This chapter has been brought to you by me, WanderingGummiOfDoom, and Brian.

Chapter Three Hundred and Ninety Nine – Weaknesses

“How was your troop’s harvest today?” a Vermillion Bird Camp xiuzhe asked his comrade beside him.

“Alright. It’s better than a few days ago. We killed two fiend soul beasts, but our luck wasn’t bad; and we got one totem fragment.” This fellow was truly proud inside, but he pretended to be indifferent.

“You guys really got lucky!” the other said with admiration. “I don’t know what is going on right now, so many good things becoming available at once. Did you see that Daren has announced three more kinds of formations that can be engraved?”

“Yes! They’re really good!” He licked his lips and was full of desire. “Much stronger than the engraved formations that were carved previously! However, the number of points that need to be used is really not cheap!”

“There’s no reason for good things to be cheap!” The person seemed very experienced. “And it’s just for us. Outsiders don’t even need to think about it. Even Ma Fan Daren has been furiously hunting fiend soul beasts these days. Isn’t it because he wants to trade for the engraved formations?”

“Ha, that’s true. Everyone is crazy! Who can sit still now? I’m not going to chat, going to work now! The faster I get points, the earlier I can get the formations engraved!”

In these past days, the relatively peaceful camp’s ambition had instantly been ignited by Zuo Mo’s announcement.

He had announced the three new formations, and the number of points needed for them to be engraved. In addition it was also announced that the mission for obtaining points would be the collection of totem fragments and fiend soul beast beads.

The number of points needed for each of the three newly announced formations were not low, but when everyone finished looking at the descriptions of the three formations, their eyes instantly turned red. A furious hunting wave had started due to this.

Compared to Vermillion Bird Camp, Guard Camp was much more peaceful.

The engraved formations did not have much use for them. What they cultivated was the fleshy body; but it did not mean that were not moved to action this time.

Fiend soul beast beads and totem fragments could be traded for points. For them, points were also of great use.

However Shu Long did not leave the camp and instead stayed locked up inside his tent by himself.

He was cultivating [Great Day Hards.h.i.+p Guard]. This mo skill had been greatly modified by Pu Yao again. Compared to [Hards.h.i.+p Guard], [Great Day Hards.h.i.+p Guard] was higher level. But the cultivation difficulty had also increased greatly. Out of caution, Pu Yao had Shu Long cultivate it first to prevent any problems from appearing.

[Hards.h.i.+p Guard] was a mo skill especially suited for those that did not have outstanding talent but were persistent.

The [Great Day Hards.h.i.+p Guard] that Pu Yao had modified had used [Hards.h.i.+p Guard] as the basis for a new mo skill. Even though his primary area was yao arts, to a peak expert like him that could touch the core nature of power, one solution was every solution. His knowledge was extremely broad. To say nothing of yao arts, he had studied an extraordinary amount of spells and mo skills.

Even Wei praised it after a.n.a.lyzing this [Great Day Hards.h.i.+p Guard] that he created. Afterwards, Wei had made adjustments to some details and further perfected it.

The [Great Day Hards.h.i.+p Guard] for which two great experts had teamed up to create was a top level mo skill even in the mo world.

But this top level mo skill was not so easy to cultivate. Pu Yao had added in many methods of cultivating from the Great Day mo physique, or rather, the cultivation of mo physiques.

The cultivation of mo physiques was extremely dangerous.

Shu Long’s entire body was tense. The armour on his body liquefied at a rate visible to the naked eye into a jet black liquid. Moments later, this black liquid wrapped him completely to the point even his eyes could not be seen.

“The hardest step is over,” Pu Yao said indifferent from within Zuo Mo’s consciousness.

“I feel some antic.i.p.ation.” Wei’s eyes flashed. “If he can really cultivate into a mo physique … …”

He did not say what was after, but Pu Yao understood what Wei meant. If Shu Long could really cultivate into a mo physique, that meant that the possibility that other people could cultivate into mo physiques was very high.

In the mo world, the ability to cultivate into a mo physique depended on bloodlines and talent. If Shu Long could really cultivate into a mo physique, that Pu Yao undoubtedly had opened a completely new path! To cultivate into a mo physique by cultivating mo skills… instead of innate talent!

Wei was very clear about the terrifying power encapsulated in this!

Such a terrifying madman!

———

Zuo Mo’s expression was ugly as he stared at the totem fragment in his hand.

There was an aura of ancient desolation in this tiny fragment that made him think of the wasteland beast. Even though the presence of the totem fragment was not as powerful, vast, or savage as the wasteland beast, that bleakness was extremely similar. However, the bleakness of the wasteland beast carried a deathly stillness, and the bleakness of this totem fragment had birthed an extremely tiny thread of vitality.

That was the ling kernel!

Tens of thousands of years had caused this little fragment of life essence, to birth a thread of cognition.

He was almost certain that normal forging methods were unsuitable for the totem fragment. Normal forging methods could easily destroy the ling kernel of the totem fragment. That would be a great pity.

Zuo Mo placed great importance on this totem fragment. Due to this, he had specially used the Great Day Banded Flame to reforge the Sonic Lightning Walnuts to familiarize himself with the more domineering and purer Great Day Banded Flame.

It had to be said that the sixth-grade flame’s strength was as extraordinary as expected. He had almost forged a Sonic Lightning Walnut into a pile of silver water. The dominant nature of the fire could be seen. This also caused Zuo Mo to realize his weakest area.

The skill of a forger was primarily decided by three factors.

The first was forging knowledge: one had to be familiar with all kinds of materials, their combinations, and the formations.

The second was cultivation: one’s cultivation directly determined the control over the flame, the carving of formations. The higher the formation, the more complex it was, and the more it demanded of ling power.

The third were forging tools: fire seeds and cauldrons. If it was a water method, one also needed ling springs and cold ponds etc.

Zuo Mo was not weak on forging knowledge. Even though he did not understand high level forging methods, he had read a great variety of forging jade scrolls. In the area of formations, the entire Golden Crow Camp had no one that could compare to him. After the grind of the Ten Finger Prison, the endless yao arts broadened his visions and his affinity for formations came even more easily to him.

And tools were his strong points. Sixth-grade Great Day Banded Flame was definitely a peak fire seed that could not be bought with jings.h.i.+.

His weakest area was cultivation.

When he had been reforging the Sonic Lightning Walnut, he had detected this. In terms of cultivation, he was just in ningmai. Originally, he had not felt this kind of cultivation was low, but when he had channeled the Great Day Banded Flame today, he had found just how weak his ling power was.

The Great Day Banded Flame was like a colossal being, and his ling power wasn’t enough to even get a good glance at it.

If the Great Day Banded Flame had not been formed from his Great Day mo physique and was from the same origins, he would have been harmed in the backlash, much less channeled it.

Now Zuo Mo was depressed.

What was more depressing than having a treasure and not being able to use it?

Cultivation, cultivation! He was stuck at cultivation!

Deeply struck by this blow, Zuo Mo ran into the sea of consciousness and found Pu Yao. He asked without any greeting, “Pu, is there any methods that can immediately increase my cultivation?”

Pu Yao looked at Zuo Mo like he was looking at an idiot. “What do you think ling power is?”

Zuo Mo was unsatisfied. “Are there really no methods?”

“I do have a good amount of spells here,” Pu Yao glanced at Zuo Mo, “but with your quality of physique, you probably have to cultivate ten more years to reach jindan. Unless you have worldly treasures. Do you have such things?”

Zuo Mo was instantly sorrowful. Worldly treasures that could increase cultivation, how could he have those?

With his present ling power, it was a delusion to think that he could control the sixth-grade Great Day Banded Flame. It wasn’t that he had not thought of using formations to control the Great Day Banded Flame, but no normal materials could tolerate the sixth-grade Great Day Banded Flame .

d.a.m.n it!

Wasn’t he wasting it?

Zuo Mo turned to Wei. Wei also showed an apologetic expression. He also didn’t have any good solutions.

Coming out of the sea of consciousness, Zuo Mo’s mood was terrible. The Great Day Banded Flame was a top fire seed, the totem fragment was a top material, but he could only stare at them. It wasn’t even as good as Golden Crow Fire. That was just fourth-grade, but at least he could control that easily.

He finally realized a great problem. Ling power would always be his greatest weakness and he had to improve in it unless he wanted to give up on dan-making and forging. No matter if it was yao arts or mo skills, they were very powerful, but they could not replace ling power’s uses in other areas.

Fine, he wouldn’t think on it so much. Surviving and leaving the Sealed Extinction battlefield was the biggest priority right now.

Zuo Mo quickly let go of his mood.

He ran into the Ten Finger Prison. He first went to the yao city and received a letter left for him. The writer was a yao named Ming Jue Zi. He had written detailed inquiries on what kind of information Zuo Mo needed on the Battle of Sealed Extinction.

This letter instantly caused Zuo Mo’s low mood to rise greatly. Compared to his losses in forging, the information on the Battle of Sealed Extinction was much more important. He hurriedly wrote a response and replied to every question the other had.

After doing this, Zuo Mo’s depression was swept away. He excitedly ran to the Wasteland Beast Chessboard to find Nan Yue and Cang Ze. However, he did not find the two but found Cang Lin first. This young person was gradually recovering and was very happy when he saw Zuo Mo. Cang Ze was one of the primary hopes of the clan, and was urgently cultivating [Grey Scar Art].

A short while later, Zuo Mo saw a slightly tired Nan Yue. Due to the defeats at the front lines, everyone was furiously cultivating now. Nan Yue had a strong feeling of danger and was furiously teaching her clansmen to cultivate.

Zuo Mo thought of Nan Yue’s financial situation. The front lines had lost, so the prices of necessities would definitely have skyrocketed. Nan Yue’s days were probably very difficult. He gave a portion of the money he had to Nan Yue.

Having experienced war, Zuo Mo told her to spend more time on cultivation. In troubled times, strength was the basis of survival.

Nan Yue pressed her lips together tightly. She did not refuse and seriously nodded.

Zuo Mo explained in detail what to pay attention to during wartime. These were all his experiences. Nan Yue was not the only one to listen carefully. Cang Lin who was at the side hurriedly cast a recording yao art to record Zuo Mo’s words.

Zuo Mo’s stream of words caused Cang Lin to think. Had Daren experienced war before?

Was Daren at the front lines?

His heart was filled with questions.

Translator Ramblings: Ling power is still a problem for Zuo Mo which is ironic. Even back in Dong Fu, he had problems getting enough ling power to match what he could do with his consciousness.