Chapter Three Hundred and Forty Six – The Prison-Breaking Battle
“Nan Yue’s cousin really looks weird,” the tree yao waved its branches and spouted words like a spring spouting water, “doesn’t look anything like Nan Yue. From a glance, you can see he isn’t a good yao. How can Nan Yue have a cousin like this, it really is strange … …”
A cold snort came from the ball of flowers floating in the air, “Shut up!”
“Don’t you find it strange?” The tree yao was slightly puzzled. “How can you not find such a strange matter strange? Don’t you find it strange … …”
Chi felt a headache and shouted lowly, “Shut up!”
The tree yao’s words stopped. He obediently closed his mouth. He didn’t dare to disregard Teacher’s words. After being silent for a moment, he really couldn’t stop himself and murmured, “Teacher, don’t you find it strange … …”
Everyone wanted to faint.
Chi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The tree yao was the descendant of one of his friends. If he had the chance, he would always take the tree yao along. But this guy was a chatterbox, and had really strong sense of curiosity. If he was attracted by something, he definitely would not let it be.
“The prison battlefield is up ahead!” Chi’s topic changed as he pointed at the front to try to deflect this guy’s attention.
As expected, the tree yao’s attention turned to the prison battlefield. “So this is the prison battlefield!”
The other yao didn’t feel much. Several of the yao in this group had already gone through the prison battlefield already. After entering Vast Water Clear Skies, many people would give it a try. Even if they didn’t have the strength, they wouldn’t actually lose their lives in the prison battlefield, they would only be minorly wounded. If they were lucky, not even a hair would be damaged.
Little yao with guts liked to explore the prison battlefield. The yao arts in the prison battlefield were a few fractions stronger than what was in other areas, and were suited for real combat. Also, if they wanted to enter the next prison, they must go through the prison battlefield.
“Go, let’s go in.” Chi saw the tree yao was attracted to the prison battlefield and released a breath. He hurriedly took the yao in.
Entering the prison battlefield, the scenery instantly changed. The tree yao waved its branches and said emotionally, “It is such a strange place … …”
But no one paid attention to him at this time. The other yao had come to the prison battlefield before and their nerves tensed.
Teacher Chi was beside them, but he was responsible for teaching and guidance. Of course, in moments of danger, he would act and protect them. However, they all still hoped to become Teacher Chi’s student, and naturally did not slack off. All of them paid attention as they started to defend.
Due to their high numbers, the pressure was much less, and they appeared to be at ease.
“All of you, spread out,” Chi said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, the yao instantly spread out, and entered their own battle modes. The prison battlefield was a place to practice for real combat. In here, slacking off and short-cuts gave no benefits.
Yao arts successively came at them. All the yao were one hundred and twenty percent alert as they carefully responded.
“The fire dragon is a commonly used fire yao art, and has pretty good powerful. It will be suitable for your use for a long time. The most important place of this kind of fire yao art is its structure. Different structures will form different fire dragons. Like this fire dragon, it is made from six different little yao arts. Oh, not a bad combination.”
Chi casually stopped a fire dragon, and reviewed it calmly.
“It needs you to be very familiar with little yao arts. Nan Yue is very outstanding on this point. You need to learn from her.”
When the other yao heard this, they worked even harder. Clearly, Chi’s praise of Nan Yue motivated them.
———
“Do not copy these yao arts.”
Zuo Mo’s words shocked Nan Yue. She couldn’t help but say, “Why not? Aren’t these yao arts good?”
Three lights flew out of Zuo Mo’s hand like three sharp sword energies. The entered a mountain-like lightning cloud. In the blink of an eye, the lightning cloud brimming with astonishing primary lightning was like a bubble that popped and disappeared. Nan Yue’s eyes almost fell out as she watched.
“Yao arts are full of innumerable transformations. There are five hundred kinds of the most basic little yao arts. This is unique among all cultivation methods. How many yao arts are there now? No one …. … oh, no yao knows. But in Vast Water Clear Skies, there is no less than ten thousand kinds. If you just copy, you will forever be led by the nose by other people, and be exhausted by the pursuit. It is very simple, you will never finish learning!”
It was the first time that Nan Yue heard such a daring way of thinking. She listened extremely carefully and was afraid of missing a word.
“We will not copy them, we will deconstruct them.” Zuo Mo’s tone was faint and his attitude calm. With the flick of a finger, the yao art heading towards him turned to dust as though it was an example of his perspective.
“The number of yao art permutations is innumerable but there are patterns to be found. What we need to do is to find their patterns. When we find their patterns, you will be able to create yao arts that belong to you. And how do we grasp the patterns hidden behind the multitude of variations of yao arts?”
“Deconstruction!” Nan Yue blurted out.
“Right, how did it go? The person that understands you the best will forever be your enemy and not your friend. This phrase also works with yao arts. Oh, we need to first be the enemy of the yao arts.”
“Nan Yue understands!” Nan Yue felt like she was filled with awareness, her face flashing with light. There had never been a moment like this when she was so aware that she had clearly grabbed the pulse of destiny!
The respect and awe in Nan Yue’s eyes made Zuo Mo feel as pleasurable as though he was in a hot spring. In the sea of consciousness, Pu Yao couldn’t help but mock, “You’re pretty good at learning and selling at the same time.”
But he clearly underestimated the thickness of Zuo Mo’s face. This guy snickered and said proudly, “Right, I feel the same.”
Pu Yao finally remembered Little Mo ge was someone that could tolerate everything. Talking about face with him was never as good as talking about jingshi.
His happy mood assisted Zuo Mo’s performance. His hands flew and streamed. No matter how powerful the yao art was, none of them could get within thirty zhang of him.
Just as Zuo Mo was having fun playing, the surroundings suddenly became silent. All the yao arts seemed to have disappeared.
Silence, a deathly silence. All the river flows became silent.
Zuo Mo’s hairs on end.
———
The sudden stop of the prison battlefield bewildered Chi’s students who stared at each other.
Chi made a light sound and his eyes brightened as they widened. “Prison-breaking battle? You guys will get a great spectacle today!”
“Prison-breaking battle!” all the students exclaimed in shock. Prison-breaking. Most of the yao who entered the Ten Finger Prison had heard of it. But most only heard of it. It was more like a legend.
Prison-breaking battle. It referred to the prison battlefield that had detected an enemy that could pose a threat to it. It would then use the power of the entire prison battlefield to deal with the enemy.
Prison-breaking battle, creation after destruction.
If a yao won this ferocious prison-breaking battle, Vast Water Clear Skies would be reconstructed.
Vast Water Clear Skies had been created three hundred years ago when a great yao skilled in water yao arts had completed the first prison’s prison-breaking battle.
Those that could break the prison had a certain connection to power, but that was not the definite trigger. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many powerful great yao that went through Vast Water Clear Skies without activating the prison-breaking battle.
Today, someone had activated the prison-breaking battle!
Exclamations of shock sounded in the prison battlefield. They all understood what the unusual scene in front of them meant.
The news that the prison-breaking battle was activated spread with astounding speed. Every yao in Vast Water Clear Skies was disturbed. Like a tide, they flooded towards the prison battlefield.
At the same time in the second prison that was neighbouring to the first prison, many yao raised their heads with shocked expressions. Immediately after, numerous figures flashed towards the door of the prison with astounding speed!
Prison-breaking battle!
The prison-breaking battle that had not appeared for three hundred years!
———
“Daren … …” Nan Yue’s voice was shaky. She looked with fear at the deathly silent prison battlefield.
“You have to remember not to lose your calm at any time. The more you panic, the quicker you die on the battlefield.”
Daren’s words caused shame to appear on Nan Yue’s face. “Yes!”
If she was so timid, how could she follow Daren in the future?
The terror inside decreased greatly. She raised her small face with a determined expression.
What she didn’t know was that Zuo Mo’s entire scalp was prickling at this moment. He had rich battle experience. Even though the surroundings were silent and motionless, but the dangerous presence was rising.
“Pu, what is happening?” he carefully asked Pu Yao.
Pu Yao narrowed his blood red eye, and lightly said, “There’s only this much stuff in the prison battlefield, what situation can happen?”
“There really isn’t anything?” Zuo Mo didn’t quite believe it.
Pu Yao’s face was mocking. “This is just the first prison.”
Hearing this, Zuo Mo changed his thinking. That was right, Vast Water Clear Skies was only the first prison of the Ten Finger Prison. If it really was so dangerous, there wouldn’t be so many people. He hadn’t done anything. If something unfortunate happened, it wouldn’t be his turn.
Comforting himself so, his heart was reassured.
Before the stone in his heart landed, a strange power passed over, and Nan Yue disappeared from beside him.
All the other yao in the entire prison battlefield except for Zuo Mo were sent by this mysterious power out of the prison battlefield.
Many of the yao that were transported out had confused expressions, but when they saw the area surrounding the prison battlefield was filled with yao, they all shook.
But right now, no yao paid attention to them. Everyone’s gaze was staring into the prison battlefield.
The rivers that followed constantly through the void of the prison battlefield, the lightning balls, the fire clouds, they had all disappeared. They could clearly see that figure that was at the very center of the prison battlefield.
All the yao widened their eyes. A yao that could activate the prison-breaking battle definitely had a limitless future!
Chi and his procession of yao stared so much their eyes almost dropped out. The tree yao excitedly waved the tree branches. “Strange cousin! It’s the strange cousin!”
Light flashed through Chi’s eyes as waves were created inside his heart. The yao that had activated prison-breaking battles before were all great yao that had each left a deep mark on history.
This person of average appearance was so powerful?
When Nan Yue was sent out, Zuo Mo instantly understood the situation was targeting him.
Since the other had such powers, they definitely wouldn’t give him the chance to leave the prison battlefield.
He had been tricked!
Someone dared to trick ge!
Zuo Mo’s anger rose, and his stubbornness came out. The tendons in his neck bulged. His features enraged, he pushed up his sleeves, and murderously gritted his teeth as he uttered Dong Fu slang.
“Come on, baby!”[i]
[i] This part was the Chinese homonym of Come on, baby, and the “baby” part was 卑鄙 (bei bi) which means low, contemptible.
Translator Ramblings: Pu Yao is totally fine with seeing Zuo Mo in trouble if it isn’t dangerous. Zuo Mo doesn’t understand what is going on but no one can trick ge!