by Fang Xiang
However, when his gaze landed on Zuo Mo's focused face, he immediately refocused. He coughed lightly and continued, "Try out the changes in these seven places. I based the changes off some methods from spells and yao arts. From the models, it should increase efficiency by about three percent and would decrease the activation delay by five percent."
Zuo Mo carefully noted down the seven places that had been improved. A few percent of improvement seemed to be a very small number but Zuo Mo knew that the accumulation of these tiny numbers over time would be astounding.
"You are still in the preliminary stages of mortal level. Accumulating shen power is the most important thing. There is no source of belief now, the increase in shen power will need to come from advancing the three powers. The greater your cultivation in the three powers are, the more shen power you will get every day. What is most important here is balance. How much shen power you can produce is decided by your lowest cultivation."
Pu Yao snickered. His expression was smug. "There aren't many freaks are like you? Who cultivates three powers? For ones like Kun Lun, even if they now understand what shen power is, they need to start from the beginning in cultivating the three powers. Also, your right hand is a great boon of fortune."
Then his expression turned stern. "However, do not slack off. A great sect like Kun Lun had all kinds of methods once they understand the design. The resources they can invest are great!"
Zuo Mo shook his head. "I will not slack off even one day until I resolve the Undying Shen Punishment."
Pu Yao stilled. After a moment of silence, he looked at Zuo Mo and nodded. He said, "That is good. You are someone with a foundation now. You might want to have the people at Cloud Sea Jie start to cultivate the other powers and prepare for cultivating shen power in the future."
Zuo Mo said, "You are right."
He had been cultivating shen power for a while and increasingly felt that shen power was much more powerful than the three powers. While it was more difficult to practice, the difficulty was being resolved gradually.
Now, Zuo Mo could clearly feel that shen power was something that other people could cultivate.
"Give me all the spells, yao arts, and mo skills you two have collected. 'Pu Wei Library' Access will be divided according to their service." Zuo Mo looked at Pu Yao and Wei.
Pu Yao said carelessly. "Alright."
Right now, Pu Yao was only interested in shen power. He did place any importance on what he had collected over the years. Maybe by doing this he could collect a copy of the Moon shen power inheritance.
Wei nodded and said, "Alright."
Zuo Mo gave a smile. With Pu Yao and Wei's collection, Cloud Sea Jie's power would skyrocket in the short time. Also, with that, Cloud Sea Jie's foundation would become more secure. The reason that the large sects had survived for thousands of years and not fallen was because, other than possessing a great amount of resources they had numerous spell inheritances.
Adding on shen power in the future, Cloud Sea Jie would grow stronger.
Having reached an agreement with Pu Yao and Wei, the remaining matters could be handled by Pu Yao through the Ten Finger Prison. He did not have to worry as he cultivated.
Coming out of the sea of consciousness, Zuo Mo did not immediately cultivate. He still had to face the Xuan Kong Temple elder corps behind him. In his eyes, the enormous elder corps was a group of sparring partners. With every one that he killed, his shen power would grow.
———
The situation for the elder corps was very bad.
Xiao Mo Ge was clearly more cunning than they had imagined. The death of the three elders reminded them that while the other was unable to face their combined might, the enemy had the power to kill them individually.
Possessing astounding speed, great individual power, cunning, and devious. From every angle, Xiao Mo Ge seemed to be the one in the role of the hunter.
The elder corps was already starting to regret this mission.
Translator Ramblings: There's more than one way to achieve shen power. Think of it as radiation, there's light, the gamma rays, the infrared and others. Zuo Mo's shen power is all three powers together but it's not the only way.
Chapter 686: The Mo Gods Emerge, The World Is Left Astounded
"Oh." A tall, large mo suddenly turned. There were two sickle shaped red marks on his thin face. His faint blue eyes were slightly narrowed as he sat on a throne carved with exquisite designs.
There was a smile on his face, but no one was able to feel any warmth from it.
"Xuan Kong Temple is really a failure, even now, they have not reached the gate to shen power yet they dare to target our mo. Have the xiuzhe declined so much in the thousand years?"
His smile became slightly disdainful and cold.
"Itis probably because they were the winners in that war." A voice came from the corner. The one that spoke was covered in thick armor. His body was brawny and there was a horn growing out of his forehead. He was imposing and his voice was deep and thick.
"There is no way around it, we were the losers, losers will also scheme to take back what was lost in the past."
A mo youth that was lying in midair had an unconcerned expression as he spoke. As he spoke, he threw a bloody red grape into his mouth. He was relaxed and said unclearly, "Don't think about sending me, ah've been in a lazy mood, don't want to go anywhere, sweep, ah just want to sweep … …"
The mo sitting on the throne had an exasperated expression and could only turn to the horned mo in the corner.
"I will go." The rhinoceros mo said with a grave expression. "This year is coincidentally the two hundredth year of the shen temple's founding. I can use those people as a sacrifice, the shen temple will grow in authority and will be able to attract more clans. It is time to show our shen temple to the world!"
More belief meant more shen power.
"That's right." The mo sitting on the throne narrowed his eyes and said with a light laugh. "Since the others are not willing to act, then let the era of shen power start with us."
The brawny figure disappeared.
———
Jiang Zhe had been defeated!
The news spread as though it had wings, flying to every corner of the three realms. If it Bie Han's sneak attack of Cold Mountain Jie was a dagger shoved into Jiang Zhe's soft belly, then Gongsun Cha had accurately grabbed Jiang Zhe's weaknesses and tore at Jiang Zhe until he bleed to death.
Learning that his retreat had been cut off, Jiang Zhe had tried to lead his main forces to break out of the encirclement.
But Gongsun Cha did not give Jiang Zhe any chances to retreat peacefully. Some people said that Gongsun Cha was like a cunning wolf that tightly clung to Jiang Zhe's battalion. Whenever he saw a chance, he would leap and take a bite.
All the people who saw the battle described it like this.
In their eyes, Gongsun Cha's forces were sharp demonic blades. They would be hidden. But every time they appeared, they would slice off a thin layer of flesh from Jiang Zhe's battalions and draw blood. It would cause the enemy to feel great pain yet each cut was not fatal.
Jiang Zhe's battalions gradually grew weaker.
The disadvantage of fighting in foreign territory was completely apparent now. No mo along the way would help Jiang Zhe. Actually it was the opposite. Small mo troops along the way would attack any Xuan Kong Temple xiuzhe that had fallen behind. They weren't even afraid to attack small battalions.
Jiang Zhe's forces seemed to have landed in an endless bog. There were also terrifying demonic blades hidden in this horrific bog.
Eventually Jiang Zhe died by Bie Han's hand.
This battle that was enough to change the world's state of affairs finally ended now. The effects of this event were still deeply affecting the world.
Yet no one had expected after just one day, the world's attention was attracted by another matter.
Something called the Mo ShenTemple had suddenly appeared.
A mo god of the Mo Shen Temple with seven mo temple guards had killed the twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders.
But even more astounding was that this mo god immediately announced that he would sacrifice these twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders would be sacrificed to the shen temple.
Then this mo god announced that Black Cloud Jie was under the protection of the shen temple. Any action that would cause fighting in Black Cloud Jie would be taken as a provocation and a challenge to the Mo God Temple.
All of the world was shocked speechless by the Mo God that had appeared out of nowhere.
Their first response was to suspect the truthfulness about death of the twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders. However, the mirages of the twenty seven elder's corpses and their talismans were made public by the Mo Shen Temple.
People now discovered that this was true.
Xuan Kong Temple was finished!
While they still had fanxu elders, they had lost Jiang Zhe, their main battalions, and their elder corps were destroyed. No one could save it from the fate of death.
Those with any sense of logic would be able to conclude this. However, no one paid attention to Xuan Kong Temple now. Losers would always be immediately forgotten by people. Even if it was a colossus like the four greats, when it crashed to the ground, people would reminiscence about how great it had been. They would say that while things had changed, people were the same and such. But in a blink, their gazes would gather on the victors. The losers would become a footnote in history to memorialize the strength of the winners. And the past identity as one of the four greats would just cause this contrast to become even grander and eye-catching.
Everyone was deeply astounded by the Mo God Temple.
Twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders. Such a grand group was one that no factions in the mo realms would guarantee that they could defeat.
All killed by the Mo Gods of Mo Shen Temple!
There was a lot of information in these last two words.
Normal people might have been astounded by the power that the Mo Shen Temple displayed. But among the major factions, their attention was on last two words–
— Shen temple!
They knew very well what the phrase that had been lost in time meant.
Shen power!
It definitely was shen power that allowed the Mo Shen Temple to kill all twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders.
All of them believed this.
No matter if it was yao, mo, or xiuzhe, any sect or clan that had some history desired shen power. However, up until now, they had not heard of anyone that found the way to cultivating shen power. The Great Peace Treasure Pavilion had been hotly contested and what people wanted was that nameless mo stele said to be the key to shen power.
The attraction of shen power could be seen.
Shen temple, so the crux of shen power was at the shen temple!
Many mo suddenly realized.
As more and more intelligence about the Mo Shen Temple was gathered, people found to their shock that the Mo Shen Temple had existed for two hundred years in the remote Black Cloud Jie. Even in Black Cloud Jie, there were not many that knew of the shen temple.
Before this, who knew the name of Black Cloud Jie?
Having worked for two hundred years before suddenly walking onto the world's stage. There were many questions behind all this.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the Mo Shen Temple suddenly announced that the recruits of the mo shen guard that passed the exams were able to learn shen power.
These words were like throwing a spark into a pot of boiling oil.
Shen power!
The Mo Shen Temple announced for the first time that they had mastered the method to cultivate shen power.
Black Cloud Jie immediately became a new holy ground. Countless mo seemed to be possessed as they moved towards Black Cloud Jie.
This was just the beginning.
Very quickly, the defense lines of the xiuzhe almost all moved back. Almost overnight, the xiuzhe who had had held the advantage all this time had lost all of their power. The positions of the two sides flipped and this increased the reputation of the Mo Shen Temple.
A sorrowful mood spread among the xiuzhe.
Shen power, the mo had found the way to cultivate shen power!
———
Pu Yao's dream about being the "Father of New Shen power" was destroyed. The Mo Shen Temple had started two hundred years already. Even Wei praised their determination and endurance.
Zuo Mo had seen the fight between the mo god and the elder corps with his own eyes and saw the strength of that mo god.
He really was too powerful!
Zuo Mo suspected the other had earth level shen power.
Few understood better than Zuo Mo what earth level shen power meant. When shen power reached earth level, it would change to something that the three powers could not match.
Even if one was a marshal, they would not have any power to fight back in front of earth level shen power.
He had seen how the mo god had easily killed the twenty seven Xuan Kong Temple elders. The talismans and spells that hit the mo god were like smoke and could not harm him. Zuo Mo's hands and feet felt cold.
When the mo gold had glanced in his direction before leaving, he almost suffocated.
In that moment, his mind was completely blank.
He gradually recovered long after the mo god had disappeared.
A chill ran from his feet to his scalp. All the hairs on his body were standing up.
So terrifying!
Was this earth level shen power?
It was terrifying!
Even Pu Yao was silent for a long time. That kind of power surpassed his imagination. The other clearly was further along than they were. This caused Pu Yao to feel demotivated and dispirited.
Yet what Pu Yao hadn't expected that when Zuo Mo recovered from his initial shock, the first thing he did was to start cultivating shen power like usual.
Pu Yao couldn't help but say, "They are using the shen temple!"
"Oh." Zuo Mo did not stop and continued to cultivate.
"Their method is more effective their ours. They have recreated belief, their cultivation speed is faster than ours," Pu Yao continued.
"Oh." Zuo Mo did not show any intentions of stopping.
"Oh? Can you be normal? Their method is simpler and more effective than ours, they … …"
Zuo Mo stopped what he was doing and interrupted Pu Yao, "No matter how good their method is, it is not suited for me. I cannot make a shen temple. We are on a different paths so we will continue on ours. It is not important who is better."
"Not important?" Pu Yao widened his eyes as though he heard something incomprehensible.
"I do not cultivate shen power to defeat them." Zuo Mo looked at Pu Yao and said to himself, "I am doing it for A Gui, to release A Gui from the Undying Shen Punishment, and for myself."
Pu Yao stilled.
"Also, seeing his power fills me with confidence. Earth level is so powerful. When I reach earth level, I might be able to release A Gui's Undying Shen Punishment!" Zuo Mo's eyes were as bright as stars. He unconsciously tightened his fists.
Zuo Mo suddenly turned his face, his smile sunny.
"Also, I believe that the shen methodology that you, Pu, has perfected will not be lacking to any one else's! You are Pu!"
Translator Ramblings: For those of you who wondered about the yaomo, here are the mo with their own shen power.
Chapter 687: The Hero and the Beauty
After the string of events, the Mo Shen Temple quieted down but the effects of its appearance on the world had not stopped at all. The present state of affairs became even more unpredictable. Even those that studied the situation did not dare to guarantee they could grasp the direction matters would develop.
However, this did not have too much to do with Zuo Mo.
He was heading towards Nether Spring Jie. Since he already learned that A
Gui's soul was being restrained by the Undying Shen Punishment, Zuo Mo still hoped that the Reverse Shadow Spirit Silkgrass would provide some him some clues.
However, this time, Zuo Mo planned for Gongsun Cha and Bie Han to return to Cloud Sea Jie.
In the past, Zuo Mo's individual strength was not enough so he had to get the aid of the battalions. But now his shen power had developed, he also had A Gui and Ceng Lian'er who were also strong. Even if they were facing marshals, they had the ability to fight and it was not a problem to flee.
Also, the collapse of Xuan Kong Temple and the appearance of the Mo Shen Temple caused Zuo Mo to have a feeling they were at a turning point of the era.
This was a chance for Cloud Sea Jie.
Xuan Kong Temple, one of the four greats, had been defeated at the front lines and lost its experts. Its decline could not be stopped. However, its enormous body was the richest banquet and caused countless factions to drool.
For a very long time, the xiuzhe world would be in a turbulent state. The old equilibrium had been broken, and a new equilibrium will only start forming from fighting and rivers of blood. Zuo Mo hoped that Cloud Sea Jie would be able to get a share of this great banquet.
The present Cloud Sea Jie possessed two powerful battalions and the [Pu Wei Library]. What it lacked was resources.
This was not apparent because Cloud Sea Jie was always on the defensive and it was hidden. But there would be a day that Cloud Sea Jie would come to prominence and the enemies they would face then would be titans like Kun Lun. The resources the two sides would be able to move would not be on the same level.
Their enmity with Kun Lun could not be resolved.
Other than this, Cloud Sea Jie needed to establish deeper foundations.
This meant that Cloud Sea Jie needed to expand its territory. Only by expansion could it possess more resources and establish itself.
In Zuo Mo's view, this was the best opportunity for an expansion.
Once the new equilibrium was formed, expansion would antagonize all of the surrounding factions. The best way was to take advantage of the chaos. If they missed such a great opportunity, it would never come again. With a terrifying enemy like Kun Lun, if they did not strengthen themselves early, then they might not even qualify for a final battle.