Chapter 746: Sword Stream
Chapter 746: Sword Stream
"This..." Ouyang Mu stammered, a little dazed.
"What's wrong with that?" Mo Hua asked, "From now on, I'll protect you within the Refining Demon Mountain."
"But I'm a disciple of Tai Ah Men..." Ouyang Mu said softly, glancing at the Taoist robe Mo Hua was wearing. "Senior Brother, you're from Tai Xu Men."
Mo Hua replied matter-of-factly, "Since you're calling me Senior Brother, what difference does it make whether it's Tai Ah Men or Tai Xu Men?"
"You need to broaden your horizons and not be constrained by such factionalism."
"Furthermore, Tai Ah and Tai Xu, not to mention Chong Xu Men, are all branches of the same sect, with a shared origin."
"If we go back a thousand years, we're all one family. Why be so formal?"
Ouyang Mu slowly nodded, feeling that Mo Hua's words made sense.
"But I only know how to refine artifacts and forge swords. I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you, Senior Brother Mo."
"Sword forging is enough!" Mo Hua exclaimed.
He just needed someone to forge swords for him.
Whether it was hunting demons or fighting, Mo Hua had no shortage of companions.
Within the sect, whenever there was a fight, Cheng Mo, Si Tu Jian, Yang Qian Jun, and Hao Xuan would always be there at his call.
Within the Refining Demon Mountain, these few peaks were filled with his "junior brothers" who would come running at the whistle.
Moreover, Mo Hua was more than capable himself.
His methods had become quite diverse.
For sneak attacks, he had the Concealment Technique, and for defense and escape, he had the Flowing Water Steps.
For offense, he had array formations, forbidden techniques, and sword flight.
If he left the boundaries of Qian Xue State, he could even "summon" his Golden Core relative, Gu Chang Huai, and with the Gu family's secret order, he could mobilize the Gu family's cultivators.
He had more than enough manpower for fights.
However, he lacked specialized talent in cultivation.
Currently, he especially lacked a sword forger with a proper orthodox background, inheritance, and talent.
Seeing Ouyang Mu's hesitation, Mo Hua's eyes flickered, and he added, "If you're unwilling, then forget it. I won't force you."
After all, Ouyang Mu was a disciple of Tai Ah Men and a direct descendant of the Ouyang family. It was understandable if he felt reluctant to associate with a disciple of Tai Xu Men like himself.
That was only human nature.
"Senior Brother Mo, I'm sorry..." Ouyang Mu felt guilty.
Senior Brother Mo had treated him so well, and now he was rejecting his good intentions.
"It's fine," Mo Hua smiled, "If you don't want to hang out with me, that's fine too. We can keep it professional. From now on, you can just help me forge swords, and I'll give you merit points."
Ouyang Mu was taken aback, his expression filled with concern.
Mo Hua seemed to understand and asked, "Are you worried that your father won't let you forge swords?"
Ouyang Mu nodded.
"But you still need to earn merit points, right?"
"Yes..."
"Does your father give you merit points?" Mo Hua asked.
Ouyang Mu shook his head. "No, Tai Ah Men has its rules, and our Ouyang family has strict household rules as well. Within the sect, we must rely on ourselves. We must not bully others with our status or seek personal gain through our identity. Even merit points must be earned through our own efforts..."
"Then aside from forging swords, do you have any other way to earn merit points?"
Ouyang Mu thought hard but eventually had to admit that aside from sword forging, he had no other way to earn merit points.
"Then that settles it..." Mo Hua said, "Since your father doesn't give you merit points, you have to rely on yourself to earn them, and the only way to do that is by forging swords."
"Moreover, whether it's learning to forge swords or practicing sword techniques, those are things for the future. The urgent matter at hand is to accumulate merit points and cultivate diligently."
"Without the present, how can there be a future?"
"So for now, just focus on forging swords, and don't worry about anything else."
Ouyang Mu couldn't help but nod.
Mo Hua seized the opportunity to apply a little more "pressure", saying solemnly, "Also, you should be aware that there are plenty of sword forgers in the entire Qian Xue State, not just you alone."
"Sword forgers need a large amount of demon beast materials for practice."
"The opportunity to have a long-term, stable supply of demon beast materials, hire you to forge swords, and give you merit points is a rare one indeed."
"If you miss this chance, you may never come across it again..."
As soon as Mo Hua said this, Ouyang Mu became anxious.
He already had a hard time competing for sect tasks.
Aside from the sect's teachings, there were very few extra "sword forging" opportunities.
If he wanted to refine on his own, he would need a large amount of merit points just for the materials.
Ouyang Mu still remembered how much effort it had taken him to obtain the "fire demon wolf spine" for sword forging, and even then, he hadn't been able to get it without Mo Hua's help.
If he refused now, he might never come across such a good "sword forging" opportunity again.
Ouyang Mu quickly nodded, "If Senior Brother Mo doesn't mind my crude skills, you can find me for any sword you want to forge in the future, and I'll do my best!"
"Good!"
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "I'll provide you with the materials. First, forge six or seven of the golden spiritual swords we made earlier, and then I'll consider forging some other spiritual swords."
"Yes, Senior Brother Mo," Ouyang Mu agreed.
Mo Hua then found the eagle demon that had been shredded by sword qi and fallen to the ground. He took its materials and gave them to Ouyang Mu, telling him to exchange them for some merit points at the mountain gate for his own use.
The poor boy only had a little over three hundred merit points on him.
If he didn't help him out a little, he might not even be able to afford the entrance fee to the Refining Demon Mountain...
Ouyang Mu was both flattered and embarrassed, but he couldn't refuse. He solemnly vowed to himself that he would forge swords diligently to repay Senior Brother Mo's kindness.
After leaving the Refining Demon Mountain, the two walked shoulder to shoulder on their way back to the sect.
Since Tai Ah Mountain and Tai Xu Mountain were adjacent, their paths back to the sect were in the same direction.
As they walked, Mo Hua suddenly thought of a question and asked, "Little Mu, how old are you?"
Ouyang Mu thought for a moment and replied, "I'm 20,112 in the Dao calendar, born in March."
Mo Hua was a little surprised.
Little Mu was the same age as him, and even older in terms of months.
Technically, he was the younger one.
However, Little Mu seemed to be used to calling him "Senior Brother", so it didn't matter.
In Tai Xu Men, there were plenty of disciples older than him who called him "Little Senior Brother" anyway.
The two chatted as they walked, and when they reached the mountain gate, they parted ways and returned to their respective sects.
Mo Hua returned to Tai Xu Men, while Ouyang Mu went back to Tai Ah Men.
Tai Ah Mountain was majestic and ancient, solemn and grand, unlike the ethereal and enchanting Tai Xu Men. The craftsmanship was evident in every brick and tile, giving it a different kind of charm.
Ouyang Mu lowered his head and silently returned to the disciples' residence.
He headed straight back to the disciples' residence, and Ouyang Mu closed the door, immersing himself in the study of the sword diagrams that Mo Hua had given him, making annotations and thinking about how to improve his sword-forging techniques according to Mo Hua's instructions.
As he pondered, a scene suddenly flashed through Ouyang Mu's mind—Mo Hua riding a sword in broad daylight, the golden light piercing the sky as he slaughtered a demonic beast.
Mo Hua's sword-riding technique was so powerful!
He struggled to find the words to describe it and could only exclaim, "So powerful!"
Although Mo Hua seemed to have mediocre talent, his sword-riding technique was stronger than that of any other disciple he had ever seen.
Ouyang Mu felt a surge of excitement.
Such a formidable sword-riding technique, and it was performed using a sword he had forged!
And Mo Hua had even praised him for it!
Ouyang Mu couldn't help but think that if his forged swords were even better and of higher quality, wouldn't Mo Hua's sword-riding technique become even more formidable?
What would an even more powerful sword-riding technique look like? Ouyang Mu wondered eagerly.
...
From then on, Ouyang Mu's enthusiasm for sword forging intensified.
He was naturally diligent and responsible, and as sword forging was his hobby, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to refining spiritual swords.
By the next break, he had forged three more spiritual swords.
"Because I also have to cultivate and attend classes, I could only work on it during my free time, so I only managed to forge three..." Ouyang Mu explained to Mo Hua.
"It's fine, it's fine. This is already very good," Mo Hua encouraged him.
Over this period, Mo Hua had discovered that Little Mu had an exceptional talent for sword forging.
He just lacked confidence and was held back by the lack of forging materials and his father's insistence that he give up sword forging to focus on sword techniques.
"Don't worry about forging swords. If you need any materials or have any new ideas or insights about forging, feel free to discuss them with me..." Mo Hua decided to nurture Little Mu's unconventional approach to artifact refining.
After all, his own situation was unique.
Whether it was custom spiritual artifacts or sword forging, his methods deviated from the standard refining guidelines.
If Little Mu could be of assistance, then he could focus solely on formations without worrying about artifacts.
He could research formations and design formation diagrams, while Little Mu studied artifact refining diagrams.
Then, they could collaborate with Master Gu, who oversaw the Refining Peak, to mass-produce their creations.
Specialization and perfect division of labor.
Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu with high expectations.
Ouyang Mu was a bit perplexed but suddenly felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
"Okay, Senior Brother Mo," he replied.
From then on, Little Mu made rapid progress.
Mo Hua gradually let go of the reins.
Not only did he allow Little Mu to refine spiritual swords, but he also entrusted him with designing custom spiritual artifacts. Mo Hua would provide the concept and the corresponding formation, and Little Mu would design the refining formation diagram.
Little Mu would diligently design the formation diagram, discuss it with Mo Hua to address any issues with the formation, and then finalize it.
When Mo Hua presented this refining formation diagram to Master Gu, he received high praise.
"This refining formation diagram is ingenious and practical. From my perspective, it's almost flawless..." Master Gu mused for a moment before asking, "Didn't the young master come up with this himself?"
He was well aware of Mo Hua's capabilities.
While Mo Hua's understanding of formations was profound, his foundation in artifact refining was lacking, and he often made basic mistakes despite his brilliant ideas.
Mo Hua nodded. "I asked a... a sword-forging disciple from a renowned family to help me with the design."
Master Gu was slightly taken aback, impressed. "No wonder. This disciple of yours has a solid foundation and comes from a family with a deep heritage in artifact refining."
Mo Hua also nodded in agreement.
"Indeed."
...
Subsequently, the spiritual artifacts designed by Ouyang Mu were mass-produced under Master Gu's supervision.
After they were refined, Mo Hua tested them and, satisfied, brought Ouyang Mu back to Refining Demon Mountain to introduce him to his group of "junior brothers."
Mo Hua made the introductions, "This is your junior brother, Ouyang Mu. He's a disciple of Tai Ah Men and is exceptionally skilled in sword forging. From now on, take good care of him here in Refining Demon Mountain."
The disciples of Tai Xu Men were a little puzzled.
Why was a disciple of Tai Ah Men now following their junior brother? But since junior brother had his reasons, they didn't question it.
If junior brother asked them to take care of Ouyang Mu, they would do so.
Moreover, there was a connection between Tai Ah Men and Tai Xu Men, and friendly exchanges between disciples were not uncommon. They were not opposed to it.
The Tai Xu Men disciples cupped their fists in greeting, "Greetings, Junior Brother Ouyang."
In the sect, seniority among disciples was determined first by their batch or "jie."
Those from the batch above were addressed as senior brothers or sisters, while those from the batch below were junior brothers or sisters.
If they were from the same batch, they would usually go by age, with the older ones being the senior.
Ouyang Mu looked young, so they naturally addressed him as junior brother.
Ouyang Mu's face, slightly tanned and wooden, turned bright red, and he stammered, "G-greetings, everyone."
He had never been the center of attention for so many people before.
Nor had he been addressed as "junior brother" by so many people, leaving him a little flustered.
Mo Hua continued, "From now on, if any of your spiritual artifacts break and need repairing, you can find Junior Brother Ouyang."
"Yes!"
The Tai Xu Men disciples chorused in agreement.
They usually inherited spiritual artifacts or purchased custom-made ones from the Gu family shop in Tai Xu City, which was endorsed by their junior brother.
However, repairing these artifacts was troublesome, especially spiritual swords, which were expensive and cumbersome to fix.
Having a professional sword forger for repairs would be ideal.
By introducing Ouyang Mu to them, Mo Hua was essentially bringing him into their fold, and his initial goal was achieved. With a wave of his hand, he said, "It's getting late. Let's go hunting for demons."
"Yes, junior brother," they replied.
Some of the disciples dispersed, while a few who had matters to discuss with Mo Hua approached him.
"Junior brother, I'm not quite adept at using the demon-hunting formation you taught us yesterday. Do we activate it with our spiritual sense?"
"Is my spiritual sense too weak? Why can't I control it..."
"Junior brother, can you teach me how to kill the black bears?"
"I want to forge a pair of meteor hammers and use bear paws instead of hammers.
...
Mo Hua answered each question patiently and meticulously.
The disciples, satisfied with his responses, dispersed.
Ouyang Mu, who had been observing from the side, was stunned.
Only now did he realize that Senior Brother Mo's status in Tai Xu Men was far higher than he had imagined.
Even his own brother, with his exceptional talent, graceful demeanor, and high regard within Tai Ah Men, did not possess such influence...
Ouyang Mu glanced at Mo Hua, his clear eyes and amiable demeanor devoid of any arrogance, resembling a pure-hearted youth, and he felt a sense of awe.
"What's wrong?" Mo Hua asked.
Ouyang Mu smiled faintly, "It's nothing..."
...
From then on, Ouyang Mu became even more diligent and conscientious.
With Ouyang Mu's suggestions, Mo Hua's spirit sword underwent several optimizations.
Each improvement enhanced its power.
However, the quality of the spirit sword gradually reached its limit.
The might of Mo Hua's sword flight technique also hit a bottleneck.
"Senior Brother Mo, using the materials of a first-grade primary demon beast to stabilize the sword formation, the current power of the sword flight technique can only reach this level..."
"To increase it further, we would need the materials of a second-grade intermediate or higher demon beast."
"But these materials are difficult to smelt, and with my current cultivation, I can't utilize them properly..."
"Next, we should focus on the sword formation..."
After interacting with Mo Hua, Ouyang Mu understood the principle behind his "sword flight" technique, finding it a bit tricky yet incredibly ingenious.
At the same time, he couldn't help but acknowledge that this sword flight, especially in the hands of the enigmatic Senior Brother Mo, was terrifyingly powerful.
"The power of this sword flight technique still relies on the sword formation. The stronger the sword formation, the stronger the sword flight," Ouyang Mu remarked.
"Right, Senior Brother Mo," Ouyang Mu asked, "does your family only have the Golden Sword Formation?"
"The family's sword formation?" Mo Hua was taken aback.
"Didn't you tell me about it?" Ouyang Mu asked, puzzled.
"Oh, right..."
Mo Hua almost forgot.
He had told Little Wood that the "Golden Severing Sword Formation" on his sword was a golden sword formation passed down in his family.
Little Wood was kind-hearted, so he believed him.
"Yes, that's right, it's passed down in my family."
Mo Hua emphasized, then shook his head, "My family only passed down this one, and there aren't any others for the time being."
Whether or not there would be more passed down in the future depended on other sects or families sending them over.
Ouyang Mu found it a bit regrettable, "If there were other sword formations, we could try out multiple attributes and forms of spirit swords."
Mo Hua sighed softly.
Indeed...
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he asked, "What if we don't use a sword formation?"
"Not use a sword formation?"
"Use other formations, like a killing formation or something..." Mo Hua suggested.
Ouyang Mu shook his head, "That won't work. Not all formations can be casually inserted into a sword."
"Sword formations are special. Although I don't understand formations that well, from a blacksmithing perspective, sword formations are the most compatible with sword artifacts."
"Sword artifacts can also maximize the power of sword formations."
"Other formations have low compatibility with spirit swords, and their power can barely be tapped through sword flight."
"If we really want to use them, we'd have to modify the formations into sword formations..."
Mo Hua was taken aback by Ouyang Mu's question, then exclaimed,
"Modify them into sword formations? Can formations be modified into sword formations?!"
Ouyang Mu felt a bit embarrassed by Mo Hua's question and didn't dare to be sure.
He knew that Mo Hua was an exceptional formation master, so he became more cautious when discussing formation-related matters:
"Well, I actually don't know about that..."
Ouyang Mu spoke softly, "I overheard this when my father and the Great Elder of the sect were chatting casually. I'm not sure if it's true or if there are any misunderstandings."
"It's also possible that I misheard..."
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly as he fell into deep thought.
Little Wood wouldn't lie.
This statement... wasn't impossible.
Previously, when drawing the sword formation, Mo Hua hadn't thought about it in this direction, but now, as he recalled, he suddenly realized that:
The "sword patterns" of the Golden Severing Sword Formation resembled a variation of a certain type of golden formation pattern.
Sword patterns were variations of formation patterns.
Sword formations were variations of formations!
That would explain everything...
Mo Hua had been puzzled before. The categories of formations mentioned by Old Master Xun were extensive, covering everything from the yin-yang duality, the three powers and four symbols, to the seven stars and eight trigrams.
However, among them, there was no mention of sword formations.
Sword formations were a unique category of formations, but they couldn't be classified into any of the categories from the duality to the eight trigrams.
If sword formations were considered "variation" formations, it would make more sense.
This category of variation formations didn't conflict with the major formation categories but intertwined with them.
In theory, formations from the duality to the eight trigrams could be modified into "sword formations" through specific variation patterns.
The Earth-Fire Formation could be modified into the Earth-Fire Sword Formation.
The Earth-Killing Formation could be modified into the Earth-Killing Sword Formation.
...
However, while this sounded simple, the actual research and implementation would undoubtedly be extremely complex and challenging.
Otherwise, sword formations wouldn't be the core secret legacy of sword cultivation families.
Based on Mo Hua's experience with formations, a unified variation pattern, transforming formation patterns into "sword patterns," would likely involve the most profound and abstruse principles of formations.
"What kind of formation principles would it involve?"
Mo Hua racked his brains, deep in thought, when suddenly, a term came to mind:
Formation Streams!
"Sword Formation Streams?"
Formation Streams delved into the source of formations and approached their essence.
By comprehending the source of the Dao, mastering a certain category of "Sword Formation Streams," and applying variation patterns, could one transform heavenly formations into "sword formations"? Mo Hua's heart trembled at the thought.
If this assumption was correct, then...
Mo Hua's thoughts raced as he continued his train of thought: If he applied the principles of the Reverse Spirit Formation or spirit power fusion to formations, and then used the Sword Formation Streams to modify the formation patterns into sword formations...
Wouldn't that result in...
A spirit power decomposition sword formation and a spirit power fusion sword formation?!
(End of Chapter)
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