by Fang Xiang
The people accompanying Zuo Mo were all the elite of Mo Cloud Sea. Individually they were outstanding, but they were also trained and skilled in battle formations.
The power of a battle formation was directly linked to the number of people in it. Usually, the smaller the number of people, the lower the threat of the battle formation posed. A battle formation composed of twenty people definitely surpassed a battle formation of five people.
While the enemy had the advantage of numbers, they belonged to different factions. They were unlikely to cooperate, and even if they did they would not trust each other so battle formations of larger scale were not feasible.
Zuo Mo did not need to worry about himself. Other than himself, A Gui, Wei Sheng, Ceng Lian'er, Luo Li and the others, everyone else could advance as a part of a battle formation. Their strength might not match the carefully selected experts of other factions, but they had been trained by Lil' Miss. Once they formed a battle formation, they were not so easily defeated.
When the ancient ruins opened, if one had the token, they would be sucked into the ruins if they were close by.
Zuo Mo and the other entered the ruins through the mountain valley that Lotus Sutra Temple had arranged before. This mountain valley was heavily guarded by Lotus Sutra Temple to leave behind only one safe passageway.
Zuo Mo and the others felt their vision blur and the surrounding scenery changed.
Everything in front of him was white, and shrouded in mist. Under his feet were slate stones carved with ancient beasts. The mist here was strange. The mist seemed to contain all kinds of colours and a kind of indescribable power.
Yet when he saw the surroundings clearly, Zuo Mo's expression changed slightly.
They had been split up!
He only had A Gui with him.
Damn it!
Zuo Mo immediately recognized the seriousness of the situation. They were known by everyone else and once their forces were split up, they would be in danger! He had originally planned on using their numbers to fight their way through. The plan was unusable now. They had been split up. Undoubtedly, the people from Mo Cloud Sea were the first targets people would want to eliminate.
He hurriedly used a spell unique to Mo Cloud Sea to try to communicate with the others. Yet the spell seemed to fizzle out. There was no response.
His heart continued to sink.
He turned to look at A Gui. Without a second word, he took out two sets of normal shen equipment to put them on himself and A Gui, a disguise so they did not appear so eye-catching.
While Zuo Mo had confidence in his strength, it would be dangerous if they were attacked from all sides.
"Let's go!"
Zuo Mo charged out first. The urgent matter now was to find everyone else. It was alright for he and the other shen power experts. They should not be in too much danger. But those guards were not individually strong enough in here. Without the use of a battle formation, they were in great danger.
While Zuo Mo desired the shen device raiment, he did not want to trade for it with the lives of his comrades.
These people had followed him the longest and were the group he was closest to.
Zuo Mo and A Gui quickly disappeared into the white mist.
———
Resting Island, it was situated in a remote and unpopulated corner of Cloud Sea Jie. The island was just three hundred li wide and less than seven hundred li long. It was a very average island among the Cloud Sea Jie islands.
Before this, this little island did not have a name. After Bie Han built his residence here he named this island Resting Island.
Resting Island was surrounded by jinzhi. No one would be able to force their way in. There was only one way to enter Resting Island, transportation formations. There was a transportation formation on Resting Island. The other end of the transportation formation was Bie Han's bedroom.
Only Bie Han would come to Resting Island. There was only a memorial hall on the island.
Bie Han had built the seven story memorial hall himself. There were memorial tablets placed in the hall. The drapes swayed with the cold wind and caused this place to look eerie.
Bie Han held a blank memorial tablet on his left hand and held a brush on his right. He carefully wrote the names in strokes.
He silently wrote. Behind him stood less than half of Sin Battalion. The ranks with their empty spaces stood silently like they were dead.
When the last name was written, Bie Han carefully put the memorial tablets onto their places before lightning incense.
He did not bow, but stood there silently as though he was inspecting his battalion like usual. He inspected the clean ranks of memorial tablets.
His expression was cold as he stared for a long. Suddenly, he said to himself facing the memorial tablets.
"I don't know if your spirits will return. You are tired, sleep, I'm going ahead."
He turned, and walked to the transportation formation with the remains of Sin Battalion.
He returned to his residence and then to Chun Yu Cheng's cloud island to find Chun Yu Cheng.
Chun Yu Cheng might be muddle-headed sometimes but that depended on the person he was speaking to. In front of a killing god like Bie Han, he was cooperative. Also, Bie Han never asked him for complex tasks. Moreso, Zuo Shixiong had been the one to forge those blood beads. Chun Yu Cheng was also very curious what the results were.
"Here, they are growing well." Chun Yu Cheng pointed to a ball of blood in the blood pool and said with a small frown, "They have started to have some of the mo steed traits, but very preliminary."
Bie Han stared at the ball of blood in the blood pool without a word.
The blood pools here stretched out. Inside every blood pool, a ball of blood was growing.
"The blood beads retained their instincts to fight so they are aggressive. If there are two blood balls in a blood pool, they will fight until one dies. I had to build this many blood pools. I have to tell you first that you have to pay the expenses." Chun Yu Cheng chattered on.
"Alright." Short and terse Bie Han treated his words like gold.
"I don't know what the growth and maturation is like? I'm curious." Chun Yu Cheng looked around and seeing no one was around, he lowered his voice and said, "I got some shen crystals and put them in as well. Those things are very useful. However, you know, shen crystals are rare, and I only have so many pieces. You have to repay me double … …"
"Alright." Bie Han suddenly asked, "Shen crystals are useful?"
"Yes, very useful. They can absorb shen crystals. Look at these ones, the ones that have consumed shen crystals are clearly bigger in size. Later, at Golden Crow Camp, they will be easier to forge. Let's agree, you have to pay me back double, otherwise, I will really suffer a loss … … hey hey hey, don't leave."
Before Chun Yu Cheng finished his explanation , Bie Han turned and left.
"I didn't say I wanted them now … … hm, why are you so murderous?" Chun Yu Cheng looked at Bie Han's back with puzzlement.
A few hours later, Bie Han once again appeared in front of Chun Yu Cheng.
Woosh, he poured out a pile of shen crystals.
Chun Yu Cheng's eyes went straight. "My heavens … …"
———
Zuo Mo and A Gui changed their appearances to be less eye-catching. However, the mist in front of them was very strange. Whenever Zuo Mo decided to search the surroundings, his shen power would encounter great resistance.
This kind of situation was rare. He shen power he cultivated was the sun shen power from the Sun Tribe. It was so dominant that it had been one of the strongest shen methodologies even in the ancient era.
Even sun shen power was encountering resistance. This ruin was not simple.
At this time, Silly Bird suddenly came out of Zuo Mo's ring. Then Lil' Pagoda, Lil' Fire, Lil' Black, and the Black Gold Seal Soldier also streamed out of the ring.
The group immediately multiplied in number and seemed much bigger.
Once Silly Bird came out, her eyes glared. Red flames shot out of her body, her feathers raising up as though there was something dangerous in the surrounding white mist.
Lil' Pagoda looked around curiously and suddenly opened its mouth to suck in the mist.
The white mist was quickly sucked into Lil' Pagoda's mouth like a whale inhaling.
The white and black body of Lil' Pagoda became even more defined as it contrasted against the mist. It even became shinier. Was this mist something good?
Zuo Mo knew how picky Lil Pagoda was. If it was not something good, this guy would not open his mouth. Also, Lil' Pagoda seemed to be enjoying this. This mist probably was not ordinary.
Did this mist have something?
Without a word, Zuo Mo took out a jade bottle and started to move his hands in a spell. The mouth of the bottle pointed at the mist, and the mist seemed to be pulled by an strong force. It shook, but it did not fly over.
Strange!
Zuo Mo felt even stranger. The jade bottle in his hand was a magnetic bottle forced specially to take in materials of this kind. Yet it could not suck this in?
Zuo Mo channeled in shen power.
The white mist finally could not resist the strong magnetism of the magnetic bottle and immediately flowed into the bottle.
In a flash, a space appeared around them. The white mist in the surroundings seemed to be constrained by a power and did not move in this direction. It was like a piece of the cake had been cut and Zuo Mo and the others were standing in the empty space.
Zuo Mo's attention quickly moved away from the mist.
A strange thing appeared in the empty space in front of them.
Translator Ramblings: I have to wonder if it's always luck that A Gui end up with Zuo Mo when everyone else gets sent to a different place or she's just so strong they cannot pull her away.
Chapter 790: Totem Coliseum
A round disk covered in a spiralling pattern appeared in front of the group. There was a hole at the center of the disk and the white mist came from there. The disk was very small and the white mist flowed slowly. The mist did not dissipate but gathered in the air.
Did all the mist here flow out of this disk?
"I know where this is." Pu Yao suddenly spoke gravely.
"What place is this?" Zuo Mo could here that something was wrong in Pu Yao's tone. He felt strange. A daring person like Pu Yao actually had a place he was afraid of.
"Totem Coliseum!" Pu Yao said coldly.
Hearing the name, Wei first still and then his expression changed. He gasps, "Impossible!"
"Totem Coliseum? Such a strange name, what is this place?" Zuo Mo was even more curious. Wei's response proved that this name was not ordinary.
"The Totem Coliseum is the place where the totem warriors of the ancient tribes would compete." Pu Yao introduced in a deep voice, "In the ancient era, they would host a tournament once in awhile. The totem warriors of each tribe would gather and fight to become the chief."
"Oh, it sounds like the Sword Test Conference," Zuo Mo said thoughtfully.
"The chief tournament is much more crueler than the Sword Test Conference," Wei couldn't help but say, "It is a fight to death! Few people come out alive. The strongest totem warrior would be called the chief. Its tribe would have great power, and the other tribes had to give it tribute. This tribute would continue until the new chief appeared. Usually, a conference would be hosted every decade."
Wei said gravely, "There is no evidence that proves this is the Totem Coliseum. I might have not gone to the Totem Coliseum, but the ruins here do not show any indication of it."
Pu Yao said coldly, "The five front halls of the Totem Coliseum are wind, rain, thunder, mist, and snow. If I am not wrong, this is the Mist Hall. That round disk should be the Mist Eye Tablet."
Wei was silent. He hadn't been the totem warrior in his time. In the tribe, he had been weak and matters like the Totem Coliseum would not involve him. However, he had heard of the five halls, wind, rain, thunder, mist, and snow of the Totem Coliseum.
Zuo Mo already half-believed it. When Pu Yao said the name of the Mist Eye Tablet, Zuo Mo believed it. That described the round disk exactly. No wonder his shen power was being suppressed everywhere. If this was the Totem Coliseum, then it would make sense. This was a place for totem warriors to fight.
"Pu Yao, you know a lot!"
Zuo Mo was surprised by this. If Wei had been the one to say this, Zuo Mo would feel it was normal since Wei had lived in that era. He hadn't expected the one to know of this place would be Pu Yao.
Pu Yao did not show any pride but had a normal expression. "My teacher once studied the Totem Coliseum for a very long time."
Zuo Mo finally understood. However, he was even more curious. Pu Yao's teacher seemed very strong!
"Then what do we do now?" Zuo Mo asked with anticipation. Then he pointed enthusiastically at the Mist Eye Tablet. "This is a good thing, it definitely is a treasure, can we take it?"
Pu Yao said seriously, "The Wind, Rain, Thunder, Mist, and Snow Halls of the Totem Coliseum are the first tests. The number of people eliminated here is the highest. Only those that can survive will enter the next round. The Mist Eye Tablet is a treasure, but it guards the Mist Hall. If you are able to take it, the Mist Hall will be defeated. However, I do not suggest for you to do this."
When he heard the Mist Eye Tablet was a treasure, Zuo Mo immediately rubbed his hands and was yearning to go when Pu Yao poured down cold water on him. He asked in bewilderment, "Why not?"
"The totem warriors of the ancient era were much stronger than you are now. Why did no one else think of taking the Mist Eye Tablet that has stayed here for so long?" Pu Yao asked in response.
Zuo Mo froze. True, so many years, and this thing was still here. So many totem warriors, not one had managed to take it. This thing definitely was not easy to deal with. Little Mo Ge was a money-grubber, but he knew his limits. He might be a major player in the world now, but he was not comparable to those inhuman freaks in the ancient era that could pick stars from the sky and hold moons in their palms.
But … … they could only stare at the treasure they encountered … … and then leave … …
If they couldn't take it, why tell ge!
Zuo Mo's heart dripped blood but he maintained his calm. "How do we get out?"
Pu Yao shook his head. "I don't know."
"Don't know?" Zuo Mo stilled.
"Don't know." Pu Yao continued to shake his head.
Zuo Mo wanted to cry. He knew that this was the Mist Hall, knew that the Mist Eye Tablet was a treasure, but he didn't know how to leave … … he didn't know the most important thing.
Looking at Zuo Mo's disdainful gaze. Pu Yao said helplessly, "Many things from the ancient era were lost in history. It is not easy to even dig up this much information."
Wei who had been thinking hard all this time suddenly spoke, "I remember a book from the tribe said … …"
Zuo Mo became alert. "What did they say?"
"It's too long ago, I don't quite remember it, let me think." Wei was slightly embarrassed. He only had a faint impression. It seemed that there had been one from the tribe that had been wounded after the first round that left the tournament which was why he had left what he learned behind.
Hearing this, Zuo Mo didn't know what to do.
At this time, suddenly, Silly Bird who had been glaring suddenly pecked at the hole in the Mist Eye Tablet!
Hiss-crack!
A burst of sparks erupted at Silly Bird's bead.
Vrroom!
The Mist Eye tablet shook and then a suddenly suction came from the eye.
The surrounding mist that looked like cotton candy started to move towards Zuo Mo and the others. The seemingly tangible white mist seemed to be balls of cotton that pressed at them from all areas.
Rumbles came from deep within the mist.
Zuo Mo was stunned by the change. He had never thought that Silly Bird
would attack!
What was with the bird?
Did it have a grudge against the thing?
However, there was no time for him to think. In a blink, the mist was about three zhang away from them. Unlike the calm mist just now, the mist now was thick and restless.
While Zuo Mo didn't know what mysteries the white mist held, Zuo Mo knew he could not let it continue.
Since they could suck the mist in, then I can too!
Zuo Mo snickered. He flipped his hand, and a magnetic bottle appeared in his hand. He cast a spell to suck in mist.
Yet the suction of the bottle was clearly not as strong as the Mist Eye Tablet. Zuo Mo saw this, and he flipped his hand again, and again, and again … …
A moment later, three rows of magnetic bottles appeared in front of him, nine to a row.
Magnetic Bottle Formation!
Suck!
The power of the twenty seven magnetic bottles immediately showed their effect. Twenty seven flows of white mist entered the magnetic bottles. In a blink, the surroundings were cleared again.
The twenty seven bottles were completely filled.
Zuo Mo sighed in relief and was also shocked. The magnetic bottles he had were not ordinary. If a bottle like this was used to hold water, it could easily suck a river dry, and that was a river three li wide and ten li long.
He hadn't thought that they would be filled after taken in the white mist for such a short time.
The white mist condensed into water in the bottle. There was only a handful in each bottle. The water flashed with multi-colored light and he could not see what was special about it.
Yet before Zuo Mo could study what this white mist really was, the surrounding white mist started to move towards them again.
When the white mist was two zhang away from them, the white mist twisted and roiled. At the same time, Zuo Mo had a suddenly feeling of danger. There seemed to be something dangerous about to come out of the white mist.
At this time, a wave of hissing sounded within the white mist. It was a group of white bats! The swarm of white bats numbered in the hundreds. They came quickly, their wings like blades as they broke through the mist!
"Careful!"