cheng!
Chun Yu Cheng took the jade scroll somewhat in disbelief. In reality, if it hadn’t been that Zuo Mo Shixiong had always maintained a reputation of trust, he definitely would have immediately turned and left.
That name, it really … …
However, when he saw the first sentence on the jade scroll, it was as if he had been struck by lightning.
Zuo Mo didn’t hurry him.
He didn’t worry that Chun Yu Cheng would steal the method and learn it. None of what Pu Yao gave was easy to understand. This was the exact opposite of the gravestone. Not much effort had to be spent on understanding what the gravestone had taught him. The most important part of this set of spells was constructing the pool and was extremely complex. Other than Zuo Mo, no one on the Desolate Wood Reef could understand it. In reality, Zuo Mo himself had just made a first-grade yao cultivating pool.
Chun Yu Cheng raised his head, his eyes dazed. After a long time, his pupils final focused. The first thing he did was bow, “Shixiong, teach me!”
To be able to qualify for the white snake jade medal at twenty four years old, there was no need to describe Chun Yu Cheng’s talents with animals. With just one look look he understood the value of this jade scroll.
No, the value of this set of spells!
He understood the value better than Zuo Mo!
Zuo Mo was correct in this thoughts. The temptation that this jade scroll presented to Chun Yu Cheng was fatal!
Zuo Mo hurriedly helped Chun Yu Cheng upright, “Shidi, don’t be like this. We are brothers. On this island, we naturally should help each other.” Taking the chance, he threw out his own idea. “I’m an pure amateur at raising animals. This Serpent Transforming Dragon Pool, oh, we’ll call it a beast cultivating pool, Shidi can manage it. What does Shidi think?”
Chun Yu Cheng was joyous, “I couldn’t ask for more!”
To be able to look over the beast pool, it was the best opportunity to study and experiment. This set of spells was extremely deep and profound. The more he thought, the more excited he became. He wanted to move over immediately.
Zuo Mo said seriously, “Shidi also understands our situation. I built the beast
pool with the aim to earn jingshi and to not have to rely on just what we have. Such a project can also allow us to establish our roots here on the Desolate Wood Reef.”
Chun Yu Cheng calmed down slightly, “Yu Cheng understands!”
Zuo Mo said in satisfaction, “Since it is for profit, then we need to make it clear.”
Chun Yu Cheng said, “Yu Cheng only wants to learn this method for study, not for jingshi!”
Zuo Mo shook his head, “Even blood brothers need clear accounts. Those are two different matters. What is earned by this beast pool, Shidi gets three-tenths.”
Chun Yu Cheng wanted to shake his head and refuse when he heard Zuo Mo say this. He was interrupted in the middle. “Shidi, do not refuse. This is what Shidi should get. Ha ha, if Shidi feels embarrassed, then invest more effort on it!”
Zuo Mo had started as an outer sect disciple. He could clearly understand many things. It was only when emotion and profit were both tied together that this kind of cooperative venture would be stable.
Chun Yu Cheng felt grateful but didn’t know what to say. He only nodded in earnest. He decided that he would work hard.
Zuo Mo snickered, “Okay, then this is now Shidi’s job. If you need any materials, just tell me.”
In the sea of consciousness, Pu Yao’s face was full of disdain.
Zuo Mo clapped his hands in satisfaction and left.
* * *
Translator Ramblings: For those that thought Zuo Mo was going to start raising animals, the author has sadly disappointed you. On the other hand, he already has pets so it’s not that much of a loss.
Zuo Mo’s terrible naming sense makes an appearance.
The nine-palace pool is a really mystic term for what is essentially a three-by-three grid like the one you draw for tic-tac-toe.
Chapter 174: Macro Golden Crow Formation
Zuo Mo’s finger movements continuously changed. His consciousness was like a third eye, emotionlessly overseeing the rippling of the ling power at his fingers and the subsequent changes in the dan cauldron.
Pu Yao had once said all changes were changes in formations.
What he was doing now was identifying that “change.”
Starting with the fasting pill at the beginning, he had studied the change in formations inside the medicines. The changes in the dan were very complex. Even the simplest dan medicines would need several kinds of materials, and higher-grade dan would require dozens of ingredients. However, he hadn’t found any dan that needed more than one hundred types of ingredients.
This was not difficult to understand; the more materials there were, the more uncontrolled factors were present.
But those recipes were far above what Zuo Mo was studying right now.
What he was doing was still struggling with the most basic lingdan. To make them and to understand each of the “changes” in them were completely different concepts and completely different levels of difficulty. After going through the big sword essence formation and having studied the basics discussed in the Kun Lun introductory formations jade scroll, Zuo Mo could be considered half an expert in formations.
The “changes” in the lingdan might be complex, but Zuo Mo’s examinations were clear. After careful study, he had learned many things. The Desolate Wood Reef was very isolated, much quieter than Wu Kong Mountain; it was perfect for doing these kinds of activities that needed lots of time, and he didn’t have to worry about anyone disturbing him.
He had found twelve different frequent “change” formations.
After this, the rate of dan completion when he made dan would be astoundingly high.
To say of nothing else, just his skill in dan-making was now enough to support him anywhere he went. The Golden Crow Pill that he had first become famous for was one of his primary investigative targets. The Golden Crow fire contained inside the Golden Crow Pill was its only value. However, due to the ingredients, he had no method of increasing the amount of Golden Crow fire contained inside the lingdan, which meant that the Golden Crow Pill was stuck as a low-grade lingdan.
Zuo Mo had wrung his mind out to think of ways to make jingshi.
It was unknown what effect the beast pools would have, when it would produce anything, and how much could be made from it. Zuo Mo naturally wouldn’t put all his hopes on the uncertainty of the beast pool. Dan-making was the other method he had to consider to make jingshi.
The Desolate Wood Reef was truly isolated. If it only produced ordinary things like ling grains, there certainly would not be people who would be willing to come. What kind of circumstances would cause other people to come a long way to the Desolate Wood Reef? Only when the Desolate Wood Reef had things that could only be found here and nowhere else.
Golden Crow Pill was not a bad choice.
However, the present Golden Crow Pill was just a second-grade lingdan, and its effects were too limited. Even if it did have some effect, but it was not enough to attract people to come a long way. Zuo Mo had thought for a long time how to increase the grade of the Golden Crow Pill.
He believed that if it was third-grade Golden Crow Pill, merchants would definitely be willing to come to the Desolate Wood Reef to buy it!
He had a general understanding of the few formations inside the Golden Crow Pill. But there was one formation that Zuo Mo had never seen before. It was constructed out of medicinal power, and had two uses. One use was that it could lock the essence of the sun, while the other use was that it could turn the trapped sun essence into Golden Crow fire.
Zuo Mo called this previously unseen formation [Golden Crow Formation]. The Golden Crow Formation was so complex and exquisite that it was able to broaden Zuo Mo’s vision on the scope of formations.
The formations found in dan-making were much more complex than the formations he could normally learn. The formations he used were large and broad, the ling power moving clearly through them. The formations in dan-making were shrunk into a small space, complex like hair twisted into a knot and difficult to find their true design. Zuo Mo called the formations he usually used macro-formations and the formations in dan-making could be called micro-formations.
Occasionally during this period of time,, other xiuzhe would arrive at the Desolate Wood Reef, wanting to pass through the jie river into Little Mountain Jie. Zuo Mo asked for one hundred pieces of third-grade jingshi from each of them. For those that did not have the jingshi, they could use other things to barter. Zuo Mo’s trademark zombie face, the name of Wu Kong Sword Sect, and the threat of the [Skyring Moon Chime Formation] was enough for each of these ningmai xiuzhe to willingly pay the one hundred pieces of third-grade jingshi for their “resting fee.”
On average, there would be one person coming every two or three days. That meant, that every two or three days, Zuo Mo would earn one hundred pieces of third-grade jingshi . His days were very good.
Other than concentrating on his own experiments, he had taught some of what he knew about ling farming to the other three shidi who specialized in ling farming. He practiced all five elements, and his knowledge was much higher compared to the past.
Zuo Mo was an obsessive collector of jade scrolls. The number of jade scrolls that he possessed definitely was far more than what others would expect of a zhuji, and the collection was very diverse. Even though the grade on average was not high,there were some very good ones. Ling farming, beast raising, butchering, etc., he had all of them. The area that he had relatively little of were sword scriptures. However, on the island, except for Zuo Mo, who would spend time on sword scriptures, no one was interested in sword scriptures. He opened all the jade scrolls to the shidi and built a records room.
The jade scrolls collected by Wu Kong Sword Sect were primarily sword scriptures, and what Zuo Mo collected was the exact opposite. In terms of variety, the sect’s records room could not compare to Zuo Mo, but in terms of quality, Zuo Mo could never compete with the sect.
When the shidi went into the records room and saw the sheer number of
jade scrolls, they were stunned and surprised! Their desire for jade scrolls was similar to Zuo Mo.
Reading jade scrolls required paying a fee. No one had any objections to this. How could there be free meals in this world? Wu Kong Sword Sect’s records room had been free to use at the beginning, but after the expansion it had returned to its old practices.
Taking into account the shidi didn’t have much jingshi; Zuo Mo was devious in his use of tabs and silently became their creditor. The fees for using the records room were much lower than the sect. They would go into debt but would be able to immediately learn new spells. How could the such an arrangement not make them happy?
The records room quickly became the most popular place on the Desolate Wood Reef.
What Zuo Mo had picked were production xiuzhe. They did not like conflict, were dependable, and hardworking. Now that there was a records room, everyone had even more motivation. The atmosphere of the Desolate Wood Reef was extremely good; everyone had comfortable days.
———
Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, his face covered in dust, Zuo Mo looked at the large formation that he had just completed. His heart slightly hesitant.
The formation in front of him was the [Golden Crow Formation]!
Zuo Mo had used jade pieces and jingshi to create a Golden Crow Formation. This was the first time he used a macro-formation based off of a micro-formation that was used in dan-making. He had spent large amounts of time on the [Golden Crow Formation] but didn’t have any confidence. Theoretically, the micro-formations and the macro formations should not be any different.
It took Zuo Mo twenty days to set up the macro-version of the Golden Crow Formation. Ever since he had come up with the idea of using macro formations to construct micro formations, the idea had been like a recurring nightmare that could not be erased. He had enough jingshi now, if he didn’t do it now, when could he ever do it?
But once he started setting up the formation, he found the difficulty was much higher than he had anticipated.