This chapter has been brought to you by me and Brian.

 

Chapter Three Hundred and Seventy Two Golden Soul

“Yes, Daren.” Cang Ze had started to become familiar with Zuo Mo’s temperament. “This is the most convenient and most plausible solution. The information that Daren needs is most likely uncommon, and we aren’t familiar with this area at all. Since this is the case, we can give the task to a professional yao to do. We only need to supply an appropriate price, one that will move their hearts, and they will definitely try their best to find the information that Daren wants.”

Zuo Mo was persuaded by Cang Ze’s suggestion. “Where do I have to go to put a bounty?”

“You can go to the yao market; but if it is a more difficult bounty, you will have to go to the yao markets of bigger cities,” Cang Ze said.

“Then you can find the biggest city for me. I’ll provide the money,” Zuo Mo said without hesitation.

Cang Ze instantly had an expression of difficulty.

“There is a problem?” Zuo Mo asked with puzzlement.

“Daren might not know, but there are access requirements to go to these large cities. My yao designation level is not high, and so I cannot … …” Cang Ze thought inside, how could Daren not know even this? Was Daren a hidden yao that lived in the deep forests?

“Yao designation level? What is that?” Zuo Mo did not understand.

As expected. Cang Ze was even more sure of his speculation. No wonder Daren’s conduct was so unique. He impatiently explained, “Daren, the yao designation is an imprint that signals each yao’s identity. Every city usually has a big formation. If one cannot reach a certain cultivation, they are unable to enter. The more prosperous the city, the higer the yao designation level needed.”

Zuo Mo became very interested, “Then wouldn’t one city all be experts? They would have to have people to do labor, or do they do everything on their own?”

“These doorways are just directed to the yao that come and go. The locals can enter and leave as they will. The locals of these places usually have low cultivation, and their yao designation is another kind. The management of local yao designations is extremely strict and unable to be faked.”

“This troublesome?” Zuo Mo felt the problem was somewhat difficult and asked, “Then how does one increase their yao designation level?”

“There are many ways. Like a certification of power. With Daren’s strength, you only need to go to the Yao Designation Ministry, and get an examination of power to get a pretty good yao designation level. Other than this, you can increase your contribution. Every city has their needs. If you can provide what they need, one can receive an appropriate contribution credit. When contribution credits reach a certain number, one can receive access permissions.”

Zuo Mo said, “It’s not convenient for me to go. Can I hire a yao with a high yao designation level to go?”

“It is probably very difficult.” Cang Ze shook his head and said, “Yao of high designation levels basically will go to live in the bigger cities. The bigger the city, the better the environment. Like Wind Creek Pond, Victory Mountain, they are all famous holy cultivation grounds. Even if the living in the cities is hard, they would not want to come back because the rate of cultivation progress is higher in those places.”

“What is your yao designation level?” Zuo Mo asked.

“Second.” Cang Ze was slightly embarrassed.

Zuo Mo turned around to ask Nan Yue. “You?”

“Second.” Nan Yue was very open.

“How many levels in total?”

“Twenty four.” Cang Ze thought and then said, “Daren, maybe you can go to the higher prisons to look. Supposedly, there are also places in there that are like yao markets. One of my cousins once went to the third prison and mentioned this to me.”

Zuo Mo nodded. He said, “From today, I will start passing on [Grey Scar Art] to you.”

“Thank you Daren!” Cang Ze suddenly became excited. He suddenly lifted and opened his palm. A golden ball of light appeared in his palm. He respectfully presented it. “This little one’s consciousness is too weak, and can only bring one golden soul every time. In the future, this little one will bring a golden soul each time.”

“This is the Golden Soul?” Zuo Mo took over the Golden Soul curiously.

It looked like a golden cloud the size of a palm. It was insubstantially light in his hand. Like it was alive, it was slightly rippling. Zuo Mo could feel a strong presence of vitality!

Suddenly, deep and raw ancient words came from Zuo Mo’s mouth. No matter how hard Nan Yue and Cang Ze tried to listen, they could not hear it clearly. It was so blurry like it came from the depths of the earth.

With speed visible to the naked eye, the cloud turned to a puddle of golden water. The presence of life suddenly became exponentially stronger.

Bam!

The golden water suddenly exploded and turned into a handful of golden mist. Amidst the deep and indistinct chant, the golden mist silently surrounded Zuo Mo. It was like moisture permeating long-parched sand and quickly entered the body constructed of Zuo Mo’s consciousness without leaving a drop behind.

In Zuo Mo’s sea of consciousness, Pu Yao’s body was covered by a layer of faint golden light. He was sitting cross-legged with a solemn expression.

A powerful presence of vitality filled every corner of the sea of consciousness. The presence that spilled out were all absorbed by Zuo Mo’s sea of consciousness. Zuo Mo felt unspeakably refreshed.

“This is really good!” Zuo Mo said with lingering hunger. He looked at Pu Yao in meditation and couldn’t help but smile. This guy was so urgent and impatient. It seemed that the Golden Soul was very important to him.

He did not disturb Pu Yao and retreated from the sea of consciousness.

Cang Ze was increasingly respectful. He did not understand the deep and indistinct chant that Zuo Mo had just said, but it made him think of some things that Grandfather had said to him on accident. The Grey Clan had guarded its Golden Tree for more than three thousand years, and their understanding of the Golden Soul was much deeper than any other yao. Cang Ze knew of all kinds of legends about the Golden Soul.

The method Daren used to absorb the Golden Soul was completely different than any passed down through the clan.

Cultivating in the deep forests, possessing an inheritance from the ancient ages … …

Cang Ze gradually drew out Zuo Mo’s identity in his mind.

Just as Cang Ze was thinking nonsense, Zuo Mo turned and asked Nan Yue, “How have you been recently?”

“I’ve solved the sixth problem.” Nan Yue seriously replied.

“Hm, pretty good progress.” Zuo Mo was slightly shocked. Nan Yue’s rate of improvement was faster than he had imagined. It seemed that the little girl worked pretty hard during this time. What he did not know was that Nan Yue cultivated with an attitude of putting her life on the line. She had securely remembered Zuo Mo’s reprimand from last time. She cultivated day and night, and spent any free time on cultivation.

Her fundamentals could not be said to be good, and her talent was not outstanding; but she was the first to come into contact with Zuo Mo’s way of thinking. In reality, when the prison-breaking six problems had spread, she had also tried to solve them. Compared to other yao, she had received Zuo Mo’s thinking, and it naturally was easier for her to solve them. She quickly solved up to the fourth problem, but she became stuck.

Her weak foundation stopped her from moving forward. Nan Yue was not stupid and instantly realized this. She recalled a dumb method that Daren had mentioned to her—deconstruct all the yao arts she encountered on the path.

She really ran into the Wasteland Beast Chessboard, and following the chessboard, she deconstructed tile by tile.

Deconstruction of the chessboard, forced to leave, recover her spiritual power, and enter the chessboard again to deconstruct … …

She repeated this. She did not dare to relax one bit. Every time she thought about giving up, she told herself that this was her only chance.

When Zuo Mo finished listening to Nan Yue narrate her daily cultivation, looking at Nan Yue’s focused face, the admiration in his eyes increased. At the side, Cang Ze also had admiration on his face. He had personally seen how crazy Nan Yue had been. Everyone was about the same in age, but this persistence was enough to make him embarrassed.

Zuo Mo motivated Nan Yue. “This method might be dumb, but it once produced a sky yao.”

Cang Ze’s heart shook. There was a lot of room to ponder behind Daren’s words.

Nan Yue did not think much and nodded seriously.

“The foundations are a matter of practicing. Persisting has great benefits.” Zuo Mo then said, “From today, you can start learning [South Sky Arrow Art.] Do not slack off.”

“Yes, Daren!” Nan Yue said with the same seriousness.

Zuo Mo started to pass the two yao arts.

After asking for Zuo Mo’s permission, Cang Ze released a recording yao art in case he could not remember it all. Then he would become the criminal of his clan. After hearing just a few sentences, he could not control himself, and almost cried.

[Grey Scar Art]! Lost for three thousand years, [Grey Scar Art] was going to see the light of day again!

Compared to Cang Ze’s excitement, Nan Yue was much more peaceful. The Wisteria Clan of the South Sky was far too distant for her. She only hoped that she could reach Daren’s requirements to be able to follow Daren and to give her clansmen better lives.

“Daren, can I teach my clansmen [South Sky Arrow Art]?” Nan Yue asked.

“Of course, This was your South Sky Wisteria Clan’s yao art in the first place,” Zuo Mo said with a smile.

After passing it on to the two, Zuo Mo did not disturb them anymore. This was the best time for them to digest it. Zuo Mo sat down and started to ponder the two yao arts. [Grey Scar Art] and [South Sky Arrow Art] had been on his hands for a while but he hadn’t had the time to examine them.

The two yao arts had their unique aspects.

Zuo Mo had seen many yao arts by now, and could see good or bad at a glance. [Grey Scar Art] was a very unusual illusory killing yao art, and the way of thinking was extremely strange. Zuo Mo had to read it over three times before he understood. The requirements for cultivating [South Sky Arrow Art] was even more strict. It was impossible to cultivate for anyone not a wisteria yao because only wisteria yao could create wisteria arrows, and the succeeding string of arts could be cast.

After reading through both sets of yao arts, many of Zuo Mo’s questions disappeared. No wonder each yao clan had their own inheritances. These inherited yao arts were continuously developed and perfected based on the unique traits of their clan. It would not be a great problem even if these yao arts ended up in the hands of other yao clans because the other basically could not cultivate it. Even if they could, the power would decrease greatly.

But if these yao arts were lost, it was definitely a heavy blow to a clan.

To Zuo Mo, these yao arts were not of great use. Only now did he understand the power of the [Great Thousand Leaf Hands] and [Little Thousand Leaf Hands]. These two yao arts were ones that the great majority of clans could cultivate.

“Hey, there’s an illusory formation!”

An arrogant voice suddenly came from the outside.

“Let’s go, don’t create trouble,” another voice urged.

“Just a bit longer. The person inside is doing something that can’t be seen in the light if they put up an illusory formation.”

“Fine, be quick … …”

A group of ripples came from the outside. Zuo Mo looked at Nan Yue and Cang Ze still immersed in their thoughts, and two bolts of light came out of his eyes.

He rose and walked out of the illusory formation.

 

 

Translator Ramblings:

 

So to answer some questions that have been posed … … why doesn’t Nan Yue and the others have a time limit in Ten Finger Prison like Zuo Mo does?

They probably do and Zuo Mo’s time limit has increased as he has gotten stronger. The first time he came to Ten Finger Prison, I’m not sure if he is actually spiritually stronger than Nan Yue. Pu Yao has never told Zuo Mo how his consciousness would rank among normal yao. Zuo Mo has a lot of knowledge but he uses little yao arts which are the most basic of all yao techniques and probably doesn’t cost much spiritual power to use. He could likely be weaker than Nan Yue in terms of spiritual power, but he knows how to use that power better so he is stronger overall in the beginning. This might explain some of why he can stay in the Ten Finger Prison for a shorter time than Nan Yue.

Second, why doesn’t Zuo Mo consume base soul source himself?

He probably could. From a perspective inside the story, I’m going to say that Zuo Mo is a utilitarian and that Gongsun Cha needs the base soul source more than Zuo Mo does. The overall benefits to doing so are greater. If Gongsun Cha gets stronger, he will be a better battle general and this will benefit the entire group. If Zuo Mo gets stronger, he will just be stronger in yao arts which isn’t his primary focus (that’s the mo physique) so it makes sense for Gongsun Cha to eat as much base soul source as possible rather than for Zuo Mo to. From an objective point of view, I would say that Fang Xiang forgot because he ended up writing about other things.

I bought an actual keyboard a few days ago. It seems to make typing a lot more enjoyable after constantly typing on a laptop keyboard for about 5 years.