This chapter has been brought to you by me, and WanderingGummiOfDoom.

 

Chapter Five Hundred and Forty Two – The Declining Situation

“After you go back, work hard!” the corps commander gave Mu Xi her transfer order. She admired Mu Xi greatly.

“Yes! Daren!” Mu Xi bowed back in seriousness.

“Go, don’t waste time.” The corps commander’s expression was calm. “We will be leaving this place soon as well.”

“Ah!” Mu Xi was greatly shocked. “Leave here? Are we going to abandon Blood Sky Metropolis Jie?”

“What is the meaning in standing guard here?” the corps commander said calmly.

Mu Xi was silent.

After the Sky-Splitting Calamity began, chaos rifts had appeared everywhere. It created countless passageways to appear between the yao territories and the xiuzhe territories. There was truly no meaning in standing guard at Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie.

A few days ago, Mu Xi received a message from the clan leader hoping that she could return to the clan and protect them.

Immediately after, the transfer order had come and the location of the transfer was her home territory. This surprised her. The clan leader must have done something, but he was not powerful enough to affect this kind of transfer.

Mu Xi was extremely smart and upon some thought, her thoughts cleared up.

The the war had changed at a fundamental level. The yao jies that had chaos rifts were the front lines of battle. The zig-zagging chaos rifts bypassed the buffer zone between yaomo and xiuzhe territories and allowed them to come into direct contact. This also heralded the start of chaotic fighting. The chaos rifts were passageways, the places that had to be fought over. No matter if it was xiuzhe or yaomo, no one would give up the fight over them.

Especially the chaos rifts that appeared in the important locations. If those were taken over, the consequences didn’t need thinking about.

Mu Xi could imagine just how fierce and harsh the battle over the chaos rifts would be.

The situation had changed so quickly even the wise elders could not predict the outcome. All the military corps on the front lines were drawn back and transferred to protect the strategic locations. Mu Xi received the news on her way that all the yao art houses had stopped their classes. All the teachers and students were sent to conduct complete searches to make sure that every chaos rift would be found.

The safe rear guard entered an unprecedented chaos. The scent of war spread through the air, the prices shot through the roof, and there were even battalions patrolling the streets in some places.

There was no rear anymore!

On the road back home, Mu Xi was deep in thought.

The elders must have also thought of this so they had agreed to allow a portion of the battle generals to return to their homes. There were too many chaos rifts and the power of the regular corps was not enough to manage them all. Rather than stretching their resources, it was better to unite the local powers of each jie to resist the advances of the xiuzhe.

They, the battle generals who had been allowed to return home, would mount a furious resistance without any urging because it  was their home. The Council of Elders could shift more power to the strategic locations that they felt were most important.

Even if the xiuzhe wanted to break through by attacking these less important places, the local resistance would pose a hindrance to them and slow the enemy. This would create a buffer for the regular corps. The Council of Elders used this method to achieve strategic aims.

Mu Xi understood but she wasn’t happy at all.

At such a dangerous time, the Council of Elders had abandoned them. This was done out of helplessness. She did not hate the elders because if she was in their shoes she would also do the same.

But … …

Determination flashed through her eyes.

No matter what, she had to protect her home!

 

———

 

Lil’ Miss carefully browsed the intelligence he received.

After his reading, he sank into deep thought. Moments later, his gaze became clear and a slight smile floated at the corner of his mouth.

It seemed that Xuan Kong Temple would not be coming and making trouble for them any time soon. Large numbers of chaos rifts had appeared in Xuan Kong Realm. Supposedly, many of them were in core regions. The fighting over these chaos rifts was extremely fierce. At this crucial time, Xuan Kong Temple would not send a strong battalion to a place like Cloud Sea Jie.

Xuan Kong Temple was not the only one in a rush, the other three major powers of the Four Realms were not much better off. The chaos rifts that had suddenly appeared caused everyone to sink into chaos.

In comparison, Cloud Sea Jie was calm.

The only worry Lil’ Miss had was that there were too many places in Cloud Sea Jie that were unexplored. No one knew how many undiscovered chaos rifts there were here. Originally, Lil’ Miss had wanted to copy the other sects and conduct a systematic search but he quickly threw away this unrealistic idea. The Cloud Sea was deep and filled with unknown dangers. If they threw all of themselves in, they wouldn’t even make a splash.

Upon further thought, Lil’ Miss felt that the interlocking island formations that he was building right now were a more secure plan.

This plan had been suggested by the two masters of Golden Crow Camp. With Lil’ Miss’ preference to use offense in place of defense, he hadn’t been interested in this plan in the beginning. But after further consideration, he felt it was a very good plan, other than the fact that it was expensive.

He hadn’t thought that this plan called “Great Thousand Islands Formation” received strong support from all the factions. They were even willing to pay for the costs themselves. Everyone had been frightened by the mo army that suddenly arrived.

Therefore, the Great Thousand Islands Formation became the Great Ten Thousand Islands Formation. This enormous plan that included almost all the cloud islands in Cloud Sea Jie started like this!

Each cloud island became a node and all of the cloud islands formed an enormous and complex formation that were locked in layers. It was like an enormous spider web. Any enemy that entered this web would be attacked.

Once the great formation was complete, not just one battalion, but if multiple battalions came to their door, Lil’ Miss was confident he could force them to retreat.

And the news that Zuo Mo passed on suggested an even more daring idea, asking the mist people to help and search for the ling veins hidden in the Cloud Sea. These ling veins would be used to support the large formation’s energy expenditures.

Such a crazy idea!

Or did Shixiong just want to save jingshi?

Lil’ Miss couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.

 

———

 

“Pay me one back?” the middle-aged matrix awakening master asked with a depressed face. At the side, Dong Zi had a nervous expression. Whether or not his matrix would be awakened would depend directly on this. He didn’t notice that the middle-aged matrix awakening master was using respectful terms of speech.

“Yes! I’m very sorry! However, it will have to be in a few days. You should be able to see that my current state is not well.” Zuo Mo’s tone was full of apology. In these past days, Zuo Mo had tried to organize his blood and flesh. The techniques he had stole from Uncle An Ya were extremely practical. After a few days of unrelenting effort, his right hand had gradually recovered feeling.

After a few more days, he should be able to turn his wrist.

The middle-aged matrix awakening master didn’t seem to believe him, but at this time, there was no other solution.

“I might need your help,” Zuo Mo said after thinking.

“No problem.” Since it was relating to his silver needle, the middle-aged matrix awakening master managed to agree.

“Mister Matrix Awakening Master, I have not inquired to how to call you.”

“Ka Zhuo.”

The news that Zuo Mo had cased Ka Zhuo’s silver needle to explode quickly spread through the entire town.

In Uncle An Ya’s home.

Uncle An Ya looked sternly at Zuo Mo. “A Zuo, what really happened?”

“Ah, I accidentally damaged Mister Ka Zhuo’s silver needle,” Zuo Mo said innocently.

“Aren’t you unable to move?” Uncle An Ya’s brow creased.

“Yes, I had Mister Ka Zhuo put the silver needle into my hand.” Zuo Mo felt this explanation could not satisfy Uncle An Ya and he said, “Actually, I’m also a matrix awakening master even though I’m not very skilled.”

“You are also a matrix awakening master?” This question moved Uncle An Ya’s attention. His face was shocked.

“How else could I damaged Mister Ka Zhuo’s silver needle?” Zuo Mo lied his pants off.

“That’s true.” The pitiful Uncle An Ya was not a match for the cunning Zuo Mo who deflected him somewhere else.

Uncle An Ya was relieved. He turned around and said to Ka Zhuo, “So sorry, the two children are young. Where is Mister Ka Zhuo’s silver needle sold at?”

When Zuo Mo heard that Uncle An Ya was going to repay it on his behalf, his heart warmed and he was moved. He hurriedly opened, “Uncle, don’t go to the trouble. I’ve already negotiated with Mister Ka Zhuo to be his assistant for a few days to repay the silver needle.

Uncle An Ya was not persuaded.

Zuo Mo knew this wasn’t good. He was clear that while the silver needle was nothing in his eyes, but for Uncle An Ya, it was an impossible sum. He hurriedly said, “Mister Ka Zhuo said he felt that the needle was not fitting to his hand and had wanted to make a new one for some time. It is also very cheap, otherwise, why would it have broken so easily? It is not made for multiple uses. Mister Ka Zhuo has the materials on him to make a new one at any time. Uncle, you don’t understand, don’t add to the mess. Mister Ka Zhuo, isn’t that right?”

Very cheap? Easy to damage? Could make one at any time?

Ka Zhuo fet pain and fury. He had spent many years to make that silver needle and the materials used up all of his saving!

But … … he glanced at A Gui’s cold face out of the corner of his eye. His heart shook. The silver needle was expensive but his little live was more important!

He pushed a smile onto his face. “Yes, yes, it is nothing major. I had been planning on making a new one. Some of A Zuo’s ideas are an inspiration to me, I’m the one benefiting!”

Ka Zhuo was crying on the inside.

Uncle An Ya really believed it and an open smile appeared on his face. “That’s good, that’s good.”

He turned around and stared at Zuo Mo for a long moment.

Zuo Mo felt unconfident under the stare and stammered out, “Uncle, what’s with your look?”

Uncle An Ya smiled and said with a snicker, “This position isn’t bad, enjoy it! Haha!”

Zuo Mo was very embarrassed.

With loud laughter, Uncle An Ya walked out of the room. He needed to supervise the youth in their daily cultivation.

Ka Zhuo released a breath. Good, he hadn’t offended this dangerous person just now … …

Zuo Mo did not go to watch Uncle An Ya’s class like usual and continuously asked some questions about mo matrixes.

As a matrix awakening master, Ka Zhuo was widely read. At the beginning, he was not concerned and only explained due to Zuo Mo’s identity but as the questions deepened, his expression was taken over by shock and sternness. His responses became slower and he sank into thought.

Was this youth really a matrix awakening master?

 

Translator Ramblings: We finally get to see what is happening in the wider world as a result of the chaos rifts. Things are not going well anywhere. Zuo Mo bluffs, and bluffs, and bluffs the whole house down!