Chapter 798: Eyes
Chapter 798: Eyes
On a desolate mountain, deep within a tranquil and serene forest, sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting fragmented shadows on the ground below. The light danced merrily, creating a pleasant and cool atmosphere.
Leaves crunched underfoot as one ascended the mountain steps, their soft, decayed bodies providing a cushioned path. The mountain, rarely visited by humans, exuded a unique and enchanting aura.
Mo Hua, stepping on the fallen leaves that littered the mountain path, made her way once again to the dilapidated temple.
The temple, as always, was in a state of disrepair. The roof continued to leak, the walls offered little protection from the wind, and the altar was barren, devoid even of a stale mantou. Only the dirty, year-old rainwater remained, stagnating in the bottom of a bowl.
The clay statue of Huang Shan Jun wore an expression of misery.
When people fall into hardship, life becomes a struggle. And when a mountain god faces poverty, their existence is no less arduous.
As Mo Hua stepped through the doorway, a wisp of smoke-like energy, resembling Huang Shan Jun, slowly drifted out from the statue. It bowed to Mo Hua and forced a smile, greeting her with a slight bow.
"Greetings, my dear friend..."
Mo Hua returned the greeting with a cheerful wave. "It's been a while, Huang Shan Jun. Have you missed me?"
"How could I not have missed you, dear friend?" Huang Shan Jun's heart cried out.
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction, oblivious to Huang Shan Jun's inner turmoil.
Huang Shan Jun sighed inwardly. No wonder he had felt restless for the past few days. It seemed that this little "troublemaker" was about to pay him another visit.
However, with the temple situated here, he had no choice but to accept his fate.
Mo Hua's eyes swept across the dilapidated temple, and a look of sympathy flashed across her face as she thought of Huang Shan Jun's meager existence. She then took out the offerings she had prepared—chicken, duck, fish, and other delicacies—and placed them on the altar.
Despite Huang Shan Jun's dislike for Mo Hua's visits, he could not refuse these tempting offerings. Being a mountain god with little to no worshippers, he was starving, his form reduced to a mere wisp of smoke.
Even though he knew that Mo Hua's intentions were not purely benevolent, he was helpless to refuse.
After setting out the offerings, Mo Hua asked, "By the way, do mountain gods sustain themselves on incense offerings?"
"Yes..." Huang Shan Jun replied, a hint of relief in his voice.
"In that case," Mo Hua said, "I've brought an incense stick for you. Wait a moment while I light it for you."
Huang Shan Jun's incense burner had fallen into disrepair, its once-brilliant copper surface now tarnished with a layer of black grime.
Mo Hua cleaned the burner, added some grains at the bottom, sprinkled incense ash on top, and then lit an incense stick, placing it carefully in the burner.
But just as Mo Hua reached out to place the lit incense into the burner, Huang Shan Jun felt as if a massive hammer had struck his chest, causing his heart to leap into his throat.
"Stop!" he cried out, unable to contain his panic.
Mo Hua paused, the incense stick still in her hand, and turned to look at Huang Shan Jun with a puzzled expression. "Don't you want the incense offering?"
Huang Shan Jun's heart was still pounding, his eyes reflecting the lingering fear he felt. The mere thought of that moment sent shivers down his spine.
For in that instant, he felt as if the weight of Mount Tai had crushed him, leaving him breathless and overwhelmed.
What could this mean...?
Could it be that this friend's incense offering... was too rich for his palate?!
Huang Shan Jun fixed his gaze on Mo Hua, then forced a smile and said, "I appreciate your kindness, dear friend, but let's forget about the incense for now. I've been hungry for too long, so these offerings will suffice. I can't handle the incense; it might be too much for me..."
"Too much?" Mo Hua asked, confused. "Can a god really be overwhelmed by offerings?"
However, if he didn't want it, she wouldn't insist. Perhaps, having been impoverished for so long, he couldn't handle a rich offering all at once.
Mo Hua nodded in understanding. "Then go ahead and enjoy the food."
Huang Shan Jun bowed politely. "Thank you, dear friend."
And so, within the dilapidated temple, Huang Shan Jun's essence slowly drifted out from the clay statue and descended upon the altar, ready to partake in the feast that Mo Hua had prepared.
As he ate, Mo Hua didn't just stand by and watch. She took out her own "snacks" from her storage bag, jumped onto the altar, and sat beside Huang Shan Jun, sharing the meal with him.
As Huang Shan Jun indulged in the offerings, he stole glances at Mo Hua, noticing that something about her seemed different once again.
Her aura was restrained, her divine sense calm and collected, invoking a sense of closeness. Yet, at the same time, an air of "authority" emanated from her, instilling a sense of awe and fear.
Huang Shan Jun was secretly astonished.
If he recalled correctly, it had only been a year since their last meeting...
In just one year, this young girl had seemingly transformed yet again, her changes akin to a metamorphosis.
What was even more astonishing was the noticeable increase in Mo Hua's divine sense.
However, Huang Shan Jun couldn't quite gauge the extent of her power.
Most beings kept their divine sense sealed within their sea of consciousness, only revealing a fraction of it externally.
Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't project their astral souls, so to observe their true divine sense, one would either have to lure them into a dream or intrude upon their sea of consciousness.
Huang Shan Jun shot a discreet glance at Mo Hua.
"Should I lure her into a dream or intrude upon her sea of consciousness?"
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he immediately dismissed it.
When one courted death, death would surely come knocking.
The same was true for gods.
"Whether one is a god or a human, one must know one's place," Huang Shan Jun reminded himself. "I am no longer the same as I was before, and I must be even more mindful of my actions..."
With these thoughts in mind, he calmed himself and continued to enjoy the offerings.
Mo Hua ate quickly, devouring the food with gusto, while Huang Shan Jun, being a mountain god, maintained his dignity and ate slowly and gracefully.
After Mo Hua finished eating, with nothing else to occupy her, she turned to Huang Shan Jun and asked, "Huang Shan Jun, may I ask you about the technique of transforming divine sense into a sword?"
Huang Shan Jun, who was delicately eating a chicken leg, looked up in surprise. "Didn't you ask about that before?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Yes, I did, but I've thought of some other questions since then."
Previously, she had been a complete novice in this art, but now things were different. She had learned the basics of the Sword Transformation Technique, and with that first step taken, her understanding had grown, leading to new questions.
Huang Shan Jun didn't want to answer, especially when it came to the topic of "divine sense transformation." It was a sore spot for him.
However, having accepted her offerings, he felt obliged to reciprocate. Moreover, the sense of authority emanating from Mo Hua had grown stronger, and he felt he had no choice but to respond.
"Of course. Otherwise, how could it be called 'sword'?" Huang Shan Jun replied, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"I mean, after transforming the divine sense into 'sword intent', must it always be attached to sword energy or a spiritual sword to be utilized? Can it not be used directly?" Mo Hua clarified.
"Well..." Huang Shan Jun hesitated, a hint of uncertainty in his voice: "I never learned it myself, so I'm not entirely sure. But the sword cultivator I fought did indeed use a sword to channel his sword intent."
"Moreover, without relying on sword energy or a spiritual sword, even if it is possible to wield sword intent directly, one would have to cultivate the art of transforming divine sense into a sword to an extremely profound level..."
"If you're just starting out, learning the basics, and your sword techniques are not yet proficient, wouldn't considering the abandonment of sword techniques in favor of directly manipulating sword intent be like trying to run before you can crawl?" Huang Shan Jun offered a thoughtful analogy.
"That makes sense..." Mo Hua murmured, her eyes sparkling with newfound understanding.
Sword energy and spiritual swords were like crutches. They provided support and allowed one to harness sword intent effectively.
Only by delving deeper into the art, by refining one's sword techniques to perfection, could one consider discarding the crutches and relying solely on the power of their divine sense and sword intent.
And even then, when facing a formidable foe, one could not rely solely on sword intent.
The true power of the Great Void Divine Sense Transformation Sword Technique lay in merging the spiritual sword, sword energy, and sword intent into one, unleashing their combined might.
"The Great Void Divine Sense Transformation Sword Technique uses the 'sword' as a medium..." Mo Hua muttered to herself, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Then, she asked, "If not the sword, what would the divine sense transformation be like without a sword? Would it be something like this...?"
Mo Hua gestured gracefully through the air, her fingers moving with an air of elegance and power.
"...A flick of the finger, and 'swish', the divine sense transformation sword would fly forward, just like riding a sword?"
Huang Shan Jun stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think so... But I can't quite remember."
"Think hard," Mo Hua urged, "Try to recall the details of when you were struck by the divine sense transformation sword. What did it look like?"
Huang Shan Jun remained silent, a conflicted expression on his face.
This child always seemed to enjoy rubbing salt in his wounds.
Nevertheless, he endured the pain and tried his best to recollect, dredging up memories of that fateful battle he would rather forget.
Bits and pieces of the past began to surface in his mind.
Huang Shan Jun's demeanor shifted, and he no longer appeared like a destitute mountain god. An air of unpredictability and might emanated from him, transforming his very presence.
"In that battle, I was corrupted by evil thoughts, my sanity slipping away. I fought that sword cultivator with all my might, driven purely by instinct." Huang Shan Jun's voice was calm, yet carried a weight of intensity. "And that sword cultivator, his skills were indeed honed with an ancient sword, a companion to his very soul."
"His sword intent was vast and boundless, merging with the ancient sword, its sharpness unparalleled. With the might of his sword intent, he was able to injure me, a god, despite being just a mortal with flesh and blood, a mere sword cultivator."
"I am not familiar with that sword technique, but from my experience fighting him, the Great Void Divine Sense Transformation Sword Technique itself is indeed a unique type of sword technique. It attaches the 'sword intent', born from divine sense, to the sword, and when wielded, it still must be connected to the 'sword' in some way."
"Even from an outside perspective, it would appear as if a regular sword cultivator is using sword techniques."
"Only a god or a cultivator well-versed in the ways of divine sense would be able to discern its true power..." Huang Shan Jun concluded, his voice carrying a hint of awe.
Mo Hua sighed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "So, it all comes back to sword techniques in the end..."
This was one of her weakest areas.
While she was exceptionally skilled at riding a sword, Mo Hua knew that her "sword riding" was merely superficial. It was, in essence, a method of "controlling objects with divine sense," which only appeared to be sword riding.
"Not exactly..." Huang Shan Jun frowned, his expression thoughtful.
Mo Hua paused, taken aback by his response. "What do you mean?"
Huang Shan Jun focused his thoughts, his eyes narrowing in concentration. Then, his eyes widened slightly as he recalled something, and he nodded, his expression turning solemn. "I remember now. During my battle with that sword cultivator, my feral instincts took over, and I slapped away his ancient sword with a palm strike."
"When the sword cultivator lost his sword, he was at a disadvantage. I tried to finish him off, but at that moment, his eyes lit up..."
"His eyes?" Mo Hua asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Huang Shan Jun nodded, "His eyes shone with an intense light, as if sword light was gathering within them, sharp and piercing. Just a glance made my eyes sting, and I felt as if my entire being was being torn apart by countless swords..."
"Taking advantage of that moment, the sword cultivator summoned his sword back with his spiritual sense and regained his composure. The battle continued, and we fought until we were both exhausted, but he never used that technique again."
"So, it means..." Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with excitement, "...that the Great Void Divine Sense Transformation Sword Technique can be used to wield the killing intent of the sword, even without a sword, through the 'eyes'?"
Huang Shan Jun shook his head. "I don't know. I only saw him use that move once, and that was the only time."
"I'm not even sure if it was a technique of the Great Void Divine Sense Transformation Sword Technique..." he added, his voice trailing off.
However, Mo Hua was already deep in thought, her mind racing along this new line of inquiry.
Eyes, sword light, killing intent...
But there was something she didn't quite understand, so she turned to Huang Shan Jun with a question: "Why the eyes? Why not the mouth, nose, or ears? Is it because the eyes are the window to the spiritual sense?"
Huang Shan Jun nodded in agreement. "Indeed. A cultivator's spiritual sense resides in their sea of consciousness and can be projected outwards. The eyes are the strongest point of spiritual sense projection for a cultivator."
"The eyes are the gateway to one's divine sense."
"Conversely, the eyes are also the weakest point for a cultivator's spiritual sense."
"Some ghosts and demons lure people's souls, using demonic sounds or fragrant scents, but the most unpredictable method is through the eyes."
"There are ghosts that can steal your soul with just a glance."
Mo Hua's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "So that's how it is..."
She made a mental note, determined to try it out when she returned. She wanted to see if she could cultivate sword light within her eyes.
Huang Shan Jun looked pitiful.
Mo Hua didn't want to push him further, so he asked about something else:
"Mountain Spirit, what path do the gods walk?"
Gods are born with the Dao and, although long-lived, they cannot achieve eternal life.
Since they cannot live forever, they must surely seek the Dao to truly attain longevity comparable to the heavens and the earth.
In that case, do the gods also cultivate the "Dao"?
"What is the 'Dao' that the divine sense of the gods evolves towards?"
"Is it the path of constant qualitative change of divine sense?"
Huang Shan Jun replied, "I'm not sure about the cultivators' interpretation, but according to the traditions of the gods, the so-called qualitative change of divine sense refers to the evolution of divine sense, the constant process of 'harmonizing with the Dao', also known as... 'Dao Transformation'."
"Dao Transformation"?
Mo Hua's expression changed slightly as he recalled something.
When he had devoured the divine marrow earlier, merging his divinity with his humanity, he seemed to have received some sort of "revelation" from the depths of his consciousness, and these four words naturally emerged:
"Divine Sense Dao Transformation!"
These four characters seemed to be imprinted within the "divine marrow," appearing alongside his understanding of the Grand Dao.
It was as if it were some kind of...
Divine heritage?
And there was more...
Mo Hua vaguely remembered that a long time ago, in a desolate mountain range, he had ambushed and killed a black-robed human trafficker boss.
This boss had a parasitic sheep-horned demon on him, which was related to the Great Desolation's evil god.
This demon, which seemed to be a divine corpse, had said something to him:
"...You have the foundation for Divine Sense Dao Transformation, but why is your divine marrow so weak?"
"Why is there no sign of 'sacrifice'?"
"Why is your humanity so abundant, while your divinity is so insignificant?"
"This is impossible..."
When he had heard these words, Mo Hua knew very little about the ways of the gods, and so he had not paid much attention to these terms at the time.
But now, putting everything together, Mo Hua began to understand...
The so-called path of the gods is the process of "Dao Transformation" of their own divine sense?
Could it be that he, unknowingly, had also undergone a Dao Transformation of his divine sense?
Mo Hua frowned and murmured, "Divine Sense Transformation...?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Shan Jun shook his head and corrected him, "It's not 'Divine Sense Transformation', it's 'Divine Sense Dao Transformation'."
Mo Hua was taken aback, not quite understanding, "Is there a difference?"
Huang Shan Jun explained, "Only the divine sense of cultivators is called 'Divine Sense'. All other forms of mental energy in the world are called 'Divine Sense', and among them, the divine sense of the gods is the most revered."
"Only the divine sense of the gods can undergo 'Dao Transformation', hence the term 'Divine Sense Dao Transformation'. The divine sense of cultivators cannot achieve this."
Mo Hua quietly asked, "Are there no exceptions?"
Huang Shan Jun shook his head firmly, "Man is man, and god is god. If there were exceptions, wouldn't that blur the line between man and god? This would go against the laws of the Grand Dao..."
As he finished speaking, Huang Shan Jun glanced at Mo Hua, and his expression suddenly changed.
The various strange signs about Mo Hua began to piece themselves together in his mind...
Huang Shan Jun's heart skipped a beat as he thought, "You wouldn't be..."
Mo Hua looked at him innocently, "What am I?"
Huang Shan Jun hesitated.
What was he?
How could a mortal have achieved Divine Sense Dao Transformation? No... that should be impossible. He had never heard of such a shocking thing in all his long life.
Fundamentally, how could a mortal cultivator with a physical body undergo a transformation of their divine sense and achieve "Dao Transformation"? This would require an immense amount of divine sense, a qualitative change in their divine sense, an understanding of the "Dao", and also the incredibly rare "Divine Marrow" of the gods...
Even for the gods, advancing further in "Dao Transformation" is extremely challenging.
Not to mention a mere cultivator.
Huang Shan Jun breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's nothing."
He must have been imagining things...
Mo Hua blinked and didn't dare to ask further, afraid that he would reveal himself if he said more.
Despite Huang Shan Jun's dilapidated state, he was old and had rich life experiences. If he kept talking, Huang Shan Jun might figure him out.
Mo Hua didn't know the implications of "Divine Sense Transformation", and he didn't want to take the risk of revealing something that was forbidden and dangerous.
If he let this slip, it could bring about a calamity that would endanger his life.
But Huang Shan Jun seemed to have guessed something...
Since he had no other choice, he would have to silence him! Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
He didn't have many friends who were gods.
If it wasn't necessary, he really didn't want to lose this "good friend".
Huang Shan Jun suddenly felt a chill down his spine, and he couldn't help but glance at Mo Hua, his expression apprehensive.
"Little friend, you wouldn't be..."
"It's nothing." Mo Hua smiled reassuringly, then looked up at the sky and added, "It's getting late, I should be going, I still have some matters to attend to..."
Huang Shan Jun felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
It was as if the bloodstained guillotine that had been hanging over his head had suddenly been removed.
"Little friend, take care!" Huang Shan Jun smiled.
Mo Hua nodded and turned to leave, but as he stepped out the door, he suddenly turned back and looked at Huang Shan Jun.
Huang Shan Jun's heart tightened, and he forced a smile, "Little friend, is there something else?"
Mo Hua looked around and asked, "Mountain Spirit, your temple is in quite a state of disrepair. Do you want me to find someone to fix it for you?"
Huang Shan Jun's expression turned solemn, and he quickly replied, "I appreciate your kindness, little friend, but I'm used to living in this dilapidated temple, with its leaky roof and walls that offer little protection from the wind."
"As the saying goes, grand temples house great gods, and humble temples house minor gods. This broken temple is just right for me, a destitute little mountain god."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded, his gaze at Huang Shan Jun suddenly sharpening, "Mountain Spirit, are you... hiding from something?"
As soon as these words left Mo Hua's mouth, Huang Shan Jun's expression changed drastically.
(End of Chapter)
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