Chapter Five Hundred and Fourteen – Thousand Bird Seal
"We have encountered enemy scouts again. This is the seventh group," the vice commander's tone was very calm, "the other has a high opinion of us."
"Oh," Shi Dong made a sound. His posture did not change as he gazed into the distance. His blue eyes were as deep as the ocean.
"Based on the skill level of these scouts, the enemy is not weak," the vice commander continued. "if the other's combat xiu are also at this level, then we will have a tough battle."
"Oh," Shi Dong was unaffected.
"We need to be careful of our retreat path being cut off," the vice commander reminded. "If our retreat is cut off, then we will be left in a dangerous situation."
Shi Dong finally reacted, "Did you inform Ye Ling?"
"Yes," the vice commander nodded and said, "Ye Ling Daren has already spread out the mo grass seeds. In fifteen days, these mo grass seeds will germinate."
"Why was mo sea seed not used?" Shi Dong's tone was calm but the vice commander who was familiar with him could hear the dissatisfaction in his tone.
The vice commander explained, "The mo sea seed is too expensive. We did not have enough time to prepare."
Shi Dong was silent.
Mo grass seed was slower to grow than mo sea seed. If it was mo see seed, it would form a small mo rearing sea, and it would take at least fifteen days for mo grass seed to form a mo grass sea. Compared to the mo rearing sea, the mo grass sea was a level below in terms of expansion speed and the threat it would pose to enemies.
In Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie, the mo had used vast areas of mo rearing sea to form a secure defensive line.
Even though Shi Dong felt that the mo sea seed was more effective, he knew that he could not blame Ye Ling for this matter. The chaos rifts had appeared so suddenly. Even he had not expected it. From the time the chaos rift appeared to the time that Shi Dong decided to lead the troops to attack, there was only a brief period of time. It was already very difficult for Ye Ling to have accomplished what he did.
Also, he felt the mo grass sea was enough to secure their base.
Their advance had been so smooth it surpassed Shi Dong's imagination. When he learned of Cloud Sea Jie's position, he understood why this was the case. This was a little place was remote and unattended to.
It lacked powerful sects, did not have unique produce, was poor and desolate, and there were many places that were still unexplored.
The successive victories did not give Shi Dong any pleasure. His opponents were too weak. There was nothing to be proud of in these kinds of victories.
His only hope now was that the unexplored areas under the cloud sea would give him some surprises. Otherwise, taking over such a place could not bring any benefits to his family.
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Shi Dong was going to get the vice commander to remind Ye Ling but thinking about Ye Ling's personality and how he never made low-level mistakes, he changed the topic, "Have you found out yet? What products from Cloud Sea Jie are valuable?"
"Looking at the present, it has some seams of ore but there is not a large amount, and the grade is not high." The vice commander looked at Shi Dong and then said, "But Xiao Wo said he felt the presence of mo embryos."
"Mo embryos!" Shi Dong's eyes ignited and for the first time, his tone changed.
"Yes, mo embryos! Even though he does not know what kind of mo embryo it is, but there definitely are some. You also know, Xiao Wo has never been wrong in this matter before." The vice commander's tone was confident.
An imperceptible trace of joy appeared in Shi Dong's eyes. Xiao Wo was a troop leader under Shi Dong's command and a rare one who cultivated a mo physique. The mo physique that he practiced was called the Nighttide Snail mo physique. This kind of mo physique did not have strong battle abilities, but it had a special ability, an unusually powerful ability to smell.
The vice commander was right. Xiao Wo had never been incorrect in this before!
Mo embryo!
They grew among the flora and wild beasts, and were all kinds of strange shapes. Some lived within wild beasts, other within plants, some were in lifeless areas and appeared like rocks. Even a true mo like Shi Dong found it hard to say what were actually mo embryos.
But this did not stop them from knowing the value of mo embryos.
The greatest use of mo embryos was to cultivate the mo physique. There were all kinds of mo physique and their cultivation methods were as varied and as strange. For example, Shi Dong's Cold Blade mo physique and Xiao Wo's Nighttide Snail mo physique were cultivated through their bloodlines. But more mo physiques were not achieved through bloodlines.
Using mo embryos to cultivate a mo physique was a common method.
This was what the mo embryos were valued for.
If there was mo embryos here ... ...
Shi Dong understood. He needed to reassess the value of Cloud Sea Jie!
At this time, Shi Dong suddenly saw one of his scouts race back in a disheveled state. There were some shocking wounds on his body that were seeping blood.
Shi Dong's pupils suddenly contracted!
———
"Daren, there is a very well-hidden transportation formation here," Gu Ming gong said respectfully, "a merchant house had invited me to build it. Keeping it a secret, the site is very well hidden. This subordinate has put traps into it. If it is destroyed, this subordinate would detect it immediately."
Ever since Zuo Mo had set the Soul Setting Divine Light in him, Gu Ming Gong was extremely obedient. If Zuo Mo told him to go east, he definitely would not go west. At the beginning, he had been extremely cautious and fearful as though he was on thin ice. As time passed, his terror had mostly dissipated. Zuo Mo never limited him on materials and continuously provided rare and valuable materials for him to forge so he quickly immersed himself into forging.
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He was unable to get rid of the jinzhi on his body no matter what he did. As time went on, he could only go with the flow.
Fortunately, his days were pretty good. Other than not having freedom, everything else was very good, especially his forging. There was no other place that would give him so many materials to waste.
Zuo Mo had specifically taken him along on this campaign. One part was that Gu Ming gong was a famed jindan expert, and had combat capabilities. The other point was that Gu Ming Gong was very familiar with Cloud Sea Jie. He wasn't just familiar with the local transportation formations, he could make his own transportation formations.
This was a great help to Zuo Mo.
Zuo Mo might have been provocative and stirring in his words seeming as though he would fight to the death, but inside, he was still very afraid of death.
Under the direction of Gu Ming gong, they quickly entered the underground room of the storehouse. As expected, they found a transportation formation. Gu Ming Gong inspected it to make sure there were not any problems before he activated the transportation formation
Several pieces of fourth-grade jingshi were put into the formation. The formation instantly lit up with light.
For this sneak attack, Zuo Mo really invested greatly. To say of nothing else, just to transport so many people was a shocking expense.
The people stepped after each other into the transportation formation. Streaks of light lit up and then they disappeared.
The other side of the transportation formation were also in a dark underground storehouse. Gu Ming Gong made his way familiarly through the basement and led everyone to exit. Everyone suddenly found that the buildings outside were in complete ruins and the formations were completely damaged.
"Daren, this is Cloud Watching Ridge." Gu Ming Gong's expression was not very good. He clearly was shocked by the hellish scene in front of him.
Fighting between xiuzhe was regular and common as eating, but compared to the horrific scene in front of him, that was just playing house.
Zuo Mo identified Cloud Watching Ridge was the one of the first places that were attacked by the mo.
Even now, they had not found where the chaos rift had appeared. They could only use this crude method and slowly search. Only when they found the chaos rift would they be able to find the other's base. The other's base definitely was not far from the chaos rift.
Looking across the landscape, it was a field of debris.
Compared to Gu Ming Gon's loss of composure, Zuo Mo was much calmer. He had seen scenes bloodier than this.
He turned around and said to Gu Ming Gong, "Let's start."
Gu Ming Gong took out a paper seal and breathed ling power onto it. His left hand moved as he chanted.
Pew!
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The paper seal suddenly started to burn and turned into a ball of fire.
Psh-hiss-hiss!
Among the flames, a group of non-descript grey birds flew out. There was a large number of them that flapped their wings to fly in all directions and disappeared in a flash.
Shu Long and the others looked curiously at this scene.
Even Zuo Mo was interested. In terms of variety of skills, it definitely was the seal xiu that stood tallest. Their endless variety of moves would always keep people's eyes on them.
Noticing Zuo Mo's gaze, Gu Ming Gong hurriedly introduced, "Daren, this is the Thousand Bird Seal and most suited for searching. However, it is not easy to make and very pricey."
"It is very practical." Zuo Mo started to consider if he should outfit Guard Camp with seals like this. Other than A Wen, the mo shadow guard who had shocking speed, Guard Camp was very average in speed and unsuited to being scouts.
The Thousand Bird Seals could cover for Guard Camp's shortcoming to a great degree.
But Zuo Mo was not sure if Shu Long and the others could even use paper cranes. Paper cranes required ling power, while Shu Long and the others cultivated mo skills.
He requested a paper seal from Gu Ming Gong and gave it to Shu Long. No matter how Shu Long tried, he was unable to use it.
Zuo Mo could only give up on this tempting idea.
As expected, the heavens were fair. It was not realistic to get all the benefits.
In the past, Guard Camp always followed Vermillion Bird Camp. This was the first time they were fighting so far from the main base. Many problems that they had not encountered before were exposed now.
Zuo Mo was suddenly curious. How did the mo soldiers that were not fast deal with this problem?
He ran to ask Wei.
Wei explained, "The mo have many ways to solve this problem. For example, some mo physiques are shockingly fast or they have unique attributes. These kinds of mo are very powerful as scouts. Some mo armies would raise mo insects. They are extremely fast, and can conceal themselves. It is hard for enemies to detect them."
Zuo Mo understood now. The xiuzhe had xiuzhe moves, yaomo had yaomo moves.
After development through so many years, the systems of yao, mo, and xiu had gradually been perfected. Xiuzhe had geniuses, how could all of the yaomo be stupid? Zuo Mo also learned from Pu Yao and Wei that the internal conflicts of yaomo were much crueler than inner conflicts among xiuzhe. The mo had the fiercest infighting.
Zuo Mo noted down this problem and decided to resolve it when he got back.
They waited for about fifteen minutes when Gu Ming Go who was standing with his eyes closed suddenly shuddered. He opened his eyes abruptly, "Southeast!"
Zuo Mo and the others became alert. Without a word, they flew towards the southeast.
After flying for about four hours, a mountain valley appeared in front of them.
As they flashed past the valley, Zuo Mo's body suddenly froze. Uncontrolled shock came into his eyes!
Translator Ramblings: New characters... ... WanderingGummiofDoom made great cast lists but I've been so busy catching up with work I haven't had the time to post them.
Chapter Five Hundred and Fifteen Dumbstruck Ye Ling.
The black soil stood as a stark contrast, it seemed to have been dyed in ink and was clearly divided from the surrounding soil.
"Mo Grass Sea!"
Wei's reminder came immediately as they spotted it.
"Mo Grass Sea?" Zuo Mo asked in response.
"Our luck is pretty good." Wei explained, "This area has been recently seeded with mo grass seed. However, the mo grass seed has not germinated so I say that our luck is pretty good."
"It is very powerful?"
"It is not powerful but after reaching maturity, the expansion rate of mo grass is astounding. It will spread like a poison and is able to survive on the poorest of soils. Its greatest ability is to absorb the ling power of the area it grows in."
Zuo Mo inhaled sharply.
For xiuzhe, they would face great trouble if there was not any ling power in the air. This meant that the xiuzhe could only expend the ling power inside their body and it could not be easily replenished. If they did not have access to special methods, they could only occasionally replenish their ling power with jingshi. Ling foods and ling dan were more reliable and caused fewer side effects but this would dramatically inflate the cost and difficulty of supplying the troop.
"But Guard Camp cultivates mo skills." Zuo Mo suddenly reacted.
"That is why I said our luck is pretty good." Wei's tone was very calm. "I feel you should have more confidence in Guard Camp. The present Guard Camp is nothing like it was in the past."
A cold snort suddenly sounded in Zuo Mo's mind. It was like the dark and cold hiss of a poisonous snake.
It was Pu Yao.
How could the clever Pu Yao not hear Wei's insult?
Zuo Mo pretended to not hear it. Only when these two were at odds could he, the fisherman, get the rice! If the two worked together, he could not imagine how he would survive his days!
It was lucky that he brought along Guard Camp. If he had brought Vermillion Bird Camp, he would have been at a great disadvantage. The mo grass sea was ineffective against Guard Camp. Zuo Mo's heart rested slightly.
The other was very cautious. This could be understood from the area filled with mo grass sea.
"Did you find the general position of the enemy's base?" Zuo Mo asked Gu Ming Gong.
Gu Ming Gong shook his head. "This patch of black soil is very strange. The Thousand Bird Seal cannot fly over it."
As expected!
This mo grass sea had not finished forming but its effect on draining ling power had started to emerge. The grey birds created from the Thousand Bird Seal were constructed from ling power and would be destroyed in they flew into this area.
But since they found the mo grass sea, then the other's base was definitely in here.
Zuo Mo thought for a moment and then called for A Wen. After speaking in a low tone, A Wen nodded and then his plumed armor fanned out. Woosh, his body disappeared.
A Wen's strength had progressed greatly. He was different from Shu Long and he was training as a lone soldier. His shocking talent caused his rate of improvement to be rapid. Pu Yao and Wei had a rare agreement and praised A Wen's talents.
A Wen quickly returned.
He came back with the enemy base's general location. Just like Zuo Mo had thought, as the mo grass seed had not matured, the other had not established their camp for long time.
Under A Wen's direction, they silently approached the other's base.
———
Ye Ling had a head full of maroon hair, and his grey-white eyes looked extremely deep. The wrinkles on his face ran deep. He had an ordinary birth and no special bloodline. He also lacked talent in cultivating mo skills but with his outstanding work ethic, he had found a place in the army.
Even though he was only in charge of the supplies, this was already very good for him and his family.
His working attitude was extremely proactive and industrious. He almost never made mistakes. Over time, he quickly gained a reputation of being capable and trustworthy. Even Shi Dong who had eyes on top of his head was willing to partner up with him.
"Where is Shi Dong Daren now?" he asked.
"At Grey Cloud Sea Continent. The latest reports say that our scouts have come into contact with xiuzhe scouts. Many of our scouts have been wounded," the vice commander hurriedly answered.
Ye Ling was not very shocked. "This is very normal. Xiuzhe are not weak. It would actually be abnormal if they did not react at all to us knocking on their door and killing their people."
"Daren is right."
"We need to be careful and prevent others from ambushing us." Ye Ling's expression was grave as he said, "Have the troops on high alert! There are smart people among xiuzhe, we cannot trip up on flat ground!"
"Yes! Daren!" the vice commander accepted the order.
Suddenly, a howl sounded that almost ruptured Ye Ling's eardrums.
The duo's expressions suddenly changed!
Someone had mounted a sneak attack on their base.
———
Zuo Mo's face fell.
They had sneaked right up in front of the enemy. If they didn't use this chance to mount a sneak attack, they would be struck by lightning!
Yet he had not expected the other's alertness to be higher than he had predicted. He had avoided the other's scouts but the enemy's defences were extremely thorough and they had been detected anyway.
The thing that caused this was an insect the size of a thumb. It was hidden in the soil and was extremely difficult to attack.
Something in the black soil under their feet seemed to be shifting. It rapidly advanced towards Zuo Mo's group.
Zuo Mo was the first to react. His expression changed slightly, "Black Leech Defense Line!"
Almost in an instant, Guard Camp finished falling into formation.
Vast power came from behind him. The shock and fear inside Zuo Mo quickly disappeared like snow on a hot day. The Great Day mo physique was stimulated and quickly activated.
"Little Mo Kill!"
Thick black mist shrouded Zuo Mo's right hand. He raised his hand and slammed it towards the flow of black leeches heading towards them.
A black shadow of a hand left his hand.
Boom!
The flow of black leeches seemed to strike wall and dispersed into countless smaller flows!
These slender black flows suddenly made a strange turn in the air and shot back towards Zuo Mo like black arrows.
If it was a normal xiuzhe, they would have panicked facing such a sudden change. However, Zuo Mo's group had already seen the power of the black leech defense line in Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie and expected that these black leeches were not easy to destroy.
At the very front of the large formation, Zuo Mo did not panic. He was immersed in an unique feeling.
There seemed to be unseen threads that were spreading out from his body. Each unseen thread connected to a hardship guard. This hardship guard would also have dozens of thin threads that were connected to other hardship guards.
These threads were connecting everyone!
Power flowed through these unseen threads, passing through the layers of connections before they gathered on Zuo Mo's body.
An burst of power tightly wrapped around Zuo Mo. Under the magnification of this power, any normal move would now carry the weight of a mountain.
The Great Day mo physique was unusually active. Every cell in his body seemed to be cheering.
Without thinking, Zuo Mo spread open his fingers and then grasped at the air in the direction of the slender flows of black leeches!
Pia!
The black leeches in the air suddenly exploded and turned to black mist.
Zuo Mo waved his hand. The mist instantly dissipated.
Yet when he saw the now organized mo army in front of him, Zuo Mo's expression instantly became grave.
His alertness had been raised when they encountered the black leech defense line. This was a temporary base yet the other had set up a black leech defense line. To say of nothing else, just the cautiousness of this planning was enough to create a headache for people!
The black leech defense line did not earn a lot of time for the enemy, but using such a brief amount of time, the other had finished their battle preparations!
They were well-trained!
Just this quality was enough for Zuo Mo to not dare to underestimate the enemy.
———
Ye Ling appeared extremely calm. He had the same heavy gaze as usual, and did not show any panic. This brought his subordinates great bravery and confidence.
Yet what no one knew was that underneath this, Ye Ling was not as calm.
His gaze was locked onto the youth at the front of the enemy formation, and his mind was in turmoil!
He had seen the entire process that the youth used to defeat the black leech defense line. The youth seemed to be very familiar with the black leech defense line and had defeated it with confidence. Ye Ling knew that the black leech defense line, that he had set up, was very thin but he never expected the enemy to defeat it this easily.
The other didn't seem to be affected by the mo grass sea at all!
This was a shock to him. The mo grass sea had not completely formed but its ability to destroy ling power was already present. If xiuzhe entered this area, they would be affected to various degrees.
But the other didn't seem to react at all. He was not the only one. Even the subordinates behind him didn't seem to be under any pressure.
What was even stranger was ... ... the shape of the other's formation!
Anyway he looked at it, Ye Ling found it familiar. Wasn't this the Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation of us mo?
The Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation wasn't a common thing. Only armies with power would cultivate this domineering and vicious killing formation.
Seeing a group of xiuzhe use the Crow Fiend Mo Kill Formation of the mo to defeat the black leech defense line of the mo, Ye Ling was almost dumbstruck where he stood.
All Hail The King! This ... ... who was really the mo here!
———
Zuo Mo took the chance to examine Ye Ling.
"What battle formation are they using?" Zuo Mo secretly asked Wei.
"I don't recognize it. It probably is a new battle formation that came out after our imprisonment." Wei's brow creased as well. He hoped that he could help Zuo Mo gain victory. Only victory could prove that Guard Camp's strength had improved under his guidance.
Could someone like Pu Yao compare to, I, Wei?
A warm sunny smile came back onto Wei's face as he said with a hint of holy piousness.
"Do not worry. With the Crow Fiend Mo Killing Formation that I taught as well as your Great Day mo physique, we can flatten them."
Oh, there was really nothing to be done, it was I, Wei, that taught Little Zuo Mo his Great Day mo physique ... ...
There was really nothing to be done ... ... there was really nothing to be done ... ...
Little Pu Pu ... ...
The light of I, Wei, will burn you with my radiance... ...
We's smile became even more holier and warmer.
———
In the Ten Finger Prison, Pu Yao suddenly raised his head. The corner of his eyes twitched. There seemed to be a vast ocean of blood howling and roaring in his bloody eye. Nan Yue and the others trembled. A moment later, Pu Yao's cold voice squeezed out from between his teeth. "One month! If you cannot achieve this in one month, there is a good place waiting for you."
The scalps of Nan Yue and the others prickled as they fled in panic!
Translator Ramblings: Sneak attack fail.