Chapter 742: Testing the Sword (End of Chapter)
Chapter 742: Testing the Sword (End of Chapter)
Just practicing...
"Alright then."
Staring at Mo Hua, whose eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, Stellar Jian felt helpless.
Mo Hua began to practice sword flying, while Stellar stood by, giving instructions and retrieving the swords for him.
Although Stellar had not yet learned sword flying, he came from a family of sword cultivators and had been exposed to various sword techniques since childhood. Thus, even if he hadn't practiced them, he knew much more than Mo Hua.
With Stellar's guidance and supervision, Mo Hua could learn without deviating from the correct path.
And under Stellar's correction, Mo Hua's sword flying improved rapidly.
Since he skipped the crucial stages of accumulating sword qi and merging it with the sword, focusing solely on "spiritual consciousness sword control," the difficulty wasn't as high.
For Mo Hua, who cultivated the path of spiritual consciousness, it was even relatively simple.
The more Stellar Jian watched, the more astonished he became, but at the same time, the more regretful he felt.
"Little brother's sword control using spiritual consciousness is indeed extremely fast and reaches far. But the power... it's really painful to watch."
It wasn't completely devoid of power, though.
There was a tiny bit.
However, this minuscule amount of power came from the "strength" of controlling an object with spiritual consciousness, similar to throwing hidden weapons with bare hands, which wasn't very useful.
Moreover, the sword he was using was a "broken sword."
The sword itself wasn't sharp, and it had rusted.
Stellar Jian shook his head.
Nevertheless, he diligently assisted Mo Hua in practicing sword flying for an entire day until Mo Hua became proficient. Only then did the two of them return to the sect.
After returning to the sect, Mo Hua specially invited Stellar Jian out for a big meal as a token of gratitude for his guidance in sword techniques.
It was quite a prestigious matter for a junior disciple to treat his senior disciple to a meal.
Stellar Jian also enjoyed the meal very much.
After they had their fill, the two returned to their respective disciple residences.
Back in his residence, Mo Hua drew some array formations to aid digestion before contemplating his next course of action.
First, he had already learned the method of sword control using spiritual consciousness.
Although he had only practiced for a day, he had more or less grasped the key points.
From now on, he just needed to practice more to improve his proficiency in sword flying.
Perhaps there were more profound methods of "sword control using spiritual consciousness," but those were too far-fetched for him at the moment, and he had no use for them.
For now, the "Sword Control Manual" of Duan Jin Men would suffice.
Next, the most important task was sword forging.
As Stellar had said, although Mo Hua's sword control was fast and reached far, without sword qi for killing, it was indeed a waste of talent.
But Mo Hua was well aware that he would probably never be able to cultivate any profound sword qi in this lifetime.
Therefore, he could only play to his strengths and use "sword formations" to replace "sword qi."
...
It was the seasonal break again, but Mo Hua didn't go to the Monster Refining Mountain. Instead, he made an appointment with Master Gu to drink tea in a small reception room in the Gu family's residence.
The reception room was exquisite and elegant, and it was also equipped with a soundproofing array formation.
This was a customary rule among aristocratic families.
Reception rooms for guests were set up with soundproofing array formations to protect the guests' privacy and prevent eavesdropping.
Mo Hua and Master Gu chatted in the small reception room.
He straightforwardly explained his purpose to Master Gu.
Master Gu was startled upon hearing this, "Forge a spiritual sword?!"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded, "I want to try forging some spiritual swords, gold-attributed spiritual swords, and use cheaper materials..."
Because his sword flying was unique, using sword formation bursts for killing meant that he would essentially destroy one sword after another.
If the swords were too expensive, he feared that he would bankrupt himself.
"...A simpler design, and just like the Five Elements Source Armor, it should also have an open-source formation. The array formation shouldn't be sealed inside; instead, it should have external interfaces..."
Mo Hua added one by one.
Master Gu's brows furrowed, and he shook his head, "I won't hide it from you, young master. The Gu family is not a sword cultivator sect. Our refining business on Solitary Mountain has never refined a proper spiritual sword. The occasional orders we receive are only for ordinary sword weapons that are commonplace and not worth mentioning..."
"These sword weapons can be called 'swords,' but they are no different from knives, spears, clubs, and rods. They merely have the shape of a sword without the substance of a spiritual sword."
"Most importantly, they lack an internal sword formation..."
"Speaking of sword formations..." Mo Hua had just opened his mouth when his heart suddenly sank as he immediately realized a serious problem.
He couldn't tell Master Gu about the Duan Jin Sword Formation.
This sword formation was obtained from Duan Jin Men.
No sect would allow their core sword formation to be leaked, let alone the narrow-minded Duan Jin Men.
It was fine for him to secretly learn it on his own.
After all, array formations were profound and abstruse. Even if he knew something, it was unlikely that others would understand or believe him if he spoke about it.
However, if Master Gu and his family were involved in refining them, the problem would be significant.
Once Duan Jin Men found out, Master Gu, a third-grade refiner, and the entire Solitary Mountain Refining Business might be implicated.
Therefore, the matter of forging swords couldn't be entrusted to Master Gu and his family.
Mo Hua's thoughts raced, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Sword formations are indeed troublesome. The sect doesn't teach them, and I can't obtain a genuine sword formation legacy for the time being..."
"So, let's forget about sword formations for now, Master Gu. You can just refine some simple spiritual swords for me. Treat them as 'formation mediums.' Use the sword as the shape and the weapon as the medium..."
Master Gu didn't doubt him and slowly nodded, "Alright, I'll do as you say, young master. I'll give it a try when I return."
"Mhm." Mo Hua nodded.
After Master Gu left, he spent about half a month refining several spiritual swords according to Mo Hua's requirements.
These were all ordinary spiritual swords.
As Master Gu had said, they were merely shaped like "swords," and there wasn't much difference between them and spiritual weapons like knives and rods.
Moreover, their internal structure was designed with an open-source formation, essentially making them ordinary formation mediums.
However, they were more than sufficient for testing the power of "sword flying."
Mo Hua took the opportunity to draw the Duan Jin Sword Formation inside these spiritual swords.
Unlike the sword formation used by Duan Jin Men for forging swords, the Duan Jin Sword Formation that Mo Hua drew inside the swords was a self-sufficient recursive formation system with spiritual power circulation.
Ordinary Duan Jin Sword Formations relied on cultivators to supply spiritual power to amplify sword qi.
But the Duan Jin Sword Formation that Mo Hua had modified changed the formation pattern and added a separate spirit gathering formation as the formation eye.
The spirit gathering formation would "charge" the spiritual sword with spiritual power in advance. The spiritual power would then undergo a transformation through the sword formation, turning it into sharp Duan Jin sword qi.
This matter couldn't be rushed. Mo Hua had no choice but to rely on Master Gu for now, asking him to refine some ordinary spiritual swords that would suffice for the time being.
Mo Hua practiced his sword flying techniques with these spiritual swords and gradually adjusted the sword formation, enhancing the intensity of spiritual power transformation and increasing the power of the Duan Jin Sword Formation.
However, after some time, Mo Hua discovered a significant problem. His sword training was entirely unprofitable! Each time he practiced sword flying and activated the sword formation, the resulting burst of sword qi would destroy the spiritual sword.
Even though these ordinary spiritual swords weren't expensive, they were still spiritual swords. The cost of crafting each sword was at least a few hundred spirit stones.
As a solitary cultivator without familial support, Mo Hua currently had an abundance of spirit stones, but if he continued like this, he would deplete his resources and eventually go bankrupt.
Even if it wasn't his own bankruptcy, it would be that of Master Gu, who crafted the swords and politely refrained from asking for payment. Either way, bankruptcy was not a desirable outcome.
"This won't do!" Mo Hua's expression turned serious. "I need to find a way to practice sword flying and make some profit at the same time..."
Being in the Monster Refining Mountain, the only way to achieve both goals was through hunting monsters. However, as Mo Hua wandered around, he disappointedly realized that his sword flying didn't seem very useful.
With its current inadequate power, it was less effective than using formations to kill monsters. As a supplementary attack, it seemed redundant.
Whether using spells or martial arts to finish off a monster, there was no need to go to the extra length of destroying a spiritual sword with sword flying.
Mo Hua racked his brains but couldn't come up with a good solution. Suddenly, a shrill cry sounded from above, and he looked up to see a colorful demonic bird soaring in the sky.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he suddenly understood.
If it wasn't useful against ground-dwelling monsters, then he would use it against those that flew!
Terrestrial demons generally had thick hides and robust vitality. However, avian demonic beasts enjoyed a natural advantage, soaring through the skies with their wings. Compared to ground-dwelling beasts, they tended to have smaller bodies and weaker vitality.
They would be perfect for practicing sword flying.
Additionally, avian demonic beasts were harder to capture and hunt than regular monsters, making their materials more expensive.
As Mo Hua looked up, he indeed spotted several hawk-like demonic birds with brown feathers, soaring proudly in the sky.
A smile curved Mo Hua's lips.
But beyond the Duan Jin Sword Formation, Mo Hua also inscribed several Flamefire Arrays.
Additionally, he coated the edges of the swords with the venomous blood of demonic beasts.
After completing these preparations, Mo Hua ventured back into Monster Refining Mountain.
He found a secluded hill, sat down cross-legged, and placed the spirit swords in front of him. Then, he released his spiritual consciousness, scanning the sky for avian demonic beasts.
The sky was a canvas of cerulean blue, with fluffy white clouds drifting like steeds.
Mo Hua sat there with his eyes closed.
Even as venomous birds flew by, he remained unperturbed.
Then, a gray, bald eagle soared above him.
Mo Hua's eyes snapped open, and a sharp glint flashed within them.
Cangtou Eagle! A low-level second-grade demonic beast, with reddish feathers and a crown of gray. It could fly, its beak was as hard as stone, and its talons were like iron. It had a fierce temperament and fed on both demons and humans.
This was the carefully selected demonic beast that Mo Hua chose to test his swords against.
There were many avian demons in the sky, but not all of them could be killed.
Some had hard feathers that sword qi might not be able to penetrate;
Some traveled in flocks, and killing one would mean being pursued by the rest;
Some were too strong to provoke;
And others were cunning and suspicious, with keen perception...
Compared to the rest, the Cangtou Eagle was the easiest to kill.
While this type of eagle possessed strong innate demonic energy, its physical defenses, perception, and other attributes were average.
They also didn't travel in flocks, making them the ideal target.
Mo Hua activated the Sword Manipulation Technique, controlling the sword with his spiritual consciousness. At the same time, he released his spiritual awareness, firmly locking onto the Cangtou Eagle in the sky.
He waited until it descended to hunt, when it was less than 150 zhang above the ground.
A glint of killing intent flashed in Mo Hua's eyes.
A golden light pierced through the air.
This golden light was incredibly fast, streaking through the sky like a silken thread. In the blink of an eye, it reached the Cangtou Eagle.
The eagle, sensing its impending doom, screeched desperately, but it was too late.
The golden sword pierced its body, instantly activating the sword formation. The Duan Jin Sword Formation within the sword unleashed countless sword qi strands, shredding half of the eagle's wings, while the Flamefire Array burned its feathers, causing a burst of bloody mist in the air.
The Cangtou Eagle fell like a kite with a broken string.
Mo Hua employed the Flowing Water Step, flashing several times to reach the spot where the eagle had crashed.
The eagle wasn't dead yet. Its vicious eyes fixed on Mo Hua, as if it wanted to peck out his eyes and devour his flesh and blood.
But a fallen eagle was no different from a chicken.
Its wings, shredded by sword qi, couldn't carry it anymore, and its fate was sealed.
Mo Hua struggled a bit as he wasn't a body cultivator, and his strength wasn't sufficient. But eventually, through the combined use of array formations and spells, he managed to slaughter the eagle.
Then, with some effort, he plucked the eagle's feathers, stripped its meat and bones, and extracted its demon core.
As Mo Hua was not a body cultivator, he lacked the necessary strength, making the process rather cumbersome and time-consuming.
However, after spending half an hour, he finally finished the task.
But while plucking the eagle's feathers, Mo Hua felt that the demonic energy within the eagle seemed somehow familiar.
But that didn't make sense...
Mo Hua frowned slightly.
He clearly remembered that this was the first time he had hunted this type of eagle-like demonic beast.
Why did it feel so familiar?
Mo Hua pondered for a while but couldn't figure it out. As the day was getting late, he temporarily set aside his confusion and headed down the mountain.
At the mountain gate, Mo Hua sold the Cangtou Eagle.
Due to its small size and the fact that Mo Hua's sword formation had shredded many of its feathers, it didn't fetch a high price.
Even so, he earned a full thousand merit points.
After deducting the cost of the spirit swords, he still made a profit of several hundred merit points.
Mo Hua was delighted.
If he continued to practice sword flying like this, not only would he not lose money, but he would also earn a substantial amount of merit!
Mo Hua returned to the sect with a bounty.
From then on, Mo Hua lived a peaceful life.
He spent his days cultivating, attending classes, and studying array formations.
During the seasonal breaks, he would go to Monster Refining Mountain to practice sword flying, kill eagles, and earn merit.
His days were exceptionally fulfilling and "wealthy."
The amount of merit he accumulated grew larger and larger.
Meanwhile, Monster Refining Mountain remained peaceful.
A large portion of the outer mountain range of Monster Refining Mountain was now occupied by disciples of the Tai Xu Gate.
Monster Refining Mountain was dangerous, and hunting demons within it was fraught with peril.
This was especially true for sect disciples without prior hunting experience.
Therefore, newcomers usually didn't dare to venture into the mountain to hunt demons.
During this period, most disciples from other sects were still cultivating, and they would only enter the mountain to hunt demons after their cultivation reached a solid stage.
Tai Xu Gate was an exception.
Or perhaps, this batch of Tai Xu Gate disciples was the exception.
Because they had Mo Hua, a senior disciple, to guide them, this batch of Tai Xu Gate disciples adapted to the life in Monster Refining Mountain much earlier.
Moreover, as they had arrived first, they occupied a large swath of prime territory.
For some unknown reason, the disciples of Duan Jin Gate also entered the mountain quite early.
However, after losing to Tai Xu Gate in the competition for territory, they had no choice but to avoid the Tai Xu Gate disciples and find another place to hunt demons.
There were also disciples from other sects who entered the mountain early.
But their numbers were small, only five or six, and they were merely there to familiarize themselves with the mountain.
When they saw the Tai Xu Gate disciples, who were numerous, well-organized, disciplined, equipped with uniform spiritual tools, and already engaging in "militarized" hunting operations, they quickly assessed the situation.
Just one glance was enough for them to know that the Tai Xu Gate, or at least this batch of Tai Xu Gate disciples, was not to be trifled with.
They would have to steer clear of them for the time being...
Thus, conflicts arose in other areas.
However, in the several outer mountain peaks occupied by the Tai Xu Gate disciples, everyone was from the same sect and had the same senior disciple, so the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.
Time passed, and the year was drawing to a close.
The number of outer mountain disciples in Monster Refining Mountain gradually increased.
After half a year of cultivation, many disciples' cultivations had become more solid, and they began to venture into the mountain to try their hand at demon hunting.
Among them were disciples from Tai Ah Gate and Chong Xu Gate, who had once been closely affiliated with Tai Xu Gate...
(End of Chapter)
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