World of Cultivation - Volume 05 - Charge Out of the Ancient Battlefield

by Fang Xiang

  Ling power was being used up with astounding speed. Zuo Mo gradually had an expression of effort on his face.

  The other people looked on curiously as Zuo Mo set up a formation and casted his sword scripture. They did not understand Zuo Mo’s intentions.

  After a while, a thin thread-like howl sounded from deep within the fiendish mist as though it came from the horizon. This howl was very weak, but everyone present had pretty good strength and could detect it clearly. All of them were alarmed and readied their guard.

  The howl became louder and started to hum. Two breaths later, the sound changed and became thunderous as it neared with terrifying speed!

  Xie Shan and Ma Fan paled. Before they could react, a sword xiu on a flying sword appeared out of the air in front of everyone.

  The sword xiu stared hard at Zuo Mo inside the sword formation.

  Booooooooooooom!

  The fiendish mist behind him exploded towards the two sides without any warning. With explosive sounds, a ruler straight and wide passage appeared behind him as though it was opening a road in the fiendish mist.

  The air gust and blew, but the figure of the sword xiu did not move at all.

  A breath later.

  Whoosh!

  Like an avalanche, the fiendish mist followed the long path behind the sword xiu.

  The tailwind was so strong!

  Everyone’s desire to fight almost instantly collapsed. No matter if it was Xie Shan in jindan, or Ma Fan that had his sword essence manifestation, or Shu Long that had formed his weapon, their rock-hard mentality cracked a sliver.

  The figure appeared first before the sound came. Such speed was shocking to even hear about!

  “Is it Shidi?”

  “Eldest Shixiong!”

  Two voices were filled with joy and emotion as they sounded at the same time.

  Wei Sheng jumped down from the flying sword in front of Zuo Mo. After examining him for a moment, he smiled brightly and said, “This appearance is much more pleasing to the eye than before.” Lin Qian had a jade scroll that had Zuo Mo’s new appearance mirage. This was the first time he had seen Shidi’s new face in person. The face in front of his eyes was very unfamiliar but Wei Sheng could still feel the familiar presence. This caused him to smile.

  Zuo Mo felt something in his throat, and his nose went sour.

  Wei Sheng patted Zuo Mo’s shoulder and smiled. He said, “It is a happy occasion for us brothers to gather together. Don’t be like a woman.”

  “Eldest Shixiong should not underestimate me.” Infected by Wei Sheng’ smile, Zuo Mo puffed out his chest and pretended to be a manly man.

  The two looked at each other. Finding the joy in each other’s eyes, they laughed together.

  None of them had thought that they would encounter each other in this place. The joy at reuniting overcame everything else. The dangerous fiendish mist seemed so adorable right now. The two of them did not worry at all.

  ———

  The situation at the front line was stabilizing. Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie was already completely possessed by yaomo. Previously the jie was like the xiuzhe’s backyard, where they hunted yaomo and was now split between the yao and the mo.

  Mu Xi looked at the completely transformed Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie. She was filled with confidence that the yaomo would achieve the final victory of this war. Wherever she looked, countless war yao trees formed a forest. The air was filled with the poison released by highland hell’s bells. Even jindan xiuzhe, if they were careless and their ling power touched the poison, they would be in extreme danger.

  Large amounts of dangerous plants almost covered all of the empty ground. For xiuzhe, this was a definitely a swamp. If they entered, they would not come out. But for yao, in this place, their advantages could increase their combat abilities multiple times.

  Supposedly, the Council of Elders was inviting some Sky Yao Daren to add another layer of defenses to the Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie. By that time, the Blood Sky Metropolis Jie would be impenetrable.

  In the region that the mo had occupied, they were changing it to grow mo seed sea.

  Once the mo seed sea was constructed, it would become a natural barrier that was almost impossible to cross.

  In Mu Xi’s view, if the yaomo could construct the defensive line of Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie, the yaomo would be in an undefeatable position and have the initiative.

  From the start of the war until now, the strategic goals of the Council of Elders had been fulfilled remarkably well, and the results were outstanding. The reason that it had proceeded so smoothly was due to the element of surprise. The long peace had numbed the high levels of the large xiuzhe sects, so in this stage of battle, the responses of the xiuzhe were very slow, and they continuously lost.

  What would happen next was that the war would enter a state of attrition. This was a cruel and tragic phase. Mu Xi did not dare to underestimate the xiuzhe. On the surface, the yao were dominating, but she knew what they had encountered up until now were the fringe sects of the xiuzhe. She suddenly thought of the youth called Lin Qian and the elite xiuzhe under his command.

  Lin Qian had the great mannerisms of a general, and had pointed out her origins from a single sentence. What shocked her was that he was a battle general with abilities comparable to her.

  How many battle generals did the xiuzhe have that were like Lin Qian?

  She did not know.

  In the higher levels of the yao realm, no one assumed that they would easily obtain victory. The xiuzhe had won the thousand year war. They had captured a countless amount of resources. Adding on the development of a thousand years, no one knew how rich they were.

  So before starting the war, everyone had prepared for hard battle. However, the victories came easier than expected. She was worried that the string of victories make some of the elders overconfident.

  In these few days in Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie, she occasionally would hear young combat yao in groups that demanded to continue their advance. This place had an over-zealous mood, and showed signs of losing control. In the following battles, if they relied on the defensive line of Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie, and turned this place into a meat grinder that would greatly reduce the strength of xiuzhe, and when the final battle came, the yao would have a great advantage.

  If they attacked first and lost the strategic advantage of Bloody Sky Metropolis Jie’s natural barrier, they would end up in an extremely reactive position.

  However, she knew her words carried little weight, and could only keep her worries to herself.

  It probably was that she was just worried for nothing, she mocked herself inside.

  The middle-aged person did not think as deeply as Mu Xi. The busy scene in front of him caused all the blood in his body to boil, and filled with the desire to fight. However, he had been Mu Xi’s vice commander for a long time and was very familiar with Mu Xi. He asked in curiosity, “What is Daren thinking?”

  “Nothing.” Mu Xi shook her head.

  Noticing that Mu Xi’s mood was not good, the middle-aged person was slightly puzzled but he was wise and did not ask. He switched the top and said with a smile, “Does Daren know? Something big happened recently!”

  “What big matter?” Mu Xi said disinterestedly.

  “Vast Water Clear Skies was broken, the new prison is called Wasteland Beast Chessboard,” the middle-aged person said with a smile.

  “Oh.” Mu Xi was slightly astonished. Of course she knew of Vast Water Clear Skies. Even though as a battle general, her proficiency with normal yao arts was very average, but she still knew Vast Water Clear Skies. How many years had it been since the last prison-breaking battle?

  Seeing Mu Xie finally have an interested expression, the mood of the middle-aged person became slightly better. He narrated, “Supposedly, many people saw that prison-breaking battle. The entire battle was very fierce, but this mysterious youth in the end succeeded. However, the matter is just beginning. Rumors quickly spread tha
t this youth was challenging the Genius Alliance.”

  “Someone is causing trouble.” Mu Xi raised an eyebrow.

  “This subordinate thinks the same.” The middle-aged person continued, “But this youth did not come out and refute it. Daren, you also know the personalities of the Genius Alliance.”

  “Proud.” Mu Xi unhesitatingly blurted out. She suddenly thought of her younger brother that had the label of a genius. He also was a member of the Genius Alliance. The clan had great hopes for him.

  “Daren’s evaluation is very accurate,” the middle-aged person said with a smile. “So how could the Genius Alliance let it rest? They gathered and decided to break the Wasteland Beast Chessboard.”

  “The prison-breaking battle should not be activated so easily.”

  “Of course, but Genius Alliance is really full of geniuses. One of their supervisors really activated the prison-breaking battle.”

  “And then?” Mu Xi asked curiously. Her appetite had been whetted.

  “In that prison-breaking battle, the prison battlefield demanded that this Genius Alliance supervisor to solve twelve yao art problems within a required time. At first, this supervisor had a smooth time, but he was left stuck on the sixth question, and in the end, did not complete the prison-breaking battle.”

  “Such a pity.” Mu Xi smacked her lips, but her tone was not pitying at all.

  “When this supervisor came out, he wrote down these six problems, and this caused a great ruckus.”

  “What type of yao art problems are these six yao art problems?” Mu Xi was very sensitive.

  The middle-aged person’s expression was slightly strange. “Little yao art problems.”

  “Little yao art?” Mu Xi’s face was shocked. Her expression quickly became weird. She could imagine what expressions those geniuses had when they saw the six little yao art problems.

  “These six problems are being called the Prison-Breaking Six Problems. Even though they are little yao art problems, but they are very difficult and of a new perspective. They clearly are of a new school of thought,” The middle-aged person said sternly.

  Mu Xi nodded. She understood the difficulty involved.

  “Unexpectedly, this matter had new developments yesterday.” The expression of the middle-aged person became strange again.

  Chapter 365: Let’s Have A Discussion

  The sixth problem had been solved.

  The news swept through almost all the yao art houses like a strong gust of wind and was as if someone had thrown a spark into a pot of oil.

  Originally, the prison-breaking six problems were unexpected and unconventional, but it was not enough to cause everyone to pursue a solution. Even though the conflict between the mysterious prison-breaking yao and the Genius Alliance had been aggrandized, those with some intelligence would not put too much importance on it. The matter clearly a manipulation by someone from the shadows. Everyone watched it with the intentions of witnessing the spectacle and for amusement. No one believed the mysterious prison-breaking yao could defeat the Genius Alliance. Any normal yao would clearly arrive at this conclusion.

  So when Huai Boy had succeeded in activating the prison breaking battle, everyone watched but felt it was expected. Everyone had been speculating on when the Genius Alliance would break the prison. One of the Genius Alliance’s supervisors had activated the prison-breaking battle. The Genius Alliance had so many supervisors. Breaking the prison was just a matter of time.

  The prison-breaking six problems were novel to everyone, and showed everyone a completely different way of thinking. To be able to create something unique in the little yao arts which had been studied so thoroughly, the strength of the mysterious prison-breaking yao could not be underestimated. Some powerful great yao and famed teachers from famed yao art houses gave their praises, and were in agreement that they favored the potential of the mysterious prison-breaking yao and thought his future was limitless.

  Even as the prison-breaking six problems increasingly attracted the attention of more and more yao, but in the eyes of the public, this wasn’t anything.

  Each year, a few brilliant stars would appear and be praised by these so-called famed teachers, but the great majority would gradually grow dim and lose their standing.

  But just as everyone was waiting for the Genius Alliance to make a new move, everyone noticed a strange occurrence.

  The solution to the sixth prison-breaking problem had not been announced.

  One day, two days, three days … …

  The topic of the mysterious prison-breaking yao vs the Genius Alliance had lost its fervor and interest waned, but there was still no news of the answer to the sixth problem. It wasn’t known who first mentioned this strange situation, but it instantly attracted everyone’s attention.

  Was the sixth problem this difficult?

  Everyone had been somewhat disinterested in this matter, but their appetites were whet again.

  The people inside the Genius Alliance did not place much importance on this matter. They were full of confidence. Huai Boy had not successfully completed the prison-breaking, but it definitely was a good beginning. Young geniuses? The alliance did not lack geniuses.. Many supervisors were wondrously in consensus over this matter. They did not disturb the higher ranks. They firmly believed that they could solve this matter based on their individual strengths.

  Yet when the outside world started to discuss when the answer to the sixth problem would come out, they suddenly found to their shock, that without their notice, they had all been stuck on this problem.

  Now everyone was in a hurry.

  The branches of the Genius Alliance at each jie changed their lax attitude and quickly formed teams to work together on the problem.

  At last, on the ninth day, the answer to the sixth problem came out.

  The appetite of the outside world was very high. When the sixth problem’s answer came out, it pushed the matter of mystery prison-breaking yao vs Genius Alliance to the top again. Everyone suddenly found that it wouldn’t be so easy for the Genius Alliance to win.

  A battle with great power disparity naturally would not be interesting to many eyes. But when the underdog they had thought would lose in one round had endured for ten, left in a better shape than they anticipated and with a glimmer of hope, , the interest of the spectators skyrocketed.

  There wasn’t just one or two groups that wanted to see the Genius Alliance be left looking like fools.

  ———

  “We must retaliate!” the supervisor from the Lilium Jie said excitedly. His temper was explosive to start with, and he had been very stimulated by the words from the outside.

  “Yes! We have to retaliate!” the other supervisors agree with excited expressions.

  When had these proud individuals ever endured so much mockery and disdain? They firmly believed that the Genius Alliance gathered the most outstanding geniuses of the yao. They felt very proud of themselves for being among them.

  “Hmph, just took us a few extra days of effort, and all the scum have come out!”

  “We have to make them see the reality.” Another supervisor shrugged with a helpless expression. “Even if it is a bit cruel.”

  “What does everyone think? We can’t just get beat up like this. When has our Genius Alliance ever lost like this?” the supervisor from the Lilium Jie said.

  “Ha, very simple, increase the reward!”

  “Yes, brave ones will come for a great reward!”

  The yao supervisors had a common enemy and all gave their suggestions towards a plan.

  “Everyone contribute a few credits. Once we have a few hundred. I don’t believe that no one in the alliance won’t take it! I will contribute ten credit points.”

  “I will donate twenty!”

  The supervisors discussed and felt that this was a good plan. Not every member of the Genius Alliance had an outstanding family to support them. The alliance did not lack members that came from those poor families. The maj
ority of these people that entered the Genius Alliance chose to do so due to the great benefits the Genius Alliance provided. These yao cared about material gain, and not reputation. They usually did not interact with these supervisors, and could be considered to be a clearly separated group.

  However, these yao had a fatal weakness, credit points. The credits of the Genius Alliance were really just contribution points. They were able to exchanged all kinds of yao arts and worldly treasures for credit points from the alliance.

  When they encountered a troublesome problem, the supervisors instantly remembered these people that they usually looked down upon.

  In the corner, Huai Boy did not make a sound. His complexion was fragile, but an indiscernible cold smile floated at the corner of his mouth. These past few days, the other supervisors had been ignoring and shunning him, and he deeply felt how cold people here were. He knew the reason. Many supervisors felt discontented that of all the supervisors it was he that activated the prison-breaking battle. If he had succeeded, he would be a hero and the discontent would have been suppressed. They would have fawned over him. But he was defeated so he became the target of disdain.

  He suddenly felt he was slightly laughable.

  Why was he together with such an ungenerous and obnoxious crowd that thought highly of themselves?

  He silently looked on and smirked coldly inside.

  ———

  The troop would advance a distance every day.

  If they stopped, Zuo Mo would start drinking with Wei Sheng. The alcohol wasn’t anything good, but the two were very happy when they drank. They spoke of what happened to them in these few years, reminiscing on the interesting things that happened in their sect in the past.

  They sighed.

  “Speaking of it, if it wasn’t for these incidents, we wouldn’t be who we are today.” The alcohol was going to Zuo Mo’s head. He did not use ling power to suppress the effects of the alcohol. He said with a smile, “Without the troubles and worries in the past, how could Shixiong’s sword heart be so strong? Without the dangers along this road, I don’t know in which little corner I would be in trying to pass the days. I’d probably be just farming ling fields or something.”