Chapter Seven Hundred and Forty Six – Shen Device
In this five year period, Mo Cloud Sea did not expand.
The jinzhi defense line completely separated Mo Cloud Sea from the outside world. This isolationist stance caused Mo Cloud Sea to seem even more mysterious in the eyes of other factions.
There were only a rare few that knew how much Mo Cloud Sea had developed.
The fighting to divide Xuan Kong Temple had continued for two years, but for Mo Cloud Sea, it had only been six months. Adding on the five years period of peace, the Mo Cloud Sea had was six years and six months of peace, one year and six months more than the other powers.
In this six years and six months of time, Mo Cloud Sea developed at an astounding rate each day.
From a long time ago, Zuo Mo had given the shen methodology to the core members of Mo Cloud Sea. Mo Cloud Sea had started developing in this area many years earlier than everyone else.
According to the knowledge that Zuo Mo supplied, the Mo Cloud Shen Methodology that all of Mo Cloud Sea helped developed was already very mature. Mo Cloud Sea drew inspiration from Zuo Mo’s sun shen methodology, the Greenvine shen methodology, the Mist shen methodology, and the Undying shen methodology that came from the Undying Shen Punishment.
While one still needed to cultivate the three powers, but Mo Cloud Sea which possessed the Pu Wei Library quickly found suitable methods from the yao and mo powers.
Unlike big sects like Kun Lun and Tian Huan, Mo Cloud Sea didn’t have any fanxu. This past weakness now became a great advantage.
Other than this, the seal inscriptions of Golden Crow Camp developed far beyond what the outer world imagined. Other than the inscription of shen glyphs which was still immature, they had developed the inscription of mo matrices, yao cores, and seal scripts. They even created a completely new cultivation method that merged inscribing and Mo Cloud Sea’s shen methodology.
They even used this to create two new terrifying battalions, the new Guard Camp and Sin Battalion.
However, the accomplishments of Golden Crow Camp were not limited to just this. Even Zuo Mo, the person who had founded Golden Crow Camp, had never thought that Golden Crow Camp would develop to such a level.
The present Golden Crow Cloud Island was heavily guarded. Large and vicious cloud steeds flew through the clouds and continued to land on the cloud island.
Having obtained all kinds of secret husbandry methods from the three races, Chun Yu Cheng continued to breed, research, nurture, and spend. He finally bred a completely new powerful species that was unlike mo steeds, ling beasts, or yao beasts. In the end, he named them cloud steeds.
The cloud steeds had something very unique, they had three beast cores inside their bodies and they possessed the three powers. However, because the numbers were limited, only the core members of Mo Cloud Sea possessed them. In Mo Cloud Sea, cloud steeds were a symbol of status.
It was rare for so many important people to appear at the same time at Golden Crow Cloud island. The disciples on the island were restless but no one dared to ask questions. On Golden Crow Cloud Island, there were too many things to keep secret.
All the upper levels of Mo Cloud Sea, without exception, had come.
Under the guidance of the two masters, they disappeared into the jinzhi.
———
Inside the jinzhi, everyone’s gazes were attracted by two suits of armor. The two sets of armor silently floated in front of them, one as bright as fire, the other silver white like frost.
The two masters wore an expression of pride. Master Sun Boa’s tone was cool but filled with strong confidence. “These are two sets of shen device raiments.”
Shen device raiments!
Boom!
The crowd exploded. No one had thought that Golden Crow Camp were already able to forge shen device raiments!
It had been seven whole years since Zuo Mo had forged the [Angel Device Raiment]. In these seven years, so much had changed. This included shen devices. One year ago, Kun Lun was the first to announce the creation of the first shen device, [Capable Person]. In the next month, Tian Huan also announced Tian Huan’s first shen device called the [Weaving Girl’s Shuttle]. Then Xi Xuan announced the existence of [Floating Li Fire].
However, almost all of the shen devices used Zuo Mo’s naming pattern, raiment. And almost all of the shen devices had been formed into armor. Even Kun Lun who was famous for its swords were not an exception. This was became they found that this structure, which covered the entire body, could use shen power to its greatest effect and was helpful in controlling shen power.
Everyone had been waiting for Zuo Mo to forge a new shen device. No one had expected Golden Crow Camp to be the first to forge them.
“Actually, we had considered forging shen devices a long time ago because we have the most complete information on the method. We had initial thoughts but we quickly faced a problem, what kind of shen device to forge. Then we asked Daren for his opinion, and Daren suggested for us to forge battle general shen device raiments!”
“Battle general shen device raiments … …”
This answer had been unexpected by all. Gongsun Cha and Bie Han’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Zuo Mo spoke at this time, “Yes, there is one important reason that we have been able to get to where we are, it is because we possess two top battle generals. So we first forged battle general shen devices. Shen power is continuing to level up. From the beginning where only a few cultivated it to now where everyone is cultivating it. Future battalions will be comprised of soldiers that cultivate shen power and what will change is the method of battle. We will only truly be ahead of the others if we are the most advanced in this area.”
Everyone had thoughtful expression. Many people nodded inwardly, especially the battle generals. They felt this even more directly and deeper.
“The silver one is Gongsun Daren’s raiment, it is called [City Destroyer].” [1]
Gongsun Cha’s smile froze on his face. The other people covered their mouths, their facial muscles furiously trembling as they forced themselves to not laugh out loud.
Afraid of being blamed, Master Sun Bao hurriedly added, “Daren personally named it.”
Zuo Mo’s smile froze. He swore at Sun Bao inside, piling a smile on his face. “Shidi, this is a good omen. One smile to destroy cities, in the span of one smile, take down a city, how great is that! Actually … … if it wasn’t … … I feel that one smile to destroy a jie is even better. In one smile, destroy a jie … … hahaha … …”
When he got to the end, Zuo Mo pretended to be cheerful and laughed. The expressions of the other people became even more pained, Their faces under their hands became even more twisted. If they offended Lil’ Miss Daren, then their future days would be dark!
Gongsun Cha smiled slightly and said unaffectedly, “This name is good!”
It was over, he had offended Gongsun Shidi … …
Zuo Mo wiped away the sweat on his brow.
Master Ji Wei quickly changed the topic, “Bie Han Daren’s set is called [Arsonist].”
Bie Han expressionlessly glanced at Zuo Mo. Zuo Mo’s hair stood up.
Bie Han gritted his teeth inside. Of course he knew the Daren meant. It referred to the fire that he had set on Xuan Kong Temple’s main peak. Thinking about how he had been kidnapped, sold himself to Daren, and how he had once said to Daren that he was going to set a fire to burn down Xuan Kong Temple, Bie Han felt the past him was so stupid.
Other than Zuo Mo and Gongsun Cha, no one else knew that Bie Han had set a fire to burn down Xuan Kong Temple’s main peak.
The other people praised the name [Arsonist]. While Bie Han was cold and reclusive, his fighting style was as a raging fire as he destroyed all those in his way. The name Arsonist matched that.
“The name isn’t bad.” Bie Han was expressionless and his tone was icy.
The two masters wiped away cold sweat. They had wondered for a long time about the two names. If Daren hadn’t personally named them, they definitely would not have agreed.
“Cough!” Zuo Mo pretended to be composed and concluded, “I hope everyone will cooperate with Gongsun Cha Daren and Bie Han Daren to find a new battle method and master it.”
Gongsun Cha had a small smile. Bie Han was expressionless.
The battle generals felt their scalps prickle. Many people had expressions of wanting to cry. Why was it that Daren was the one that made trouble, but they were the ones to pay for it … … why … …
After saying this, Zuo Mo raced off.
———
Deep in the night, the stars filled the sky.
Zuo Mo was reclining on the rooftop with a bottle of wine beside him. He was leaning on his arm as he stared out in a daze at the stars. A Gui was silently sitting next to him and didn’t look any different from seven years ago.
Zuo Mo knew how great the changes of the seven years had been. The entire world was completely different.
The two shen devices today had stirred some of his memories. It was a very rare that anyone knew that the first true shen device after the end of the ancient era was not Kun Lun’s [Capable Person] but an unknown [Ghost].
That had been forged by his deceased father.
This shen device was also one of the fuses that led to the destruction of the Zuo family.
The four sects that had come divided up [Ghost]. This became one of their important articles of study. They determinedly believed that they could find the crux of shen power from it, because before Father had forged [Ghost], no one in the Zuo Family had cultivated shen power.
There was a lot of information in Zuo Mo’s memory fragments that had been obtained from his father’s secret rooms. For example, he knew that his mother had once been Father’s ghost, and this was one of the reasons that Grandmother had not liked Mother.
The death of his parents was a riddle. Even his grandmother had never mentioned it.
He only knew that [Ghost] had always been kept at home even though he had never seen it. The old man who had been guarding it comprehended shen power and been exiled to a desolate ejie. In reality, other than the old man, there had been another person who had also comprehended shen power from it, his grandmother.
While Grandmother had been alive, no one dared to come and make trouble. The only one able to exile a shen power expert could only be another shen power expert.
The matters of his father and mother were very distant, so distant that he could only find some sparse words from those shattered memories. But he knew that Father had forged [Ghost] for Mother.
It was probably because Father understood that one needed power to protect the people and things he held precious.
In these years, Zuo Mo had not stopped cultivating. He knew that he would only be able to protect everything he treasured if he became more powerful.
He looked warmly at A Gui.
There was the entire Mo Cloud Sea, and everyone that needed his protection.
Maybe some people were filled with unrealistic illusions about the future but Zuo Mo knew when the peace ended, it meant an even more desperate era.
But he did not fear it.
[1] 倾城 literally means destroyer of cities but it is usually used as a descriptor of female beauty, as a beauty that can “destroy cities and countries.”
Translator Ramblings: More of Zuo Mo’s family history, why his family was targeted, and even more reason to destroy the four sects. Also, Zuo Mo’s naming sense is lovely in these two cases.