Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Six Cross-Examination
Boom boom boom!
The sound of explosions rang out. The battlefield turned into a sea of fire.
The deep red flames were several zhang high as they spat and danced. The two people that were enveloped in the fire could not be seen.
Suddenly, in the middle of the sea of fire, several snowflakes floated out.
A blurry figure appeared out of the sea of fire. He walked step by step out. The blurry figure became more solid.
Who was it?
Everyone couldn’t help but stretch their necks, and stop breathing. Even the dumbest person knew the one walking out was the winner of the battle.
The rain of fire that had landed at the end had blocked everyone’s vision. The image that had been burned in their eyes had been that gigantic flame-like sword made out of water, moving from bottom to top, slicing towards Chao An!
Did he hit it? What was the result?
It seemed to be time for everything to be revealed.
The black figure coming out of the sea of fire was even more solid. He finally reached the border of the sea of fire. He didn’t stop and stepped forward.
A dark golden bare footed figure, slightly burnt black, stepped out of the sea of fire.
———
The sky was clear and the warm sunlight reached the ground. The weather of Sky Moon Jie was pleasant. Even though the rain was plentiful, but sunny days were the majority in the year. Dong Fu, located on the mountain was abnormally busy. The xiuzhe were coming and going, on swords or flying, or riding ling beasts, or controlling talismans as they gathered here from all around.
At Wu Kong Mountain not far away from Dong Fu.
Completely bare, Zuo Mo was soaking in the medicinal tub, only his head let out. He occasionally would hiss and inhale. Even though he had won this time, but he had been seriously injured. When he had walked out of the sea of fire, he had fainted. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was soaking in the medicinal liquid. Beside the tub, a sound tablet was placed. The light flowed on the jade disk of the sound tablet. This was something Zuo Mo had begged Xiao Guo to find for him.
He was quickly pulled to the content of the sound tablet broadcast.
“Even though the matches of the past two days were extremely good, but it had to be said that they cannot compare to the first match! It really makes me unable to have interest. Master Xu, what do you think?”
“True. I feel the same. The spells of the past two days were varied, but there was nothing as astounding as Zuo Mo’s display in the first match. However, after analyzing it, there are many reasons why everyone has such a deep impression of Zuo Mo and Chao An’s fight.”
“Exactly. A classic fight naturally needs some reasons it could be called classic. Like the gigantic difference in the two’s power, and the unique use of formation disks and formations by Zuo Mo etcetera, they are all reasons this fight will be classic. In this fight, Zuo Mo’s accomplishments with formations and formation disks is the topic that everyone has discussed the most. The professions see the technique, the amateurs the spectacle. I don’t know anything about formations at all. Master Xu, you are an expert in this field and definitely saw more than I did. Come, explain it to me.”
“I’m really not that skilled. In reality, I was present at the fight and it gave me a great shock. It might be because I’m very interested in formations. I was greatly stimulated by how Zuo Mo used formations and formation disks. Many people are asking the same question, how many formation disks did Zuo Mo really throw out?”
“Yes! I’ve been wanting to ask this question.”
“If I hadn’t seen it wrong, it should be eleven formation disks!”
“That many?”
“The first one he threw out was the Path Confusion formation disk. After that, the formation disks he threw out included the Earth Ling Formation, the Gold Surge Formation, the Water Gathering Formation. Those three formed a three chain formation. Everyone should still remember the three blue chains that tied up Chao An. I checked afterwards. It is the Dragon Tying Formation. Not a bad formation. The gold formation that appeared last was the Streaming Fire Core Manipulation Formation. It formed a double chain with the Streaming Fire Core Manipulation formation on Zuo Mo’s jade pendant at his waist.”
“That was just six formation disks!”
“Haha, those six disks had been meticulously planned. But where Zuo Mo was smart was not just that. He had five formation disks with Five Primary Ling Replenishing Formations!”
“Five Five Primary Ling Replenishing Formations!”
“Right. Zuo Mo only has zhuji cultivation in the end. His ling power is not as deep as Chao An by far so he needed to replenish ling power. What everyone should admire is that he had thrown the five formation disks into very specific places. Basically, any place that he could step into, is within the area of the five primary ling replenishing formation… …”
Inside the medicinal tub, Zuo Mo was full of admiration. He didn’t know who this Master Xu was, but all his arrangements had been clearly seen by this person. He couldn’t help but be a little smug. To hear someone praise him from the sound tablet, that feeling, it wasn’t just good!
The pain from the medicinal fluid burrowing into his body seemed to lessen. When he thought of the jingshi that he had made this time, his soul was flying… …
“You are very smug!” Shi Feng Rong said icily, face cold
Inside the tub, Zuo Mo shrunk his head. He had almost forgotten that he was being cross-examined right now. The sect leader, Xin Yan Shibo, Yan Le Shibo, and Master, were standing in a row in front of his medicinal tub and were staring at him.
“This disciple doesn’t dare!” he said carefully.
“Doesn’t dare? What don’t you dare do?” Shi Feng Rong’s voice suddenly rose as she demanded, “Say, what don’t you dare do?”
Zuo Mo saw the situation was bad. Master was truly angry but he didn’t know where he had done something wrong so he could only make noises.
Seeing Zuo Mo making noise, the fire in Shi Feng Rong’s heart rose, “Look how docile you appear. You are the slipperiest and ruffian-like person in all the disciples! If I don’t sort you out, as your Master, I’ll get lead around in circles by you… …”
Zuo Mo didn’t understand anything at all. Inside, he was even more certain he had done something wrong. But there were too many things that he had done that was not allowed. His master was pointing at his nose and scolding, but he didn’t know which one it was.
To have provoked the stoic Master into scolding like this, what he had done was probably major!
Li Ying Feng and Xiao Guo didn’t dare to breathe from the side. However, by the end, they were suppressing their laughter.
“Cough.” Only when Shi Feng Rong had pretty much vented did Pei Yuan Ran stand out.
“Xiao Mo, you had comprehended sword essence in lianqi, but why didn’t you tell us?” The sect leader’s voice was gentle and friendly, extremely warm, but soaking in the boiling medicinal fluid, Zuo Mo couldn’t help but shudder.
Truthfully, Zuo Mo wasn’t that afraid of Master. Master had a cold face but a warm heart. Even though she had been sternly scolding him, but she was truly concerned for him. Out of the four elders, the one Zuo Mo was frightened of the most was the sect leader. The sect leader always spoke moderately, was friendly and warm, but for some reason, Zuo Mo was always terrified of the sect leader that had brought him back.
So it was comprehending sword essence when he was in lianqi. Zuo Mo relaxed slightly. There shouldn’t be a problem with that matter.
“This disciple felt at the time that since the sword essence couldn’t make jingshi, it wasn’t as practical as being a ling plant farmer… …” Zuo Mo deliberately stammered out.
The enormous yard was completely silent.
Hearing Zuo Mo’s answer, even though the four had cultivations of jindan, they were completely dumbstruck. The four stared at each other, not knowing to laugh or cry. Xiao Guo, Li Ying Feng and the others were trying their best to not laugh so much that their bodies were shuddering.
Actually, for a long time, that had been Zuo Mo’s true thoughts. So he was extremely natural when he said it.
Everyone knew what Zuo Mo was normally like. A person that dared to risk death to go to Ling Ying Sect to steal talismans. It was normal for him to say something like this.
“Make jingshi! You only know how to make jingshi! One day, you’ll be smashed to death by jingshi… …” Hearing that Zuo Mo had wasted his talents for such a ridiculous reason, Shi Feng Rong was furious!
“It’ll be worth it to be smashed by jingshi… …” Zuo Mo reflexively muttered. The moment it came out, he knew it was bad. Master and the others had very keen hearing. Wasn’t he finding trouble for himself?
Once one was injured, their self-control was lowered!
Shi Feng Rong was so angered by Zuo Mo that her entire body shook, the finger that she pointed at him shaking.
Yan Le’s face was full of helplessness. Such a money-obsessed disciple, but his talent was so good… …
Only Pei Yuan Ran’s expression was normal. His tone was still very warm, “Oh, if I remember correctly, you only learned Li Water Sword Scripture after you entered zhuji. Then, before that, what sword essence had you comprehended?”
Zuo Mo instantly was alarmed!
Damn it! How did he forget that!
Li Water Sword Scripture was a scripture that he had gone to the records room to get after he entered zhuji. He hadn’t thought that the sect leader, who usually did not act, would have noticed him so much that he was clear when he had cultivated the Li Water Sword Scripture.
If the sect leader found Pu Yao… …
Zuo Mo was extremely panicked. He felt more nervous than he had ever been before, his heart up to his throat.
He swallowed and said hesitantly, “It’s Shibo’s Ice Dragon Sword Essence… …”
This was something he certainly would not be able to conceal. If he lied, and the sect leader made him show it, he would definitely slip up.
Two dots of cold light suddenly lit up in Xin Yan’s half-lidded eyes. The other three had not expected Zuo Mo’s answer. Even Pei Yuan Ran stilled in shock.
“Oh, take it out for your Shibo to see.” Yan Le said hurriedly.
As expected… …
Zuo Mo suppressed the terror in his heart and sent out a Tidal Sword essence. It was extremely weak, but the iciness contained in it was undoubtedly the Ice Dragon Sword Essence.
“Where did you learn it?” Sect Leader Pei Yuan Ran stared with blazing eyes at Zuo Mo.
The other three had reacted by now. Xin Yan had never taught Zuo Mo the Ice Dragon Sword Essence and the records had only been opened not long ago. How did Zuo Mo encounter the Ice Dragon Sword Scripture when he was in lianqi.
The four people’s eyes were blinding. Zuo Mo felt cold up his spine, his limbs freezing.
Damn it, how could he perfect this lie?
Zuo Mo’s silence made the other four people’s faces ugly.
The tense atmosphere made Li Ying Feng and the others pale. Secretly stealing and learning a spell, it was a crime punished by death in all sects! No one would have mercy for someone that did so.
Just as Zuo Mo felt he had reached the end of the road and it was helpless, he was suddenly inspired.
He stammered, “It was… … the night that Eldest Shixiong entered zhuji… … I … … I saw Shibo’s ice dragon… …”
Shock appeared on the four people’s faces, chasing away the darkness before. Only now did they remember that, on that night, in order to turn away the xiuzhe that came to watch, Xin Yan had revealed his famed Ice Dragon Sword Scripture!
“You comprehended it after one look that night?” The usually calm Xin Yan finally couldn’t stop himself.
“Yes… … yes… …” Zuo Mo only felt relief as he escaped from death. He shook as he spoke.
Joy and slight guilt came onto Shi Feng Rong’s face. There was only shock on the other three people’s faces, deep shock! Even the usually calm sect leader was so shocked he was speechless.
Just one look, and he comprehended the sword essence. That talent at cultivating the sword… …
Translator Ramblings: No cliffhanger this time. The complete review of Zuo Mo’s battle and his strategy. His answers are just … …