Chapter 268

Translation: After escaping the bitter winter, once Triple Linked City fully deployed its form, over a month passed without anyone noticing.

Translation: "Since fleeing the bitter winter, after the Triple Linked City fully deployed its form, more than a month passed unnoticed."

N: guidance for 【2】

Thus: "Since fleeing the bitter winter, after the Triple Linked City fully deployed its form, more than a month passed unnoticed."

Make sure it's one line.

Translation: Wu Tie spent each day in a small pavilion on the cliff, facing the sea; all around was warm spring with blooming flowers and lush forests; exotic flowers and fruits, fine wine and delicacies were offered daily, and he lived peacefully and at ease.

Translate: "Wu Tie stayed each day in a small pavilion on the cliff, facing the sea; all around was warm spring and blooming flowers, lush forests, and each day exotic flowers and fruits, fine wine and delicacies were offered, so he lived peacefully and at ease."

N: guidance for 【11】

Translation: The surging soul power finally subsided; his body's great witch's essence blood was completely exhausted, leaving only the strange energy formed by thirteen clusters of light that repeatedly washed over his body.

Translate: "The surging soul power finally subsided; the great witch's essence blood within him had been completely exhausted, leaving only the strange energy formed by thirteen clusters of light, which continued to wash over his body over and over."

N: guidance for 【16】

Translation: Compared to over a month ago, his soul power had grown dozens of times stronger, and his physical strength and essence vitality had increased likewise.

Translate: "His soul power had grown tens of times stronger than a month ago; his physical strength and essence vitality were likewise increased."

N: guidance for 【21】

Translation: His body and soul had achieved perfect balance; Wu Tie felt like a great furnace, and the Harvest Tree—a divine artifact—continually provided the highest-quality fuel.

Translate: "His flesh and soul had reached perfect balance; Wu Tie felt himself like a great furnace, with the divine artifact Harvest Tree continuously supplying the highest-quality fuel."

N: guidance for 【26】

Translation: Massive energy continually burst forth within him, wave after wave striking the Heavenly Shackles Chonglou.

Translate: "Massive energy continually erupted within him, wave after wave striking the Heavenly Shackles Chonglou."

N: guidance for 【31】

Translation: With every breath, hundreds of light threads forged from Heaven-Earth Shackles were shattered; Wu Tie's mind constantly burst with countless ingenious ideas, strange knowledge, and powerful or miraculous secret arts.

Translate: "With each breath, hundreds of light threads formed from Heaven-Earth Shackles were shattered; Wu Tie's mind daily burst forth with countless ingenious ideas, strange knowledge, and powerful or miraculous secret arts."

N: guidance for 【36】

Translation: How high has his magical cultivation reached?

Translate: "To what extent had his arcane power cultivation reached?" Or "How high had his arcane power cultivation risen?" We'll do: "How high had his arcane power cultivation risen?"

Translation: Wu Tie himself couldn't tell what level this was. Besides, ordinary cultivation methods aren't that impressive; those who painstakingly relied on luck to condense a Life Pool—Life Pool Realm cultivators—numbering over a hundred, have a total magical power barely comparable to Wu Tie's now.

Translate: "Wu Tie himself couldn't gauge this standard."

N: guidance for 【44】 (and maybe also for 【41】? but likely for 【44】)

Translate: "Anyway, the ordinary inheritances of those techniques were nothing special; even those who painstakingly relied on luck to condense a Life Pool—Life Pool Realm cultivators—if a hundred or so such 'great masters' came together, their total arcane power would barely match Wu Tie's current level."

those who painstakingly relied on luck to condense a Life Pool—Life Pool Realm cultivators

Translation: The gap is enormous, a world of difference.

Translate: "The gap is enormous, a chasm as vast as heaven and earth."

Translation: Triple Linked City's atmosphere was also changing day by day, with a revitalizing, thriving spirit emerging.

Translate: "Moreover, the atmosphere of Triple Linked City was changing day by day, with a revitalizing, thriving spirit emerging."

N: guidance for 【55】

Translation: The Demon Chapter King may not be a wise and mighty ruler; his personality is riddled with flaws and indecision. Yet precisely because of those flaws and his hesitancy, he is the most fitting king for Triple Linked City at this stage.

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King perhaps was not a paragon of wisdom and martial prowess; his character held too many flaws, too much indecision. Yet precisely because of his flaws and hesitation, he was the most suitable king for Triple Linked City at this stage."

N: guidance for 【60】

Translation: At this moment, Triple Linked City resembled a patient recovering from a serious illness.

Translate: "At this moment, Triple Linked City was like a patient after a serious illness."

N: guidance for 【65】

Translate: "The root of the illness had been excised; they needed a gentle medicine to nurse their bodies, and plain congee and side dishes to nourish their vitality."

The root of the illness, gentle medicine to nurse their bodies, plain congee and side dishes to nourish their vitality.

Translation: The Demon Chapter King is this gentle medicine, this plain congee and side dishes.

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King was that gentle medicine, that plain congee and side dishes."

N: guidance for 【73】

Translate: "In just over a month, the faces of Triple Linked City's populace all bore smiles."

Translation: They no longer bore the lifeless, zombie-like look they had when Wu Tie first arrived in Triple Linked City; instead, they genuinely smiled from the heart—happy, radiant, hopeful, and full of promise.

Translate: "They no longer showed the lifeless, zombie-like demeanor they had when Wu Tie first arrived in Triple Linked City; instead, they displayed genuine smiles that sprang from the heart—happy, radiant, hopeful, and full of promise."

N: guidance for 【79】

Translation: The Demon Chapter King scrapped many of Triple Linked City's old rules and introduced many new ones.

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King abolished many of Triple Linked City's old rules and added many new ones."

N: guidance for 【84】

Translate: "Under the new regulatory system, all citizens had opportunities to advance; even young children and youths had the chance to cultivate."

Translation: The Demon Chapter King made low-grade primal herb available to these children with cultivation potential, and opened up the auxiliary cultivation resources once reserved for the pampered scions of the great clans.

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King opened up supplies of low-grade primal herb to those children with cultivation aptitude, and the auxiliary cultivation resources once reserved exclusively for the pampered scions of the great clans were also made available to these children."

N: guidance for 【90】

Translation: In just over a month, a low-born commoner teenager, amid abundant resources, broke through the Sensing Mystery Realm in one fell swoop and condensed the first thread of magical power.

Translate: "In just over a month, a low-born commoner youth, amassing abundant resources, broke through the Sensing Mystery Realm in one fell swoop and condensed the first thread of arcane power."

N: guidance for 【95】

Translation: The teenager was immediately recruited into the newly formed city defense force, and his family received generous rewards.

Translate: "This youth was immediately enlisted into the newly formed city guard, and his family also received generous rewards."

N: guidance for 【100】

Translate: "Status was no longer determined by birth or lineage, but by postnatal effort and cultivation achievement."

Translation: This great stimulation and encouragement inspired countless citizens of Triple Linked City.

Translate: "This great stimulus inspired countless citizens of Triple Linked City."

N: guidance for 【106】

Translate: "Even the members of the great and small clans who had just been ordered to relocate to Triple Linked City, aside from those privileged elite clan leaders enjoying special benefits, the ordinary clansfolk also turned their hearts toward Triple Linked City."

Translation: Triple Linked City teemed with vitality, as if a slumbering giant were awakening.

Translate: "Triple Linked City teemed with life, giving the feeling of a slumbering giant awakening."

N: guidance for 【112】

Translate: "Seated at the cliff's edge, the power of the Divine Thunder of Slaying Evil retracted inward; the invisible soul undulation, like spring wind turning to rain, gently swept across a radius of dozens of miles."

Translation: On the sea below the cliff, fishermen from Great Lake City piloted small boats, singing cheerful songs as they cast their nets.

Translation: In the forest behind the cliff, groups of loggers went "ding-ding-dang-dang" chopping firewood; some children followed them, picking tasty mushrooms from the woods, and whenever they found a patch of primal herb they laughed with joy.

Translate: "On the sea below the cliff, fishermen from Great Lake City piloted small boats, singing cheerful songs as they cast their nets."

N: guidance for 【119】

In the woods beyond the cliff, gangs of lumberjacks went "ding ding dang" as they chopped firewood; many children trailed behind them, gathering the tasty mushrooms that grew in the forest, and sometimes they would find a small patch of yuan grass and break into happy laughter.

Translate: "In the forest behind the cliff, logging crews felled firewood with a 'ding-ding-dang-dang' sound; some children followed the loggers, gathering tasty mushrooms from the woods, and whenever they found a small patch of primal herb, they laughed with joy."

N: guidance for 【120】

Translation: Previously, all primal herb in Triple Linked City belonged to the Twelve Executor Clans; anyone daring to hoard it privately would be slaughtered along with their entire family.

Translate: "Formerly in Triple Linked City, all primal herb belonged to the Twelve Executor Clans; anyone daring to hoard it privately would have their entire clan slaughtered."

N: guidance for 【130】

Translation: Nowadays, aside from the official primal herb plantations, any primal herb found in the wild belongs to the discoverer as private property.

Translate: "Now in Triple Linked City, aside from the officially managed primal herb plantations, any primal herb found in the wild belongs privately to its discoverer."

N: guidance for 【135】

Translation: The Demon Chapter King enacted special laws to protect this ownership; no one may, on any pretext, deprive the discoverer of their primal herb.

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King enacted special laws to protect this ownership; no one may, under any pretext, deprive the discoverer of their primal herb."

N: guidance for 【140】

Translate: "On the beach below one side of the cliff, several silver-whiskered, gold-scaled flood dragons lay on their backs with legs in the air, while a few youths wielded wire brushes, striving to scrub the already shiny scales of these lazy creatures."

Translation: On the beach beneath one side of the cliff, several gold-scaled, silver-whiskered flood dragons lay on their backs in the sand, while a few teenagers with steel-wire brushes worked hard to clean the lazy creatures' already shiny scales.

N: guidance for 【147】

Translate: "A gentle sea breeze blew over, and the flood dragons hummed contentedly."

Translation: Once their scales had been polished to a mirror shine, these great beasts nodded in satisfaction, spat out several high-grade primal herbs and a few crystals emanating vast primal energy fluctuations from their mouths, then shook their heads and tails and slipped back into the sea.

Translate: "When their scales had been polished to a mirror-like sheen, these great beasts nodded in satisfaction, spat out several high-grade primal herbs and several crystals emanating vast primal energy fluctuations, then slipped back into the sea with a sway of head and tail."

N: guidance for 【151】

Translation: A few lucky children.

Translate: "A few lucky kids."

N: guidance for 【156】

Translate: "Wu Tie's gaze swept over the few youths who, holding primal herb and crystals, cheered and ran off."

Translation: Given their cultivation level and innate talent, those few high-grade primal herbs and those crystals capable of autonomously absorbing and storing Heaven-Earth primal energy were enough for them to cultivate to the high stage of the Chonglou Realm.

Translate: "Given their cultivation method level and their innate aptitude, those few stalks of high-grade primal herb and these few crystals capable of autonomously absorbing and storing Heaven-Earth primal energy were enough for them to cultivate to the high stage of the Chonglou Realm."

N: guidance for 【162】

Translation: These flood dragons were also interesting.

Translate: "These flood dragons were also interesting."

N: guidance for 【167】

Translate: "The Demon Chapter King had negotiated terms with them, allowing them to occasionally give a little sweetener to some lucky children."

Translation: The Demon Chapter King had agreed with them on terms, letting them occasionally give a little sweet treat to some lucky ones.

Translate: "These lucky children would make rapid progress in cultivation in a short time; their luck and achievements would inspire a large number of those around them to enthusiastically cultivate."

N: guidance for 【173】

Translate: "As long as everyone is willing and happy to cultivate, the Demon Chapter King will not stint on cultivation resources."

Translation: "This is… this is the scenery that should be here." Wu Tie sat on the cliff's edge, recalling what he had seen and heard when he first entered Triple Linked City, and couldn't help but curl his lip.

Translate: "\"This... this is the scenery that ought to be here. \" Wu Tie sat at the cliff's edge, recalling what he had seen and heard upon his first entry into Triple Linked City, and couldn't help but curl his lip."

We need to keep the quotation marks? The source has Chinese quotes 「」. We'll translate to English quotes: "This... this is the scenery that ought to be here." We'll use double quotes. Keep the punctuation.

N: guidance for 【179】

Translate: "He truly couldn't fathom how stupid the predecessors of Triple Linked City had to be to squander the magnificent legacy left by their ancestors into such a state; what on earth were they thinking, indulging in near-apocalyptic decadence?"

Translation: He really couldn't understand how foolish the seniors of Triple Linked City had to be to squander the splendid legacy left by their ancestors into such a state; that near‑apocalyptic decadence—what on earth were they thinking?

Fortunately, Triple Link City still has restless youths like Mu Xu.

Translate: "Fortunately, Triple Linked City still had youths like Mu Teng who were restless."

N: guidance for 【188】

Translation: Fortunately, Triple Linked City still had Hua Guang, a young man with a penchant for cleanliness.

Translate: "Fortunately, Triple Linked City still had youths like Hua Guang who were fastidious."

N: guidance for 【194】

Translation: Dozens of miles away, a troop swiftly approached a small village; Wu Tie's soul undulation swept over, and he instantly broke into a smile.

Translate: "Dozens of miles away, a troop was swiftly approaching a small village; Wu Tie's soul undulation swept over, and he instantly broke into a smile."

N: guidance for 【199】

Translation: Gray Master led a troop of city guards whose strength was no greater than Foundation Establishment, stormed into the village with a mighty air, unceremoniously bound a young man and woman together with a rope, and hung them from the large tree at the village entrance, subjecting them to a lashing.

Translate: "Grey Master led a contingent of city guards whose strength was no greater than Foundation Establishment, storming into the village with a mighty air; he unceremoniously bound a young man and woman together with a rope, hung them from the large tree at the village entrance, and subjected them to a lashing."

N: guidance for 【204】

Translation: The whip studded with dense snake scales lashed the two youths until they were covered in blood; they screamed hoarsely in agony, their bodies twitching as they begged Gray Master for forgiveness.

Translate: "The whip studded with dense snake scales lashed them until they were covered in blood; they hoarsely wailed, their bodies convulsing as they begged Grey Master for mercy."

N: guidance for 【209】

Translation: Gray Master is now the Minister of Education of Triple Linked City, in charge of its literacy campaign.

Translate: "Grey Master, now the Minister of Education of Triple Linked City, was in charge of its literacy campaign."

N: guidance for 【214】

Translation: In every village there are a few descendants of the former Twelve Executor Clans stationed; they have had their cultivation abolished, and their physiques are only slightly stronger than ordinary villagers.

Translate: "In each village, there were a few descendants of the former Twelve Executor Clans stationed; their cultivation had been abolished, and their physiques were only slightly stronger than ordinary villagers."

N: guidance for 【219】

Translation: These fellows are morally corrupt; aside from eating, drinking, and having fun, their only value is that they are literate.

Translate: "These scoundrels were depraved; aside from eating, drinking, and merrymaking, their sole value lay in their literacy."

N: guidance for 【224】

Translate: "Now every village has a village school, and each village stations a few scions of the great clans to teach the villagers reading and writing, carrying out the most basic educational work."

Translation: Now every village has a village school, and each village stations a few scions of the great clans to teach the villagers to read and write, carrying out the most basic education work.

N: guidance for 【231】

Translate: "Grey Master daily led a team on patrols everywhere, and furthermore, the ratfolk spies under Old White's command roamed about."

Translation: Gray Master daily leads a team on patrol, and moreover, the ratfolk spies under Old White's command roam about everywhere.

N: guidance for 【236】

Translate: "If anyone shirked their work or deliberately taught something harmful, the fate awaiting them was exactly what we see now."

Translation: If anyone fails to work diligently or deliberately teaches something bad, they will meet the fate seen here.

Translate: "The lashing left the two youths barely alive; Grey Master gave an order, and they were thrown onto a cart and hauled to the nearest mine to dig ore. Since they were unwilling to do light teaching work, they might as well do hard labor."

N: guidance for 【240】

Translation: The lashing left the two youths barely alive; Gray Master gave an order, and the two youths were thrown onto a cart and taken to the nearest mine to dig ore—since they were unwilling to do the easy work of teaching, they might as well do hard labor.

Translate: "Soon, two emaciated youths, barely clothed, were dragged out of the mine."

N: guidance for 【245】

Translation: Soon, from the mine were pulled two emaciated youths, barely clothed.

Translate: "They fell to their knees before Grey Master, weeping bitterly as they swore an oath, vowing to expend all their heart and blood to impart all the knowledge they had learned and mastered to the villagers of this village."

Translation: They knelt before Gray Master, weeping bitterly as they swore an oath to devote all their energy to passing on everything they had learned to the villagers.

Grey Master encouraged them with a few words, then hastily led the people away.

The descendants of those great clans have been like this for over a month, and many still haven't realized the change in their status and identity; troublemakers are everywhere.

Grey Master just wants these troublemakers to understand: moths flying into flames, that's seeking death themselves.

"Base, not hitting doesn't feel good." Wu Tie laughed brightly.

"Isn't it base? This imitation Triple Linked City guy is amazing." Old Tie strolled out of the wooden building, flopped down beside Wu Tie with a 'puff', lifted his head and gazed blankly at the three pyramids floating in the distance.

"The ancestors of Triple Linked City should be experts of Osiris's level, just not very famous." Old Tie said firmly: "But it's no wonder, back then too many experts suddenly appeared."

Old Tie glanced at Wu Tie: "Sometimes only pressure can reveal how great the potential hidden in one's bloodline truly is. People are like that; if you don't push hard, you'll never know what you're capable of."

Wu Tie spread his hands; two streams of light appeared behind him, the dragon-thick Heavenly Lock Chonglou shimmering with elusive light, the final nine Heavenly Lock Chonglou growing thicker and more blazing.

"I think I'm doing alright, right?" Wu Tie looked at Old Tie gleefully: "I think before this ball of light is exhausted, I should be able to condense a Life Pool... Where does this light ball come from?"

Old Tie smirked, fell silent for a moment, then stretched his mouth into a 'beautiful smile': "Good stuff, just enjoy it secretly. When you go out to eat, do you care whether the meat on your chopsticks is pork leg or pork belly? As long as there's food, it's good."

Wu Tie looked at Old Tie suspiciously.

"The origin of that light ball is questionable… but whatever, he doesn't like to talk about it, so let's not."

"A 'shasha' footstep sound came from the rear woods; Wu Tie and Old Tie both turned their heads to look."

"Since Wu Tie chose this cliff, built a small lodge to stay temporarily, the nearby villagers basically never dare approach; only Mo Zhang Wang and his gang occasionally come over, grab Wu Tie and drink heartily."

"This footstep sound is very unfamiliar."

"Mo Zhang Wang and his lot always fly straight here; they never walk."

"Skin snow-white, hair black as ink, yet each strand coated with a layer of Blood Light, Taotie Tu walked over with hands behind his back, leisurely."

"Five thick slabs of Mystic Ice stood at the lodge's entrance; Taotie Tu and his four retinue masters were encased within, their bodies flickering with faint seal glow."

"Hey, don't touch. Those inside are my captives; I want to exchange them for treasures." Wu Tie stood up, smiling affably at Taotie Tu: "Sir, who likes many hands and feet, you look unfamiliar, huh?"

Taotie Tu pressed one hand onto a slab of Mystic Ice and struck it hard twice.

"Hearing Wu Tie's words, Taotie Tu turned his body, gave Wu Tie a once-over: 'First time meeting, but I've heard your name. Wu Tie, right? You dare kidnap my Taotie clan's folk—you've got guts.'"

Wu Tie grinned: "No choice, they came looking for trouble with me; am I supposed to just let them do as they please?"

Chuckling, he shook his head and sighed: "I'm living quite happily, I don't want to die, so I can only wrong them."

Taotie Tu's hands emitted a faint black vapor; he pressed his hands onto a slab of Mystic Ice.

"'Hiss!'"

The black vapor met the Mystic Ice; blood light flickered within the vapor, and the ice rapidly melted.

Wu Tie's smile faded: "I said, don't touch!"

His brow's divine eye snapped open; a fist-sized God-Slaying Evil Thunder flashed with seven-colored radiance, accompanied by a deafening boom as it shot toward Taotie Tu.

Taotie Tu snorted coldly, dismissive, and grabbed at the God-Slaying Evil Thunder.

In Taotie Tu's view, Wu Tie is merely at the Chonglou Realm; although his foundation is deeper and his mana fluctuations unusually strong, Chonglou Realm is Chonglou Realm—no matter how superb the divine abilities, their power still falls far short of Life Pool Realm.

To put it more precisely, a minor spell casually released by a Life Pool Realm cultivator already outmatches the top-tier divine abilities of Chonglou Realm by a large margin.

Such suppression by realm is sometimes not something that the grade of divine abilities can resist.

So Taotie Tu seized the God-Slaying Evil Thunder.

Wu Tie lifted his right foot and stomped down heavily.

The earth violently writhed once; the vital energy of the meridians around Taotie Tu surged, and, caught off guard, he flickered—Wu Tie forcibly shifted him to the sea surface a hundred li away.

Position shift? Good, good, good divine ability. Taotie Tu's eyes lit up as he praised Wu Tie: "This is extremely superb..."

Before he finished speaking, Taotie Tu felt his palm grow scorching hot; a terrifying power that made his heart pound erupted violently in his palm.

Taotie Tu let out a strange cry, flung his right hand hard, his body swayed, and in a miserable state, like a dog eating feces, he nearly rolled and crawled dozens of li to the side.

The God-Slaying Evil Thunder exploded with a 'boom'.

Sky-filling lightning flashed; waves of scorching energy spread outward, the tremendous roar shook the sea below into towering waves tens of meters high, and the tremendous thunder shattered the clouds in the high heavens.

The tremendous thunder carried far away.

Inside Triple Linked City, a sharp alarm sounded immediately.

Following that, Mo Zhang Wang's kilometer-tall illusory figure appeared atop the golden pyramids, he roared furiously: "Who dares cause trouble in Triple Linked City? Oh, old fellow, what's your name?"

While asking Taotie Tu's name, Mo Zhang Wang rudely commanded the Triple Linked City formation, launching three silver spears wrapped in phoenix true fire, screaming toward Taotie Tu.