by Fang Xiang
Chapter 179: Gravestone
Written on the gravestone were the words, “Do as he asks.”
Zuo Mo had originally decided not to accept Pu Yao’s tempting offer. [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] and [Little Thousand Leaf Hands] enchanted him, but he still decided to refuse this transaction where it looked like he would benefit disproportionately.
Pu Yao had not described the Mountain Physique in great detail, but Zuo Mo understood that the reason he had cultivated this quickly to Mountain Physique was all due to the gravestone. The [Vajra Profound Sutra] was not an outstanding scripture. The reason it was so effective was those five adjusted phrases from the jade scroll.
Even though Pu Yao did not say much, he was quite scornful of the Mountain Physique in his tone. However, Zuo Mo could easily felt the great strength of the Mountain Physique.
He had recalled that moment he broke through, savoring that feeling of strength flooding through his body.
It was the first time he had so clearly tasted strength.
Pu Yao’s terrible reputation made Zuo Mo unable to believe him. No matter how much he was tempted by [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] and [Little Thousand Leaf Hands], it was clear that what Pu Yao gave looked sweet but it wouldn’t taste sweet when he ate it.
[Vajra Profound Sutra] didn’t have anything profound and was exactly suited to Zuo Mo’s appetite. The fact he could unknowingly cultivate to Mountain Physique, proved that he had talent in this area. Rather than gamble on the untrustworthy Pu Yao, it was better to persist with what he already had.
He didn’t want to think about progression to deeper stages. He believed that if he could reach the level he had experienced when he made the breakthrough, he would have some measure of protection in these troubled times.
After thinking for a few days, and having finally made a decision, Zuo Mo ran to the sea of consciousness to prepare to refuse Pu Yao. But to his shock, he saw the words floating on the gravestone.
A strange feeling rose inside Zuo Mo. It was like the gravestone under Pu Yao’s ass was alive. This idea was truly too absurd, so absurd that even Zuo Mo felt that he had thought too much these past days, and was having a delusion.
The words on the gravestone were large and eye-catching.
It wasn’t a delusion!
“How about it?” Pu Yao’s unconcerned voice suddenly sounded next to Zuo Mo’s ear.
Zuo Mo’s heart jumped. He glanced and saw the words on the gravestone grow faint. In a blink, the eye-catching words had disappeared.
Was this gravestone really alive?
Zuo Mo thought and brushed off, “En, I’ve thought for a long time.”
If this gravestone was really alive, then … …
Suddenly, he recalled when he had first met Pu Yao and how he fell into that unconscious state. When he had been muddled, he had heard an ancient and stern voice. He had assumed that it was Pu Yao. Thinking about it now, that voice was stern and authoritative, and was completely different from Pu Yao’s seductive and enchanting mannerisms. He had overlooked this discrepancy before because there was no one except Pu Yao in his sea of consciousness.
When the [Vajra Profound Sutra] had appeared on the gravestone last time, it hadn’t caused him to question his assumption.
“Do as he asks.”
These words, other than living beings with brains, no matter if it was the most outstanding talisman, it could not say such words.
He felt the gravestone was alive.
Zuo Mo’s mind was furiously moving. Naturally, his speech could not keep up. This made him look especially dull today.
———
Pu Yao furrowed his brows, “And then?”
Zuo Mo instinctively answered, “I still have to think.” He ignored Pu Yao, sitting down on the ground. In any case, the words on the gravestone had already disappeared.
Pu Yao was slightly surprised. If Zuo Mo entered the sea of consciousness, he should have decided. Had he just decided to change his mind now? He had interacted with Zuo Mo for a long time. Zuo Mo might be hesitant sometimes, but after he made a decision, he would never waver. The other was so stubborn and vicious, even he would gape.
Why did he suddenly hesitate now?
However, he would never have thought in his wildest dreams the gravestone under his bottom had gotten one over him.
———
Zuo Mo decided to think.
The gravestone should be alive, no, maybe there was something alive under the gravestone.
Thinking about it now, the [Vajra Profound Sutra] had appeared on the gravestone when Pu Yao had been meditating. This time, the gravestone was opposing Pu Yao right in front of him.
Did the gravestone and Pu Yao have animosity?
Pu Yao usually sat on the gravestone. Previously, Zuo Mo had felt that Pu Yao was an undertaker. Thinking about it now, was more like Pu Yao was guarding it. Was there a powerful enemy sealed under the gravestone, and Pu Yao was so worried he personally guarded it?
This guess was very rational. Zuo Mo felt, that even if it wasn’t any great hatred between them, the relationship between Pu Yao and the gravestone was definitely not good. Otherwise, the gravestone wouldn’t have opposed Pu Yao twice.
Thinking through this, Zuo Mo suddenly understood slightly what Pu Yao’s aims were.
Pu Yao needed the earth energy for something he did not state. Looking at it now, Pu Yao had offered this transaction directly for the Mountain Physique that Zuo Mo had just achieved.
Zuo Mo suddenly didn’t get it again.
If Pu Yao and the gravestone really didn’t have good relations, then Pu Yao could just stop him from practicing [Vajra Profound Sutra]. However, Pu Yao did not prohibit him from practicing [Vajra Profound Sutra]. If Pu Yao was targeting Zuo Mo’s Mountain Physique, he had enough skill and methods to just take that.
Pu Yao wasn’t a generous person. This person always wanted to get even. Whoever he held a grudge against, would quickly feel retribution from Pu Yao’s machinations. Pu Yao would not let his enemies go, and give them time to recuperate.
As to Zuo Mo himself, he didn’t feel he could affect Pu Yao in any way between the two enemies.
The deeper he thought, the more puzzled Zuo Mo felt.
He threw away thinking about the relationship between Pu Yao and the gravestone. What he needed to consider was which choice was most beneficial for him. Pu Yao’s promises were not trustworthy in Zuo Mo’s mind. Compared to that, he was more willing to believe the gravestone. The benefits from the gravestone’s [Vajra Profound Sutra] were real and tangible.
There was no spectacular description, but true power and that was more likely to persuade Zuo Mo.
If he thought of Pu Yao and the gravestone as two people, his past experiences with Pu Yao were terrible, but his experience with the gravestone had been very good.
Zuo Mo felt dejected. This clearly was going to slow down his body cultivation progress so why did the gravestone want him to agree? Was there … …
Suddenly, an idea appeared in his mind, did the gravestone have a solution?
Zuo Mo suddenly became uplifted, it was possible! Otherwise, the gravestone certainly wouldn’t want him to agree to Pu Yao’s transaction. If the gravestone was not concerned with his cultivation progress, it wouldn’t have passed him [Vajra Profound Sutra] in the first place.
Zuo Mo believed that any action had an aim.
The gravestone had its own aims in passing on the [Vajra Profound Sutra], but he did not know it at the moment. But since it had a goal, then it wouldn’t easily let its previous efforts go to waste. Otherwise there would have been no reason to pass onto him the [Vajra Profound Sutra].
If the gravestone had just taught him out of sheer pleasure, even Zuo Mo would not believe it.
He couldn’t guess the goal, but Zuo Mo could judge what was more beneficial to him.
He decided to listen to the gravestone. Having made his decision, he started to think how the gravestone would give
the solution. Thinking of the [Vajra Profound Sutra] and the words that had floated there, he decided to visit the sea of consciousness more frequently in the future.
After thinking it through, Zuo Mo stood and walked in front of Pu Yao.
“En. I’ve thought it through. Let’s make the transaction!”
“Your choice is very intelligent,” Pu Yao’s cold blade-like lips curved slightly.
Zuo Mo’s caught a glimpse of this smirk and felt that Pu Yao’s smile carried some unusual content, as though it proved some of his speculations.
The first chapter of [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] and the first three moves of [Little Thousand Leaf Hands] in his hands, Zuo Mo started to study them as though he was starving.
[Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] was cryptic and he still had barely progressed even now. The two spells had their own places that were hard to understand, but they were much easier compared to [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]. What was most surprising to Zuo Mo was that Pu Yao was willing to personally teach [Little Thousand Leaf Hands].
He took the chance to ask Pu Yao for clarification regarding the problems he encountered. He hadn’t expected that Pu Yao to have changed his frugal attitude, and freely replied, and it could even be considered, very patiently. Zuo Mo was amazed.
Such a good chance, if he didn’t use it fully, then he was an idiot. Zuo Mo took the chance to go through everything he was usually puzzled by.
After going through it all, he felt it was worth it even if there wasn’t the two spells!
This set of spells that yao had about the spirit was more profound and wondrous than any jade scroll that he had ever read. It was like the difference between the cloud and earth.
But making a transaction with Pu Yao meant one could never just simply enjoy. Accompanying it was always the pain of the flesh.
Under Pu Yao’s guidance, he quickly learned how to absorb earth energy from the ground. The earth energy of body cultivation and the [Art of Earth Energy] that Zuo Mo cultivated shared the same name, but the two were completely different.
The earth energy of [Art of Earth Energy] was the energy nurtured from the soil, but the earth energy that Zuo Mo took in right now was a kind of weighty and concentrated power. The only similarity between the two was they were both nurturing and heavy. But what the [Art of Earth Energy] nurtured was ling plants, and what the earth energy of body cultivation nurtured was his body of flesh.
An attentive Zuo Mo found two reasons he could absorb earth energy. One was his body cultivation had reached Mountain Physique. The other reason was the mo matrix.
The mo matrix that Pu Yao had carved onto Zuo Mo’s body was wondrous in allowing his body to communicate with the earth.
He somewhat understood now why mo would primarily cultivate their body. It was because they were born with a mo matrix, and were the children of the earth.
When he was absorbing earth energy, it was so comfortable that he was intoxicated. Little by little, concentrated strength slowly moved into his body from his legs, nurturing every part of his body. He could feel the strength increasing in his body, a tranquility that he never felt before which was addicting.
But the earth energy that he took in would be drawn out by Pu Yao in an instant, in a great form of torture!
When the strength inside his body was extracted, his mind would blank for a short moment. When Zuo Mo’s mind came back, weakness and the lack of strength would make him feel that he had an incurable disease. A strong sense of dizziness and nausea destroyed his appetite and his interest in anything else
Each time Pu Yao drew out the earth energy, he only had one thought, to faint and sleep.
However, he didn’t sleep. He needed to cultivate.
* * *
Translator Ramblings: Zuo Mo finally realizes that the population in his consciousness is one more than expected. This chapter breaks down Zuo Mo’s thinking which is super practical. The gravestone and Pu both have credit scores with Zuo Mo, and Pu has a terrible one.
Chapter 180: [Great Thousand Leaf Hands]
What Zuo Mo cultivated first was the [Great Thousand Leaf Hands].
The second half of the first chapter of [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] explained how to form the great thousand leaf hands. This Sky Yao was an amazing genius. He used the process of a plant growing to complete his spell.
The first step of [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] was to gather up the spirit that was scattered. This was not a problem to Zuo Mo, he easily accomplished it.
Next was to forge the gathered consciousness into “seeds.” This step was crucial. If one could not form “seeds,” they could not practice [Great Thousand Leaf Hands].
The steps to forge “seeds” seemed to be very complicated, but when Zuo Mo finished reading, a strange feeling arose.
This was the “dan nurturing” water method!
The Moisture Dan hadn’t brought much jingshi to Zuo Mo, but he had studied the water method. The wondrous process of the dan forming had left a deep impression on him, so when he saw the process of the “seed” forming, he instantly found similarities.
He didn’t know if this Sky Yao knew of the water method, but to have created such an amazing set of spells and to use a dan-making method with spiritual power, he was in awe of the elder.
Thinking about it, he twisted his mouth.
Pu Yao said he was a Sky Yao, but they were both Sky Yao so why was the difference so great? Pu Yao had taken out many kinds of spells, but he had never heard the other say that he had created any of them. Even more importantly, Zuo Mo didn’t think Pu Yao behaved like a Sky Yao. He was very suspicious that Pu Yao’s Sky Yao identity was just him boasting.
Knowing the water method, Zuo Mo didn’t have much trouble in forging the “seed.”
A few hours later, a “seed” had been formed.
This “seed” that Zuo Mo had gathered all his consciousness into was the size of a soybean, expanding and contracting as though it was breathing.
The most difficult part did not stop Zuo Mo. As long as he persisted in practicing this set of spells daily, after ten days, this “seed” would germinate.
However, since all of his consciousness had been used to create this seed, it was like his consciousness had disappeared. This caused Zuo Mo, who had relied on using his consciousness constantly, to feel extremely awkward.
Without his consciousness, Zuo Mo could not make dan, could not forge, but what made him jump in fright was that he could not use the [Skyring Moon Chime Formation].
Damn it!
He had made such a fatal mistake. It seemed that he had been too proud these past days.
Please, no one come in these next ten days.
To not cause terror in other disciples, he acted normally on the surface.
Gongsun Cha delivered a pile of materials to him, all of it taken from the body of the Blue Spiked Crocodile that Zuo Mo had killed. What was most attention-catching among the items was the hide of the Blue Spiked Crocodile and the seven blue spikes. The hide was pristine. It was rare to see such a perfect Blue Spiked Crocodile skin. The hide of a Blue Spiked Crocodile was outstanding material to make ling armor and the price on the market was very high.
What Zuo Mo liked the most was the seven blue spikes.
The seven blue spikes were rare water element materials, and they came from the same Blue Spiked Crocodile, which made them very appropriate to forge into a flying sword.
Zuo Mo’s set of five sword essence swords needed five flying sword with completely different attributes. It would take luck to gather all five.
He decided to forge the seven blue spikes into a set of flying swords suitable for him to use now.
But when he thought that his consciousness was completely used in creating the “seed,” Zuo Mo could only grimace.
———
Ten days later.
Zuo Mo focused all his attention on growing the “seed” using the chant from the [Great Thousand Leaf
Hands]. After ten days of continuous change, the “seed” was now the size of a goose egg, its outer shell a glowing porcelain. It was possible to see a curled sprout inside.
Suddenly, Zuo Mo detected the consciousness inside the egg moving. The outer layer of the “seed” broke. The outer layer was composed of consciousness and naturally would not have made a sound, but to Zuo Mo it was like thunder.
His body seemed to be struck by lightning as it vibrated.
A tender sprout with a single leaf reached out of the broken shell.
The leaf of the tender sprout was extremely small. It appeared like the palm of a person, with all five fingers.
Everything in the surroundings flooded in clearly. This feeling of everything being in his grasp instantly made Zuo Mo feel secure.
Consciousness!
Without him detecting it, Zuo Mo found, to his shock, that his reliance on his consciousness had reached such a shocking step. The consciousness seemed much weaker than before, but as long as he had his consciousness, he could activate the [Skyring Moon Chime Formation] and he could guarantee his safety to some degree.
Finally calming down, Zuo Mo started to study his completely transformed consciousness.
His spiritual power had all turned into this little tender sprout. The little hand that was as round and tender as an infant’s was the only leaf on the sprout, but it was of great joy to Zuo Mo.
His mind moved and the leaf rippled, the five leaf fingers shaking. Quickly, Zuo Mo discovered the trick to manipulating the leaf fingers. The five fingers on the leaf became even more nimble. Zuo Mo was even able to control the five fingers on the leaf hand to do the finger motions of all kinds of spells. There was no sound when the leaf hand made the motions, the spiritual power and the ling power was completely different.
However, if he used finger motions with the leaf hand, its nimbleness far surpassed Zuo Mo’s own finger movements. He could control the leaf hand to complete many highly difficult and almost impossible finger movements. If he used his own fingers, he definitely could not do them.