Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty One – What Is Pu Yao Doing?
Zuo Mo quickly made the new product. Compared to the broken box, the new product was like a piece of art.
It was a meditation mat woven from Black Morning Glory, pure black and smooth to the touch. Hair like strands of rotten metal silver forming the formations were in exquisite and complex patterns. If the mat was flipped over, there were five openings that jingzhi could be put in. Zuo Mo had originally planning on making them even smaller to make it much easier to carry, but in the end, he still decided to make them into meditation mats.
His technique of weaving mediation mats was very good.
The meditation mats were named Black Processing Meditation Mats. On the foundation of the ling processing formations, he had added [Mind Concentration] and [Calm Heart] formations. The effect of the black processing meditation mats drastically increased.
In one go, Zuo Mo had used all the rotten metal silver to make five black processing meditation mats.
With the five black processing meditation mats both Zuo Mo and Gongsun Cha steadied their heart. The five black processing meditation mats were not a lot, but if they were used in turns, it could barely suffice.
After giving the five black processing meditation mats to Gongsun Cha, Zuo Mo didn’t care anymore.
His gains this time was not just the ling processing formation. The mo matrix on Zuo Mo’s body was a low level mo matrix called the [Copper Rhinoceros Mo Matrix]. The biggest effect of this matrix was that it could automatically temper his body. But even as one of the simplest mo matrix, after being analyzed, it was found to be composed of hundreds of little micro formations.
Zuo Mo had never seen the majority of these micro formations and didn’t know their effects. But after this time, after finishing his analysis, and trying to forge, he had a direct understanding of these unfamiliar formations.
Of the many formations of the Copper Rhinoceros Mo Matrix, there were three formations that Zuo Mo felt were most useful: Ling Gathering Formation, Ling Processing Formation, and Body Tempering Formation.
There had been a detailed introduction about the Ling Gathering Formation in the [Kun Lun Preliminary Formations Jade Scroll]. But the ling gathering formation that Zuo Mo had found this time was different than any kind of ling gathering formation he had ever seen.
It was even more outstanding at gathering ling. The entire formation naturally formed, and was so exquisite that Zuo Mo had sighed countless times at the wonders of nature.
“This isn’t bad,” Pu Yao appeared out of nowhere, and stared at the ling gather formation that Zuo Mo was carving now.
Zuo Mo had long gotten used to Pu Yao’s ghostly appearances. His hand didn’t even tremble.
“Of course I know it is a good thing.” Zuo Mo did not disguise the pride he felt. He glanced at Pu Yao out of the corner of his eyes. “With ge’s skills! How can the things that ge makes not be good things?”
“Oh, not bad, not bad.” Finishing, Pu Yao faintly nodded before disappearing.
Zuo Mo, who had wanted to show off, felt his punch had missed and his chest felt suffocated. However, he was also puzzled. Pu Yao, the guy who did not rise early unless there was something to do, he had just ran over to say that this was not bad?
There was a problem!
Definitely was a problem!
Yet, Zuo Mo couldn’t think of where the problem was. He did not think on it and instead started to work with the ling gathering formation in front of him.
The ling gathering formation he had obtained from the [Copper Rhinoceros Mo Matrix] was exquisite and tiny. The difficulty of carving it was slightly high but the use was also very broad. He could carve this ling gathering formation on talismans and flying swords. Talismans and flying swords could continuously gather ling energy from the air. Over time their intelligence would grow. Any material, if they were put in places with thick ling energy, after being soaked in ling energy, the qualities of the material would gradually be changed for the better.
Zuo Mo had an even more daring idea, to carve the ling gathering formation on the body like the mo matrix. This way the body could constantly take in ling energy from the surroundings. Even though the amount of ling energy taken in each day would be small, but after accumulating for months and years, this amount would be terrifying.
This point, Zuo Mo who had a mo matrix had a direct experience. If it wasn’t that his channels were not able to store ling power before, he would have broken through to ningmai long ago. Even now, his cultivation speed was far faster than normal xiuzhe.
The body tempering formation was using ling power to continuously temper the blood, flesh, bones, and tendons of the body. Other than Dhyana xiu, other xiuzhe would rarely cultivate their body, but in Zuo Mo’s experience, a strong body was not a bad thing. Even more, no time had to be spent on this. It could automatically temper the body. Would anyone refuse?
Most importantly, the three formations that he had analyzed and separated out did not look anything like a mo matrix. No one would connect it to a mo matrix. In these days where yaomo were roaming about, this point was especially important.
After making the Black Processing Meditation Mats, Zuo Mo instantly felt the pressure decrease. He hadn’t found how to use the three micro formations right now. He already had the mo matrix on his body. He didn’t need the three formations.
He decided to cultivate his spiritual power.
According to Pu Yao, the road he was on was Star Spiritual cultivation. To Zuo Mo, Star Spiritual cultivation was slightly novel. Pu Yao’s suggestion was to first strengthen the ten stars, and he had given the related methods. Zuo Mo only had to absorb star power, then feed it back to the stars in his sea of consciousness to enlarge his source.
It was coincidentally night now. He walked out of the room, and raised his head to look at the sky dotted with stars. He split his legs apart, forward and back, his body like a coiled snake raising its head, his mouth slightly open, his hands pushing on the air by the side, making an extremely strange and awkward pose.
His mind empty, the consciousness leaf hand spread its five fingers and faced the far stars like a sunflower.
His breathing slowly disappeared. A thread of star light fell off the star above Zuo Mo’s head. It was like a silver mist, thread after thread swallowed in Zuo Mo’s mouth.
Zuo Mo felt his mind have a mysterious connection with the star above his head. A vast and ancient presence, from a deep and unknown place, crossing countless eras, and came to him. For some reason, his heart felt moved.
A faint silver mist burrowed into Zuo Mo’s mouth, and effortlessly entered his channels. The ling power in his channels were as quiet as a virgin, not having any enmity against the star power that had been absorbed into his body. These threads of star power made one circuit around the channels inside his body, and then entered the space between Zuo Mo’s brows like a sparrow returning to its nest.
In the void above the sea of consciousness, thread after thread of silver mist entered a dim star.
———
Pu Yao looked at the star above his head and then took away his gaze. He opened his hand. On his palm, there was a puddle of black water. In the center of the black water, there was a miniature altar floating.
Nether Pool!
“Finally formed!” Pu Yao said to himself, “Hopefully this will work.”
Finishing, he threw the puddle of black water towards the ground. The hand sized Nether Pool expanded in a blink to a black pond about one and a half mu large. On the altar floating in the center, an enchanting black flame jumped.
Pu Yao flew onto the altar. The black fire surrounded him and burned silently. The black water in the Nether Pool roiled as if there were countless serpents restlessly swimming under the surface.
Pu Yao closed his bloody pupil, his expression solemn. He suddenly shouted, “Rise!”
The altar under Pu Yao’s feet suddenly had an astounding power to attract, all the black water in the pool flooding towards the altar. The black water quickly flooded the altar, reaching up to Pu Yao’s feet. Pu Yao did not move, allowing the black water to creep up over his feet.
In a blink, the black water was above Pu Yao’s head.
An enormous ball of black water stood on the altar. The scene seemed extremely unbalanced. Compared to the black water ball, the altar was pitifully small, making one worried that the enormous black water ball would crush the altar into pieces.
Yet this crude altar was as steady as rock.
The black water covering Pu Yao flowed restlessly and sped up.
———
An hour later, the speed the black water ball was spinning at was at an astounding level. The hissing of high spinning speed was not sharp, but still frightening.
Having finished his cultivation, Zuo Mo noticed the abnormality in his sea of consciousness. When he saw the scene in front of him, he was very shocked.
What was Pu Yao doing?
The spinning of the black water ball was still increasing. Zuo Mo sensitively noticed that as the spinning increased, the black water ball started to show signs of instability.
“What does this guy want to do?” Zuo Mo muttered, not daring to move his eyes away.
The spinning speed of the black water ball was still increasing. The signs of instability were increasing. The spherical black water ball was majorly distorted.
It seemed the situation wasn’t good! Zuo Mo was slightly worried.
Just as the black water ball seemed to be on the verge of collapse, light suddenly shone on the altar, and a heavy presence that was filled with vitality cover the sea of consciousness.
Wait a moment!
Zuo Mo’s eyes widened. He was too familiar with this presence!
Earth energy! This was earth energy!
Having been slightly worried, Zuo Mo instantly felt discontent. So this guy had stored the earth energy he had drawn out in the altar. Thinking about the pain he had endured when the earth energy had been drawn out, he gritted his teeth.
Other than anger, he became even more curious.
What was Pu Yao doing?
Clearly, the “yao method” that Pu Yao was conducting was something he had aimed for a long time ago. No matter if it was the Nether Pool, or the earth energy that the other had drawn out, Pu Yao had prepared for a long time. There were many methods in the world, especially the methods of yaomo. Zuo Mo was too lazy to guess. He definitely would not guess it.
He decided to sit and wait for Pu Yao to finish.
With the help of the earth energy, the high speed spinning black water ball quickly stabilized. The stable black water ball started to increase speed again.
The altar continuously provided earth energy. Zuo Mo’s eyes became even more unfriendly. How much earth energy had the guy drawn out of him!
Suddenly, Zuo Mo raised his head and made a sound of surprise.
The ever accelerating black water ball suddenly started to change. With speed visible to the naked eye, it quickly became clear. In the span of a few blinks, the black water ball became a peerlessly clear water ball. He could clearly see Pu Yao inside the water ball.
Through the high speed water, Zuo Mo saw Pu Yao and instantly jumped in fright.
Pu Yao’s entire body was as black as ink, the skin exposed to the outside looked as though it had been dyed black. The two red crystals on his earlobes became even more alluring in contrast to the deep black. Zuo Mo almost did not recognize Pu Yao. He started to become nervous – pain made its way onto Pu Yao’s face.
Pu Yao had never shown this kind of expression before!
What was this guy doing? Did something happen? Zuo Mo thought uncertainly.
Earth energy continuously burrowed from the altar into the water ball and then into Pu Yao’s body. The earth energy seemed to be able to lessen Pu Yao’s pain. Pu Yao’s expression slowly steadied.
The black on his body started to fade. The speed of the water ball slowly slowed.
When the black completely faded, the water ball also stopped.
Through the round ball of water, a handsome and enchanting male stood.
He opened the narrow right eye that was not covered by his hair.
Translator Ramblings: Zuo Mo learns from nature. Pu Yao makes an appearance after some time away. Zuo Mo finally realizes that Pu Yao’s been scheming against him for a long time.
The only method I’ve found at the moment that doesn’t require editing links in every post is the one below. It has all the posts I’ve ever made since I’m using the archive shortcode. Other shortcodes have post limits so this is the only unlimited one. Opinions?
Mjp, your theory on the last chapter post about the three alien races fighting for control of the universe is amazing. Zuo Mo wasn’t totally unaffected by Luo Li’s slaughter of the xiu slaves but in his mind, he can’t do anything so he turns to focus on his own upcoming battle. “Human” is usually the default species in fantasy novels, and I’m really happy you thought the xiuzhe as a whole is an alien race because I’ve tried my best not to use “human” to refer to them. Fang Xiang does the same.
The human beings are enslaved part is just a little shaky. It hasn’t been shown yet, but even xiuzhe and yaomo can be slaves. If you are captured by a group, you either join them, or you get sold. Being free is not the default state but wholesale slavery is prohibited because the realms do have a government like Kun Lun who won’t allow other sects to become too powerful in their own territory. So Kun Lun allows the sects in its territory to enslave the natives of a jie, but usually not the xiuzhe that live in its territory.