by Fang Xiang
Yet what puzzled him was Zong Ru's shout. He lived in the Nine Great Dhyana Sects and was as familiar as one could be with the Dhyana cultivation. He knew the name of every Dhyana xiu that was slightly famous.
When did such a great Dhyana xiu appear?
After living so long in the Nine Great Dhyana Sects, just his shout was enough to prove that this withered man was unfathomably powerful!
No matter how hard he thought, he could not find this person. Had such a great Dhyana xiu just appeared out of nowhere?
As to that brute-force woman that had knocked him unconscious … ..
He only had one thought: How fortunate he had not struggled back then!
Lao De Guang carefully inspected the fleet. He found that all of the people who had not participated had calm expressions and maintained their calm from beginning to end during the encounter.
They appeared to be experts. Thinking about his prideful expression when he had given his nickname, Lao De Guang felt embarrassed.
Any of the people who had fought was enough to make the Nine Great Dhyana Sects shake. Now a whole group had appeared. He didn't know to describe them … … in any case, his thoughts of fleeing immediately dissipated. He did not feel that he could escape from this group of freaks with his measly skills.
Alright … … he had never thought there would be a day that he would admit his skills were measly … …
Crying on the inside, Lao De Guang had to consider an even more pragmatic question. How could he keep himself life while in the hands of these freaks.
A person who could receive the name [Shadowless Ghost Hand] might not be strong, but his mind was not lacking.
Did these people come for the ruins from the start?
The idea flashed through his mind, and he grabbed it. Such a group of freakishly powerful people was enough to destroy smaller sects. They would not appear at the Nine Great Dhyana Sects without any reason.
The more he thought, he more he felt this was right. This definitely was the reason!
He felt slightly reassured. To speak of nothing else, he believed not many could compare to him in terms of information. He was still valuable to this group.
As long as he was valuable, he would have a chance of staying alive.
Lao De Guang decided to find a chance to display his value. He had been secretly gathering intelligence on the ruins. They had not questioned him in detail last time and he had kept many secrets.
Come ask me! Come ask me! I have a lot of information!
Lao De Guang screamed inside.
One day passed, two days … … three days … ..
This group of people seemed to forget him. No one payed any attention to him. Lao De Guang felt puzzled. Had these people not come for the ruins?
He found that Zuo Mo seemed to be search for something on the Black Sea every day. Was their goal the Black Sea Flying Route?
The pitiful Lao De Guang would never expect that the fleet with Zuo Mo as its leader had entered a state of treasure-hunting.
Zuo Mo's greedy and desirous gaze wanted to sweep through all of the Black Sea.
If he could find a few more treasures like the green strand, maybe he could gather the materials to forge a shen device raiment.
Lil' Black's antennae finally started to wave furiously in one direction.
Cheers immediately sounded through the entire fleet. Everyone was spirited. Even a person as calm as Zong Ru became excited.
The fleet quickly flew in the direction pointed out by Lil' Black.
Translator Ramblings: Treasure? … … Treasure!
Chapter 772: Glittering
The dark night was illuminated by the lights of the spells and shen techniques. They collided in the air like fireworks, giving off great explosions that made people's ears hurt. Waves of air twisted the night, and everything in view seemed to be twisted.
Inside the jinzhi, everyone had an excited expression. Their faces were twisted, tendons bulging as they focused.
"Pay attention! Pay attention! First Group, pay attention to cutting off the enemy's left flank!"
"Second Group, control your shen power, do not fight too strongly, pay attention to shifts!"
"Fourth and Fifth Jinzhi Group, did you eat? Why are your attacks so weak? Attack at full power! I won't forgive you if you let even one escape … …"
Ma Fan calmly observed the battlefield. His orders flowed into every corner of the jinzhi defense line.
Among Mo Cloud Sea's battle generals, there were several that were skilled in defense such as Shu Long's Guard Camp and Tang Fei's Tangzi Battalion. Yet Ma Fan was a strangest one among them.
He was the battle general most skilled in jinzhi battle defense.
Because he had successfully stopped Xu Kong Temple's battalions in the past which unearthed Ma Fan's talent in defense, he had then been sent to Orchid Home Jie where he defended against Tian Huan's Gongye Xiao Rong by relying on the jinzhi forts. He had developed a great interest in how to use the seal formations and jinzhi.
Formations and jinzhi were one of Mo Cloud Sea's developmental focuses. Zuo Mo's turtle style had influenced them deeply. The interested Ma Fan spent a great amount of time in Golden Crow Cloud Island to study jinzhi and formations.
Any formation defense line in his hands would have astounding power.
He was familiar with the weakness and strengths of every kind of seal formation and could use them. Also, his experiences as part of the offensive core gave him a good understanding on the large-scale strategy of how to use seals and jinzhi.
His second-in-command, Nian Lu, was skilled in calculation and aided him greatly. Lei Peng was the head of the ax hidden in the turtle shell.
The battlefield was silently changing.
This kind of change was subtle and almost no one detected it among the chaotic battlefield. But Ma Fan detected it.
The two enemy battalions were not in sync and an opening in their formation had begun to appear.
Ma Fan's eyes suddenly lit up. His voice unconsciously increased, and his orders became brisk.
"First Crux, attack at full power!"
"Third Group, delay your enemies."
"Seventh Group, weaken your attacks, draw them in."
"Third Group, Sixth Group, pay attention, prepare to kill!"
The members under his command were familiar with his change. Everyone knew that when Daren's orders became short, it meant that the crucial moment in the battle had come.
Everyone felt their minds become alert, and the formation defense line immediately changed. However, it was also difficult to detect this change among the storm of spells.
Waiting for his orders, Lei Peng was completely armored. The Mo Cloud shen equipment covering all of his large and brawny body. He had a golden crystal sword in his hand. He appeared like a giant stepping out of a legend as he gave off a bloodthirsty and savage presence. Beside him, two hundred elites were also fully armored and stood silently.
He was prepared to fight!
"They've been drawn in!"
"Big Peng, kill!"
Lei Peng's eyes suddenly grew bight, his presence increasing. He lifted the heavy gold crystal sword as though it was nothing and changed towards the formation defense line like a furious rhino.
"Kill!"
The two hundred elite moved at the same time and howled together, "Kill!"
The troops were like a sharp and heavy axe that was swung in an overhead blow at the prey that was caught in a net.
The battalion that had been allowed in had never expected enemies to come charging out of the enemy defense line. Caught off guard, blood and flesh flew. Lei Peng was like an ancient monster, unstoppable as he charged every which way.
The shen equipment he wore had been designed and forged according to his strengths. It only had one use, to increase Lei Peng's power fivefold!
Lei Peng was naturally endowed with astounding strength, and it became even greater after mo matrices were engrave
d. Zuo Mo had switched out the spell he cultivated into a mo skill a long time ago. After he used a mo embryo, he managed to cultivate a power-type mo physique that increased his strength by multiple times again. Zuo Mo was determined for him to become a power-type. The Lei Peng of the past had a terrifying amount of strength but after he cultivated the Mo Cloud Shen Methodology, Lei Peng's strength went up another level.
Lei Peng's shen power was the simplest, most direct, crudest, roughest, and purest of power!
He had a door-sized golden crystal sword in his hand. When he started to swing it, no one was able to stop his attack. He did not like using stabs. In his hand, the golden crystal sword was like a thick horse-chopping sabre. What he liked to do most was chop.
Usually, when his blow fell, the enemy, rider and steed, would be split in two.
When he was really in his state, he would even use the sword like a metal staff, slapping and whipping. Anyone that was touched would fly out as though they were hit by a rhino, a large part of their body strangely caved in, as they bled for all orifices.
Clang!
Lei Peng's hand shook. For the first time since the battle started, someone stopped his sword!
His eyes bled red. He saw the person that stopped him, it was one of the mo marshals.
This time was when Lei Peng's fighting spirit was at its height. Even if the other was a mo marshal, he did not feel fear. With an angry howl, he swung the golden crystal sword up, and swung at the other, throwing himself behind the sword!
"Good attack!"
The mo marshal snorted. The spear in his hand suddenly turned bright silver, an extremely blinding point of light suddenly appearing in front of Lei Peng's eyes.
This dot of silver energy came quickly like lightning.
Everyone who was within ten li was pulled towards this spear. Lei Peng's surrounding soldiers seemed to have a feeling that this dot of silver light had a strange magnetic force. Their bodies seemed to be flying uncontrollably towards the dot of silver like moths to a flame.
A feeling of extreme danger suddenly took over their minds. They paled in shock.
At this time, a wild angry shout exploded in their ears.
Lei Peng's eyes were wide in anger, his shen equipment flashing with bright red light. Every drop of power in every mo matrix on his body, every muscle, bone and sinew, gathered on the golden crystal sword in his hand.
It was a power pure and without any finesse!
Only power!
Boom!
A thick drum-like sound echoed, like muffled thunder deep within the clouds. This could be heard by everyone within a hundred li!
A shocking unstoppable wave of air swept in all directions like a wall of iron. All of the seal formations and jinzhi within five li were destroyed. Those with slower reactions had to face the shockwave of air head on and were immediately wounded. Those smarter let themselves fly out with the wave of air.
There was nothing left within five li.
The golden crystal sword was completely shattered, Lei Peng was thrown out like a sandbag. His shen equipment was cracked all over, blood streaming out. He was covered in blood.
At the place where the fight had been, the mo marshal stood holding the spear, motionless.
The entire battlefield was silent. Everyone was stunned by this astounding collision.
Suddenly, with a snap, a fragment fell from the long spear to the ground.
This seemed to be a signal. Crack, the entire spear crumbled.
The mo marshal was motionless as though he was made from stone.
Everyone looked uncertainly at the mo marshal, their hearts in their throat.
At this time, the mo marshal fell and crashing with a boom.
"Daren!" Countless mo soldiers wailed in sorrow and disbelief.
Yet the mo marshal who had fallen down did not respond.
"Hahahaha! Cough … …"
Lei Peng struggled up as he laughed wildly. He suddenly tore off the shattered shen equipment he wore. People found out their shock that Lei Peng was covered in blood. They were even able to see the wounds that were seeping blood all over his body.
Lei Peng seemed to not notice them. He took out a new set of shen equipment, and put it on, ignoring the blood flowing out of him.
Then he took out a large axe from his ring that was the size of a door.
Holding the large axe, blood pooling under his feet, Lei Peng walked forward. He suddenly raised the axe in his hand and shouted like a wild beast, "Kil!"
Inside the seal formation, Nian Lu wiped away cold sweat, "This guy's gone crazy today!"
Ma Fan frowned. He was the strongest and he saw the most. The mo marshal had been over-confident and hadn't expected that someone would take the path of only pursuing strength and even managed to reach such a level. Lei peng's attack had gathered all of his strength. Even Boss who was famed for his strength would not choose to face it head on.
Power defeating all methods, Lei Peng was what the phrase referred to.
In terms of cultivation and skill, the mo marshal was much greater than Lei Peng. Yet he chose to fight Lei Peng in strength, wasn't that just looking for death?
Ma Fan shook his head. He knew what the mo marshal had intended. The mo marshal had thought to increase morale through this action, but hadn't expected to meet such an unreasonable person like Lei Peng.
"Have him withdraw," Ma Fan said unquestionably.
There was a five li opening in the seal formation jinzhi. This meant that the previous arrangements had to be adjusted. A damaged defense line meant more weaknesses but there was nothing to be done about it. High level experts were enough to affect the state of a battle. Also, the enemy had lost a mo marshal. In terms of damage inflicted, they had benefited greatly.
The enemy had not just lost a mo marshal. With the way that the mo fought this meant that when the mo marshal died, the offensive ability of the battalion would decrease precipitously.
The death of a mo marshal was like losing a flank, but in addition what it shook was morale.
Morale was something intangible but of crucial importance to victory or defeat. The more intense the battle, the greater its effects.
Even if the enemy still had one more mo marshal!
Ma Fan perceptively detected that the enemy morale was now low and the other mo marshal was stunned by the results of this battle. He did not respond immediately.
The enemy was in a short burst of chaos.
Opportunity!
Ma Fan unhesitatingly adjusted his orders.
———
The chaotic mo battalions immediately were inundated with strong attacks. When the remaining mo marshal reacted, he found that the enemy had grabbed hold of his battalion. If they wanted to retreat, the fatalities would be terrifying.
Damn it!
How could it be like this!
His complexion turned grey.
Translator Ramblings: Even Zuo Mo's subordinates are now taking down marshals.
Chapter 773: Enemy Encounter
After flying for a while, sounds of intense fighting could be heard from in front of them. Everyone was experienced in battle and could clearly recognize the sound of talisman attacks within. The entire fleet went on their guard.
Were other people like them, coming to explore this treasure trove?
From the distance of the sound, the other was hundreds of li away. If it wasn't for the vast and open sea surface, the direction of the wind, and their sensitive hearing, they might not have detected it.
The fleet was fast and the hundreds of li would be travelled in a few moments.
The guards in the fleet were on their high alert and prepared to fight.
When Zuo Mo and the others arrived and saw the situation, they were astonished.
An mountainous one-eyed octopus was half exposed in the water. Several xiuzhe were furiously attacking the octopus.
"Is this really an octopus?" Zuo Mo waved at the enormous body of the octopus a
nd swallowed. Just the portion of the octopus that was out of the water was over two hundred zhang. Those xiuzhe around it were small like flies in comparison.
Just the part of the body that was exposed to the air was already so large. The enormity of its entire body could be imagined.
Anyone who faced such an enormous monster couldn't help but inhale and feel as though it was an unwinnable battle.
"How long has it lived to grow so large?" Ceng Lian'er had an expression of awe. Having growing up in the mo territories, she had seen countless dangerous beings, but it was the first time she was seeing one so large.
"A Zuo, be careful, this octopus is at least tens of thousand years old!" Wei's warning caused Zuo Mo's to shudder.
"Tens of thousands years old? Thousand year tortoises, ten thousand year old turtles. How come it is older than a turtle?" Zuo Mo's little heart shook. Any kind of being, if they lived for thousands of years, would become powerful. Those that lived for tens of thousands of years, and in such a terrible environment like the Black Sea, this guy's strength … …
"Leave before it takes notice of you. Any being that has survived for tens of thousands of years will match you in intelligence." Pu Yao also warned.
Pu and Wei's opinions were in rare agreement and Zuo Mo immediately felt the urge to retreat. He liked treasure, but he would not gamble with his life.
Also, the chances of victory appeared pitiful.
The attacks of the xiuzhe did not cause any reaction when they landed on the octopus. The octopus had a layer of gleaming sticky fluid. When talismans hit it, they were deflected or they would glance off. Some would even be destroyed against it.
Such a dangerous being should not be provoked!
Suddenly, Wei Sheng lowered his voice and said murderously, "Shidi, those seem like Kun Lun sword xiu."
"Kun Lun!" Zuo Mo's body shook. His attention had all been on the octopus and, upon close inspection, he found that those people were Kun Lun sword xiui!
Zuo Mo's eyes suddenly became tinged with blood. Their grudge with Kun Lun was irreconcilable!
———
"Shixiong, this octopus is too strong! We cannot do anything to it!" He Zi's voice was panicked. They had attacked this octopus for a full two hours and just left a few minor wounds on its body.