Chapter Eight Hundred and Seventy Six Shi
If it was not for that face, Zuo Mo would definitely not have recognized Shi. When they had parted, Shi’s body had been split apart from the middle with one half being multi-colored. Yet right now, his body was like jade and released astounding vibrations. Only that shrivelled face was still familiar.
Shi seemed even more powerful.
But for some reason, Zuo Mo had a bad feeling. The stronger the person was, the greater their control over their power, and they would not easily leak their power outside. Shi seemed to be a fiercely burning flame. While hot, it gave Zuo Mo the feeling that it could not be maintained.
When Zuo Mo’s gaze accidentally swept across Shi’s legs, he stilled. There was nothing under Shi’s knees.
Zuo Mo stilled and stammered out a question. “Shi, your body … …”
In Zuo Mo’s mind, Shi could do anything. No one was stronger than Shi, not even the Chief Elder of Tian Huan. How could someone so peerlessly strong become like this.
Shi saw Zuo Mo and showed a smile. This caused his grey-white face to look strange and terrifying. “I have lived long enough.”
“But … …”
Zuo Mo opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He suddenly realized that after spending ten thousand years in the Sealed Extinction Battlefield, was Shi’s life about to reach an end?
It had been more than ten years since they first met at the Battlefield of Sealed Extinction. The sun crystal seed that Shi had given him back then had saved his life many times. The sun crystal seed was the reason that he had achieved his cultivation.
He remembered when they parted, Shi said he was going to find his homeland.
As though he saw Zuo Mo’s pain, gentleness flashed through Shi’s eyes. He said with a smile, “Even the strongest cannot withstand the march of time. I have lived longer than those of my era, there is nothing I am dissatisfied by, you do not need to be sad for me.”
Zuo Mo was silent. A moment later, he raised his head. “Shi, did you find your homeland?”
“This is my homeland,” Shi said with a laugh.
Zuo Mo stilled. “Ah, this is your homeland?” Moments later, he suddenly realized and his expression froze on his face. He stammered out, “You you you … … are the Nether King?”
Shi saw Zuo Mo’s shocked expression and laughed. “Is this very strange?”
Zuo Mo lost the ability to speak. He had never thought that Shi was the Nether King! But when he recovered from his shock, he felt that it was normal. To be able to silently unite the Nether Realm in such a short amount of time, Zuo Mo felt that no one other than Shi would have managed to accomplish it.
Shi was very happy at shocking Zuo Mo so much. He examined Zuo Mo and said with surprise, “You have progressed very quickly, already god-level. Oh, you are wounded?”
After he said those last words, Shi’s brow furrowed. “Is there someone so strong right now?”
Zuo Mo narrated the matter with the Chief Elder of Tian Huan in detail. Shi listened and nodded as he said, “No wonder, your luck is good. Do not worry, this place is suited for healing. I can see that you have already some understanding of this. The true meaning of nether is not death, but life. This is the shen methodology I cultivated in the past. In my hands, it has been refined and perfected. Take a look. It will be of help to your recovery. However, there is no need to cultivate it. The nether shen power and your sun shen power will conflict.”
Then he swept a look across the shen wood coffins and said, “Your luck is really good to find the Ten Thousand Life Shen wood! I can help you wake them up.”
“Really?” Zuo Mo was overjoyed. He widened his eyes. “You can awaken them?”
“Actually, you have already started on the right path,” Shi explained. “However, your comprehension is shallow. If you want to wake them, you will need ten years if you study the shen methodology I give you.”
“Ten years … …” Zuo Mo faltered and hurriedly said, “Then you do it!”
Shi’s gaze was burning and with a hint of mirth. Then his expression became serious. “Then you have to promise me some things.”
“As long as I can accomplish them, anything!” Zuo Mo patted his chest. Actually, even if Shi did not help him and needed his help, he would do it.
Shi said, “When your wounds heal, you will truly be god-level. While you have just entered god-level, you are now barely acceptable as the successor to my position.”
“Ah!” Zuo Mo was dumbstruck. A moment later, he said slowly, “You mean Nether King?”
“Yes.” Shi nodded and said, “I spent so much power to unite them. I do not want them to divide after I die.”
After saying this, Shi looked wryly at Zuo Mo. “You have gotten a great bargain. Mo Cloud Sea and the Nether Realm, you have the ability to conquer the world.”
Zuo Mo scratched his head. “Theoretically, I did benefit. But, why me?”
“Why?” Shi roared with laughter and then said seriously, “There are several reasons. One, you have the ability, god-level power, and the support of Mo Cloud Sea. You have the ability to establish yourself on the throne. I do not want the Nether Realm to turn into chaos after my death. Secondly, you are not a bad person. Mo Cloud Sea has been good under your rule. You have no bias against the mo, I do not have to worry about that. Third, you have good luck.”
Zuo Mo still felt as though he was in a dream. Good fortunate had come too fast and suddenly.
“Power is meaningless to me. The reason I united the Nether Realm was because this is my homeland,” Shi said coolly.
Zuo Mo’s mind quickly cleared. He said with slight disbelief. “Outside, Eastern Nether Mansion and the Yin Tomb Guards are fighting fiercely. Are you going to sit by and watch?”
“No kind of happiness comes without experiencing pain,” Shi said coolly. He glanced at Zuo Mo. “I have made arrangements.”
Zuo Mo suddenly realized. “I understand. You set this up, you just want to see who is going to meet your expectations, right?”
Shi smiled but did not reply. He said, “Recover first. Once you recover, there might be a need for you to appear.”
“Alright.” Zuo Mo felt the same. If he could recover completely, he would be of greater help to Shi.
He actually had many more things he did not say. Shi’s legs under the kneecap were gradually dissipating as though there was an invisible mouth slowly consuming Shi’s body. Zuo Mo knew that Shi’s life was really at an end. None of this could be stopped.
Even Zuo Mo who had god-level cultivation felt was terrified at this kind of complete and unstoppable destruction.
Zuo Mo felt extremely distressed.
While he knew that even the strongest would die one day; while he knew that Shi who had lived for tens of thousands of years was calm and peaceful, and had already seen to everything.
But why was he still sad? Why was he still feeling pain?
In his last throes, Shi was probably at the strongest he’d ever been in his life because his life was being burned to the end. Shi did not calmly wait for the arrival of death and chose to burn his remaining lifespan at the end.
What did Shi want to do?
He must have some wish he wanted to complete?
Zuo Mo didn’t know but he could clearly feel that Shi had indescribable and deep feelings for this land.
Homeland?
Zuo Mo thought silently. This term was unfamiliar to him.
But no matter what, he would use all of his power to help Shi complete his last wishes.
Shi taught Zuo Mo the important points of creating life out of death. Zuo Mo listened carefully. After just a while, Zuo Mo felt he had gained a lot. Shi’s skill in this level was much greater than Zuo Mo. Every one of his words were to the point and Zuo Mo was entranced.
Shi spoke for three whole days.
In these three days, Shi’s light grew even brighter, his presence even stronger. He was like a burning flame that no one could look directly at.
Yet, Shi’s knees had now disappeared.
Zuo Mo forced down his grief as he worked to repair his body.
The death energy pools had accumulated the pure death energy after countless eons in the death eye. After Shi’s teachings, Zuo Mo quickly found the crux. He quickly found that the vitality that came from the water in the death energy pools was purer than the vitality from the Nether Ghost Yin Heavy Wood.
His wounds would quickly recover.
Shi sat on the throne and was in a daze.
“Are you afraid?’ Shi suddenly asked Sand Puppet.
Sand Puppet rumbled, “Not afraid.”
“If I die, you will also die,” Shi said.
“Then let’s die,” Sand Puppet said.
“Metal Ox, how long have you followed me?” Shi turned his face to ask.
The iron ox tilted his head and thought for a while before saying, “Twelve thousand and forty two years.”
“More than ten thousand years, time has passed so quickly,” Shi lamented. He suddenly said, “If I want you all to live?”
Five gazes suddenly locked onto him. The temperature in the hall suddenly dropped and the hall was filled with murderousness.
Shi roared with laughter. “Alright, you will feel life is dull and become bored if you continue to live. Since that’s the case, then let us do something together.”
The murderousness disappeared.
“He’s come,” Black Mist suddenly said.
“Have him come in,” Shi said coolly. In this moment, he was the authoritative Nether King.
The incomer saw Shi and was overcome with excitement, kneeling to the floor. “King!”
His voice was choked and filled with excitement. “Great! Great! King! King is fine! Fine!”
“Stand up,” Shi said coolly.
He looked at the large man in front of him. This tattooed large man was one of the four nether lords, An Mo who ruled the Western Jail Mansion.
“An Mo, you worked hard recently,” Shi said calmly.
“This subordinate is not burdened,” An Mo shook his head and said with worry, “King, Eastern Nether Mansion and the Yin Tomb Guards are fighting intensely. The fatalities on both sides are high. Should we interfere?”
As he said this, his eyes were bright, and he didn’t look as though he was injured at all.
“I knew of Jia Man’s ambitions a long time ago,” Shi said coolly. “You Zhe was also within my expectations. But Hai Xin Bing has disappointed me.”
An Mo’s heart felt a wave of coldness. He knew that King had announced Jia Man and Hai Xin Bing’s death sentences. As long as King was alive, no one could defeat King, not even the four Nether Lords put together.
“King, give the order! All of Western Jail Mansion is sleeping with their weapons by their beds, and can move at any moment,” An MO said loudly.
“Wait a few more days, you will meet the next Nether King.” Shi was unaffected. He then glanced at An Mo. “I hope that you will assist my successor just like you have assisted me.”
An Mo’s body shook and he exclaimed, “The next Nether King?”
Translator Ramblings: The greatest freebie Zuo Mo ever got.