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Chapter 11 – 15 | Main Page | Table of Contents | Chapter 21 – 25

Chapter Sixteen Sword Essence

“Don’t forget!”

……

“Even if you die, you mustn’t forget!”

……

The strange yet familiar voice echoed like a nightmare.

As usual, Zuo Mo was startled awake from his dream. He grimaced as he sat up. Rationally, if he had the same dream this many times, he should be numb against it. But each time he woke up, he would find his body soaked in sweat. Even he felt that it was unimaginable.

The stars in the sky were brightly lit, the starlight shining down. Wu Kong Mountain was peaceful and quiet.

That dangerous scene from last night flashed before his eyes. He remembered that black dandelion seed that was in his sea of consciousness. When he went to inspect his consciousness he found it was still floating there. There wasn’t any movement. He released a breath. No matter what method he used, it didn’t have any effect on this black dandelion seed.

He was somewhat worried. From a glance, it could be seen that this black dandelion seed wasn’t something good. Now that it had invaded into his sea of consciousness, it definitely wasn’t a good thing.

He mused inside, should he wait a while and then go have a doctor examine it?

Waking up in the middle of the night, he wasn’t the slightest bit drowsy. After thinking for a while, the matter of the black dandelion seed was thrown to one side. In this situation where he couldn’t think of any solutions, excessive worry was superfluous.

Limited by his cultivation, his sea of consciousness wasn’t large. Other than that black dandelion seed, it was empty.

As he kept on thinking, he thought about that sword essence that flew over the heavens. The shock that that sword essence gave him was too great, and had deeply ingrained itself in his mind.

He had never learned any sword scriptures but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand anything. Because Wu Kong Sword Sect was a sword sect, many of the outer sect disciples practised sword scriptures. Like Wei Sheng Shixiong, he mainly cultivated the sword, and had once been Luo Li Shixiong’s sword servant.

The so-called sword servants, were the servants of sword xiu. They were responsible for cleaning the battlefield and some supplementary duties.

Wei Sheng Shixiong had the greatest battle strength in the outer sect disciples, and his battle experience was extremely rich. It was rumoured that he had even once killed sword xiu who was in the initial stages of zhuji. He had seen Wei Sheng Shixiong practice the sword before, lights flew and it was very dazzling Compared to that sword essence from last night, Wei Sheng Shixiong’s sword was like a colourful paper bird, if it was given a poke then it would tear.

But the vast sword essence last night that seemed to cleave the heavens, he had never even imagined anything like it. Under that sword strike, everything was forced to bow. He felt he was as tiny as an ant.

Just at this moment, something unexpected occurred!

In his sea of consciousness, an icy and pure white sword essence appeared without a warning!

Zuo Mo’s body froze, his eyes bulging and his breathing stopped.

A beat later, his cold body steadily warmed. His eyes slowly recovered the spirit. He heavily exhaled, shock filling his eyes.

Why was it like this?

The sword essence that had suddenly appeared was the same as that terrifying sword strike last night!

Having no defenses against it, that sword strike almost cleaved his sea of consciousness in half. The pure and cold murderous intent contained in the sword strike had made him stop breathing, all the organs in his body at that moment had stop moving!

He still felt trepidation and didn’t understand what had happened at all.

It wasn’t possible!

Having the black dandelion seed exist in his consciousness was enough to make him terrified, now there was the addition of the sword essence!

No!

When he inspected before, he didn’t find this sword essence!

Leaving his sea of consciousness, he thought back in great detail on how the sword essence had appeared. Then he found, just when the sword essence had appeared, it was exactly when he was in the sea of consciousness facing the black dandelion seed when he remembered the sword essence.

An idea suddenly entered in his mind.

Was it that this sword essence had been released by that black dandelion seed?

This freakish idea, once it came out, it couldn’t be pushed down.

His sea of consciousness turned back into a void. The black dandelion seed floated around alone in the void. Zuo Mo hesitated. That sword essence was too strong. Just right now, the blow to his body and soul were extreme.

But the desire to understand what happened quickly won. He gritted his teeth!

Go for it!

Facing the black dandelion seed, he thought back to that sword essence!

Hiss!

A silvery white sword essence flew out!

Splat!

Zuo Mo’s body froze and he threw up a mouthful of blood.

A second later, “Hahahaha!” The sound of laughter rang out of the little yard. Zuo Mo’s mouth was smeared with blood, frightening to the eye, yet his face was joyous.

It really was that black dandelion seed! The sword essence really was released by it!

Having prepared this time, he saw it clearly. Not just that, he also found that this sword essence was completely different than what he had seen last time. Or, more correctly, it was even clearer! And because of it, its undoubted power was exposed. How could Zuo Mo’s fragile spirit endure the blow of such a strong sword essence? So he was wounded and spat blood.

But even wounded, Zuo Mo couldn’t help roar with laughter.

If he could comprehend this sword essence … …

Before last night, he didn’t have a bit of interest in sword xiu. But that pure and icy sword energy planted a seed in his heart. He was interested in the sword essence’s strength.

But Zuo Mo quickly awaked from his joy. This sword strike was extremely strong, and was not something he could bear.

His head started to ache. After receiving two blows from the stroke strike, his spirit was wounded. Thinking about the pain from his body being completely frozen, and his consciousness easily being split in half, his face slightly paled.

There were many benefits to comprehending this sword essence, but, at the same time, he had to pay a painful price. When the spirit was wounded, it was much harder to heal compared to physical wounds.

The pain at his head made him hiss repeatedly. Grabbing the sound tablet beside him, he channelled in ling power.

“Fierce conflict has once again exploded at Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie……”

The voice inside the sound tablet made Zuo Mo pause. The sound tablet was an essential part of his life. He would listen to the sound tablet each night to go to sleep. In this length of time, there was a clear increase in the news about the conflict at Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie.

Was it the yaomo were discontent at being suppressed for so long and were starting to counterattack?

He thought humorously, but he quickly threw the question to one side. No matter if it was Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie, or yaomo, it was one hundred thousand li away from him, and completely unrelated. He didn’t even think the yaomo would make a ripple. Three thousand years ago, the war between the xiuzhe and yaomo had ended in a complete victory for the xiuzhe. If there wasn’t a Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie stopping the forward progress of the xiuzhe, it was very likely that the yaomo would have already been completely eradicated.

Following that was some news on the Sword Test Conference, but Zuo Mo wasn’t very interested.

His head felt like it was splitting and cracking. Zuo Mo grunted as he cradled his head. His consciousness was wounded.

The greatest pain in a life came when a beautiful woman dropped out of the sky, but there also a dragon guarding the beauty keeping her out of reach.

Even more painful would be when they saw the peerless beauty, and they were kicked by the evil dragon at the weak spot.

Zuo Mo wailed inside. Healing his consciousness was his most important priority right now. However, to a low-level xiuzhe with only the cultivation of lianqi eighth level, healing his consciousness was a problem that was far out of his power.

Pain!

It was like the deepest part of the brain was being lightly carved by someone using a small knife. After just a few moments, Zuo Mo had almost gone insane because of this pain.

Zuo Mo cradled his head as he sat on his roof as his pain filled groans continued.

Zuo Mo wanted to cry. Holding his head, he almost crawled to move to the meditation mat in the seclusion room.

His only hope right now was that meditation could decrease the pain. Very quickly, the cruel reality destroyed his last hope. No matter how he manipulated the ling power, the pain of his spirit didn’t lessen.

His entire person seemed to have been chopped in two, but his body was well.

He held his head, rolling and groaning on the floor. Gradually, the sound of wailing became lower.

Those who were ignorant have no fear. He had only the most pitiful understanding of the spirit. If his cultivation was just a bit deeper, he would understand more and wouldn’t have dared to be so impulsive. Healing the consciousness, even those xiuzhe who had a cultivation of ningmai, didn’t have many solutions. Unless jindan cultivators lent a hand. Only then would healing be easier.

But, if a jindan gave aid, then the price definitely wasn’t a cheap one.

Low-level xiuzhe didn’t dare to touch the spirit. Not even the dhyana xiu who specialized in the consciousness wouldn’t dare before the stage of jindan.

Zuo Mo was just a low-level xiuzhe who had just achieved the eighth level of lianqi. His sea of consciousness had suffered two continuous blows that far surpassed his ability to bear. The fact that he didn’t already die was a miracle.

A wound to the consciousness wouldn’t disappear if there wasn’t an outside power to heal it.

The pitiful Zuo Mo curled completely into a ball. He didn’t have the strength to roll anymore. His breathing was shallow, his awareness fuzzy.

Faintly, he seemed to hear someone was talking.

“Thou wants to live?”

A simple and desolate voice, it was upright and imposing.

“Save me!” Zuo Mo heard his weak answer filled with joy and pleading.

“To abide by my ceremony, to execute my desires, to swear my oath, will thou?”

“Too outrageous!” Zuo Mo, on his last breaths, couldn’t help but wail. He suddenly had the feeling he had been tricked.

“Will thou?” The imposing voice was like thunder, filled with oppression.

“Go to hell!” Zuo Mo unexpectedly raged, “Don’t assume that I don’t know it’s you that tricked……” He stilled wanted to curse, but the pain of his spirit was so extreme he couldn’t help but scream.

“Will thou?”

“Go to hell!” Zuo Mo swore as he screamed. At the same time, he raised his middle finger.

 

… …

 

“Will thou?”

“Go to hell!” Zuo Mo didn’t even have the energy to scream, much less raise the middle finger. He could only weakly whine.

 

… …

 

“Will thou?”

“Go to hell!” Zuo Mo’s answer was like the whine of a mosquito, the sound thin, like a hair strand.

 

… …

 

“Will thou?”

“Go to hell… …”

Zuo Mo’s awareness was a puddle of dizziness as he struggled.

 

… …

 

That imposing and authoritative sound finally silenced. At this time, Zuo Mo’s awareness was completely muddled, everything in the surroundings indistinct.

In his dizziness, he didn’t know if it was his delusion. That voice spoke again, no dignity left, only loneliness.

“The ceremony lost, the desire dead, only the oath once taken… …”

The voice seemed further and further away from him. He became unconscious.

In the sea of consciousness of Zuo Mo who was in a coma, that black dandelion seed that had been floating quietly landed.

As it landed, it penetrated into the sea of consciousness, grew roots, germinated, bloomed, bore fruit. Countless black dandelion seeds continuously spilled, floating to every corner of Zuo Mo’s consciousness.

In the blink of an eye, the sea of consciousness became a black sea. The black sea suddenly broke. Countless fragments floated up like black flowers, turning into countless wisps of black smoke.

The black smoke transformed into a figure of a person.

 

Chapter Seventeen Pu[1]

Zuo Mo slowly woke up. His head was still aching, but it was incomparable to the pain that had cut through his entire body.

Thinking of what had happened before he went unconscious, his face suddenly changed.

He always had been someone with a clear mind. Under the situation where his head was aware and he could think clearly, he quickly organized the cause and result. Without any great need to think, it was definitely that black dandelion seed that was the culprit.

The one that released the sword essence and the one that pressured him was also that black dandelion seed.

Thinking about it, Zuo Mo’s heart burned with anger.

That guy tried to play tricks on his head, he didn’t know what he was getting into!

He suddenly thought that he had said something before he went unconscious, and his face changed. Was it that he didn’t persevere and had capitulated?

Thinking about this, he quickly calmed his mind and entered his consciousness.

When he entered the sea of his consciousness, he was stupefied.

On the undulating hills were groups of large ancient trees. The green grass was like a carpet, spreading out in patches. Fine wildflowers mixed with the grass, adding hints of life.

It was as though he was walking into a forest.

Before, his sea of consciousness was only empty space. This living and breathing scene in front of him… …

Zuo Mo was completely pinned to the ground. The scene in front of his eye far surpassed the limits of his understanding.

He dazedly walked on the grass, feeling the softness of the grass under his feet. The smell of the green grass wafted into his nose. Zuo Mo was dazed. He was only an eighth level lianqi low-level xiuzhe.

When his gaze turned towards a hill devoid of any trees, he was instantly awoken.

He started to frantically run towards that hill.

On the hill, a man dressed in black was sitting on a stele, black clouds swirling around it. One hand was laid on his leg, another propped up his chin, his expression carefree and pleased.

When he neared, Zuo Mo could finally make out the black-clad man’s appearance.

A perfect face!

Zuo Mo had never thought men could be so handsome. An androgynous face, a high nose, the raven back hair covering up the left eye, the right eye as narrow and long as a blade, the serene crimson red pupil was like a bottomless blood pool, and the thin and wide lips eternally held a shallow yet strange curve. A single dark red rhombus shaped crystal was in each earlobe, the wide black clothing soft and smooth, just like his hair, it gave off a black glow as it kept close to his body, full of a strange enticement.

Zuo Mo blanked at his position, not knowing what to say. He was only the most normal disciple of a small sect. When had he ever seen someone so outstanding?

“I am called Pu.” A sweet and beautiful voice. He propped up his chin, looking in interest at Zuo Mo, the curve of his mouth more evident, “What are you called?”

“Zuo Mo,” he replied dumbly. He definitely was dreaming. Pu seemed to be just sitting there but all the light in the sea of consciousness seemed to have been unconsciously sucked away to him. Zuo Mo had seen those female disciples at the Eastern Peak. Not one of them was better looking than Pu.

When a man looked like this, he probably would want to cry.

When this thought came out, Zuo Mo came back to his senses. Pu’s enticing and shocking aura was instantly shattered by this humorous thought.

Seeming to have noticed Zuo Mo returning to his senses, Pu smiled gently, and wasn’t irritated. He still used his melodious voice. “It seems we will have to be in contact for a long time. But I believe we will have delightful interactions. Oh, right, this is for you.”

Pu casually threw a glowing ball at Zuo Mo. On the surface of the ball, countless seals flashed.

“What is it?” Zuo Mo instinctively received the glowing ball.

Boom.

It was as though he was struck by thunder, his body frozen. Countless characters were shoved into him mind, circulating relentlessly.

“[Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation], just a little plaything. It can repair your spirit, count that as a greeting gift.” Pu’s tone was lazy, “Even though I want to live here for free, there’s no other way. Your sea of consciousness is so broken. Fix the sea of consciousness quickly, otherwise I have to find another place again.”

He gracefully waved his hand. Zuo Mo, still unmoving at his spot, felt the space around his body tighten. When he opened his eyes, he found that he had come out of his sea of consciousness.

His heart was suddenly terrified. Pu seemed to be even stronger than he had imagined. A person like this that he couldn’t control was in his consciousness, no wait, controlling his sea of consciousness! He had no joy at receiving [Embryonic breathing Spirit Cultivation]. Terror spread through his body like poison.

Managing to swallow his saliva and suppressing the terror in his heart, he pondered what to do.

Report to the sect?

In these two years, he had only seen the head of the sect once. That was when he had been picked up by the leader and when he opened his eyes. As to the other elders and shishu, he had never even met them.

What he was really worried about was another conjecture.

He was very suspicious, Pu was very likely to be a yaomo!

Such a beautiful yaomo, he almost couldn’t believe it, but for some reason, this suspicion was like a maggot burrowing into the bones, taking root in his mind, unable to be swept away.

Zuo Mo had never seen yaomo, all his ideas about yaomo came from the sound tablet. When it mentioned yaomo, it was killing, it was blood and death. But the relationship between yaomo and xiuzhe was that of natural enemies, he was very clear about that. Destroying yaomo was the duty of each xiuzhe, no matter where.

However, Zuo Mo was a beginner xiuzhe whose cultivation just reached the eighth level of lianqi. Not speaking of destroying yaomo, the yaomo wouldn’t even lower themselves to destroying him.

What he was more worried about was that if someone else knew that a yaomo was in his body, he definitely would be destroyed, ground down until not a trace could be found. In the eyes of those higher level xiuzhe, an eighth level lianqi couldn’t even be considered cannon fodder.

Maybe, they would throw him straight into the dan[2] furnace and he would be refined with the yaomo… …

He couldn’t help but shudder, his heart beating furiously. He quickly stopped those terrifying thoughts.

 

———

 

In a daze, for the next two days, Zuo Mo seemed to not be in this mortal coil.

He naturally had to practise [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]. Otherwise, before he could be crippled by Pu Yao, he would cripple himself first. Pu Yao, that was the new name Zuo Mo gave Pu. Regardless if he was a yao, just how he looked, he deserved the character of yao.

The effects were very good. After a few days, half of his spirit had recovered. Zuo Mo felt no gratefulness towards Pu Yao, because he remembered the reason that his consciousness was wounded was Pu Yao’s fault.

In these few days, he didn’t go to his sea of consciousness.

If it was said at the first glance the impression Pu Yao left on Zuo Mo was enchanting, now enchanting had changed to wicked!

What did the guy really want?

That was the true cause of the terror.

Zuo Mo quickly found that his life became incomparably terrible. To a xiuzhe whose goal was to become a ling plant farmer, living was the most important matter.

He decided to have a discussion with Pu Yao.

Just like last time, Pu Yao sat on the stele idly, in the same black clothing. Seeing Zuo Mo he smiled. That smile pierced through the thick black smoke revolving around the stele, it made him look full of evil. The conjecture about whether or not Pu was yaomo jumped out again of its own accord.

Zuo Mo’s heart shook. He didn’t lack in courage, but when the other was in complete control, he wouldn’t do such a stupid thing as to express bravery. He suddenly noticed the stone stele under Pu’s body. Half a person high, the stone stele was shrouded in black clouds. When he accidentally swept across the surface of the stone stele, he couldn’t help but be shocked.

Grave!

This was a grave!

It wasn’t a stone stele, it was a gravestone!

He instantly was frightened, his heartbeat speeding up.

“What? Wanted to find me for a chat?” A lazy voice. He didn’t know if it was this gravestone at fault but Zuo Mo felt that Pu’s voice was full of a kind of dark coldness that easily seeped into one’s heart.

Zuo Mo calmed his emotions, a fawning smile on his face, “Big Brother, look, my cultivation is this weak, and my body is all bones, there isn’t a few catties of meat, I’m not good to eat.”

“Eat?” Pu suddenly smiled. He opened his dark red right eye, slowly speaking, “Speaking of delicious human meat, oh, that’s so long ago. The best human meat, there’s a lot to consider. The best is sixteen or seventeen year old girls. Tender meat, crunchy bones, yum, yum.”

A scarlet tongue licked the lips, his expression full of reflection.

Zuo Mo’s heart was beating out of his chest. He forced a smile, “Yeah, yeah, see, shouldn’t you change the person?”

“Change the person?” Pu tilted his head, staring at Zuo Mo, “What? You don’t like it? Feeling that I took over your space?”

Being pierced by Pu’s deep red right eyes, cold spread through Zuo Mo’s heart. He hurriedly waved his hand, “No, no! This is my honor! Honor!”

He seemed to be very satisfied with Zuo Mo’s answer. Pu took away his gaze, his right eye closing again, his mouth absent-mindedly asking, “In your generation of disciples, how many are jindan? Ten?”

Zuo Mo shook his head.

“Eight?”

Zuo Mo continued to shake his head.

“Five?”

Zuo Mo finally couldn’t endure it. He felt the other was making fun of him, “Not a single one. In the Shixiong of this generation, the highest cultivation is the last stages of zhuji.”

For the first time, a shocked expression came onto Pu’s face with his closed right eye. This made Zuo Mo feel smug.

After a while, Pu shook his head, sighing, “No wonder you suck so much.”

Zuo Mo almost spat blood.

Pu opened his eye, his gaze once again landing on Zuo Mo’s body. He examined up and down, his hand propping up his chin, murmuring to himself, “Your body is really weak. Hmm?”

Zuo Mo was very irritated at how the other was discussing him like he was examining an object, but Pu’s “hmm” made his heart jump.

“Is something wrong?” He couldn’t ask hurriedly. He knew his body wasn’t normal. The hard zombie-face, and that dream that appeared countless times, it was like a thorn in his heart.

Pu lifted his head, the hair in front of his forehead almost covering the left half of his face. The crimson right eye that wasn’t covered glanced at Zuo Mo’s face, one corner of his mouth lifting, “No problem.”

“Alright, you suck very much, but not to a terminal point.” Pu returned back to his lazy tone of voice.

“I wanted to ask… …” Zuo Mo decided to lay his cards on the table with Pu. He wanted to find out what Pu’s true aims were.

“Oh, right.” Pu interrupted Zuo Mo. His blood-red right eye narrowed, his thin lips lifting upward on an angle, “You started cultivating [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation. How is it, are the effects alright? Almost forgot to tell you, [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] is good, but it has one pesky problem.”

Zuo Mo’s heart beat frantically. He had a bad feeling.

“Once [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] is started, it can’t be stopped. Supposedly, if one can’t get to the first embryonic breath in three months, there would be some minor problems.”

He raised his right hand, spreading his five fingers, the corner of his mouth raising higher, the fresh red of his eye even brighter, “Really, it’s just small pains such as your blood flowing in reverse. Oh, did you know, before I had a very creative friend. He was in charge of the torture prisons.”

Pu seemed to be telling a story, actively narrating.

“One time, he encountered a very hard nut. He tried everything but couldn’t get this guy to talk. He then begged for this method from me. He sent a subordinate to pretend to be a criminal and near this guy. And then, using his subordinate’s mouth, he passed this scripture over to him. Oh, you have to know, I always admired this guy, creative and patient.”

He said with a few hints of glee, “Such a pity that this criminal didn’t have much talent. Three months, he didn’t reach one embryonic breath. Oh, I always felt, it must have been that my friend purposefully left out a few words.”

“And then?” Zuo Mo asked, his voice shaking.

“And then?” The smile on Pu’s face became even brighter, “Cracked on the thirty-first day. But my friend was a soft-hearted one and didn’t kill him. Left him hanging for three months. Each day, he begged my friend to kill him. Listening to the exquisite and mellow wailing, such an experience! Supposedly, when he died, oh, his soul just exploded like a firework, extremely beautiful.”

A bone-aching cold spread over Zuo Mo’s entire body.

His pitiful nerves were like a spring that was pushed to its limits. All the accumulated anger exploded in one instant. He lost his rationality and screamed as he leapt at Pu.

––“You perverse renyao![3] Ye’ll kill you!”

Chapter Eighteen Soup

In the seclusion room, Zuo Mo mediated with his legs in the lotus position.

He was furiously practicing [Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation], the damned [Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation]!

That damned Pu Yao!

He cursed the maniac countless times. After exploding yesterday night, he was brutally oppressed. His consciousness was once again heavily wounded, torn to pieces by Pu Yao. The result of the wounds in his consciousness was heart-wrenching pain. Now, without needing Pu Yao’s urging, he furiously practiced [Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation].

Once his head cooled down, Zuo Mo wanted to cry. That night, he should have never gone to the ling fields. Thinking about Pu Yao, that cunning and coldness that could burrow into the bones, it was like a venomous snake slowly sliding up the leg of his pants. That uncontrollable terror spread through the entire body.

The brutal suppression he suffered last night also made him attain a deep understanding of an insurmountable gap between the power levels of the two of them.

A strong, perverse madman!

Zuo Mo already expected that his future was to be shadowed in darkness.

This guy didn’t have goodwill from the very start. From the black sea in the beginning, the sword energy and his spirit repeatedly wounded, then to [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], step by step, he was a lamb being led to slaughter.

The pitiful him, he had thought that there was only a bad-tempered neighbor living in there, he didn’t think it was a wicked yaomo.

If he was only suspicious before, now he was one hundred percent sure that Pu was yaomo. Other than yaomo, who would be so evil?

Slowly waking up, like the chaos before creation, Zuo Mo opened his eyes and lightly breathed out that breath of air that had been circulating inside his body all this time.

This breath was long and continuous. When it was being exhaled, it was as concise as an arrow.

Zuo Mo felt slightly reassured. This [Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation] was a miracle. The pain in his spirit had lessened greatly and he could clearly feel his spirit stabilizing. When Pu Yao had just flicked his finger last night, his consciousness had almost been completely scattered.

He didn’t know where [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] had originated from. The words were cryptic and hard to understand. The syntax it used was the opposite of the jade stick that Zuo Mo had brought. He had used a lot of energy before he barely managed to understand the first chapter.

He didn’t think to go ask Pu Yao. The lessons in tears and blood taught him, to try to take advantage of that guy, just wait to get tricked.

The first chapter was called [Chapter of Spiritual Concentration], it talked about how to meditate and condense the spirit, stabilizing the consciousness.

This was exactly what Zuo Mo needed at the moment. After continuous injury, his consciousness was almost in shreds. If he couldn’t fix it soon, it was probable that he could enter madness. As to the one breath Pu Yao mentioned, it meant being able to complete a whole embryonic breath.

Embryonic breath was the core of [Embryonic Breath Spiritual Cultivation] and it was the most basic cultivation method. It was also a kind of breathing that Zuo Mo hadn’t even heard of. Supposedly, it originated in the breathing of humans when they were embryos. They didn’t need to use mouth and nose to breath, but required to use the entire body as the opening, take the air as thin strands and suck it in bit by bit before spreading it throughout the body. Hundreds of these tiny streams of air would circulate through the body, merge and then exhaled through the nose and mouth.

The holes and points on the body were like the stars in a galaxy. They couldn’t be measured. The nose and mouth were the biggest, the points on the body were second. The most abundant were those small, unable to be seen tiny holes that spread around the body.

Zuo Mo was very curious how the elder who had created this scripture had thought of such an outlandish method. Like goes with like. The scripture that Pu Yao, that crazy abnormal madman had thrown out, it was just as abnormal as him.

He still couldn’t find a way to finish a whole embryonic breath.

Pu Yao’s words weren’t empty threats. It was clearly written in the [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]. The last few days, he was really still using his nose and mouth to breath. No matter what, his first priority was stabilizing his spirit. If his spirit was unstable, just the occasional pain was enough to take Zuo Mo’s little life.

But when Zuo Mo’s consciousness managed to slightly stabilize, he would have to face a question. The question of completing a whole embryonic breath. One breath, it was the trademark of the introduction to [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation].

The deadline of three months was like a storm cloud hanging over his head.

When he thought about the light of insanity in Pu Yao’s eyes when he talked about torture, Zuo Mo was certain if he really couldn’t achieve one breath in the three months’ time and was facing a reversal of blood flow, Pu Yao would be watching in interest from the side at his painful state.

Such a tragic life!

Zuo Mo gritted his teeth and cursed the renyao inside, the fires of anger burning.

Suddenly, news from the sound tablet beside him aroused his attention.

“This month the price of ling grains once again increases, continuing after the increase last month. The demand for high grade ling grains has greatly increased, causing the price of low-grade ling grains to also increase……”

He shook. The price of ling grains were rising! This was undoubtedly the best news he heard in the last few days.

Pu Yao suddenly came out.  “Such an interesting thing.”

Zuo Mo started with wide eyes. A long pause later, he finally managed to react, pointing at Pu Yao, incoherently asking, “You, you… you ran out?”

Pu Yao blinked his dark red right eye. “Why why why can’t I come out?”

“Don’t you have to stay in the consciousness?” Zuo Mo asked dumbly.

“Who told you that?” Pu Yao turned to him, face baffled, as he asked in return.

Zuo Mo was speechless. Inside, he couldn’t help but wail. It seemed that he didn’t even have the last bit of bargaining power. So the other could really move out ……

Pu Yao listened for a while and yawned. “Oh, looks like a war is starting.”

“War?” Zuo Mo didn’t understand.

Pu Yao didn’t explain. He swept the sound tablet into his grasp, and faintly stated, “This thing is mine now.” Before the voice landed, he disappeared with the sound tablet.

“Damned renyao!” Zuo Mo’s furious shout echoed in empty yard.

At this time, he suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.

Zuo Mo was curious inside. Who could it be? Usually, no one would run to his place here. Running over and opening the door, Xiao Guo pitifully stood outside.

She was holding a clay pot in her hands. Seeing Zuo Mo, her body instantly shrunk back, and timidly greeted, “Shixiong.”

“What’s the problem now?” Zuo Mo rarely had a good mood for this little bit of trouble. For some reason, whenever he saw the timidity on Xiao Guo’s face, he could never control his tone of voice.

“No no!” Xiao Guo shook her head like a rattle-drum, hurriedly explaining, “Xiao Guo has come to give something to Shixiong. Last time when Shixiong helped Xiao Guo, Xiao Guo hadn’t thanked Shixiong.”

As she spoke, her little mouth twisted, and the mist in her eyes rose, with tears in her voice, she muttered, “Xiao Guo doesn’t have jingshi……”

Seeing the direction wasn’t right, Zuo Mo hurriedly shouted, “Stop!”

Xiao Guo was frightened to shrink back even more, but her crying instantly disappeared.

She carefully put the clay pot in front of Zuo Mo and like a rabbit, she jumped back. She timidly looked at Zuo Mo and gathered her courage to say, “This is some soup Xiao Guo made, Shixiong……Shixiong, just take a sip, you just have to take one sip……”

Before she could finish speaking, she descended into incoherency, her face so red due to anxiety it almost bled. She couldn’t control it and covered her face as she turned and ran.

After running a few dozen steps, she suddenly stopped. Hesitating, she turned and yelled, “Shixiong, if it really doesn’t taste good, you ……you should throw it out……”

Zuo Mo watched as Xiao Guo disappeared and then at the clay pot in front of his feet. He bent down and lifted it.

The soup was still warm.

Raising the clay pot, he took a mouthful. The soup was thick and fragrant.

“The taste isn’t bad,” Zuo Mo said to himself. He drained it to the bottom and turned, holding the empty pot, to go back to his room.

Pu Yao suddenly emerged, the crimson snake-like tongue unable to resist licking the lips, his two eyes gazing in the direction Xiao Guo disappeared in. “Such a tender little girl.”

Zuo Mo stared in shock at him.

Pu Yao turned around his peerlessly handsome face. At this time, he seemed like a gluttonous cat, the light flashing in his deep red eye. “Such good luck, this little girl’s meat definitely would be very tender and delicious.”

Zuo Mo suddenly erupted, raising his hand to viciously throw the empty pot in his right hand at Pu Yao.

Bang, the pot cracked, the pieces scattering.

“Get lost!”

 

———

 

The Thousand Wings Ship stopped in midair.

Li Xian Er looked at the green moon star outside the window, her fine brows furrowed. “It’s seems that the little yao ran away. Uncle Chi Ye, has there been a reply from the sect?”

Chi Ye Zhenren shook his head. “Miss, there are thousands of yaomo suppressed under the Yao Smelting Tower. And it was a long time ago, there’s nothing to research. Most of them came from the great battle three thousand years ago, captured by our sect’s supreme power. Most of these yaomo are ones of great power, difficult to kill so they were suppressed under the Yao Smelting Power, to be slowly destroyed. I’ve never thought that these yaomo were this tenacious. After three thousand years, yet there were still survivors!”

Li Xian Er revealed a reminiscing expression. “Three thousand years ago, our sect was so strong!”

Chi Ye Zhenren sighed as well. “Not just our sect. Three thousand years ago, each sect in in the cultivation world were far more powerful than they are now. The ten thousand member strong alliance of the yaomo was completely eradicated by the elders. And it was that battle that the xiuzhe established today’s status quo.”

And then he gave an expression full of pity. “However, even though the yaomo were almost completely captured, the xiuzhe were also greatly wounded. Only one in ten of the great powers remained. Many sects fell in that great war, countless scriptures were lost. Three thousand years, and the xiuzhe still cannot recover the prosperity of the past. However, compared to us, the blow the yaomo suffered was even greater. These years, have you seen them ever break through the Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie?”

Li Xian Er listened, entranced. Even though it was history she already knew but hearing it each time, it still captured her mind.

“Grandpa is calling me back.” She pouted her little mouth, face full of unwillingness. “It was so hard getting a chance to come out, and this was so short and he’s urging me back. We didn’t even catch the little yao yet. If we return, it should wait after I catch the little yao.”

Chi Ye Zhenren looked at the innocence on her face and a hint of indulgence flashed across his face, but he still urged, “Miss, the sect leader urging Miss to go back, it’s probably due to another matter.”

“What matter could there be?” She lightly snorted. “Probably just another genius of some sect that has come. Grandpa is really obsessed with those sword xiu lately. I really hate the sword xiu, each of them arrogant and disrespectful.”

Chi Ye Zhenren smiled, replying, “These days, didn’t Miss play very happily with a sword xiu?”

“You mean that funny idiot, who said he’s a sword xiu?” Li Xian Er refuted.

“Sky Moon Jie is the territory of sword xiu. Here, nine out of ten people are sword xiu.”

“Maybe he’s just that one,” Li Xian Er objected. She suddenly revealed a distressed expression. “Returning, I won’t have a way to use the little thousand cranes. It was so hard to find an interesting person, but I can’t play anymore.”

Seeing the vexation on her face, Chi Ye Zhenren couldn’t bear it: “If Miss likes it, why don’t I make a transportation formation at Sky MoonJie and get a disciple to guard it. Miss’ Thousand Guide Crane can come through the transportation formation. Once it gets over, the Thousand Guide Crane can automatically find him.”

Li Xian Er was happy. “Uncle Chi Ye is the best! Haha, he probably still assumes that Xian Er’s paper crane is the normal little thousand cranes.”

Chi Ye Zhenren’s heart was comforted, and he smiled, complimenting. “The Thousand Guide Crane that Miss invented, even the elders in the sect praise it.”

Li Xian Er proudly pouted. “Of course!”

Chapter Nineteen Shixiong Wei Sheng

The breeze blew coolly. Again and again, Zuo Mo practiced the finger movements. The fingers moved faster and faster, but suddenly, with a crisp sound, the fingers paused and turned into a mess.

This was already the seventh time he was practicing finger motions today, he wasn’t successful once.

Exhaling a long breath, he suppressed the fretfulness in his heart. The finger motions of [The Art of Flora] were complicated. If his mind wasn’t calm, it was easy to make mistakes. But how could Zuo Mo calm down his mind? Two months have passed but he still couldn’t complete one embryonic breath. What made him most discouraged was that he was unable to find the door. Before, no matter if he was studying [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] or the other four spells in the jade stick that he had brought, even if he couldn’t understand it immediately, at the very least he knew in which direction to work in.

But after he fixed his consciousness using [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], he couldn’t find the direction. He wanted to spend more time, however, the amount of time spent practicing [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] couldn’t be over four hours every day. The ball of light hadn’t explicitly stated why it couldn’t surpass four hours but Zuo Mo was suspicious it would cause him harm so he didn’t dare to experiment.

According to the directions in the ball, he only needed to stop breathing with the nose and mouth before he would be able to use embryonic breathing.

But not matter how he adjusted his breathing, the instinct for living always made him unconsciously open his mouth. He couldn’t even find the feeling of the embryonic breathing.

In the following two months, other than his consciousness recovering to full health, he hadn’t made any new breakthroughs.

In the rest of the time, he could only practice other spells. What he found unexpected were that the great speeds his ling power and spells improved. Especially his spells. Other than [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] and [Art of Aged Gold], in just two short months, he managed to elevate the remaining three spells to the second level.

This kind of speed, even he found it unimaginable.

Other than joy, his heart was also worried. [Embryonic Breathing Spirit Cultivation] hadn’t improved at all. There was only one month left until the three month deadline. Whether or not the reversed flow of blood was as horrifying as Pu Yao said, he wasn’t clear, but any of the feelings he got from the four words were not good ones. He tried to ask for aid from Pu Yao, but Pu Yao’s sneer instantly provoked him.

For some unknown reason, he was easily enraged in front of Pu Yao.

The ling grains had a bountiful harvest. Compared to the other shixiong, the output of his ling grains were clearly higher. Even though his ling grains were affected in the disaster, the situation had been much better than compared to Old Black and the others. After that incident, he basically didn’t try to conceal his abilities. [Art of Flora], [Art of Earth Energy], [Art of Aged Gold] were all used. Only [Art of Crimson Flame], due to the fact that it was opposite the yin attribute of the ling grains, was not used.

Adding on the five mu of ling fields in the yard, the overall output far surpassed his estimates.

Taking out the portion for rent paid to the sect, he kept a portion of the ling grains for his own use before selling all of the rest. His income was sixty two pieces of second-grade jingshi. Adding on the fifteen pieces of second-grade jingshi from last last time from Li Ying Feng, his total assets now totaled seventy seven pieces of second-grade jingshi. The reason that he had profited so much was that the price of ling grains was increasing.

Even Old Black, so seriously affected by the calamity, had enough to pay the sect’s rent. It could be seen just how much the price of ling grains had grown on the market.

Another thing that made Zuo Mo worried was Hao Min Shijie and Luo Li Shixiong. Up until now, those two still hadn’t returned to the sect. In the past few days, he had found that some of the ling herbs in the medicine fields of Cold Mist Valley were showing hints of illness. Taking care of ling herbs was an extremely meticulous job, much more care was needed than taking care of ling grains. His [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] could only guarantee their water intake. From the perspective of the plant, this was just its most basic requirement.

In the short term, nothing could be seen, but as time passed, it was easy for problems to occur.

At present, he was hard pressed. His purse had become the fullest it had ever been yet he didn’t have any joy.

The damned [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]!

The horrid Hao Min Shijie and Luo Li Shixiong!

And the twice-accursed Pu Yao!

Why was it that ge has such a kind heart yet have to face such evil? He wanted to cry.

In the previous few days, other than [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], he spent all of his time on [Art of Aged Gold]. In the five arts that a ling plant farmer required, at least three had to reach the third level. Zuo Mo’s [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] had already reached the fourth level. And in the four remaining arts, the one most likely to reach the third level was [Art of Aged Gold].

Today, he didn’t have the mood to practice [Art of Aged Gold]. He widened his eyes, frantically running over every word in [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] in his head. If his face could have expressions, then right now it would be twisted into a ball.

One month!

Only one month left!

Biting the corner of his lip, he carefully thought over every word. Pu Yao was still sneering. This completely aroused the stubbornness in Zuo Mo’s bones.

The damned bastard!

By now, he finally understood why he was easily provoked in front of Pu Yao. Pu Yao could easily tear away a person’s disguise. He would explicitly or implicitly guide the other’s emotions and expose the other’s most basic personality. And once he knew that, to someone of such cunning like Pu Yao, swearing wouldn’t really provoke him, Zuo Mo didn’t try to restrain his own emotions anymore.

If he couldn’t vent, under the damned renyao’s attacks, he felt that he would die!

As to suffering a little, he didn’t care. Even if he was obedient, would Pu Yao be kind to him? That would be clear even if one used a toe to think. It was better to get back verbally, and at least he would feel better.

Ge is a little stalk of grass, no matter how you blow, you can’t blow me down!

Thud thud thud!

A series of urgent knocks sounded.

“Little Mo ge, Mo ge!”

It was Old Black, why did he come?

Zuo Mo controlled his fretful heart and stood to open the door.

Opening the door, as expected, it was Old Black’s wind-blown face, but there was also an unfamiliar male standing beside him.

Seeing Zuo Mo, Old Black released a breath.  “Oh good, you’re here!”

Finishing, he introduced the male beside him, “This is Wei Sheng Shixiong.”

Wei Sheng. Zuo Mo was slightly shocked. This male stranger in front of him was the head of the outer sect disciples, Wei Sheng. He couldn’t help staring an examination. Not very tall, thick and broad shoulders, square face, thick brows. He looked extremely honest, but the flickers of light that occasionally came from the pair of eyes made one unable to underestimate him.

“Wei Sheng Shixiong!” Zuo Mo made a greeting. Wei Sheng Shixiong rarely showed his face outside but his reputation within the outer sect disciples was extremely high. To have good relationships with this kind of person, there were only benefits and no drawbacks.

Wei Sheng scrutinized Zuo Mo for a few seconds and returned the greeting, smiling warmly and responding, “Zuo Mo Shidi is really hidden deep.”

Zuo Mo was slightly shocked but he wasn’t too surprised that Shixiong saw through his cultivation. Wei Sheng Shixiong’s cultivation was higher than his. His mouth was humble, “Shixiong over-compliments. Come, let’s come in to talk.”

The three walked into the yard.

Wei Sheng gazed at the surroundings and praised, “Such a big yard!”

And Old Black’s two eyes were rooted to the ling fields in the yard. A beat later, he said, vexed, “Why didn’t I think of this way! Isn’t this exempt from the rent?”

Zuo Mo smiled, saying, “I’m just taking advantage. I don’t know which Shixiong built this yard, and put in five mu of ling fields. But it was a pity that it was barren for two long, the grade dropped one level. First-grade ling fields, at least it’s better than nothing.”

Old Black gave a sorrowful expression. “Such a pity to waste the good ling fields.”

Zuo Mo didn’t speak. He didn’t know if it was that Old Black had farmed for too long but towards ling fields, Old Black had a unique affection.

“Even the yard is all ling fields. Zuo Mo Shidi really lives up to being a farming fanatic. It seems that I found the right person this time,” Wei Sheng added.

The three sat down under the old tree. Zuo Mo quickly boiled a pot of tea. His [Art of Crimson Flame] was only at the first level, and he could only form a small ball of fire which wasn’t very useful. But it was convenient to use to lit fires.

“Shixiong was looking for me?” Zuo Mo didn’t decline and headed straight for the main topic, “Have you encountered something? Shidi might be limited in cultivation, but if I can add in an effort, I will certainly do so.”

Wei Sheng didn’t stand on courtesy, “Coming this time, it really is to trouble Shidi with something.” He carefully took out from his bosom a jade box. Opening the jade box, a flow of extremely thick ling energy wafted out, a stalk of ling herb was inside. This ling herb was about thirty centimeters long, the leaves fire red with a black line running through. Contrasting against the red leaves was a completely green fruit.

If the muscles on his face weren’t paralyzed, Zuo Mo’s expression would have been very rich. The ling plant that he couldn’t name was shockingly thick with ling energy. He cautiously took it up, putting it in front of his eyes for examination. The ling plant seemed to have been carved out of a piece of red fire jade, translucent and glowing.

Definitely third-grade and above!

In this segment of time, as he helped Hao Min Shijie take care of the medicine fields in Cold Mist Valley, his knowledge in the subject of ling herbs broadened greatly. He might not be able to call out its name, but from the appearance and the ling energy it emitted, it was better than most of the ling herbs in Cold Mist Valley.

“This Fire Dragon Grass, its grade is a rare third-grade herb, and was very hard to find.” Wei Sheng’s expression was solemn, “There is still a length of time before I reach zhuji. In this time, I ask for Shidi to help take care of this Fire Dragon Grass for me.”

“Take care?” Zuo Mo was surprised. His response was extremely quick, “Is Shixiong using this Fire Dragon Grass to enter zhuji?”

If Wei Sheng didn’t say this was Fire Dragon Grass, Zuo Mo probably wouldn’t have recognized it. Was it because it was third-grade? This Fire Dragon Grass was very different from the one in Zuo Mo’s memory.

“Yes.” Wei Sheng nodded, his face calm.

At the side, Zuo Mo and Old Black couldn’t help but give an admiring look. There were many ling herbs that were required for zhuji, but only a few of the primary herbs were the crucial ones. Fire Dragon Grass was one of them but not the best choice because it needed to be consumed raw and its effects were violent. Someone without great willpower might not be able to endure the violent nature and cause the ling power of the body to dissipate. These years, there were very few that would use it to finish zhuji.

However, even though Fire Dragon Grass was akin to a poison, if one overcame it, it was extremely beneficial to the cultivation. The effect was much better than normal ling herbs.

But third-grade Fire Dragon Grass, think how violent the effects would be!

In just a few words, Zuo Mo felt respect form for this Shixiong that he just met for the first time. He had heard some of the rumors about Wei Sheng Shixiong. Supposedly, Shixiong had been orphaned from a young age. After he was taken into the sect, he was entranced with cultivating the sword. In order to learn a better sword art, he didn’t even hesitate about going to Luo Li Shixiong’s place to be a sword servant.

Meeting him today, Zuo Mo found that Wei Sheng Shixiong lived up to the rumors.

Chapter Twenty Obsession

He lowered his head to think for a moment before raising his head, “Shidi admires Shixiong’s bravery. But the ling herb is third-grade, if it cannot be planted in third-grade or above ling fields, the ling energy would likely dissipate and the grade will drop.”

Wei Sheng’s expression changed but recovered. He smiled, responding, “If that’s the case, it will mean I won’t have to suffer the pain.”

Compared to the calmness on Wei Sheng’s face, there was heavy worry on Old Black’s face.

His heart considering for a second, Zuo Mo quickly organized his words, “This little brother might have a solution to try.”

“Oh, Shidi, please tell.” Wei Sheng’s mood roused.

“I have been requested by Hao Min Shijie to take care of the medicine fields in Cold Mist Valley. I saw that many of the fields in the valley are empty. We could plant it in the valley. I’m just worried if Hao Min Shijie returns before Shixiong enters zhuji, something will happen.”

Wei Sheng’s expression became joyful. “Shidi doesn’t have to worry. Hao Min Shijie and Luo Li Shixiong won’t come back so quickly.”

Zuo Mo remembered that Wei Sheng Shixiong was Luo Li Shixiong’s sword servant. He probably knew where these two people had gone. He was naturally willing to be able to help Wei Sheng Shixiong, but thinking about the fact that Hao Min Shijie wouldn’t be returning soon, his mood instantly darkened. He was extremely careful every day, fearful that something would go wrong in the medicine fields. It was like a hot potato.

Sorting out his emotions, Zuo Mo smiled, declaring, “Then it’s good. I will first congratulate Shixiong for successfully entering zhuji.”

Wei Sheng waved his hand. “It’s too early to say those things.” Finishing, he took out a jade stick, handing it to Zuo Mo. “Shixiong doesn’t have many possessions and nothing to give out. This is some of the experiences that Shixiong had these years. Hopefully they would help Shidi.”

Zuo Mo was overcome with joy. He had always been alone in learning with no one to discuss things with. Wei Sheng Shixiong’s cultivation was only just a little higher than his, but his experiences and realizations were just what Zuo Mo needed and could use.

He wasn’t courteous and gleefully took it, “Many thanks, Shixiong.”

Afterwards the three chatted for a while, Wei Sheng and Old Black stood and made their farewells.

 

———

 

After the two left, Zuo Mo hurriedly took the Fire Dragon Grass to Cold Mist Valley. The medicine fields in Cold Mist Valley were third-grade and Zuo Mo had been drooling after them. He didn’t know much about ling herbs but he knew what the price of third-grade ling grains were!

Finding a patch of empty ground, he carefully planted the Fire Dragon Grass, and then he cast [Little Art of Cloud and Rain]. The effect of the fourth level of [Little Art of Cloud and Rain] was extremely evident. The Fire Dragon Grass quickly recovered its vitality, the leaves becoming even shiner.

Greedily inhaling the thick ling energy in the air, Zuo Mo exclaimed inside, third-grade was really third-grade!

He made another circle around the medicine fields. Finding no problems, he left.

When he returned home, the sky was already dark. Sitting on the rooftop, Zuo Mo suddenly thought if he couldn’t complete one breath in the one month of [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation], then wouldn’t he be hampering Wei Sheng Shixiong’s zhuji?

But then he turned it around. If he wasn’t successful, he wouldn’t even have a life left, how could he care about that?

Thinking about Wei Sheng Shixiong, he automatically took out the jade stick that Shixiong gave to him and sent ling power into the jade stick.

Very quickly, he was entranced.

The jade stick described in fine details the realizations and experiences of Wei Sheng’s entire cultivation journey. It was written in an extremely scattered manner in many places. It could be seen that Shixiong would just casually record down whatever he thought.

The rumor that Shixiong was infatuated with the sword wasn’t false. The writings in the jade stick scattered, with no system to be found, but the great majority were about sword xiu.

After reading for a while, Zuo Mo’s heart started to jump uncontrollably.

“Those of sword, enter the grounds of death, find life in death, like a wounded soldier, hold the resolution of death, attacking with full power, nothing is undefeatable!”

“Travelling at night, encountering over twenty Blood Duck Bats, hard battle, injured in twenty one places, all slaughtered.”

“Streamside met Iron Ape, skin like steel, hard to wound with blade, tempted enemy two hundred so miles, wounded eye, no strength to chase.”

……

These phrases were all extremely short, yet the vicious and resolute aura came through the words. Life and death, they were the characters that appeared the most. The Wei Sheng Shixiong in the jade stick and the person he met today were like two people.

What made the biggest impression on Zuo Mo and gave him the greatest shock were these few segments.

“Walked hundred days, finally saw nine rivers falling over sky, gazed from bottom, galloping and rolling, like the godly thunder of heaven, weight like thirty thousand catties, vast and unending, cannot be resisted. My heart follows, if aura of sword can be so, no regrets in death!”

“Sat and gazed three months, thought day and night, but due to dumbness, cannot find the meaning. Stood on top of waterfall seven days, not sleeping, not drinking or eating, suddenly comprehended. Like a fish jumped following the water down, moving among, forgetting life and death, consciousness clear, and finally found essence! Thirteen broken bones, bedridden half year, loss hearing and sight, so practiced in heart……”

Zuo Mo fell into a daze, muttering, “Insane!”

Such insanity, such obsession, it wasn’t anything he had ever thought of.

Under the stars, he sat on the roof, hand holding the jade stick as his thoughts wandered.

In his own world, there wasn’t anything that made him so crazy, so obsessed. He had great talent in the field of the five elements. He easily learned any kind of spells. He didn’t have high expectations for life. He put effort into learning and comprehending the five elements spell, it was only so that he could live a better life.

The obsession that Wei Sheng Shixiong had towards the sword, it gave him an unparalleled blow to his spirit. He could see the sweat and blood behind each character.

Something inside his body seemed to be turning and vibrating, making him feel uncomfortable.

A long time later, his emotions gradually calmed down but he didn’t have any desire for sleep. Under the night sky, he just started to learn the sword motions according to the sword scripture in the jade stick.

There was a set of sword scriptures recorded in the jade stick. It was moves Wei Sheng Shixiong had picked out of the sword scriptures he practiced and read every day. Wei Sheng Shixiong had rich battle experience and these sword moves were extremely useful. There were not beautiful techniques, it was extremely simple to start with. It was a pity he didn’t have a flying sword. After motioning for a while, he could only sit down.

Once he sat down, he started to muse about [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] again.

[Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] was cryptic, but now he wasn’t discouraged at all, only ashamed. The obsession of Wei Sheng Shixiong deeply provoked him. Compared to Wei Sheng Shixiong, what were the little difficulties that he ran into?

Alright, if Pu Yao wanted to see ge’s humiliation, wait for the next life!

Deeply inhaling a breath, he started to once again investigate this [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] that he couldn’t wrap his head around.

 

———

 

The days passed one by one. Other than going once a day to Cold Mist Valley, he didn’t take a step out at any other time.

In the sea of consciousness, Pu Yao sat on the gravestone and leisurely listened to the sound tablet.

Zuo Mo gritted his teeth but still went forward, fawningly asking, “Pu, what is really the main point of the first step of [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation]? I’m stupid, can’t you show a little bit?”

“The first step? Very simple, there’s no main point.” Pu Yao didn’t even raise his eyelids, still listening to the sound tablet.

Looking at the sound tablet that Pu Yao held on his leg, Zuo Mo thought that since asking didn’t work, then it had to be enticement.

He asked, “Pu, this sound tablet isn’t bad, right?”

“Pretty interesting,” Pu Yao inattentively responded.

“Do you want a better one?” Zuo Mo’s voice was like that of a strange uncle that was holding a lollipop to fool little girls.

For the first time, Pu Yao opened his right eye, the deep red pupils expressing interest, “Want.”

Zuo Mo shook his head, “If you help me explain [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation, I’ll buy a better one……”

“I can buy it myself,” Pu Yao said carelessly. He closed his eyes again, listening to the sound tablet.

Zuo Mo stared with an open mouth, “You have jingshi?”

“No.” Pu Yao’s eyes were still closed. With a face full of enjoyment, following the music that the sound tablet broadcasted, his body strangely swayed.

Zuo Mo released a breath, his tone smug again, “If there’s no jingshi, you can’t buy anything.” He suddenly realized, with Pu Yao’s strength, if he tried to snatch one, that wasn’t impossible! Or he could steal one, he definitely wouldn’t leave a trace.

“You have jingshi.” Pu Yao moved his body following the beat of the music.

“Then you have to explain……” Zuo Mo’s heart was comforted, and he continued to emphasize the relationship between jingshi and the sound tablet. Inside, he muttered, thankfully he hadn’t thought to just use brute force.

Pu impatiently interrupted Zuo Mo. Holding out his right hand, he showed a handful of jingshi. “I can take it myself.”

Zuo Mo was dumbstruck, staring at the jingshi on Pu Yao’s hands. So familiar. After a silent moment, he suddenly gave a sky-shaking bellow like a beast in desperate straits.

“Damned renyao! You dare to take ye’s jingshi, ye will kill… …”

 

———

 

Beside the pond in Cold Mist Valley, Zuo Mo gazed at the pond water, scared. The pond water was cold to the bone. He had touched it with his hand. Even now, the palm was still stiff.

There was only three days left until the deadline. He still hadn’t made it past the gate of the first breath. Pu Yao still didn’t seem to care. Zuo Mo understood. This guy really didn’t care about his life and death. But in these many days, it wasn’t he hadn’t made any progress. He thought of a method. Right now, he was thinking of trying to find out if this method was right or not.

But… …

The rushing waterfall couldn’t stop the coldness of the pond water from spreading. Just from beside the pond, he still could feel the oppressive coldness.

He nervously licked his lips. He didn’t want to try this method. But seeing that there were only three days left, he had no other choice. He hesitated for a moment, hardened his heart, closed his eyes, and jumped into the pool.

The pond water’s bone-aching iciness seemed to freeze his entire body in an instant. He couldn’t help but shudder. He was like a rock, continuously sinking. The pond water flowed up into his mouth and nose. The outside world seemed to have been blocked off, so quiet he could hear his own heartbeat.

After the initial panic, Zuo Mo quickly calmed down. He then followed [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] to move his breath.

He didn’t know if it was the stimulation from the cold pond water but he was abnormally alert, the movement of the breath was abnormally smooth.

After ten minutes, when his breath was almost consumed, the feeling of suffocation became even stronger.

Zuo Mo raised his awareness. He knew. The most crucial time had arrived. Previously, each time, it was at this step that he would unconsciously open his mouth to breathe. [Embryonic Breathing Spiritual Cultivation] didn’t have much elaboration on this step, as though in the eyes of the xiuzhe that created this scripture, this was the simplest thing.

 

[1] It is pronounced a bit like “poo”. The character used is the same one that is usually used for dandelion.

[2] 丹, pill, pellet. Common used as “pills of immortality” by Chinese emperors in search of eternal life. A gaming equivalent would be potions.

[3]人妖, Hong Kong slang for Thailand transvestites. It was then adopted as internet slang for males that used female avatars in MMORPGs. It’s also used to describe “girliness” in boys. The literal meaning is human-spirit. In this case here, Pu is really a yao, and he does look androgynous.

Chapter 11 – 15 | Main Page | Table of Contents | Chapter 21 – 25