Chapter Five Hundred and Sixty – Departure
Zuo Mo glanced at the guards crowded around Ceng Lian’er and was slightly surprised. There wasn’t a large number of guards, but their average skill level was not low. There were seven brigadier mo. The others were colonel, but they were each very close to brigadier level. It was clear that this was an elite force.
Remembering that the other’s father was a jie master, Zuo Mo felt this was very normal.
However, the other guarded Ceng Lian’er constantly and didn’t even move a step away. It looked as though they would not accept his orders. Zuo Mo did not care. He wanted Ceng Lian’er as far away from him as possible. He was strangely wary of this beautiful woman whose personality he could not understand.
A Gui was much better.
Zuo Mo thought this as his gaze landed on A Gui, softening his expression. However, when he recalled how A Gui had not shown any improvement even after consuming the Water Cloud Embryos, Zuo Mo’s mood sank again. The mist people and Turtle Island had set up a transportation formation between Cloud Sea Jie and the mo territories so it was easier to travel through. Shu Long had coincidentally come to reinforce Zuo Mo after the mist people had delivered Water Cloud Embryos to Turtle Island, so he had brought them along. The mist people had special methods to preserve the harvested Water Cloud Embryos and so they would not lose their effectiveness.
But after A Gui used them, there was nothing else except slightly more vitality in her eyes. The shen power inside her body was strange and malicious, almost completely sealing off A Gui’s soul. It had consumed the Water Cloud Embryo.
A Gui’s shen power actually grew a fraction.
He could not keep dragging this on.
“Have you all recovered?” Zuo Mo asked Shu Long.
“All recovered!” Shu Long’s face held joy. “Six hardship guards leveled up and also a flower yao. Additionally, Miss Nan Yue has leveled up.”
These hardship guards had been the elite of the elite he had picked from Guard Camp. The journey this time had been dangerous but since they made it through, they benefited greatly from their gains. Zuo Mo had taught Nan Yue the longest, and she was the strongest of the group. Adding on that she was stubborn and hardworking, she had only lacked real combat experience before. This long journey and the hundreds of small and large battles along the way had caused her to quickly break through and cultivate to yin spirit, stepping in the realm of Rahula yao.
Zuo Mo also had a happy expression. Every bit of strength meant they had a better chance.
In Guard Camp, only Shu Long and A Wen had been in brigadier level. Now there were six more. Ye Ling had originally been a brigadier, adding on the flower yao and Nan Yue that leveled up, there were eleven people of at least the brigadier level in Zuo Mo’s troop.
There were eleven brigadier, and one general level in a troop of one hundred people. The rest were also experienced fighters. This troop could be called a powerful one.
Shou Ping was observing this famed battalion, Butcher Guard Camp, maybe it was more accurate to call them infamous. As the commander of Celestial Planet Guard, Shou Ping was a silver battle general and Ceng Yi’s left and right hand. However, every time, Shou Ping observed this battalion, he couldn’t help but feel a part of his soul tremble.
Before this, he had been very confident in the skill level of the troop he commanded. It had been through his hard effort and energy that they had created the present Celestial Planet Guard. Not just in Shattered Stone Jie, even in the nearby jie, Celestial Planet Guard was considered the top battalion.
But with something to compare to, the top battalion in his eyes were like a group of idiots wearing glittering clothing in front of other people. Previously, he had suspected the truthfulness of the rumors that one hundred had killed three thousand, but after he met this battalion, he didn’t doubt the rumors anymore. With a battalion like this, not just three thousand, even five thousand might be possible.
The other’s regulations were so strict and they were shockingly well trained.
He had never heard of a battalion maintaining their formation even while at rest. They would each cultivate of their own accord when they had any spare time. It was the complete opposite of himself who had to stand guard every day and supervise Celestial Plant Guard’s training.
There were like a pack of insatiable beasts that never knew rest nor exhaustion.
Shou Ping was frightened. He wasn’t the only one. The members of Celestial Plant Guard who were usually very proud were frightened. In the beginning, they had been rebellious when Shou Ping told them to not make any trouble. But after two days they had seen Guard Camp’s group of crazy people that didn’t seem like mo, they didn’t have a temper.
They had a kind of killing energy where even a glance caused fear.
But Ceng Lian’er was extremely calm as she cultivated on a regular schedule. She would idly drink tea, and eat pastries as though she was on a sight-seeing tour.
Shou Ping felt admiration for Miss. As expected as the daughter of Daren. In the future, Daren’s role might have to be passed onto Miss’ hands.
Zuo Mo didn’t pay too much attention to the Celestial Planet Guards. His standards had been raised up high by Lil’ Miss and the others. He really did not think too highly of Celestial Planet Guard’s skill level.
He turned and looked into the distance. That direction was the direction of Shattered Stone Town. He had the considered taking along Ka Zhuo and Dong Zi, but after thinking about it, he ended this notion. One was a simple youth, the other was a matrix awakening master without any skill to protect himself.
“Depart,” Zuo Mo said indifferently.
———
“Fei Lei, are you really going to leave?” The youths looked yearningly at the other.
Fei Lei reached out his hand covered in scars and rubbed the head of one of the youths. He said with a smile, “I have my fate.”
“Fate?” the youths’ tender faces were puzzled.
“En, something that I have to do, that is fate.” Fei Lei explained with a smile. His body was extremely broad and well-built, his features sharp and weathered. His short dense beard was peppered and his eyes were a faint grey that was unusually deep.
“Will you come back and teach me?” the youth spoke in a stuffed voice.
“No.” Fei Lei still smiled as he narrowed his eyes. He showed some hints of age. “You need to work hard on your cultivation, do not slack off. This way, you can enter the battalions early. Everyone, I am leaving.”
Finishing, Fei Lei turned and charged forward taking two steps and shot up into the air. His long windbreaker was like the wings of a bat as he flew into the sky.
He did not turn his head.
His deep light grey eyes looked towards the distance, filled the weariness of having seen the world. A burning flame shot out and silently pulsed.
There was a vicious looking blood dragon script on his tightly clasped palm.
The battle horn that had been sealed for thousands of years seemed to have been blown in his ear.
———
Zuo Mo’s jie map had been obtained from Ceng Yi. The collections of the master of a jie was pretty good. Through this jie map, Zuo Mo was able to easily locate Nether Spring Jie.
This was a journey that was even longer than Shu Long’s journey from Little Savage Jie.
Little Savage Jie and Shattered Stone Jie both belonged to Hundred Savage Realm, but Nether Spring Jie belonged to the deepest part of Dark Realm. The distance between them almost crossed the entire mo territories.
The factions along the way were many and their territories criss-crossed. The the majority of faction territories on their journey were not labelled, barely a tenth were.
Zuo Mo understood upon further thought. Ceng Yi was pretty powerful but he clearly had no ambitions to expand. The jie map only labeled the areas near Shattered Stone Jie.
Zuo Mo knew that this was not going to be an easy matter but he had no thoughts of retreat. He also planned on trying to buy Reverse Shadow Spirit Silkgrass along the way.
Fortunately, the mo had the blood pools.
It was the first time Zuo Mo saw a blood pool. The blood pool was like an enormous pond that was filled with a bubbling liquid that appeared similar to fresh blood. However, Zuo Mo knew that the “blood” was not actual blood, but a solution called Crimson Blood Solution. Its composition was extremely complex.
Just like the xiuzhe that were able to set up transportation formations in the xiuzhe territories, the mo that were capable of making Crimson Blood Solutions had high status.
Shu Long and the others were experienced and jumped into the blood pool in an organized manner.
Zuo Mo picked up A Gui and jumped unhesitatingly into the blood pool.
A Gui would only remain unaffected towards one person’s actions, Zuo Mo.
When Shou Ping saw this, he stole a look at Miss. Miss appeared unaffected. He couldn’t help but release a breath. It seemed that Miss was not attracted to this boy. Then he felt a slight regret. This boy wasn’t tall, handsome, or rich, but he was fierce, influential, and strong!
Our mo traditions value fierce men, Miss!
It is the first time Old Shou has seen such a fierce man … …
Such a pity … … such a pity … …
Shou Ping muttered inside as he daydreamed. How powerful would it be if the two married.
However, none of this could be seen from his face. He calmly followed behind Miss into the blood pool.
When he jumped into the blood pool, Zuo Mo felt his vision turn blood red. A strange sweet scent came into his nose. Strangely, the Crimson Blood Solution would not enter his nose like water, but glued onto his skin like a cool membrane.
Suddenly, an enormous suction force came from underneath them.
Before they could struggle, they were pulled down by this force and disappeared.
When the force disappeared, Zuo Mo opened his eyes. He saw Shu Long and the others floating in the Crimson Blood Solution nearby. The blood red Crimson Blood Solution was clear like a red crystal. Zuo Mo could clearly see everyone’s figures.
Without any orders or being directed, several of the hardship guards floated up.
Moments later, they signalled that it was safe so everyone floated up.
The blood pool was not a always a safe place. It had been alright before the war started. None of the large powers would allow any safety issues to arise at their blood pools. This was related to the stability and infrastructure of their territories, they had maintained their trade routes. However, the war was increasing in intensity, and many places were restricted. Some blood pools, because they were in areas that lacked a ruler, became places that bandits liked to lie in ambush.
Shu Long had encountered this kind of situation along the road so they were very familiar with the safety measures.
Walking out of the blood pool, what entered their eyes was a desolate scene that caused Zuo Mo to show wariness.
Shou Ping became nervous and signaled the Celestial Planet Guard to instantly encircle Ceng Lian’er.
Shou Ping said in a low voice, “Miss, the situation is not right.”
Ceng Lian’er glanced at Zuo Mo and asked, “Not right?”
“En, this subordinate came here a few months ago. Previously, there had been a market here,” Shou Ping said in a low voice as he looked around warily.
Shou Ping did not deliberately keep his voice down. Everyone had good hearing and naturally could hear him clearly.
The mood suddenly became tense.
Translator Ramblings: After all that, the water embryo is a dud … … and we have to keep going.