by Fang Xiang
This was a true long distance journey. He didn't know how many jie they would have to pass through from Cloud Sea Jie to Shattered Stone Jie!
Truthfully, he still didn't know why he had A Gui had suddenly appeared here. Even Pu Yao and Wei didn't know what happened after he lost consciousness, much less A Gui.
Cloud Sea Jie … … Shattered Stone Jie … …
Was there a connection between these two? Zuo Mo definitely did not believe this was a coincidence. A transportation formation that could travel such a long distance certainly was not an average transportation formation.
At the beginning, he had thought it was a chaos rift but Pu Yao and Wei rejected this speculation with confidence.
Pu Yao and Wei were not reliable but when the two of them had the same opinion, then it was a reliable conclusion.
Then what was it? Zuo Mo sank into deep thought.
Suddenly, a light flashed through Zuo Mo's mind. All the clues were strung together like pearls in his mind.
He remembered the words on the golden leaf had said that the Sun Tribe had set up a shen temple in Cloud Sea Jie to look for a certain object. Zuo Mo at the beginning had thought that Lan had been imprisoned in the Burning Shen Realm because of the Sun Tribe's war-like nature but looking at it now, this definitely was not a coincidence.
The thieving baldy from Xuan Kong Temple had talked about "that object". It seemed that that guy knew something. Was the "object" that the thieving baldy spoke of and the "object" that the golden leaf mentioned the same one?
The restricted landed of the mist people!
That object was most likely in the restricted grounds of the mist people!
This was why Lan was in the Burning Shen Realm and why the thieving baldies had appeared was explainable.
But why did he and A Gui appear in Shattered Stone JIe? What was the connection between Shattered Stone Jie and the restricted grounds of the mist people? Was "that object" in Shattered Stone Jie?
Zuo Mo shook his head and threw this absurd thought to the back of his mind. In the period of time he had stayed in Uncle An Ya's home, he generally understood the situation of Shattered Stone Jie. Shattered Stone Jie was an average little jie among the many in the mo realm. There was nothing worthy of attention here. What was most plentiful were the sand and rocks of the Gobi Desert.
According to Uncle An Ya, the Gobi Desert was so large it spanned over three quarters of Shattered Stone Jie and was at its most central part. The other mo settlements were mostly like Shattered Stone Town and scattered around the borders of the Gobi Desert.
From every perspective, Shattered Stone Jie was a desolate place, even more lifeless than Cloud Sea Jie. The number of xiuzhe in Cloud Sea Jie was far more than the number of mo living in Shattered Stone Jie.
Then why had he and A Gui been transported here? Was this a coincidence?
Zuo Mo did not understand.
He quickly threw these speculations to the back of his mind. Even if there was treasure, it had nothing to do with him. He was worried about Lil' Miss and the others. Since Shu Long and A Wen were coming, Guard Camp now lacked a leader, and Turtle Island had one less troop that could fight.
Xuan Kong Temple would not remain passive.
He didn't know if Gongsun Shidi would be able to withstand their advances. Fortunately, Xuan Kong Temple was very far from Cloud Sea Jie and they could not sent many battalions over. They were also unable to maintain a long campaign because their primary enemy was yaomo, not him.
If they could stop the first wave, then it would be easy!
He did not speak of his worries. He believed that Gongsun Shidi would think of his.
Alright, he should first take care of himself. This weak and inhuman state was hurtful to look at.
A Gui was probably tired as well … …
Zuo Mo was lying on A Gui's back and her loose hair covered his face. After so many days of wind and sand, A Gui's hair was so clean there wasn't any dust and carried a heart-shaking black sheen. It felt slightly eerie.
It was a pity he could not see A Gui's face … …
"Hey, A Gui, can we change the carrying position?" Zuo Mo muttered.
He clearly felt that A Gui stilled. Hm, did A Gui understand?
Zuo Mo was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "A Gui, A Gui, change position, come come come, let's change position … …"
Before he finished speaking, he felt a great force and he spun.
He finally changed position … … it had been a few weeks since he was placed on A Gui's back … … A Gui, you were great!
Zuo Mo almost cried.
———
"A Gui, can we change a position again?" Zuo Mo said weakly.
A Gui was motionless and didn't react at all.
Zuo Mo was slightly nervous. His arm, which was in contact with a certain full and soft part of A Gui, tingled. Zuo Mo suddenly thought of the very powerful illusory art that despicable paper crane girl had used on him at Wu Kong Mountain … …
Was this … … also an illusory spell?
Such a powerful illusory spell!
Zuo Mo swallowed in difficulty and stammered, "Cough, A Gui, actually, we can change positions … … you, holding me horizontally like this, I don't have any presence!"
A Gui was motionless.
"Hey, A Zuo A Zuo!" Shouts from Dong Zi and the others came from outside the door. Zuo Mo had been accepted into their group, especially since Zuo Mo would accidentally "teach" them. They became even warmer after that.
Not good, someone was coming!
Zuo Mo panicked.
Oh! The heavens as witness! Ge has never panicked like this! Facing yaomo, yuanying, jindan, worldly treasures, ge has never felt such panic!
Why, why so panicked … …
Zuo Mo wanted to find a crack in the ground and hide himself.
Pia, the door was pushed open.
"A Zuo A Zuo!" Dong Zi and the others rushed in excitedly but when they saw Zuo Mo, they were stunned where they stood.
Deathly silence.
"Hey … … hey, what's with your expression?" Zuo Mo's tone was extremely unnatural.
"Whoa, Sister A Gui is so strong! Bridal carry!" A little girl's eyes were bright and admiring as she looked at A Gui.
Bridal carry … …
Everyone's expressions became strange.
"Cough cough cough, speak, A Gui is very tired today!" Zuo Mo said with forced calm.
"Oh, we wanted to tell you the matrix awakening master has come. Didn't you want to watch?" Dong Zi's expression was very strange. Even such a honest youth as Dong Zi felt that he was embarrassed when he saw a woman holding a man in a bridal carry.
Matrix awakening master!
In the eyes of the mo, activating the mo matrix was done to awaken the sleeping mo matrix so those in this profession were called matrix awakening masters. However, being a matrix awakening master was not a very prestigious profession because only low-level mo needed help to awaken their mo matrixes. They were still deeply respected because they were extremely knowledgeable.
Zuo Mo's mind became alert and he lost all embarrassment. He asked in a hurry, "Where, where?"
There were not many mo in the town. Zuo Mo guessed roughly that there were about fifty thousand people. If this was Xu Ling City, then they wouldn't even fill a corner of the city. Because the location was remote and the land was not bountiful, the mo here were mostly poor. As a result, no mo would target this place and there was no fighting.
When Zuo Mo came onto the street in A Gui's bridal carry, it instantly caused a burst of friendly laughter. The people here liked this strange pair. Zuo Mo who had become a chatterbox was warm and open in their eyes while A Gui who was silent and determined was greatly liked by those aunties full of maternal love. Everyday, someone would bring some food and attire to Uncle An Ya's home for A Gui and Zuo Mo.
"Little Zuo Zuo, your A Gui is very domineering!
"Bridal carry! Tsk tsk such strong arm po
wer, Little Zuo Zuo, does it feel good to lean there, ha ha!"
"Ohohoh, Elder Sister A Gui is very strong. In the future, I want to carry my man like this, so strong! So moving!"
"I like A Gui, she's so brave, Why hadn't I thought of this move in the past? Time is a butcher's knife! Oh, Little Zuo Zuo must be enjoying this … …
Zuo Mo was very embarrassed. If it wasn't that his expression was paralyzed, his face would be completely flushed at now. His finger which was the only part of his body that could move was trembling and shaking like a spring.
Ge … … ge's image was completely ruined! This was all his own fault! Why did ge want to change positions?
Zuo Mo cried on the inside.
A Gui was silent and her expression unchanged. Her steps were not wide. As she carried Zuo Mo, her center of balance was leaning towards the front. She was not strong to being with and it was hard for her to carry him in this position.
Dong Zi and the others were chattering at the side.
Fortunately, no one came to help A Gui. All those of Shattered Stone Town knew that A Gui definitely would not let go of Zuo Mo.
The matrix awakening master was at the center of the town. He was helping a youth awaken his mo matrix. The surroundings were silent and everyone had nervous expressions.
This matrix awakening master was not very old, about thirty or forty. His body was very thin and seemed wispy. He held a long needle about the length of his forearm and had an expression of concentration as he carefully drew with the needlepoint that was dipped in an unknown black liquid.
It was the first time Zuo Mo was seeing the process of mo matrix awakening. He was filled with curiosity.
The movements of the matrix awakening master was very light and elegant. It had a certain rhythm that caused Zuo Mo to think of dancing. The expression of the matrix awakening master was very focused. Every time he lowered the needle, the black medicine liquid on the tip would drip a black dot on the black of the youth. This extremely minuscule black dot would quickly permeate the skin and disappear.
Zuo Mo's eyes were skilled. After a few seconds, he more-or-less understood the method.
En?
The next movements of the matrix awakening master shocked Zuo Mo!
Translator Ramblings: Little bit of comedy to lighten up the dark depressing … … being sent somewhere else again … … without any power … … part.
Chapter 541: Matrix Awakening Master
An imperceptible light suddenly lit up at the tip of this matrix awakening master's hand. His wrist trembled slightly and the long needle was like a streak of silver light that suddenly entered the skin of the youth!
The youth's body shook slightly as he gave a muffled grunt.
At the same time, the faint mo matrix suddenly appeared. It was not very distinct but the structure of the mo matrix was clear.
The matrix awakening master released a breath and lightly patted the mo matrix. The long needle seemed to be jerked out of the youth's body by an invisible thread. Putting away the long needle, the matrix awakening master stood up and said with a smile, "Pretty good luck, it is a success."
The youth was instantly excited and his parents all released a long breath and gave happy expressions. With the mo matrix awakened, as long as he did not stop cultivating, he would welcome a new rapid period of improvement after a while.
No matter where, strength was the most important assurance, especially in the mo territories.
Dong Zi looked with admiration at that youth. The other's talent was not as high as his, but how high he would go depended on whether the awakening was a success.
Zuo Mo stared thoughtfully at the matrix awakening master's long needle.
When he had seen the long needle enter the body of the youth, he had jumped in fight. But when the mo matrix appeared, he instantly identified the reason.
Zuo Mo had once thoroughly studied mo matrices and had his own understanding about the mo matrices. In his view, the mo matrix was a natural formation formed from the blood, flesh, and body's energies. The complexity of this was much higher than the seal formations of the xiuzhe. Other than the complexity of its structure, there was also an important cause, the blood, flesh, energy, they were not dead.
The mo had a saying, 'there were no mo matrices that were exactly the same'.
Because the energies and flesh of every mo were not completely the same, the mo matrices were not the same.
After seeing the entire process, he had a directly experience of how to awaken the mo matrix. The matrix awakening masters made a certain repairs to the incomplete mo matrices, no, more accurately, it was an adjustment. They made minor adjustments to the flesh and energies. Even though they could not repair the mo matrix, they could get the mo matrix to be effective to a certain degree.
Therefore 'awakening the mo matrix', this saying was extremely accurate.
As Zuo Mo pondered this, he stared at the long needle in the hand of the matrix awakening master. He was very interested in that needle.
The spectating mo gradually left. There were not unfamiliar with this matter. A group of young mo remained behind and asked the matrix awakening master all kinds of questions. This middle-aged matrix awakening master was very harmonious in personality and patiently answered the questions of the youth.
Zuo Mo listened for a while and instantly had a new opinion of the matrix awakening master. The other was knowledgeable.
"Mister Matrix Awakening Master, may I see your needle?"
Zuo Mo suddenly said. His tone did not seem any different than the other innocent youths that were full of curiosity.
"En?" The matrix awakening master turned his face. When he saw Zuo Mo and A Gui, a teasing expression came onto his face, "Haha, little boy, starting to eat soft rice at such a young age. This is not a good habit!"
Eating soft rice?
Zuo Mo stilled. For some unknown reason, the feeling of fullness and softness that came from his arm instantly became crystal clear and the tingly feeling … ..
The illusory spell had come again!
So soft … … was this … … was this what eating soft rice meant?
Zuo Mo instantly understood.
The taste was actually … … pretty good … …
Zuo Mo was dazed but he quickly focused. "Mister, I'm very sorry. I cannot move."
At this time, he was like a harmless youth, and there was not one hint of the presence of the person who had taken over a jie.
"Mister Matrix Awakening Master, A Zuo's body is not well and he cannot move. A Gui cannot hear nor speak," the kind Dong Zi explained to the matrix awakening master.
"Oh!" The middle-aged matrix awakening master showed slight shock. He examined the two of them and said to himself, "Is there a strange ailment, let me see."
He didn't wait for Zuo Mo to respond, walked forward, and grabbed one of Zuo Mo's hands.
Zuo Mo was shocked and instantly regretted his choice to interact. He shouldn't have called attention to himself so early. If the other detected something when inspecting his body, it would be dangerous!
But before he could refuse, the middle-aged matrix awakening master started his inspection with one hand on Zuo Mo's arm.
A warm wave of power followed his finger into Zuo Mo's arm.
This wave of power was instantly dismembered by the rampaging powers that were fighting in Zuo Mo's body!
The middle-aged matrix awakening master's face turned white!
Zuo Mo sighed sorrowfully inside. It was over!
The middle-aged matrix awakening master took back his arm. His face was ashen. Even though he tried to maintain calmness on his face, Zuo Mo still noticed the barely discernable shock in his eyes.
"What is the result of Sire's inspection?" Zuo Mo's voice was smiling and it sounded like an innocent youth waiting for an answer. Since he had been found out, if he came on strongly, the other would have a harder time determining his true origins.
But in the ears of the
middle-aged matrix awakening master, this was like a clap of thunder. This youth that seemed harmless and was held to the chest of this little girl instantly transformed to a dangerous youth hiding in the darkness.
A Gui who was expressionlessly holding Zuo Mo seemed like a personal guard of those high-level mo. The middle-aged matrix awakening master had once seen some high-level mo. They would frequently have one or two of those special existences by their side. Even that cold presence was the same.
These kinds of personal guards usually had great power, they killed people like they were ants, cold and emotionless … …
Was this youth actually a high-level mo?
Cold sweat instantly floated down his back.
In his eyes, the youth was staring at him sardonically. Even that tone seemed to be teasing.
"Ah ha ha, so sorry, my skill is not very good, and I really haven't seen this ailment before." The middle-aged matrix awakening master laughed. No matter what the other's identity was, and why he had disguised himself like this or if A Zuo was really sick, he decided to not get involved.
After speaking, he turned and prepared to leave.
"Honorable Mister Matrix Awakening Master, you have not let me see your needle," a seemingly innocent voice came from behind him.
The middle-aged matrix awakening master's steps stilled and his expression froze.
The other was not afraid … … it seemed that his speculation was close … … he could not afford to offend someone this dangerous!
Turning around, his face was filled with a harmonious smile, "Aiya, I forgot this, so sorry." Finishing, he took out the long needle.
"Mister Matrix Awakening Master, may I trouble you to put this in my hand? I'm very sorry, I cannot move," Zuo Mo said politely.
The matrix awakening master carefully put the long needle onto Zuo Mo's palm.
Dong Zi and the others had wide eyes. They had seen a mischievous person try to touch the long needle of the matrix awakening master and had been lectured severely by the master. The matrix awakening master was really a kind mo. He probably felt that A Zuo was pitiful so he was treating A Zuo so well!
