This chapter has been brought to you by me, and WanderingGummiOfDoom.
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six This Land Is Great
Zuo Mo stared at the purple vine that was growing wildly. The purple vines were about the thickness of a finger, smooth and strong. There were strings of small blue flowers on the vine, giving the appearance of being both serene and elegant. The vine did not have any supports yet naturally grew in midair.
Hiss, Zuo Mo sucked in a breath. His body was covered in small wounds. He was full of wariness as he stared at the purple vine.
He could sense a familiar taste within the vine.
Manifestation!
The purple vine was Master’s sword essence!
Damn it. His gaze passed between the vines to look at the spring that was bubbling with water. He unconsciously licked his dry lips. Even though water and food would be sent into the formation at regular intervals, the amount was not enough to satisfy his needs.
After wasting so many days, he had pretty much grasped this damned formation. His heart was very cold. He didn’t know what master the sect leader had hired to set up this formation, but his skills were amazing. Zuo Mo had never thought about constructing a formation with sword essences! When he realized this, he didn’t dare believe his own judgement.
What made him feel even more hopeless was the five sword essences inside the formation were all sword essence manifestations! Damn it! A formation created by five jindan experts for him to suffer through, did the sect leader and the others have nothing else to do?
Zuo Mo cursed again and again inside.
He had suffered greatly in the formation ever since he entered. His body was covered in wounds. With the five sword essence manifestations guarding the formation, just the ripples that were released were enough to grind him into powder. If he even tried to use the [Vajra Profound Sutra], the fine sword essences would flood towards him.
Zuo Mo felt very depressed. In the beginning, who was it that wanted him to practice [Vajra Profound Sutra]?
Each location that had water was guarded by a sword essence. Sect Leader’s sword essence was a mountain peak, high and solid. Zuo Mo felt his heart shudder after taking a look. The heavy presence made him unable to breathe. He had turned and ran away. He hadn’t thought that the sect leader would also be so powerful. Yan Le Shibo’s sword essence was a while snow fox. The slender figure was a great contrast to Shibo. If it wasn’t for the slyness in its eyes, he would have doubted whose sword essence it was. Master’s sword essence was a purple vine. Since he had never seen Master fight, he had been hoping to try his luck.
The result, strings of blue flowers exploded simultaneously each turning to a rain of flowers that surrounded Zuo Mo. He finally tasted what it was like to be cut by a thousand knives.
The last sword essence was very unfamiliar to him. It was like a Bagua formation, and revolved relentlessly. It was the first time Zuo Mo saw such a strange sword essence. However, after interacting with sword essences every day, he managed to grasp some insights. This Bagua sword essence might look extraordinary, but it was the weakest of the five sword essences.
Yet with Zuo Mo’s pitifully low cultivation, he couldn’t handle it even though it was the weakest Bagua sword essence.
The few [Life] areas inside the formation were the only places he could rest.
Zuo Mo could only dejectedly retreat back to the [Life] area.
However, he hadn’t suffered these days for nothing. Certain areas were not dangerous unless he entered. This sword essence formation seemed to emphasize imprisonment, not killing. Otherwise, the five sword essences only needed to move on their own and everything inside the formation would turn to dust.
At regular intervals, items would be sent into the formation. Water, grains, jingshi, lingdan, sword scriptures etc etc. Especially sword scriptures. Did the elders want to move the entire records room into the formation?
At this time, he finally understood that he wouldn’t be getting out soon. Not being able to decipher why the elders were so angry, Zuo Mo was too lazy to think. Since he was here, he would stay here. After slowly becoming accustomed to it, he was full of curiosity towards the big formation.
He had never seen such a powerful formation before. To be able to experience it personally, wasn’t it the best way to learn?
Thinking like this, Zuo Mo instantly found the days were not so hard.
Other than the wondrous aspects of the formation itself, the five sword essence manifestations were also exposed to him without any disguise. There were many things he could study and copy!
Zuo Mo had comprehended sword essence a long time ago. It had stopped because he had not spent effort after that. Now that he had examples, if he didn’t grasp the chance, he would be too dumb.
This land was great!
The formation and the sword essences couldn’t directly teach him, but Zuo Mo had his own methods.
———
He retreated back into the [Life] area. Not far away, the dragon slowly and idly moved its gigantic body. Zuo Mo was even able to see the ice-like scales on its body. He snickered, raised his hand, and threw a rock at the ice dragon.
Pew pew pew!
The little rock was instantly ground to dust by the countless fine sword essences in the air. Even the dust was unable to reach the dragon.
But the dragon clearly became provoked by Zuo Mo’s challenge. It roared and the entire formation shook.
Zuo Mo stared at the enraged dragon with terror and excitement. The strong presence made him tremble uncontrollably but he stared with wide unblinking eyes!
The furious dragon started to rampage inside the formation. Dirt and stones flew into the air. The sword essences were like the pack of wolves that heard the call of its alpha and exploded forth! The dragon twisted its enormous body, all the scales on its body turning into countless sharp icy sword essences that shot into the surroundings!
Too domineering!
Zuo Mo could feel the peerless power inside the formation, could feel each sword essence, no matter how small it was, was so whole and complete! There was an extremely complex relationship between each sword essence, so wondrous it was almost unimaginable.
The tide!
Zuo Mo once again saw the tide!
Every time the dragon twisted, the sword essence would move on the body that was constructed out of countless sword essences. Pure power passed through the layers as though it was a tide!
Too … … too powerful!
Zuo Mo’s teeth were chattering. Even though he was in the [Life] area, but in front of absolute power, he felt he was so minuscule! But he endured it, even if his teeth were chattering, his body shaking, he used all his power to keep his eyes open and on the dragon, not willing to miss any detail!
Second Shibo’s sword essence was the last one that he was facing, because it was the strongest sword essence out of the five!
Sect Leader Shibo’s sword essence was as heavy as a mountain, Third Shibo’s sword essence as sly as a fox, Master’s sword essence as serene as a vine, and that unknown expert’s sword essence was unending like a formation.
After experiencing the four sword essences, Zuo Mo had thought he could face Second Shibo’s sword essence. But only now, facing it directly did he understand why Second Shibo’s sword essence was at the center!
Because it was the strongest, and not just by a bit!
Zuo Mo could not understand how someone’s sword essence could reach such a terrifying step. In the five sword essences, Zuo Mo had thought he would be the most familiar with Second Shibo’s Ice Dragon sword essence. Now, he knew he was wrong, and terribly wrong! He had never truly understood the Ice Dragon sword essence, he hadn’t even touched the surface.
Even the [Moon Chime Sound Storm] of the [Skyring Moon Chime Formation] was worthless in front of Second Shibo’s Ice Dragon sword essence!
His legs were nailed to the ground. As long as he stayed within the [Life] area, the dragon could not harm him. Even though he knew this, he still felt his courage quickly drain away.
Stand your ground!
———
In the next ten days, he continued to challenge the dragon every day.
Even Wu Ling Sanren, who had created the formation, would not have thought that Zuo Mo would use such a shameless tactic. No matter how wondrous the formation was, it was a formation, and required ling power to sustain itself. Zuo Mo continuously challenging the dragon and causing the dragon to go into a rage quickly increased the drain of ling power by the formation.
Of course, if Zuo Mo wanted to use this method to escape, then he would have to wait a few years.
What Zuo Mo was happy about was that, as the ling power of the great formation was expended, some places that were hidden were gradually exposed. Now, he was in even less of a rush. He continuously teased all five sword essences each day. For one, he could have make a better study and comprehend the sword essence. His other purpose was to run down the ling power of the formation.
No matter how talented he was, he was just a zhuji. Some of the higher-level transformations were far out of the range of his understanding and he could not learn it. But some of the lower and basic changes of the formation were more valuable to him.
The sword essence was the same.
There never was the best, only the most appropriate.
It was like there was no time in the formation. He forgot time. It was like he had landed in a treasure trove, there were too many treasures waiting for him to to dig up and discover. He became enchanted.
———
Zuo Mo’s upper body was bare. As he looked around, his eyes were clear.
He looked at the dragon nearby. The dragon was just as proud, but the sheen of the dragon was much dimmer than before. Suddenly, Zuo Mo felt some reluctance. He had spent everyday with the essence for more than half a year. Even though he knew it was not alive, Zuo Mo still would miss it.
Today, he decided to organize everything he had learned.
It was time for him to leave the formation!
Right now, the [Life] area that Zuo Mo was in had gone from three zhang to ten zhang. This space was modified by what Zuo Mo had comprehended about the formation.
Having decided to make an end, Zuo Mo was not in a hurry. He sat down in meditation, forgetting everything else.
A long time later, he opened his eyes, the light inside a fraction brighter than before.
The Water Drop sword was in front of him as he sunk deeply into thought.
Half a year’s worth of time, the changes to Wu Kong Sword Sect’s were enough to make people gape. The present Wu Kong Sword Sect was the largest sect in Dong Fu. It had absorbed almost all the sects in Dong Fu. It also squeezed its way into becoming one of the top three large sects in Sky Moon Jie, clearly one of the new grand sects.
Three months ago, Wei Sheng had come out of seclusion, and Luo Li had returned from the sword cave. The addition of the two people had increased the offensive power of Wu Kong Sword Sect. Following Xin Yan, they battled in all directions. Wu Kong Sword Sect’s power expanded at astounding speed.
All of Sky Moon Jie’s eyes were focused on this newly rising sect.
If it was in the past, Wu Kong Sword Sect’s conduct would have caused great resistance. Many other sects would have interfered. However, everyone was only watching, and no one was interfering because of one piece of news.
–– The news that Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie had collapsed seemed to have grown wings as it passed through all of Sky Moon Jie.
Some small sects merged into Wu Kong Sword Sect of their own volition. It was much cooler under a large tree!
No matter what, Wu Kong Sword Sect had four jindan experts!
Xin Yan had taken Wei Sheng and Luo Li to fight outside. Yan Le was continuously travelling to the other sects, spreading Wu Kong Sword Sect’s respects and desire for friendly relations. In charge of the whole plan was Pei Yuan Ran, who was terribly busy. Even Shi Feng Rong had to come out of the dan room to help Pei Yuan Ran.
Just at this time, light streamed up at the back of Wu Kong Mountain!
Translator Ramblings: Yes, a lot of you were right. Would Zuo Mo ever docilely follow the path left for him? On the other hand, it isn’t his fault. Who was the one that trapped him with a formation? Like yes, sword essences, but sword essences formation! Really, wasting the energy of the formation is much easier to do than having to comprehend sword essence to a higher level … … (The elders should have asked for a warranty from Wu Ling Sanren, heart turn sword essence or fifty percent back!)
Wu Kong Sword Sect is now big, and getting bigger. Wei Sheng and Luo Li are the poster children for Wu Kong Sword Sect.
Meatbun Delivery~
Thank you for the chapter 🙂
Thank you
Thanks for the chapter 🙂
Thanks for the new chapter! Yep. I don’t have much sympathy for the sect elders since they expect him to do stuff blindly and without guidance and abuse Zuo Mo for treading his own path.
They should’ve realized by now that Zuo Mo does what he finds practical. They never taught him the practicality of swords in comparison to the practicality of the rest of what he’s learned, as he can apply all of it to combat, but with lower efficiency. It just happens to be that he valued the jingshi earning potential over the reduced combat efficiency, and if he walked the path of formations far enough he’d be able to gain allies to make his personal combat ability less relevant due to being such a valuable resource. If they just told him what they wanted him to learn and why he’d be far more agreeable to learning it, but instead they act like petulant children towards him.
They’re specialized geniuses. They are incredibly skilled with the sword, but their EQ in other areas is incredibly poor. Though I blame them for still being stupid since they’re heads of their sect. They should be better with their EQ being leaders.
Thanks for the chapter
Thanks for the chapter!
I think the elders are fine, tough love and all that.
Also, MC did offend them. And offence is always in the eye of the recipient, so whatever MC knew or not that his little Underground Formation Club is spitting on his elders, kinda doesn’t matter.
Not killing him on the spot, banishing him or vanishing him is already good enough.
Not to forget, they found a creative and fast way to help his understanding of the sword grow – and in the meanwhile get even. Revenge is a dish best served cold…ica dragon cold.
All in all I like the elders, they really care about the improvements of their key disciples. And if someone has a problem that they only care about their key disciples, well they are not running a non-profit organization.
If you have what it takes to become a genius (talent, hard work) than you will have many many benefits. If you don’t have it, than you can still find work and cultivate. And I guess farming and cultivating in a peacefull, mostly bully free small sect is still better then like almost every other choice.
So, yeah, he handed them a face burn the size of a 20 mu formation, and they are getting even, WHILE helping him shore up his weak point.
Not bad in my book.
Also, he is already ready to get out!!
—————
Some small typos:
The last sword essence was very unfamiliar to him. It was like a Bagua formation, and revolved g relentlessly.
The last sword essence was very unfamiliar to him. It was like a Bagua formation, and revolved relentlessly.
Even Wu Ling Sanren, who had created the formation, who not have thought that Zuo Mo would use such a shameless tactic.
Even Wu Ling Sanren, who had created the formation, would not have thought that Zuo Mo would use such a shameless tactic.
Thanks for the typo-picking!
The elders should have told Zuo Mo that he shall train in his sword essence instead of saying nothing at all … they are a shame to everyone who calls themself a teacher oo Because neither of them has really taught Zuo Mo anything. All they did was give him some record they didn’t even record themself and said do it yourself, learn it yourself, don’t disappoint me, etc
If they’re the poster children, is Zuo Mo their secret weapon? Thanks for the chapter!
Secret weapon? More like something profane printed on the backside that the elders desperately want to hide!
By the way, I like your picture and name. XP
Oh, no, they’ve created a monster, a formation expert who manipulates sword essence! The sword can break any obstacle but can it catch the wind? He’s going to be like fighting a fog, your essence won’t ever be able to get a clean hit
OK, Zuo Mo is in some serious hot water when he breaks out without cultivating the sword at all. The elders surely won’t tell him what he did wrong, they’ll just punish him even more for not doing what they wanted him to do.
To Zuo Mo, the situation is simple. If they wanted him to cultivate the sword, they would tell him and they can show him sword essence to inspire him any time they want. Plainly, they wanted him to study the method of putting sword essence in a formation. That is the most obvious reason to do something so amazing. Poor Zuo Mo, he really doesn’t understand people.
They should have thrown him in the sword cave and told him to get to the bottom.
Yeah that would have been the cheap and smart thing to do. I feel sorry for their ancestors leaving the clan to these idiots.
Zuo Mo wouldn’t have moved down the levels. He might have just made a fort and entrenched himself if there wasn’t enough motivation for him.
Go Wu Kong Formations Sect!
Thanks for the chapter!
thank you teachers for teaching little zuo mo more about formations!
Neither side is totally right or totally wrong.
After his amnesia took place, Zuo Mo’s life more or less revolved around Jingshi.Be better -Get more jingshi. 5 element – Get more jingshi. Dan-making – Get more Jingshi.Formations – Get more Jingshi.
Then they realized he was actually rather weak. And so, came sword xiu training & body training. Neither of which would help directly to gain jingshi, unless he’s better than someone else, which therefore carries more risk. They did not tell him why he should train them, they only told him to do it.
But Zuo Mo might’ve focused a lot on various things because he wanted a stable income, secure life and was interested in certain things. He did tell them he learned certain things for jingshi, but he did not further explain why jingshi was so important.
Basically, the 4 elders are like 4 grandparents (ignore the fact that 3 are male), who suddenly found themselves with a rascally grandchild who just wants to learn certain things they disapprove of, in order to live for himself. They use the method which worked when they grew up, namely tough love, but it’s not that effective against the new generation of rascals.
It’s like the grandmother (Shi Feng Rong who cares) + the three grand uncles (who care about what harm he brings to the “family).
Xin Yan Grandpappy: “Come, let me beat you with my (ice dragon) cane!”
Thanks for the translation!
Time to make some noise again XD
Go for it! Break the formation! Make your masters have headache again! Its your destiny! XD
Look, never mind who is right or wrong, or whether they have good reasons for the things they do.
WHERE IS PU YAO!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Zuo Mo spent HALF A YEAR inside the formation. He has changed enormously, or so we are told. Also, Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie has collapsed. The war between xiuzhe and yaomo is going to start anew. The yaomo can attack anywhere, no Jie will be safe. And, all this time, Pu Yao has been meditating in Zuo Mo’s sea of consciousness? Completely unresponsive to Zuo Mo? That’s what we are supposed to believe?
No way! I cry foul! I demand to know what happened with Pu Yao during these last months! >_<
Pu Yao is in meditation, that was covered in the chapter after the Sword Test Conference. You can’t expect Pu Yao to be Cultivation Google.
I think Pu Yao is afraid to show up inside the formation. With Second Elder’s sword essence present, the Second Elder might notice him within the formation, and Zuo Mo is probably afraid of the same thing which is why he hasn’t been calling Pu Yao.
Obviously this is all just my speculation. I guess we’ll find out in the next few chapters.
thanks for the chapter,
I’m totally on Ge’s side on this.
They took him in and gave him an chance to live, to live one needs jingshi, so he became very proficient in making jingshi by becoming a ling-plant farmer.
He was rewarded for that by the sect, getting a better resident and a master who “taught” him how to make Dan, and not focus on the sword. So that’s what he did and he became very proficient at making Dan, he was challenged by a senior and his master only said he mustn’t lose but didn’t provide any guidance so he was left to come up with a way to not disappoint his master, so he learned a sword technique and “mastered” it.
They wanted him to get a stronger body so he was taught a technique for that, and he mastered that as well.
Next he was thrust into a competition against people that were personally all much stronger than him, he was told not to lose and he came up with a way to do that by relying on what he was good at (what he has mastered in the sect), which wasn’t the sword and personal strength.
So all the time he was doing his best to follow the sects commands and what he was taught by them, and all the way they are raging on him because he doesn’t cultivate the sword. But they forget that they never taught him to cultivate the sword nor told him directly that he should cultivate the sword, instead they are talking among themselves and are expecting him to understand the roundabout way they use to show him that the sword is the only true path (which is to force him to fight against opponents he can’t beat with the sword, and he beats them by not using the sword).
and lastly they tossed him in a formation! made by sword essence and leaves him there without any guidance and expects him to cultivate the sword. Him, a formation expert who has already learned two kind of sword essences! isn’t that just like giving him a perfect training ground to polish his formation and how to use what he has learned to merge with formations.
and it all would have been so much easier if they simply talked to him or to those who knows him instead of simply saying “good” and staring angrily at him. they haven’t even noticed that his cultivation has come to a halt.
Poor poor Ge
Thanks
Yep, too bad he learned a bit about sword essence. I would have been happier if their plan failed completely. Its also too bad that now, there’s probably no one that would be willing to offend them by taking in Zuo Mo.
Maybe after this, they’ll actually learn to try to communicate with Zuo Mo instead of expecting him to be psychic or to spontaneously generate a love for the sword equivalent to their own. And maybe perfectly ordinary pigs will learn to fly and defeat jindan level experts like elephants stepping on ants.
Hahaha. Looks like pei yuan ran and the other 3, especially xin yan would need to get phycsical and teach zuo mo a lesson.
I am of an opinion that its not they don’t want to teach him but they don’t know how to teach him. But by trapping him in sword essences formation they forced him to understand sword essences if he wanted to leave. And if afterward he still uses formation, I bet he’ll uses formations backed by sword essences which he never though possible. And that he realises the sword essence he understand is just a tip of the glacier. And to coming up with such an elaborate idea that cost a lot of jingshi ( admit it, setting that formation cost the sect some pretty penny) means they do care about him or else they’ll just let him do whatever he wants since he is invaluable to the sect as a lingshi farmer.
so he gets a small power up in a odd directions and the sect leaders get a bigger headache.
I mean they could have left someone to make sure he was actually practicing the sword. Or at least monitor the formation to make sure that it would not easily be broken. Your busy, yes, shouldn’t you make sure the “massively embarrassing” disciple is actually following along with your script. Like he was suppose to all those “other” times. I mean send him into the completion was suppose to teach him the power of the sword and look how badly that back fired.
Thanks for the chapter WYHCWE and WanderingGummiOfDoom!
Yan Le Shibo’s sword essence was a ‘while’ snow fox.
Yan Le Shibo’s sword essence was a white(?) snow fox. :{
Thanks for the chapter. 😀
Thank you so much!! 😘😘😘
Tnx for the chapter 🙂
thanks for the chapter!
Wow come-on he still hasn’t figured out what’s their problem is and become angry at them after this? He is more retarded than a piece of furniture.
My eyes grew wide when more than half a year past already. I wonder if Zuo Mo actually gained anything from being trapped in that formation.. aka something involving sword scriptures XD
Thank you for the chapter!
To get out of the formation the way they planned for him to, he would have had to progress from 5th level zhujie to ningmai and then to the level of ningmai that his eldest shixiong was in when he returned from the sword cave. How long would that take a normal person? If they expected him to do this in less than a year they are clearly putting him on a level with his eldest shixiong.
But Zuo Mo is clearly different than Weng Shixiong and has different motivations. His main motivation is self preservation and having a good life. His love of money is really in service to this goal. How could he develop the sword in the same way at Weng Shixiong? He is willing to risk his life but only if there is no other way–and then he goes all out. He wants to live to see another day.
And also, with the huge consciousness he has developed his natural curiosity is also enhanced even further. This is his most childlike quality, his playful curiosity. To have him even consider what they wanted him to do they would have had to spell out the rules to him. Even then he may not have tried it but this way, it doesn’t even seem to have crossed his mind. He doesn’t see himself as able to cultivate the sword and there are too many distractions in the formation to keep him doggedly heading to one goal.
And also, he has a limitation now that he did not have when he made his early strides forward with the sword. A limitation he doesn’t dare to tell anyone about. The mo matrix is making it impossible for him to store ling power and that storage of power is necessary for sword cultivation. He HAS to find another way–he has no real option. They think he is stubborn but he is just being realistic. Even if he did not have this particular limitation it would be hard to convince him that sword cultivation was a path he should place above all others.
Damn, half a year! O.o