This chapter has been brought to you by me, WanderingGummiOfDoom, and warlord212.
Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty Three Zuo Mo’s Determination
Hearing Pu Yao’s words, Zuo Mo’s mind became alert. He pretend to accidentally glance at the female xiu before secretly entering the sea of consciousness.
“What solution?” Zuo Mo asked straightforwardly. However, when he saw Pu Yao, he stilled. Pu Yao wasn’t sitting on the gravestone like he usually did but sitting in front of it.
Weren’t these two at odds?
Suspicion flashed across Zuo Mo’s heart, but his attention was quickly attracted by Pu Yao’s words.
“I know what you are worried about.” Pu Yao’s thin lips curved in an enchanting smile.
Zuo Mo was slightly distracted by a nonsensical question in his mind. Why was everyone around him so evil and feminine? Even Gongsun Cha seemed to be progressing towards abnormal now. The strong girl that had appeared was also very evil.
Pu Yao seemed very confident. “It is a pity to waste jingshi on their body.”
Zuo Mo rolled his eyes upon hearing this. “Just say the solution, don’t waste words.”
“Hee hee.” Pu yao wasn’t moved, his bloody pupil narrowing slightly. “Why don’t you consider making them cultivate mo?”
“Cultivate mo?” Zuo Mo instantly froze.
“Exactly, cultivate mo,” Pu Yao smiled. “The ling energy of Little Mountain Jie is corroded, but that doesn’t affect mo cultivation. This group of xiu slaves have just entered lianqi, and their cultivation is rough. It would not be difficult for them to switch to mo cultivation. Also, cultivating mo does not require ling energy, and you do not need to use up jingshi.”
Zuo Mo’s interest was stirred by Pu Yao’s suggestion. He asked with curiosity, “How to cultivate mo?”
“There are mo skills,” Pu Yao said in a matter of fact tone.
Hearing this, Zuo Mo was furious. He jumped off the ground, pointing at Pu Yao’s nose and swearing, “Ha, you do have mo skills! What did you say in the past to ge? You said you didn’t have mo skills, making ge practice [Sky Wave Fist Scripture]! Now you run out and say you have mo skills, you were fooling ge!”
Pu Yao was speechless.
The matter of cultivating mo was quickly finalized. Pu Yao took out a set of mo skill called [Hardship Guard].
“The previous version of [Hardship Guard] was a mo skill called [Hardship Abyss]. It was first created by a heart-addicted monkey. He was born very weak and untalented. He could not cultivate the [Heart Addiction] mo skill of his clan. After many troubles, he personally created [Hardship Abyss], and in the end, cultivated to the rank of mo general. Later, this mo skill landed in the hands of a king. He changed the [Hardship Abyss] and bestowed it to one of his personal guards. This mo skill therefore changed its name to [Hardship Guard].
Pu Yao proudly introduced.
“The greatest specialty of this mo skill is that it is suitable for mo that do not have outstanding talents. Oh, this group of xiu slaves is very well suited. Hmph, hmph, in any mo jie, this mo skill is high level stuff. It can sell for a good price. These xiu slaves really picked up a bargain.”
After Zuo Mo finished reading [Hardship Guard], he jumped in fright. Unless one had great endurance they couldn’t cultivate this mo skill, much less to a high level. Mo skills were based on hard work and persistence. The person that made this mo skill really was perverse!
He had originally been thinking if he could cultivate it. After reading it, Zuo Mo decided to give up. This wasn’t something anyone could cultivate.
Pu Yao understood Zuo Mo’s misgiving.
“Normal people aren’t suited to cultivate this, but these xiu slaves have encountered many obstacles and hardships in their life so they are actually very suited to this mo skill. In any case, you just don’t want them to use jingshi right now.”
Zuo Mo agreed with Pu Yao. In any case, he wasn’t hoping that these xiu slaves would accomplish anything.
The xiu slaves were reorganized into a camp called the Guard Camp. Zuo Mo counted one thousand people. He passed down the first chapter of [Hardship Guard] and picked a few xiuzhe to supervise them before going back to his city construction work.
———
After a few days when Gongsun Cha returned with eight hundred captives, Zuo Mo finally released a breath. The two exchanged a few words before they attended to their own matters. Zuo Mo had to build the city, Gongsun Cha had to organize the captives and make new groups, and consolidate what he learned etc.
The preliminary structure of the Golden Crow City caused everyone, including the captives, to feel excitement and anticipation.
After continuous construction, the formation battle watchtowers of Golden Crow City reached thirty six in number. They were tightly packed together, pointing towards the sky like sharp swords. Looking at these formation battle watchtowers that rose above the city walls, everyone was filled with the feeling of safety.
The completion of thirty six formation battle watchtowers meant that the xiuzhe of the camp could start to move in.
Wei Cheng Bin followed Master Ji Wei into Golden Crow City, his expression excited. As he stepped into the city, a feeling of warmth surrounded him, feeling like he was soaking in the sun. The people in the surroundings sighed in amazement.
“What formation is this? It is so wonderful!”
“Comfortable, way too comfortable! Even if you kill me, I won’t return to that mountain cave!”
“Worth it, it’s worth it even if I die now!”
… …
Hearing the discussion around him, Wei Cheng Bin suddenly felt his nose was sore and almost cried. He hurriedly lowered his head to disguise his state. When he raised his head, what he saw was a flash of tears at the corner of Master Ji Wei’s eye.
For people like him, the Golden Crow City in front of them was the final dream in their hearts!
One after the other, the formation battle watchtowers covered in complex formations scripts appeared in their vision, causing them to sigh in amazement again. Everyone’s hearts was instantly comforted. The enormous group of formation battle watchtowers seemed to be announcing their power and gave them a strong feeling of safety.
“Alright, move quickly!” Master Ji Wei bellowed at the top of his lungs to wake the group of people up. “We need to go first build the places we will be living in. Otherwise, we need to return to the cave tonight. Which one of you wants to return?”
Of course, no one was willing so everyone hurried to start building.
The xiuzhe that knew earth element spells usually were also skilled in building houses. The xiuzhe of the forging division were never properly educated. Many of them had a pretty good earth element spell.
“Everyone work hard! Let’s try to finish before dusk so we can have a little fun tonight.” Master Jie Wei waved his arms with excitement.
———
As Zuo Mo had already divided out the different living districts beforehand, the camp was naturally the most important part. Gongsun Cha first needed to reorganize the numerous troops under his command. He didn’t interfere with the Guard Camp. He didn’t understand the things Shixiong was doing with the Guard Camp. Just the xiuzhe under his command were enough to give him a headache.
He didn’t want to break down the organization of the six divisions. These xiuzhe cooperated very well among themselves. If new people were added, their offensive capabilities would decrease.
However, Gongsun Cha was not the same greenhorn that didn’t understand anything anymore. He easily worked to reorganize.
The six divisions were the primary force, and were under the command of Vermillion Bird Camp. The fact that the first camp created was called Vermillion Bird Camp, and not Black Warrior Camp[1] was enough to express how much everyone liked Golden Crow City from the bottom of their hearts. The xiuzhe that had comprehended “essence” and were led by Ma Fan and Xie Shan were put into one platoon, Sky Peak Platoon. What was a surprise was the Shield Guard Platoon was led by Zong Ru. The main purpose of the Shield Guard Platoon was to protect Gongsun Cha, and transmit Gongsun Cha’s orders.
The remaining two thousand xiuzhe were divided into the Eastern and Western Camps. In Gongsun Cha’s plans, Eastern Camp and Western Camp were the reserve that would provide talented xiuzhe for Vermillion Bird Camp.
In Gongsun Cha’s vision, Vermillion Camp would have twelve divisions, one thousand six hundred and sixty four people. Adding on the quartermasters and supporting xiuzhe, it would be a full one thousand and five hundred people. There were just six divisions now, so it was only half complete.
But he was also clear that Vermillion Bird Camp which was skilled in ambushing was not in great demand since they possessed the Golden Crow City. The most pressing matter at the moment was to train the xiuzhe of the Eastern and Western Camps to use the formation battle watchtowers.
The reorganization calmly progressed.
As to the Guard Camp, that was Shixiong’s headache. Having finished his preparations, Gongsun Cha quickly moved into the Golden Crow City.
When the night came, Golden Crow City was very loud. The lanterns at the sides of the street filled the little city with brightness. From afar, it looked like a city that was floating in the air!
Today was a holiday for everyone in the city!
Many people cried from happiness. They finally had a place to rest, a place to shelter them from the elements, they finally had a place where they could relax and sleep!
In the calamity-ridden Little Mountain Jie, Golden Crow City was one of a kind!
Gongsun Cha silently watched his subordinates celebrate. Those people that usually weren’t afraid of death were sobbing like children at the moment. His heart didn’t feel so good. He knew more. He knew the city was just to prepare for the big battle against the Clear Sky Old Forefather.
From the moment it started to be built, the fate of Golden Crow City was set in stone.
He pressed together his lips, quietly leaving the partying camp to find Shixiong. He found Shixiong at a formation battle watchtower. He was slightly shocked. As everyone was partying madly, Shixiong was staying by himself at the formation battle watchtower.
Noticing Gongsun Cha come over, Zuo Mo raised his head. “I’m trying to see if I can use the formation battle watchtower to nurture the Sonic Lightning Walnuts.”
Gongsun Cha became alert. “Did Shixiong find something?”
“En, it seems plausible but I still need to test it.” Zuo Mo noticed Gongsun Cha’s low mood. “What? Has Shidi encountered something unhappy?”
He understood the two shidi very well. Cheng Shidi was a person obsessed with animal-keeping. While Gongsun Shidi usually seemed vicious and murderous, but in reality, his mentality was not any different than Cheng Shidi. They were both very naïve and did not know worldly matters.
“I just saw they are so happy. But in the end, there will be nothing. This city is destined to be destroyed,” Gongsun Cha said dejectedly.
Zuo Mo was silent. He walked to the guardrail and looked into the distance. After a moment, he smiled and said, “I hadn’t thought such a violent person as Shidi would be so sentimental.” He paused slightly, turned his face, and said seriously, “Little Mountain Jie is a cage. Can there be a paradise in a cage? What we want is to survive because we understand that if we cannot escape the cage, we will die. It is like using warm water to cook a frog, we will be cooked slowly.”
“Among them, some understand and some do not. Those that understand are not willing to think. Why? They feel if they can live one more day, it is one day.” Zuo Mo said in a deep voice, “But I don’t think the same. I would rather to use those miserable days to trade for a chance, a chance to escape.”
“Golden Crow City has never been a paradise! If we succeed, even if this city does not exist anymore, they will still be able to find their paradise!” Zuo Mo said resolutely.
Gongsun Cha raised his head. The depression on his delicate face swept away cleanly. Those eyes that were usually covered in killing intent and people could never see into were so clear now there was no impurity.
The two exchanged a look, and smiled at each other.
[1] The Vermillion Bird (Zhu Que) is one of the four sacred/benevolent animals of Chinese culture. It is actually a five- colored bird, not just one color. Its element is fire and the cardinal direction it represents is the south. Black Warrior (Xuan Wu) is another name for the Black Turtle (Xuan Gui). Its cardinal direction is the north, and its element is water. In mythology, the black warrior is made of two entities, a tortoise, and a snake who are two great generals. Due to the origins (Wikipedia), Xuan Wu would usually be a much better name for a military troop.
Translator Ramblings: Ah, Zuo Mo is always sensitive to anything that can impact his bottom line. He doesn’t care that a few thousand people are cultivating to be mo if he doesn’t have to spend jingshi. Pu Yao is now offering help without being asked … … this is a large improvement compared to the beginning of their relationship.
Zuo Mo’s city is now habitable and the people are excited. He really points to the main problem: there is no freedom in Little Mountain Jie. If they don’t rebel, they will forever be living in a place they cannot leave and at the mercy of Clear Sky Sect since they control the only entrance, and therefore the flow of all goods imported and exported.
Thank you very much for the translation, translators! Many thanks towards the Author!
Thanks for the chapter😀
Thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter!
Wow awesome.. I always sleep after a chapter from this site. Thanks for a chapter every day 🙂
I apologize for any chapters which I post really late and you had to stay up and wait for them. 🙂
You’re pretty cocky! Who would stay up and wait for your chapters? I definitely would..
Its worth it. But yoy usually post it before midnight so its cool.
Thanks for the chapter😀
Weren’t mo skills supposed to be dangerous to cultivate since they gave off a special aura that would make the cultivator the target of any normal cultivator they encountered?
Do you think the slaves give a shit? This gives them a chance to put their lives in their own hands instead of being totally useless. Do you think Zuo Mo really cares at this point? Their backs are against the wall. He could say he killed a mo at some point, saw the skill, keeping it on hand, and gave it out to the slaves to save resources. Any outsiders who can notice are going to end up too indebted to Zuo Mo or dead for the most part. They’re at the point where many of the xiuzhe don’t want to see the reality in front of them anyways, so it’s not like a story with some holes is going to raise any eyebrows.
Ya, that issue as not addressed
Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for the chapter.
Yeah, let’s give those slaves a Mo technique to cultivate, it’s not as if we are at war with them or anything… lol xD
Yay, new World of Cultivation
Thanks for the chapter!
So, can someone clarify something for me please. The Jie, are they like, pocket dimensions or something? Or are they small patches of habitable land amid oceans or gigantic mountain ranges that are utterly impassible, or what? I don’t know that these Jie have ever properly been defined so far, but small pocket dimensions seem to exist, the area Zuo Mo sold to the guy we rejoined a few chapters back would be an example.
Anyways, some clarification would be nice, and thank you for the new chapter.
Someone made them out to be little bubbles on a string, the bubbles being the jie, and the strings the jie rivers. It’s more of a whole network of strings connecting the bubbles (I keep thinking beads) together. Space is a weird concept so I’d say the secret realm is a pocket dimension within a large dimension and then there are the spatial rings which are even smaller pocket spaces.
Fang Xiang doesn’t give a great explanation.
I envision it like the old perimeter game, where Mo are the Scourge that arise from the psychosphere.
It’s kinda sad that they have to leabe the city eventually. But they have to, even if the fight againts clear sky is easier than expected the yao army is still moving.
Thank you for the chapter!
thanks for the chapter!
Since when Zuo Mo is become so wise-like person? Did he plagia from somewhere? (lol)
Is he really wise? I just think he is pragmatic. He needs to leave to search for his past, he can’t earn jingshi in this place, so he definitely has to leave this cage.
Much thanks.
Thanks for the chapter!! i really hope that they will not separate after escaping this place… Many characters were built up really well…
I wish i lived in that city
as always thank you for the amazing chapter :3
Thanks for the chap.!
Thanks for the chapter!
I wonder if they can bring the city away with them after…Such as storing it in some ring or something big enough to hold it
hi
Zuo mo really needs a xiuzhe Elder in his sea of consciousness.
There are 36 watchtowers? But I remember Zuo Mo at his best needed 2 days to build one…
Does this mean that 36 x 2 = 72 days have passed!?? It cannot be! What are those clowns in Clear Sky sect doing? Their village base is destroyed, and they wait ten weeks without moving a finger? And what about the huge Outer Hall army of 2000 xiuzhe? What have they been doing all this time, flying around in circles and looking for enemies?
Something must be wrong with these calculations. No way 72 days have passed without news of the Clear Sky xiuzhe and their jindan boss!
On another subject: “Why was everyone around him so evil and feminine?” ROTFLMAO! Zuo Mo’s misogyny is spiralling out of control, now he’s including even the feminine pretty boys. Tee hee.
Oh, and talking about pretty boys: “Gongsun Cha raised his head. The depression on his delicate face swept away cleanly. Those eyes that were usually covered in killing intent and people could never see into were so clear now there was no impurity. The two exchanged a look, and smiled at each other.” Whoaaa… what a romantic moment, hehe. 😛 Gongsun Cha acting weak and sentimental, full of doubts and worries, and Zuo Mo being a pillar of strength, reliable and in charge, reassuring his shidi and making him feel safe again. How perfect! If these two were a boy and a girl, this scene would totally be an endgame love flag. 😉
Quick, we need Xiao Guo back, before this story goes in a weird direction! 😀
He got faster at making them. Also, all the jie are huge places. Taking a few weeks to travel from one part to another is not strange. Remember how Zuo Mo had to travel for months to get to Desolate Wood Reef?
Wasn’t Desolate Wood Reef like an island stop between the two jie? So like [LM] – (DWR) – [SM]
No, it’s on the border of Sky Moon.
I think this is the first real hint we have been given as to the true nature of the Gravestone.
First Pu Yao stated he didnt know any mo skills at a time when he seemed to being very open and cooperative with Zu Mo (even to the point of pre-emptively suggesting many new things).
Then Pu Yao told Zu Mo he didnt have a solution to their current situation.
Then Pu Yao sits down in front of the Gravestone and asks it to cooporate with him .
Then all of a sudden Pu Yao has a new solution and announces that he can teach a mo skill for the new xiu to learn.
Pu Yao is then speechless when accused of holding the mo skill back earlier.
The obvious situation here is that Pu Yao was really not aware of any mo skills at the time and the Gravestone only just handed it over to him now.
Given that the Gravestone seems to know mo skills (and has previously assisted Zu Mo with body cultivation) I think its quite possible that the Gravestone was originally a mo. I dont remember such a significant clue about the Gravestone before this.
This would also go a long way to explaining the adversarial yet somewhat familiar relationship between Pu Yao and the Gravestone (one is a Yao and one is a Mo).
I’ve been thinking the same thing for a long time.
The details are not clear yet. Why hide under a tombstone? Is that person alive, dead, undead, or what? And why travel together with Pu Yao?
But the “tombstone” has been pushing Zuo Mo towards body cultivation, mo style, from the beginning. Even going against Pu’s wishes. I can’t think of any reason except that person being a mo him/herself.
The tombstone is undoubtedly Mo. The difference between their appearances in ZM’s consciousness probably has to do with the nature of their cultivation. Pu is Yao so he cultivates consciousness, the gravestone is Mo so he cultivates the body. Both have lost their bodies and are significantly weakened. Pu probably just has enough skill and power within the consciousness to affect things, while the gravestone lacks this skill.
Pu and the gravestone seem to have had a similar goal at one point, and then had a falling out. I mean they seem to have escaped together from that suppressing tower together then hid together but fight. You don’t make a jailbreak with someone unless you know them well, and you don’t sit on their grave without misgivings. That’s as far as I can tell about their relationship.
Thanks for the chapter,
I like how many of them will care deeply about what they specialize in and contribute towards while not caring a bit about what the others struggle with.
But I don’t think the relationship between Ge and the ren yao has improved as such, more like it has changed in that Pu can’t be as domineering as he used to be due to him getting weaker and being stuck in Zuo Mo, so his only option is to cooperate and exchange his knowledge for Zuo Mo’s help
Thanks for the chapter WYHCWE, WanderingGummiOfDoom, and warlord212!
Thank you so much!! 😘😘😘
I keep thinking… it might of been easier for him just to pay for three of them to escape the area, but less interesting for us.
The problem is that what he could use to pay is probably something very valuable. Zuo Mo most likely did not have enough jingshi to pay for everything after he went on that spending spree for talismans and everything else. What he could use to pay is the Golden Crow Fire. But golden crow fire is valuable and the Clear Sky Old Forefather would have imprisoned him so he could make more as the formation isn’t so easy to understand or use. He could also get Pu Yao to give something but it would have to persuade a jindan, so it would be very valuable and suspicious. Then the Clear Sky Old Forefather has even more motive to imprison him rather than let him go through.
Meatbun late delivery~
Thank you for the chapter ( ●w●)
Aww.. should have known that anyone can practice any type of cultivation technique. Be it xiuzhe, mo or yao.. it only mattered in it’s aptitude.. like when ZM practice the Mo version of that dyana skin changing technique..
“They were both very naïve and did not know worldly matters.”… yeah… I’m not sure who’s the naïve one here…
wait how does 1664 soldiers plus supporting troops equal 1500?
They rounded.
So the big question I have is – Do they all shit?
I mean it might be inappropriate, but think about it. Someone goes in closed doors cultivation for few months. Do the shit just keeps piling up in the corner? What about the female who keeps following the MC. Does she disappears from time to time to take care of needs? They have ~3000 people now, that’s so much shit right there, every day. What about toilets? There are never toilets in xianxia’s stories. You might think I’m crass and rude, but taking a shit is basic human needs. It’s not like they are at point where they don’t eat. What about waste products from eating ling grains?
Those last lines show just how awesome this novel is! The characters are so fleshed out 🙂
Okay I take back my words.
Actually it’s okay to show much of side characters. In the end I just miss Zuo Mo’s jingshi peaceful days lel x,D
And that last chapter, woah.
Sometimes feel mc is a bit too pragmatic, but maybe that’s not so bad after all.
We need people like that who can wake all up to the truth, even if it’s painful..
About that mo army guard, I don’t have a good feeling but that’s really better than killing them or dumping them somewhere 😅. No can do.
Maybe they’d get killed for practicing it or maybe that’ll end up saving their life.
Come to think of it, the blood skill Chang Heng practices and the scripture ghost man practicing seems fishy. Could it be it was also some kind of yao/ mo skill that’s been modified? The blood spider and ghost sword doesn’t look like normal sword scripture after all. Or maybe I’m thinking too much HAHA
Thanks for the chapter!🍀
Zuo mo is absolutely right. It doesn’t matter how much there’s seems to be good right now it’s still a cage. Only by destroying the cage, which is by rebelling, they can be free again. I don’t know if the author wanted to use the metaphor of breaking free from the cage and the fated destruction of the golden crown city, but I think it was pretty interesting
Zuo mo is always so funny but this person constructed a city! This is beyond amazing. Pu yao was right, his will power frightening