Zuo Mo really has potential to be a gambler.
Chapter Sixty Comprehension
The rus.h.i.+ng river water roared thunderously, creating large patches of snow white foam. Occasionally, leaves and wood would be pulled in and disappear in the blink of an eye.
Under the roaring surface, Zuo Mo, half-naked, had a serious expression on his face. In front of him, several water swords intersected and wove in the water. When fish and shrimp were thrown into this, they were killed without a mark.
Zuo Mo didn’t rest or sleep. Without pausing, he furiously practiced the sword
Thirty three thousand and six hundred!
The ice crystal sword was like the nimblest of fish, cheerfully swimming easily in the water. The speed was fast like lightning, shaming those fish that were renowned for speed.
Zuo Mo stopped.
He might be exhausted, and his mind was pretty much at its limits but he didn’t slack off in the slightest. His eyes were full of tiredness but he tried to widen time, almost as though he was afraid if his eyes accidentally would close. Tired.
He knew he had reached a barrier. The seven moves of [Li Water Sword Scripture], the first six moves, he didn’t have any problems. The problem came on the seventh move.
The first six moves, it flowed, or turned like a whirlpool. It mimicked the uniqueness of water, each move having a unique attribute. Zuo Mo was able to understand that. However, even now, Zuo Mo did not get the seventh move. Before, on land, he had felt that he was extremely familiar with the seventh move, but when he got into the water, he felt that it was incorrect.
The name of the seventh move was slightly scary. It was called [Li Water Burning Heavens]. Zuo Mo felt that if the name was changed to [Li Fire Burning Heavens], he could still understand. But li water, that was still water, how could it burn the heavens?
This move was one that wounded both sides. It required putting all the ling energy into the flying sword, stimulating that drop of water essence in the flying sword, the sword presence would reverse against the current and attack the enemy.
This move had many difficult places. Like putting in all the ling energy at one moment into the flying sword. This was a test of a person’s control of ling energy. And stimulating that water essence drop in the flying sword, Zuo Mo didn’t dare test it rashly. It had been hard to form this one drop in the first place. If it exploded, Zuo Mo wouldn’t just have to reform this water essence drop but even the inner formations of the ice crystal sword might be damaged.
And what Zuo Mo felt the least logical was the presence of this last move.
The presence of the previous six moves, it flowed, it curved, it spun. But only this last one, Zuo Mo couldn’t understand. Going against the current! How could water go against the current?
What this [Li Water Sword Scripture] mimicked was water. Zuo Mo understood what kind of water was li water but at the end, it was still water. As long as it was water, how could it flow from low places to high places? How could it go against the current and up?
But [Li Water Sword Scripture] just had to have this move, and it had to be the last move.
When Zuo Mo had been practicing on land, he hadn’t felt it. In that case, the water essence drop in the sword had been as light as air. It really couldn’t be felt when the sword was swung. But practicing in the water, the water pressure caused the presence of the sword to become heavy as well. The problem that couldn’t be seen was magnified.
No matter how hard Zuo Mo tried, he just couldn’t complete this final move!
Whenever he was halfway, he would feel the presence of the sword suddenly falter and could not continue. Adding on that Zuo Mo didn’t dare to rashly force the water essence drop in the sword to explode, this sword was even more difficult. Since it was so difficult even in practice, like this, Zuo Mo was stuck on this last move.
He could only continue to practice the first six moves. As he became more familiar with the first six moves, his feeling in the water, especially his feeling of “water” became much clearer. The first six moves became increasingly smooth. Zuo Mo gradually comprehended it. This feeling was wondrous beyond imagining, it was like looking through a paper window to see the people inside the room. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not poke through that thin paper.
Zuo Mo knew, the more it was like this, the more he couldn’t rush. This was a sign of a breakthrough.
But looking at time slipping away, as it neared the time of the set a.s.sessment, Zuo Mo couldn’t help but become panicked.
He was very clear. His first six moves were very familiar but to use these six moves to defeat Luo Li s.h.i.+xiong, that was just a dream. Sword moves, cultivation, battle experience, both sides weren’t on the same level. It wasn’t just ten thousand miles that Zuo Mo was behind the other! The only possible way to defeat Luo Li s.h.i.+xiong was to comprehend the sword essence of [Li Water Sword Scripture]!
Because he knew that Luo Li s.h.i.+xiong hadn’t comprehended sword essence yet. This was the only place he could use!
This was also the only place that he won over Luo Li. He had once comprehended sword essence!
This was the place that he had gambled everything on!
Sword essence, it was hard to describe, intangible but it became the last trick that Zuo Mo was relying on. If he could not comprehend sword essence, everything else was just a waste, he definitely would lose.
Did he really need to use the last move?
Zuo Mo couldn’t help but hesitate. There was only seven days until the sect a.s.sessment. If he really exploded the water essence this time, and an accident happened, then he wouldn’t even have the time to attempt a rescue.
The time of seven days, Zuo Mo wasn’t certain if he could still form another whole water essence drop.
But quickly, Zuo Mo became stubborn. If he couldn’t comprehend li water sword essence before the sect a.s.sessment, then there was no hope of winning over Luo Li s.h.i.+xiong. Then he would only have one outcome, loss.
Taking a risk and failing, it was a loss. Not risking it, it also would be a loss.
Zuo Mo gritted his teeth. In any case, the barefoot weren’t afraid then those wearing shoes. If he really lost, he wouldn’t say anything. He just wasn’t as good as the other. He’ll just have to pay some contribution points. But that was better than not even having the courage to try, and admitting defeat! In any case, the barefoot wasn’t afraid of those wearing shoes.
At this point, Zuo Mo’s emotions about Luo Li had become faint. This barrier, it was more like a test for himself.
And he chose to gamble!
He didn’t start immediately but entered mediation to recover ling energy. He decided to be in the best state possible when he tried the move.
Six hours later, Zuo Mo opened his eyes, the light flas.h.i.+ng deep in the pupils, serene and steady. He didn’t know if it was the fact that he had made a decision but the effect of the mediation this time was very good. Not only did his ling energy recover, but the exhaustion of the past days had been swept away.
Recovering the best possible state, Zuo Mo stretched out his body. This time, he didn’t use his consciousness to control the sword. Rather, he gripped the ice crystal sword with his hand.
The ice crystal sword was icy when it entered his hand, like he was gripping an icicle. This bit of coldness followed Zuo Mo’s hand and quickly entered Zuo Mo’s body. He felt his mind clear. So this sword had such an ability! Zuo Mo couldn’t help regret not examining this sword a bit more in the past.
But quickly, he calmed his mind. These questions were for the future.
Closing his eyes as he gripped the sword and focused, his feet were floating as he stood in the water. The rus.h.i.+ng water currents could not affect his body. It was like a piece of wood standing straight in the rus.h.i.+ng water, motionless, unspeakably strange.
Remembering every detail of practicing these past days, savoring the feeling of the water rus.h.i.+ng past the body, felling the presence of the water essence drop in the flying sword, Zuo Mo relaxed his mind.
When everything, all the memories, all the feelings, gathered together, it seemed like a certain nerve in Zuo Mo’s head was suddenly plucked by an invisible hand.
Zuo Mo suddenly opened his eyes!
“Li!”
A deep thunderous sound came out of his chest, the rus.h.i.+ng river suddenly stopped.
No current, no eddies, the water around Zuo Mo’s body seemed to have quieted all of a sudden, motionless.
Just at this time, the ice crystal sword that Zuo Mo had been grasping slowly rose up.
Zuo Mo’s expression looked extremely laborious. The tendons in his forehead were bulging, his eyes angry and wide, his hair standing on end. The ice crystal sword on his hand seemed to weight a thousand catties. Just raising it up a bit became extremely hard.
What Zuo Mo saw was another picture.
When the ling energy in his entire body flowed like a flood into the ice crystal sword, that water drop which usually was lively, suddenly exploded open!
Boom!
Zuo Mo’s mind shook!
He seemed to see that soybean sized water essence explode into countless water droplets like a mist!
Suddenly, Zuo Mo remembered what he had seen in his consciousness, that crimson red fireball floating in the sky and suddenly exploding. That was so similar to this right now!
Manipulate water like fire!
This phrase that he had never understood, like lightning, it pierced into his soul.
Suddenly, he understood. That thin white paper that had been blocking him all this time was gently broken. A brand new world floated in front of him.
In his eyes, those water droplets that formed a mist turned into flames. These flames, it wasn’t the red-black flames in his consciousness, but transparent water flames. Flowering, transparent, flames composed out of water. They slowly jumped, clear and colorless. Not as wild and enchanting like the dark red flames in the consciousness. These clear water flames were as serene as the n.o.blewomen in their chambers. They covered the entire body of the ice crystal sword.
Zuo Mo’s hand that held the ice crystal sword slowly rose. All the river water in the surroundings furiously flowed towards the ice crystal sword, seeming to form a gigantic water “flame”!
Once the strange water flame formed, Zuo Mo’s trembling and tired arm quickly became abnormally steady!
The sword presence seemed to have lost its reticence and suddenly sped up!
Boom!
The little ice crystal sword, carrying countless water flames made up of the river water, sliced towards the sky!
At the same time, on Wu Kong Mountain, Xin Yan suddenly opened his eyes. His body flashed, disappearing from his spot and appearing on the cliff of the records room!
He looked dazedly at the Sky Shaking River below.
A flow of water that seemed to form a gigantic flame roared as it flowed up against the sky. The impure river flame, at this time, it was spitting like water, burning and explosive!
Who was practicing?
To be able to form sword essence, the talent wasn’t bad! And such an unique sword essence, he had never seen it before. He could see it clearly. This gigantic water flame, it was restrained by countless sword essences because it was an explosive water bomb!
Suddenly, he thought of a certain sword scripture in the records room and his expression changed.
Was it a disciple of the sect?
Just as he paused, the water flame that had flew up suddenly exploded!
At the bottom, Zuo Mo saw the beautiful water flame in the sky. He wanted to laugh, but he had used up all the ling energy in his body. His eyes suddenly became unfocused. Boom, the water flame exploded in the sky, thousands of catties of water pouring down. Zuo Mo didn’t manage to anchor himself and in the blink of an eyes, was flushed away!