Chapter 596: Teach Me If You Can
Chapter 596: Teach Me If You Can
Mo Hua's spiritual sense crept ever closer to the fifteenth stripe.
Between the fourteenth and sixteenth stripes lay the realm of intermediate Qi Refining for spiritual sense, and breaking through this barrier presented no significant challenges, merely requiring a little more time.
During this period, Mo Hua gradually settled into a tranquil and uneventful life within the Tai Xu Sect.
His days consisted of attending classes and dedicated practice, honing his array formation skills.
The Tai Xu Sect offered a plethora of courses.
Aside from array formations, Mo Hua was most diligent in his cultivation classes.
The instructor, Elder Gongsun, was a revered elder who had achieved the Feathering realm and possessed profound knowledge and experience.
He imparted the path of Qi Refining cultivation with both depth and clarity, ensuring his students could grasp the concepts easily.
For the more fundamental concepts, Elder Gongsun's direct disciples, who were currently instructors within the inner sect, would supplement the teachings.
These cultivation methods were the culmination of generations of elders and instructors within the Tai Xu Sect, encapsulating the wisdom and insights of cultivators from millennia ago.
With this wealth of knowledge, Mo Hua's understanding of the Qi Refining stage became increasingly clear.
However, he still lagged behind in his cultivation.
This was due not only to the fact that he was the sole disciple within the Tai Xu Sect with a middling spiritual root, but also because he had forged a foundation in the "Spiritual Sense Enlightenment" path. While his spiritual sense was exceptionally strong, his realm had not been tempered, resulting in a feeble foundation in terms of physical and spiritual power.
A middling spiritual root meant a lower ceiling for spiritual power circulation, leading to slower cultivation progress.
This was especially apparent when compared to the other disciples of the Tai Xu Sect, all of whom possessed superior spiritual roots.
Consequently, among all the disciples, Mo Hua had the lowest count of spiritual power circulations.
Similarly, due to his weak foundation, Mo Hua's cultivation base was also the thinnest.
Despite his diligent efforts, he could barely keep up with his peers in terms of realm, falling far behind in other aspects.
Fortunately, Elder Gongsun, the cultivation instructor, was patient and non-discriminatory, treating everyone with lenience.
As long as one demonstrated diligence and sincerity in their practice, he was not overly stringent with the results.
Mo Hua could only persist with unwavering dedication, slowly chipping away at his limitations. With his restricted spiritual root, it was inevitable that his cultivation progress and foundation would lag.
However, this was something Mo Hua had long accepted, and it did not dampen his spirits.
Regardless of the quality of one's spiritual root or the thickness of one's foundation, the pursuit of the Great Dao demanded single-minded focus and dedication to the path of cultivation.
The quality of one's spiritual root was a predetermined fact, and instead of wallowing in self-pity and wasting time, it was better to channel all thoughts and energy into cultivation.
In addition to cultivation classes, the Tai Xu Sect also offered courses in various aspects of the cultivation world.
The most prominent among these were pill refining, artifact forging, and talisman crafting.
Unsurprisingly, Mo Hua performed poorly in all three.
It had been the same back in the Tongxian Sect, and now, in the Tai Xu Sect, his shortcomings were even more evident.
The herbs required for pill refining were exorbitantly priced, he lacked the strength to wield the hammer for artifact forging, and talisman crafting drained his spiritual power excessively.
The ink and array paper used for drawing formations were already quite costly for Mo Hua.
However, the essence of array formations lay in the comprehension of the Great Dao through spiritual sense, and it was the spiritual sense that bore the brunt of the strain.
In contrast, pill refining entailed astronomical expenses for high-grade herbs, superior pill furnaces, pill formulas, and various auxiliary materials, spirit herbs, and treasures.
The higher the grade, the more astronomical the price.
Only disciples from wealthy clans, with abundant spirit stones and treasures, could afford to pursue pill refining...
Compared to pill refining, talisman crafting was not only expensive but also extremely taxing on spiritual power.
Mo Hua had learned about talismans from Craftsman Chen, the artifact forger in Tongxian City, and upon joining the Tai Xu Sect, his knowledge in this field expanded further.
Talisman crafting was an independent branch of cultivation industry that evolved from artifact forging and array formations.
The earliest talismans were drawn on paper and resembled array formations.
However, these paper talismans were fragile and prone to accidental explosions due to the paper medium. They had a short shelf life and tended to lose their efficacy over time. Moreover, the amount of spiritual power they could contain was limited, resulting in weaker effects compared to other methods.
As the cultivation world progressed, this antiquated form of talismans gradually fell out of favor.
Modern talismans were crafted from jade, utilizing a combination of sealing array formations and specialized artifact forging techniques.
Talisman crafters would infuse their spells into these jade talismans, creating restricted-use talismans.
This process required a substantial amount of spiritual power.
And Mo Hua, with his meager spiritual power, was simply not suited for talisman crafting.
As for artifact forging, it went without saying that he lacked the necessary strength.
Mo Hua's physical energy was not only inferior to that of body cultivators but was also the weakest among spiritual cultivators.
Most spiritual cultivators from influential clans would also cultivate some body-strengthening techniques, not for close-quarters combat but to enhance their physical defense.
As a result, they had no issues wielding large hammers to forge spiritual artifacts.
Mo Hua, however, was different.
He struggled just to lift the hammer.
During class, despite exerting all his might, Mo Hua couldn't even lift the massive hammer, his face flushed with effort, and he even contemplated dismantling the hammer to inscribe array formations within, hoping to "modify" it for easier use...
The artifact forging instructor quickly intervened:
"Never mind, never mind, don't strain yourself with the hammer..."
"It doesn't want to be lifted either..."
It's not the hammer's fault that you can't lift it...
Mo Hua asked, "Then, Instructor, do I still need to learn artifact forging?"
The instructor wore a troubled expression, caught in a dilemma.
In all his years of teaching at the Tai Xu Sect, he had never encountered a disciple who couldn't even lift the hammer.
If one couldn't work the iron, there was no way they could forge artifacts.
The instructor could only say, "It's up to you. Learn as much as you can without forcing yourself, and don't injure yourself in the process..."
He understood that Mo Hua was exceptional at array formations and well-liked by Elder Xuan. If Mo Hua injured his hands while forging artifacts and couldn't draw formations anymore, he would surely incur Elder Xuan's displeasure.
Mo Hua heaved a sigh.
He felt helpless as well.
Artifact forging required physical strength, talisman crafting demanded spiritual power, and pill refining necessitated financial resources.
He lacked all three.
Indeed, only array formations, which relied primarily on spiritual sense, were the most suitable for him.
Mo Hua once again shifted his focus away from artifact forging, talisman crafting, and pill refining, choosing to dedicate more time to drawing array formations.
However, he still had to attend classes for the other three disciplines.
As the saying went, "You may not need to master it, but you must understand it..."
While he didn't need to personally master pill refining, artifact forging, and talisman crafting, he had to grasp the fundamental principles, know the commonly used spiritual artifacts, talismans, and pills, as well as their respective functions, precautions...
This knowledge was essential for any cultivator.
In addition, the Tai Xu Sect also offered classes in Taoist magic.
The magic classes were divided into three categories: spiritual cultivation, physical cultivation, and sword cultivation.
Students were free to choose their preferred path.
As a spiritual cultivator, Mo Hua naturally chose the spiritual cultivation class first.
However, he discovered that the spiritual cultivation teachings of the Tai Xu Sect, and the principles of magic they imparted, were vastly different from his own magical path.
The spiritual cultivation of the Tai Xu Sect, and the mainstream spiritual cultivation path, focused on powerful offensive spells.
Those with superior spiritual roots, who cultivated superior cultivation techniques and learned superior magic, relied on their profound cultivation to amass immense spiritual power and unleash formidable spells.
With a single move, they could turn the tides and decide life and death.
Just like that Elder Jiang, who accumulated spiritual power, manipulated the Flying Sword Technique, condensed a pure golden sword aura, and then decided the outcome with a single strike.
Although he ultimately missed and perished, Mo Hua knew that it wasn't his fault.
That sword strike of his was indeed awe-inspiring and powerful.
If it had hit, who knows how many people it would have taken down with it.
It was unfortunate that he encountered me; otherwise, he might have had a few more years.
Mo Hua felt a bit sorry for Elder Jiang.
However, such moves, while powerful, required a long time to accumulate energy and consumed a large amount of spiritual power. During the preparation phase, one was either easily interrupted or left vulnerable to attacks.
Mo Hua recalled the layer of golden light that Elder Jiang had applied to his body before unleashing the "Flying Sword Technique."
Because of that golden light, Mo Hua's Water Prison Technique had failed to interrupt his sword technique.
Even the power of the Fireball Technique had been reduced.
"What exactly is that layer of golden light?"
Mo Hua decided to consult the sect instructor who taught Taoist magic.
The instructor explained to Mo Hua, "That is the Golden Body Technique."
"Golden Body Technique?"
Mo Hua was taken aback, as this was the first time he had heard of such a spell.
The instructor said, "The Golden Body Technique is a special type of magic that focuses on defense but is different from protective spells like the Golden Bell Cover."
"The effect of the Golden Body Technique is to envelop the body in golden light, protecting the meridians, and to a certain extent, reducing the damage taken from magic..."
"...while also ensuring smooth spiritual power flow within the meridians, free from obstruction."
"This is crucial!"
"In other words, your spells won't be interrupted."
"During the duration of the Golden Body Technique, you can cast those spells that take a long time but are extremely powerful without worry, deciding life and death in an instant and victory in a flash!"
"You can even take on multiple opponents, relying on a single high-level Taoist magic to vanquish them and turn the tide of battle!"
"This is the pursuit of spiritual cultivators, to unleash supreme power through the ultimate magic..."
...
Mo Hua's blood boiled as he listened.
But then he realized that it seemed to have little to do with him.
After all, he didn't know any superior magic.
Even if he did, his mediocre spiritual root and sparse spiritual sea meant he might not have the spiritual power to pull it off.
And even if he could, it wouldn't be of much use...
Among cultivators of the same level, his physical body was weak, and even with the Golden Body Technique, he might not last long enough to unleash a killer move.
Mo Hua knew he couldn't take a punch.
He was like a piece of paper, and even with the Golden Body Technique reducing some damage, he was still just a piece of paper, not much use.
Nonetheless, he benefited greatly from this knowledge.
As expected of the Qian Xue State, with its long heritage.
Golden Body Sword or Golden Body Spell...
This was a completely new concept to him, a battle logic that was entirely different from his own magical path, and he hadn't known about it at all.
It was a pity that he couldn't use it...
The path he walked was the one taught by Grandmaster Gui, "In magic, only speed matters." Combined with his strong spiritual sense and swift spiritual power flow, the Fireball Technique and other low-level spells were what truly packed a punch.
"Superior magic..."
Mo Hua suddenly remembered something and asked, "Instructor, do these powerful spells require spiritual sense locking?"
The instructor was a little surprised, "You know about 'spiritual sense locking'?"
Mo Hua modestly replied, "I know a little."
The instructor looked at Mo Hua with newfound respect.
Although his spiritual root was mediocre, his spiritual power was weak, he knew fewer spells, and he couldn't use superior magic, it was rare for him to have such knowledge.
He actually knew about spiritual sense locking...
The instructor said approvingly, "Of course, time presents countless phenomena, and what we see may not be the 'truth', and what we don't see may not be 'illusory'. It would be foolish for cultivators to rely solely on their eyes..."
"The true nature of all things lies in the spiritual sense."
"The stronger the spiritual sense, the truer the perception."
"That's why, whether it's the Flying Sword Technique or a magic strike, it's best to use your spiritual sense to observe and lock on..."
"Only by learning to lock on with your spiritual sense can you become an excellent spiritual cultivator..."
Mo Hua nodded, feeling relieved.
That was right.
No matter how powerful the spell, if it didn't hit, it was useless.
And his spiritual sense was indeed strong.
However, he shouldn't become overly reliant on his spiritual sense. It was always good to be prepared.
He thought about how to deal with those gifted cultivators with superior spiritual roots, superior cultivation techniques, profound cultivation, and superior magic or powerful sword techniques.
He needed to have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Therefore, Mo Hua not only attended the spiritual cultivation class but also sneaked into the physical and sword cultivation classes.
He didn't intend to refine his body or cultivate sword techniques, but he wanted to understand his opponents so that he could have a strategy to deal with physical cultivators and sword cultivators in the future.
This was a form of "learning from the opposite," a different kind of "applying knowledge in practice."
The only subject that Mo Hua "directly" excelled in was array formations.
Aside from that, he lagged behind his fellow disciples in every other aspect, including cultivation level, pill refining, artifact forging, and talisman crafting.
Thus, Mo Hua was considered an "oddball" among his fellow disciples.
The better he was at array formations, the worse he was at everything else.
After getting to know him better, the other disciples gradually accepted Mo Hua for who he was: a disciple with a "middling-to-low-grade" spiritual root, a "lone cultivator" background, who took cultivation seriously but had a severe case of being a one-trick pony.
And that was it.
On the surface, Mo Hua was just a somewhat peculiar but unremarkable disciple.
However, he got along well with others.
Most of the disciples from Taiyi Residence treated him kindly.
Most of them came from respectable backgrounds and were fair-skinned and beautiful. Even though they wore the uniform Tai Xu robes, they were like a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, each with their unique charm, and they had many admirers.
However, after a few glances, Mo Hua silently compared them in his heart and ultimately concluded that his little junior sister was still the prettiest!
Thinking of his little junior sister caused Mo Hua to pause momentarily.
Scenes from Tongxian City and their journey flashed through his mind once again.
"I wonder where Little Junior Sister is now..."
Mo Hua sighed, but in the end, he shook his head, quietly tucking her memory away in his heart, and then continued to focus on his cultivation and studying array formations...
...
The scenery of the Tai Xu Sect was ancient and elegant.
Thousands of disciples cultivated here.
Aside from the Taiyi Residence, there were also many proud sons of heaven whom Mo Hua didn't know very well, and some he had never even met.
Among them were those with prominent backgrounds, eye-catching geniuses, and female disciples with exceptional beauty...
These proud sons of heaven gathered together, each striving to outdo the other.
Occasionally, there would be conflicts and jealousy, causing waves of drama.
However, none of this concerned Mo Hua.
His goal was to improve his cultivation, enhance his spiritual sense, and learn more profound array formations!
That was what he needed to do!
He didn't concern himself with the rest.
And so, Mo Hua continued to cultivate silently every day and study array formations.
Unbeknownst to him, his spiritual sense had quietly broken through the constraints of the fourteenth stripe and reached the fifteenth stripe...
The fifteenth stripe—this was the level of spiritual sense that a middling cultivator in the Qi Refining stage could achieve.
And with a sixteenth stripe, one could learn intermediate second-grade array formations.
He was just one stripe away from the sixteenth!
Mo Hua was a little excited, and after some thought, he ran to Elder Xu and tentatively asked, "Elder Xu, can I learn... the fifteen-stripe array formation?"
Elder Xu was momentarily stunned.
He had expected that the fourteen-stripe array formations would keep Mo Hua occupied for a while, but he hadn't anticipated that it would be such a short "while."
This period had been too brief...
In fact, he felt that it hadn't been long since he had taught Mo Hua the fourteen-stripe formations.
In the blink of an eye, Mo Hua was ready to learn the fifteen-stripe ones...
Elder Xu remained silent for a long time before finally nodding. "Alright, but first, let's consolidate what you've learned so far."
"Yes!" Mo Hua nodded.
After Mo Hua left, Elder Xu's expression turned solemn, and his gaze became grave.
He felt that this child, Mo Hua, was becoming a little frightening...
It wasn't just a matter of learning array formations quickly or mastering them exceptionally well.
This kind of transcendent spiritual sense, growing at such a rapid pace, was simply incomprehensible and unprecedented...
If he continued to indulge Mo Hua in this way, he might very well cultivate a "little monster" in the path of arrays, unprecedented in history...
"But..."
Elder Xu frowned.
Learning at such a fast pace was definitely not a good thing.
A tree that stands out gets chopped down.
But in Mo Hua's case, it wasn't just a matter of "standing out." If he continued to grow wildly like this, his branches would soon reach over the mountain and into the sky.
He would become too conspicuous.
If this continued, this child would surely incur the jealousy of the influential clans, the envy of his fellow sect members, and the covetousness of the demonic sects.
Once he fell into the path of demons, those insane old demons would have a myriad of ways to force his growth and turn him into a complete, raving "little demon hawk"...
There were precedents for such things...
An array master with a powerful spiritual sense turning to the path of demons was truly terrifying...
And once one fell into the demonic path, their Dao foundation would surely be destroyed.
On the surface, their strength might seem enhanced, but in reality, they had severed their connection to the Great Dao and become lifelong puppets of the demonic path.
As for the influential clans...
Mo Hua had no blood ties to any of them.
He had only two choices: become a lackey for the clans, a hound that served their interests, or be shunned by them.
If he had a righteous and broad-minded heart and acted against the interests of the clans, he might even be jointly suppressed by the clans of Qian Province.
As for the sect...
The sect could be his support.
But the foundation of the sect was also built upon people.
Mo Hua's problem was that he had joined the sect not long ago and thus had a shallow foundation. Even though he had some camaraderie with his fellow sect members, it was still too superficial.
Only time could reveal one's true character, and only after experiencing trials together would true camaraderie form.
With the current level of friendship, it was unlikely that any sect members would risk their lives to help him in a life-or-death situation...
If this continued, Mo Hua would easily become isolated and vulnerable, a mere pawn in the struggles between the demonic sects and the influential clans...
Elder Xu's brows furrowed even deeper.
"I need to think of a solution..."
But for now, he couldn't think of a good idea.
The next day, during the array formation class, Elder Xu looked at the innocent, well-behaved, and diligent Mo Hua, and his heart felt conflicted.
He felt a mix of regret, pain, and reluctance.
"What should I do with this child..."
Elder Xu's expression was complicated.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, was perplexed by Elder Xu's gaze and didn't understand what was going on.
It wasn't until the class started that Elder Xu finally averted his gaze from Mo Hua, unfolded the lecture notes, put aside his thoughts, and prepared to explain the array formations.
Suddenly, an inner sect elder knocked on the door.
Seeing Elder Xu's frown as he looked at him, the elder felt immense pressure. He knew that Elder Xu hated being disturbed during his lectures.
But he had no choice but to speak.
"Elder Xu, the elders at the back mountain... said there's something important to discuss."
"The back mountain?"
Elder Xu was slightly taken aback before nodding. "I understand."
The elder breathed a sigh of relief and bid his farewell.
Elder Xu intended to pause the class, assign some homework, and let the disciples study on their own. But as he was about to speak, he paused, his eyes brightening as he pointed at Mo Hua and said:
"Mo Hua, you teach them!"
Mo Hua was stunned.
The other disciples in the room also widened their eyes, their faces filled with disbelief as if they had just seen a ghost.
(End of Chapter)
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