Chapter 1007: Support
Chapter 1007: Support
"If this continues, my ranking will drop further. I need to come up with a plan..."
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and flipped through the list of participants in the Lunjian Competition. He discovered that in the upcoming Xuan Character League matches, the most formidable opponent for Tai Xu Gate was...
Duan Jin Gate.
Gui Shui Gate and Duan Jin Gate were the newly emerged Eight Great Gates.
Therefore, they were also considered the 'goalkeepers' of the Eight Great Gates.
It was normal to encounter them frequently in the Xuan Character League.
In the upcoming matches, every disciple of Tai Xu Gate would face disciples of Duan Jin Gate in at least one-third of the Xuan Character League matches.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed in thought.
Duan Jin Gate was an old rival...
When they first entered Lie Yao Mountain, Mo Hua and his junior fellow disciples had their earliest conflicts with the disciples of Duan Jin Gate.
During that time, they had exchanged blows and fought in numerous battles.
The grudges between them were too numerous to recount in a short time.
Mo Hua's eyes gleamed with determination.
However, since it was Duan Jin Gate, it would be easier to handle.
The 'Duan Jin Armor' he had designed long ago could finally be put to use again.
Not only that, but Mo Hua now possessed the core inheritances of two branches of Duan Jin Gate.
He had extracted the Sword Dao Principles from the Duan Jin Sword Manual and the Duan Jin Sword Formation, integrating them into his Shen Nian Hua Jian.
Although in reality, his Duan Jin Sword Ki was insignificant.
However, in his Shen Nian, especially in his profound understanding of the Duan Jin Sword Principles, he had reached an unparalleled level.
In other words, the core inheritance of Duan Jin Gate, at least the foundation-building portion, was completely in Mo Hua's grasp.
By utilizing these inheritances to improve the 'Duan Jin Armor' and creating a 'Break Gold Sword,' his chances of victory against the disciples of Duan Jin Gate would increase by at least twenty percent.
With their core inheritance being understood by Mo Hua, a formation master, Duan Jin Gate had almost no chance.
"No wonder people say that once the sect's inheritance is leaked, the consequences are endless..."
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
He himself was now the 'disaster' of Duan Jin Gate.
Afterward, Mo Hua began working on iterating the 'Duan Jin Sword' and refining the 'Break Gold Sword' to specifically counter Duan Jin Gate.
However, after pondering for a moment, Mo Hua couldn't help but think of someone.
He flipped through the list of participants several times before finally finding a name—
Song Jian.
After the Wan Yao Gou Event, Duan Jin Gate had been in turmoil, with power shifts within the sect, the downfall of the Jin Family, and the rise of the Song Family. One issue after another had kept Mo Hua busy, and he hadn't contacted Song Jian much since then.
But now, in the Lunjian Competition, they had encountered Duan Jin Gate again...
After some consideration, Mo Hua sent a message to Song Jian.
They had a specially crafted message token between them.
Mo Hua had obtained it through Gu Chang Huai's channels from the Dao Ting Si's storage room.
After acquiring it, Mo Hua was still worried, so he 'altered' the magnetic pattern himself.
There was usually a day's break between Xuan Character League matches for disciples to rest and prepare.
Coincidentally, Mo Hua also had a day off.
The next day, Mo Hua went to Lian Yao Mountain and found a secluded grove.
This was the designated meeting spot.
Mo Hua perched on a tree, bored and waiting. After a long while, Song Jian finally arrived, entered the grove, and looked around cautiously like a thief.
Mo Hua whistled.
Song Jian looked up and, upon seeing Mo Hua, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He activated his body technique and, after a few rounds, leaped onto a branch, sitting opposite Mo Hua.
"What do you want from me?" Song Jian asked.
After not seeing each other for a few years, Song Jian had grown taller and his face had become fairer, with a healthier complexion.
Having experienced the Wan Yao Gou incident, he understood the dangers of the world and the unpredictability of human nature, which made his demeanor much more composed.
Even in front of Mo Hua, he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated.
After all, Mo Hua's actions in Wan Yao Gou had greatly impacted him, and he couldn't forget them to this day.
"Are you about to participate in the Lunjian Competition?" Mo Hua asked straightforwardly.
"Yes..." Song Jian nodded.
"I'll help you with something," Mo Hua said. "Do you have any enemies or competitors in your sect? Tell me about them one by one, and I'll help you 'suppress' them."
"You'll help me?" Song Jian was taken aback.
"Why not?" Mo Hua asked, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Song Jian frowned, "Is there... some requirement?"
He couldn't outsmart Mo Hua when it came to scheming.
Since that was the case, it was better to be straightforward and ask clearly.
Mo Hua nodded, "There's a small request... Tell me the detailed information about your opponents. What cultivation methods do they practice? What sword techniques are they proficient in? What are their habits? What trump cards do they have up their sleeves?"
Song Jian had never met anyone as shameless as Mo Hua, who openly asked him to 'betray' his sect.
"This... doesn't seem right," Song Jian said diplomatically.
"What's wrong with that?" Mo Hua asked. "The Lunjian Competition isn't just about the matches on the field; there's also the intelligence war beneath it."
"The intelligence war is also a battle."
"Your Duan Jin Gate isn't also gathering intelligence on the disciples of my Tai Xu Gate, is it?"
Song Jian silently nodded in agreement.
This was indeed true, and he couldn't refute it.
Before the Lunjian Competition, they would undoubtedly gather intelligence on each other, and Duan Jin Gate's methods might be even more 'despicable' than Mo Hua's.
"That's it," Mo Hua said, changing the topic. "In fact, I already have a way to target your Duan Jin Gate. These pieces of intelligence are just icing on the cake..."
These were also true statements.
The core sword formation of Duan Jin Gate, having been leaked to Mo Hua, a formation master, was already in deep trouble.
Mo Hua sought this intelligence to ensure a foolproof plan.
It would be great to obtain this information, but it wasn't a big deal if he couldn't.
It would only make the battle slightly more challenging.
Song Jian had suffered many losses at Mo Hua's hands and knew how formidable he was, so he didn't doubt his capabilities.
However, as a disciple of Duan Jin Gate, he couldn't help but hesitate.
"By doing this, am I not aiding the enemy...?"
Mo Hua's expression turned serious, "Are we not friends?"
Song Jian was a little dazed. He had wanted to say no, but facing Mo Hua, he didn't dare, so he could only nod reluctantly.
Mo Hua nodded, "Since we're friends, how can helping a friend be considered 'aiding the enemy'?"
"Helping me is helping yourself.
Since it's to help yourself, how can it be considered aiding the enemy?"
"Although your fellow disciples are quite capable, they have narrow minds and limited vision. They will never amount to much in the future."
"By suppressing them, you can rise above them."
"Once you rise, you can lead the Duanjin Gate and gradually improve step by step."
"This is good for you and the Duanjin Gate. How can such a good thing be considered aiding the enemy?"
Song Jian was taken aback by Mo Hua's words.
It was clearly an act of aiding the enemy, but Mo Hua made it sound like it was good for everyone, even the Duanjin Gate.
Song Jian knew that he had been deceived by Mo Hua.
But on second thought, Mo Hua's words made sense.
The Duanjin Gate was utilitarian, and the disciples were disunited, constantly scheming against each other and changing their allegiances with the wind.
Only when you were strong would they praise you; once you became weak, even your parents wouldn't want to look at you.
No one was better than oneself.
Furthermore, with Mo Hua's cunning and shrewdness, he would obtain this information from other sources if not from Song Jian.
Since that was the case, it was better to do him a favor.
At least Mo Hua never dealt in pretense, and the benefits he offered were always substantial.
"Alright!"
Song Jian nodded and proceeded to reveal everything about his competitors within the Duanjin Gate, including their cultivation methods, techniques, and hidden strengths, one by one, in full detail, to Mo Hua.
Mo Hua took notes on a jade slip, recording everything.
With Song Jian as an inside informant, there was no room for error.
After finishing the notes, Mo Hua put away the jade slip and suddenly remembered something. He asked Song Jian, "How is your progress with the Duanjin Yujian Jue?"
Song Jian didn't quite understand and asked, "What do you mean?"
Mo Hua explained, "Go and practice below, and I'll observe your level."
If he wanted to support Song Jian's rise, this Song Jian couldn't be too incompetent, or else it would be like trying to prop up a wall of mud that wouldn't stand.
Song Jian couldn't refuse, so he went down and practiced the Duanjin Sword for a while.
After observing, Mo Hua had a clear understanding and called him up, saying, "Your Duanjin Sword is decent, but you're too impetuous, superficial, and lacking in essence. Let me give you some pointers..."
Song Jian was stunned.
For a moment, his thoughts were in disarray, and he thought he had misheard.
How could a disciple of the Tai Xu Gate instruct him, a direct descendant of the Duanjin Gate, on the Duanjin Yujian Jue, their sect's signature technique?
What kind of logic was this? Was he joking...
Soon, Song Jian realized that Mo Hua wasn't joking at all. He pointed out all of Song Jian's flaws in swordsmanship.
Even the intricacies of spiritual energy manipulation and the subtleties of sword intent, which his parents had neglected to teach, the elders had hidden, and he himself had overlooked or practiced incorrectly, were all corrected by Mo Hua.
This cultivation world was truly absurd.
Song Jian truly felt like he had been played with.
Thus, Song Jian, a direct descendant of the Duanjin Gate, accepted a whole afternoon of "Duanjin Sword Technique Guidance" from his junior brother from the Tai Xu Gate in the small grove, and returned to the sect with a look of disbelief.
The rest was simple.
The core secrets of the Duanjin Gate's genius were completely exposed.
With the addition of higher-quality "Duanjin Armor" and "Breaking Gold Sword," after some adjustments, the Tai Xu Gate's advantage over the Duanjin Gate was overwhelming.
The entire Duanjin Gate was furious.
In previous Swordsman Competitions, they had faced spiritual weapons like the "Duanjin Armor" and "Breaking Gold Sword," but no sect's spiritual weapons had ever been as troublesome as those of the Tai Xu Gate.
This was a complete countermeasure, from the forging of spiritual weapons to the underlying formation techniques.
The upper echelons of the Duanjin Gate concluded that their core heritage must have been leaked, or else they wouldn't have been suppressed so thoroughly.
It was possible that someone within the Tai Xu Gate had been plotting behind the scenes, using various means to steal the Duanjin Gate's heritage.
This included their signature sword technique and sword formation.
The latest news is that the Tai Xu Gate has published a book titled "The Breaking Gold Sword," which reveals the secrets of the Duanjin Gate's sword techniques and formations.
However, the Duanjin Gate couldn't hold the Tai Xu Gate accountable.
Because in name, the Tai Xu Gate did possess a part of the Duanjin Gate's heritage.
After the Wan Yao Gou incident, the Duanjin Gate had to make amends and "pay reparations," handing over a portion of their Duanjin heritage to the Tai Xu Gate.
These heritages were superficial, and with the strict scrutiny of the Duanjin Gate's elders, they shouldn't have revealed the true core secrets.
But now, these heritages had become a "name," allowing the Tai Xu Gate to use the Duanjin Gate's techniques and formations against them.
This was Elder Xun's doing, who had made it possible for the Tai Xu Gate to use the Duanjin Gate's techniques and formations against them.
The Wan Yao Gou incident was a wound that the Duanjin Gate couldn't bear to mention.
They dared not speak of it, let alone confront the Tai Xu Gate, so they had no choice but to swallow this bitter fruit.
Most of the Duanjin Gate's genius disciples of this generation were defeated in the Swordsman Competition, falling to the Tai Xu Gate. Their winning rate decreased, and the hope of advancing became slim.
The Duanjin Gate grew to resent the Tai Xu Gate even more.
However, this made Song Jian stand out as the "sole survivor."
He was lucky, as he hadn't encountered the Tai Xu Gate many times during the competition.
In the remaining rounds, with other disciples from his sect filling the bottom ranks, Song Jian's relaxed attitude, combined with Mo Hua's guidance, led to an extraordinary performance. In the Xuan Character Swordsman Competition, he won numerous matches.
Although his results weren't the best in the Duanjin Gate, he managed to rank among the top three in his cohort.
Under pressure, he performed exceptionally well.
Song Jian's performance impressed the sect leader and delighted the elders. He became the focus of attention among the higher-ups.
No one had expected Song Jian, who was usually overlooked, to perform so remarkably at a critical moment.
Song Jian, being from the Song family, already had a solid foundation. With his outstanding performance, he naturally caught the attention of the higher-ups, who kept him in mind.
Song Jian became increasingly valued within the Duanjin Gate, and his reputation grew among his peers, earning him the title of "Tianjiao."
However, no one knew that this "Heavenly Pride" from Duanjin Gate was actually backed by their rival, Tai Xu Gate, a "behind-the-scenes manipulator."
...
On the other side, with Duanjin Gate handing out points, Tai Xu Gate suffered a significant loss, but although they didn't reclaim the first place, they gradually stabilized their second-place position.
The entire sect breathed a sigh of relief.
Mo Hua had done all he could, and there wouldn't be a second Duanjin Gate to hand out points in the upcoming Lunjian competitions.
He could only rely on his fellow disciples to perform to the best of their abilities, winning as many points as possible.
He would also have to focus all his attention on his own Lunjian performance.
The Lunjian competition had a large audience, and there were many pretenders among them.
However, there were undoubtedly some discerning individuals, especially the elders from various sects.
Mo Hua was well aware that as long as he demonstrated a certain level of strength, he would undoubtedly attract attention.
The upcoming matches would become increasingly challenging.
...
A few days later, another Lunjian match took place.
Mo Hua's opponent was Bai Lianmen from the Twelve Streams.
This was a sect specializing in crafting spiritual equipment, and they were the first to truly make specific arrangements to counter Mo Hua.
Each of their disciples wore a set of armor.
It was a set of "Fire-Repelling Armor."
Moreover, it was a set specifically designed to counter Mo Hua's Fireball technique, meticulously optimized with carefully chosen forging materials, integrating impact resistance, breakage resistance, and flame retardant properties into a comprehensive Fire-Repelling Armor.
They also wore helmets to protect against flame headshots.
This was the situation inside the arena.
Outside, near Tai Xu Gate's seats.
Murong Caiyun surveyed her surroundings, her gaze slightly heavy.
Having participated in the Lunjian competition herself, she was Tai Xu Gate's "Heavenly Pride" in the previous session, and thus, with a single glance, she noticed something unusual.
At that moment, there were many special cultivators around the audience seats.
Most of these cultivators were at the Jin Dan stage or higher, with long-lasting auras and rapidly circulating essence. They were likely the elders of various sects, dedicated to teaching Dao Fa.
These elders held jade slips in their hands, their gazes focused and icy as they stared at Mo Hua on Fangtian Huayin, occasionally recording notes in their jade slips.
Some even held "Shadow Drawing Scrolls," capturing every move and expression of Mo Hua on the field, meticulously sketching them.
Previously, Mo Hua hadn't received such treatment.
But as he demonstrated his strength, especially after using the Fireball technique to defeat the sword genius Qin Cang Liu, it was evident that the various sects had begun to take him seriously.
Some had even started researching him.
His mastery of the Fireball technique might not be recognized by the public.
However, its intricacies could not escape the eyes of the experienced Dao Fa elders from the major sects, who had been teaching for many years.
It seemed like he was merely throwing a fireball.
But the timing, direction, speed, accuracy, force, and decisiveness of his throws... all these aspects encompassed profound combat experience and Dao Fa mastery, setting him apart from others.
The simpler something is, the more challenging it becomes to perfect it.
Mo Hua's Fireball technique was far from simple, and one had to be cautious...
The tides of fortune shift.
In this match, Mo Hua experienced for the first time what it felt like to be specifically targeted.
His fireball struck the Fire-Repelling Armor of Bai Lianmen's disciples, feeling like mere tickles.
Not only was the fireball's damage reduced by more than half, but even the impact of the explosion and the flames' scorching heat were absorbed by the armor.
Furthermore, the armor was embedded with a "Fire-Turning Formation."
When the fireball hit, a portion of the fire damage was absorbed by the armor, converted into essence, and used to "charge" the armor, powering its operation.
Mo Hua couldn't help but sigh.
It was indeed a case of tit for tat.
He had just used the "Duan Jin Armor" to punish Duanjin Gate.
Now, he was being punished by others using "Fire-Repelling Armor."
Mo Hua somewhat understood the bitterness in the hearts of the Duanjin Gate disciples.
In the end, despite the difficulties, Tai Xu Gate won this Lunjian match.
This was mainly due to Ling Hu Xiao.
Ling Hu Xiao was a "growth-type" genius. His defeat at the hands of Qin Cang Liu had made him reflect deeply.
After receiving guidance from Mo Hua, he discarded his obsession with victory and defeat, cultivating a determination to temper himself. With a single-minded focus, his sword skills improved even further.
Almost all the damage dealt was from him.
As for Mo Hua...
It couldn't be said that he had no achievements. At the very least, his Fireball technique had replenished a tiny bit of essence for Bai Lianmen's disciples' armor.
Unfortunately, Ling Hu Xiao was too strong.
This bit of essence didn't help Bai Lianmen much.
After this Lunjian match, Mo Hua realized that his Fireball technique was as good as useless.
Of course, it wasn't entirely useless.
At the very least, it couldn't be relied upon for much.
So, in the next match against a disciple from Dan Qingmen of the Twelve Streams, Mo Hua used the Water Prison technique.
The formation remained the same as before.
Cheng Mo defended, Si Tu Jian guarded, Ling Hu Xiao took the offensive, Ou Yang Xuan served as the vanguard, and Mo Hua coordinated the overall strategy, supporting with spells.
The only difference was that the supporting spell changed from the single Fireball technique to the "Water Prison" technique.
As both sides clashed, they launched their attacks.
Ling Hu Xiao didn't hesitate and immediately activated the Golden Body Talisman, unleashing the Chongxu Unbinding Sword Manual.
The Dan Qingmen disciple was stunned, not knowing what to make of the situation.
Was this opponent going all out with their ultimate move from the start? They weren't fools, so they naturally ran.
After the Golden Body Talisman was exhausted and the sword energy's ultimate move was dodged, Ling Hu Xiao was no longer a significant threat in the short term.
Without Ling Hu Xiao's formidable threat, they were almost guaranteed victory.
The Dan Qingmen disciple turned and fled.
Mo Hua extended his fair palm, grabbed into the air, and condensed water light in the void, forming chains that transformed into a cage, trapping the Dan Qingmen disciple one by one.
Mo Hua's actions were incredibly swift and precise, coupled with his powerful divine perception for locking on, making it impossible to defend against.
The Dan Qingmen disciple, restrained by Mo Hua, was shocked.
Ling Hu Xiao's lethal strike swept through, and they were all "sent" away.
Outside the Lunjian arena, the entire audience was stunned.
Inside the Gui Shui Gate, some elders, older and experienced, with knowledge of the inner workings, were even more shocked:
"Water Prison technique?!"
"This is something from the Water Hell Gate... How does this kid know it?!"
(End of Chapter)
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