Chapter Eight Hundred and Seven – Coral Fire Perch
The surface of the wood was black as though it had been scorched by fire. It was black and did not appear special. Zuo Mo looked at Lil’ Black who was the same color and couldn’t help but mutter inside, you’re holding on so tightly, is it because you found something as black as you?
However, when the wood was in his hand, Zuo Mo shook.
A burning presence burrowed into Zuo Mo’s hand.
Even though Zuo Mo possessed the Sun Shen Flame, he couldn’t help but shake. Only when he started to channel shen power did this burning presence only halved. Having learned the lesson, he wrapped shen power around his hand before carefully grabbing the tree trunk.
The section that was buried under was longer than Zuo Mo imagined.
It took Zuo Mo some effort to pull the entire piece of wood out of the soil. The tree trunk was about twice the height of a person and about a third of it was burnt.
The burnt part had most likely been struck by lightning. Zuo Mo could clearly feel a great amount of lightning and fire energy. It was so abundant it was almost unimaginable. Zuo Mo suspected that this part of the trunk was crystallized by lightning and fire energy, containing extremely pure lightning and fire energy that existed in a wondrous balance.
The green lichen had changed into the lightning green lichen as a result of growing on the tree trunk for a long time and absorbing the lightning energy of the trunk.
When Zuo Mo dug out the entire tree and wiped away the surface layer of soil, everyone else watching inhaled sharply.
The part of the trunk that was not burnt was as warm and as transparent as crystal. It was possible to see thick twisted red veins inside that filled the inner space of the wood. It was like a coral. A burning presence emanated from it.
“What is this?” The Black Gold Seal Soldier curiously crowded over.
Zuo Mo shook his head. “I don’t know.” He turned to ask the Ghost Mist Child. “Do you recognize it?”
The Ghost Mist Child said with slight hesitation, “It should be coral wood.”
“Coral wood?” The Black Gold Seal Soldier’s eyes were wide, and something glittering could be seen at the corner of his mouth. “Just that name… it sounds as though it would taste delicious … …I really want to eat … …”
“Coral wood?” Zuo Mo frowned. He remembered that the sun gold leaf had mentioned this.
Coral Wood, jade like material, a coral-like fire inside, it was a rare and precious fire-type material.
Fire … …
Zuo Mo’s shen power was uncontrollably channeled in. Boom, the wood suddenly sprouted red flames that made everyone jump in fright.
Zuo Mo frowned instead. Such a strange flame!
Unlike his sun shen flame, the flame inside the coral wood was as red as coal but silent.
It was a pity that it was not suited to him. His flame was domineering and fierce and completely different from the fire of the coral wood. He remembered that the sun gold leaf had said that this item was most suited for a wasteland beast and could help them grow.
Wasteland beast … …
Zuo Mo’s gaze swept across everyone and then landed in the end on Silly Bird. His eyes lit up. This one could count as a phoenix now. Her flame was unlike his, and coral wood would be a suitable pairing.
Phoenixes perched on parasol trees.
There were no parasol trees, but this coral wood was perfect.
Zuo Mo considered it and then arrived at a decision. His hand was like a knife that cut the coral wood into two. The part that contained lightning energy was split off. The lightning and fire energies in this part of the wood had completely merged together after coexisting for tens of thousands of years.
The other section of the coral wood was about the height of a man. It was jade-like to the touch. A dark red coral grew throughout the transparent tree trunk. People had to marvel at the wonders of creation.
Zuo Mo closed his eyes and thought. A long while later, he opened his eyes. His fingers were like knives that quickly started to carve on the coral wood. Scraps of clear wood flew. The Black Gold Seal Soldier who was watching eagerly did not wait for them to land on the ground before sucking them into his mouth with a content expression.
About an hour later, the round trunk was covered in patterns.
“This is a totem pole?” The Ghost Mist Child asked uncertainly. He had never seen many of the patterns on this totem pole.
“It isn’t.” Zuo Mo shook his head. “I used some of the totem pole methods. What should this be considered as?”
Zuo Mo was slightly uncertain.
The other people did not understand what Zuo Mo intended but Silly Bird’s eyes suddenly lit up. She seemed to feel that was a ball of fire inside the round wood that was resonating with the fire inside her.
Zuo Mo shook his head. It was not important what this thing was, but rather if it was useful or not. He beckoned at Silly Bird. “Silly Bird, stand on it and try!”
If this was another day, Silly Bird would proudly ignore Zuo Mo if he called her Silly Bird or glare angrily. But today, without a word, her wings spread and she flew onto the coral wood.
Once Silly Bird land onto the coral wood, boom, dark red flames suddenly erupted out of the wood pillar. Silly Bird felt indescribably comfortable and sang a high note!
Boom!
The fire expanded!
The red flames shot into the sky!
An astounding wave of air gusted in all directions. Zuo Mo, Wei Sheng, and a few others were unaffected but the guards were unable to keep their places, bam bam bam, and were forced to retreat a few steps.
However, Wei Sheng, Zong Ru and the others changed expressions slightly.
It seemed as though they saw an enormous ancient phoenix bathing in the fire of the wood. Amongst the raging flames, its proud posture could be seen. “With its high pitched cries, all beasts bowed!”
Silly Bird’s Phoenix Flame and the dark red flames of the coral wood merged perfectly. The seal scripts and shen glphys on the pillar were unusually beautiful in the brightness of the flames.
Other than the seal scripts, the most important thing on the pillar was the sun shen glyph. The sun shen glyph was the one that Zuo Mo was most familiar with. While it was not a perfect match to the attributes of the coral wood, the wood was one of the rare materials that could support shen glyphs. Zuo Mo used a compromise, the sun shen glyph as the core, all kinds of fire formations on the surface to form a completely separate and complete little fire formation group.
This round pillar did not look any different from totem poles but the two were completely different things.
Seal pole?
This name was not glorious enough. Zuo Mo immediately refused it. After thinking for awhile, he decided to call it the [Coral Fire Perch].
It had to be said that Zuo Mo’s design was rational. The fire contained inside the [Coral Fire Perch] was completely uncovered. Silly Bird could absorb the flames while perching on it. When fighting, this would be also of help. Her phoenix flame would at least increase in power by half!
With the [Solitary Dance of the Great Dark Wheel Phoenix] together, Silly Bird had the power to fight against the wasteland beasts of the ancient times!
Thinking that he had another super powered sidekick, Zuo Mo was extremely proud. As expected, regardless of the time, equipment was the most important!
Having had a taste, Zuo Mo started to calculate his other gains.
Rain Banner, Thunder Source Hammer, remnant of a Skanda Staff, Green Pulse String, all the parts of the ancient octopus.
All of these were good materials. The Rain Commanding Banner and the Thunder Source Hammer were also undamaged, but were exhausted of their power so they did not retain their ancient power. However, their construction was extraordinary and just the materials were very good.
There was still a lingering presence of a Dhyana xiu on the remnant of the Skanda Staff. However, what was most useful was the material. It was made from the very rare Ten Thousand Profound Copper Source gilded with Crimson Fire Gold Flow. It was extremely hard but at the same time, the difficulty in forging was high.
However, for Zuo Mo who possessed the sun shen fire, this was not a problem.
The Green Pulse Strand was a powerful talisman, a treasure formed in the world. Zuo Mo had not thought of any ways to forge it. Most importantly was that shen glyph that Zuo Mo called [Green Pulse]. It possessed great power. Only after completely comprehending the [Green Pulse Shen Glyph] could he truly express the power of the Green Pulse String.
Zuo Mo had never had the bad habits of the forgers from the big sects. It was normal for him to adjust his designs to the materials he had on hand.
After some thought, he had a new idea.
He took out all of the good materials from his ring and piled it up in front of him. He called over Zong Ru and had him try to see which kind of material could hold wish power.
Wish power was a very strange power. Zuo Mo’s understanding of it was pitiful so he decided for Zong Ru to try them one by one.
Zong Ru understood that Zuo Mo was planning to forge a talisman for him and was moved. However, his control over his emotions had reached a great level and his expression remained calm.
He did as Zuo Mo said and tried the items. His eyes suddenly lit up when he touched the eyes of the ancient octopus.
“This item is useable!”
Zuo Mo’s worries were immediately eased. In his view, Zong Ru had wish power and shen power, two completely different powers. It would be a pity if he could not enhance any one of the two. He had been worried before since there were no materials suitable for Zong Ru. The Cross Vajra Gada could not express his strength at this point.
The two eyes of the ancient octopus had turned to stone already. They were black and bright on the surface and had shrank by a third of its size. However, for a talisman, it was still too large.
Zuo Mo did not know much about many of Zong Ru’s skills so Zong Ru decided to forge a general talisman nucleus and then have Zong Ru continue to perfect it.
This undoubtedly tested the skill of the forger.
Even Zuo Mo had to seriously considered for a while before he decided to act.
The first step was to forge the two eyes of the octopus. With the sun shen fire and the phoenix flame, it only took half of a day. Zuo Mo forged the two eyes until they were about the size of a fist.
After forging the octopus eyes, they were black and reflective. If one met the eyes, they would unconsciously be attracted and their consciousness sinking into them.
As expected of a guy that had lived for tens of thousands of years!
Zuo Mo’s confidence multiplied.
Thunder Source Hammer, the damaged Skanda Staff, half of the coral wood, the Incense Fire Ling Wish Beads … …
A pile of valuable materials flowed through Zuo Mo’s hands. Zuo Mo had gained the Incense Fire Ling Wish Beads as spoils of victory after killing Ji Zheng []. The other treasure, the Nether Reincarnation Lotus had always been used on A Gui.
After forging for three full days, this shen device finally took form.
This was a very strange three-flanged max. Inside one flange was a transparent red bead about the size of a fist that floated peacefully. Inside the bead, there was a hammer that flickered in and out of view among the electricity. In another flange, there were two beautiful black beads that spun constantly like two playing fish. In the last flange, seven Incense Fire Ling Wish Beads floated up and down in the mist of the incense.
Even though Zong Ru’s mind was as still as water, he couldn’t help but stop breathing when he saw this three-flanged staff!
[1] Obtained in chapter 678.
Ji Zheng – Fanxu of Tian Huan Temple. First mentioned in chapter 664, and appearing in chapter 665 where he is on a mission to assassinate Xiao Mo Ge with Dai Tao. Described as a stereotypical dhynana xiu, with a shaved head, prayer beads, and monk robes.
Translator Ramblings: Coral Wood is the direct translation but I feel as though it is petrified wood? Fossilized wood.