Chapter 819: The Water Prison Art
Chapter 819: The Water Prison Art
"The hierarchy of three, six, and nine, with the higher overcoming the lower?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled. "Why haven't I heard of this during my time in the Tai Xu Sect?"
"Tai Xu Sect?" Yu Canghai was taken aback, surprised. "You're a disciple of the Tai Xu Sect?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Yu Canghai sighed. "No wonder..." He never expected that a random disciple from one of the Eight Great Sects would possess such enigmatic strength.
It seemed that most rumors in this world were unfounded.
The Tai Xu Sect was a branch of an ancient sect, blessed with a profound heritage that ran deep.
Yu Canghai couldn't help but view the Tai Xu Sect with newfound respect.
He sighed again and slowly said, "The teachings of the Tai Xu Sect are different from those of my Shui Yu Sect. Your sect follows a righteous path of imparting knowledge. While your sect's teachings may be divided into three, six, and nine tiers, there isn't a clear distinction of higher overcoming the lower."
Intrigued, Mo Hua asked, "You know about the teachings of our Tai Xu Sect?"
Yu Canghai nodded slightly. "Of course. Even though the Shui Yu Sect has declined, we still possess some sect records documenting the glory of various sects a thousand years ago."
"A thousand years ago..." Mo Hua's eyes lit up with interest.
Yu Canghai paused in thought before continuing, "According to the records of my Shui Yu Sect, among the hundreds of sects in the Qian Xue State, the Tai Xu Sect may not have been the most powerful, but it was formidable enough to make everyone wary. The fundamental reason for this was their legacy of Sword Intent."
"Sword Intent?"
"Indeed." Yu Canghai nodded. "Casting the Tai Ah Godly Sword, deriving sword qi from Chong Xu, and transforming sword intent from Tai Xu—these are the three oldest sword cultivation legacies in the Five Grades of the Qian Xue State, as recorded in my Shui Yu Sect's archives."
Casting the Tai Ah Godly Sword, deriving sword qi from Chong Xu, and transforming sword intent from Tai Xu...
Upon hearing this, Mo Hua recalled and asked, "Elder Yu, I've heard that the Tai Ah Sect, Chong Xu Sect, and Tai Xu Sect all originated from the same ancient sect. What was the name of that ancient sect?"
A hint of regret flashed in Yu Canghai's eyes as he replied, "I don't know that either. It's not recorded in the Shui Yu Sect's archives. All we know is that it was probably a very ancient sect. However, after the sect split into three, the name of the ancient sect was also lost, never to be mentioned again, nor recorded in any books or jade slips."
Mo Hua frowned, his expression turning solemn. He then asked, "How exactly does one cultivate Sword Intent in the Tai Xu Sect?"
Yu Canghai gave Mo Hua a strange look.
'Why are you, a disciple of the Tai Xu Sect, asking me, an elder of the Shui Yu Sect, about cultivating Sword Intent?'
Mo Hua could only say, "We don't teach that anymore."
Indeed, disciples in the Tai Xu Sect nowadays rarely learned about Sword Intent.
As a spiritual cultivator who relied on magic for sustenance, Mo Hua was not well-versed in sword techniques. His sword-riding technique couldn't really be considered a sword technique in the strictest sense.
He would occasionally attend sword technique classes to learn about the methods of sword cultivators.
Up until now, Mo Hua had been in the Tai Xu Sect for five years, and during that time, he had hardly seen the elders impart Sword Intent cultivation methods to the disciples.
It was rarely even mentioned.
Take Shi Tu Jian, for example. Despite being a sword cultivator in the Great Firmament Sect, he learned everything except the sword.
His sword cultivation technique was the Flame Severance Sword Manual passed down in his family, not the sword cultivation method of the Great Firmament Sect.
Yu Canghai was also surprised. "You don't teach it anymore?"
Frowning, he muttered, "...That's odd. How could they stop teaching it?
Yu Canghai pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Perhaps it's because Sword Intent is too difficult to pass on..."
"Cultivating qi and nurturing the sword, building a foundation and learning techniques, tirelessly honing the sword path and comprehending Sword Intent—only then, at the Golden Core stage or even late Golden Core stage, might one begin to see results, with the sword breaking through the nine heavens during the Nascent Soul stage."
"This process is too slow and may seem outdated in today's world..."
"Nowadays, sects are everywhere, and the competition among them is fierce. With Sword Intent, one can't start learning at the foundation stage, and even if they do, it takes a long time to see results, putting them at a disadvantage. By the time a cultivator from another sect has honed their sharp sword techniques and is dominating everywhere, you might still be slowly laying your foundation and nurturing your Sword Intent. Although it's said that once you reach the end, your sword path will be complete and you'll achieve a remarkable level, the path leading up to that is full of hardships, loneliness, and frustration..."
At this point, Yu Canghai couldn't help but sigh.
The evolution of cultivation methods had indeed led to significant progress compared to the past.
However, modern cultivators were too eager for quick results and lacked the patience to refine their skills.
Some ancient techniques were powerful precisely because they required one to endure loneliness and accumulate their power over time.
Mo Hua slowly nodded.
The Tai Xu Sect's Sword Intent legacy, which focused on late-stage power, was indeed a disadvantage during the Foundation Establishment stage.
This was Elder Yu's perspective.
However, Mo Hua suspected that there was more to it.
If the Tai Xu Sword Intent emphasized accumulation and late-stage power, then the inner sect of the Tai Xu Sect should have surpassed the Eight Great Sects in strength.
But reality didn't reflect that.
The inner sect disciples and elders of the Eight Great Sects, including the Tai Xu Sect, didn't seem to possess exceptionally outstanding strength.
It wasn't that elders like Xun Ziyou and Xun Zixian weren't strong, but they didn't have that "exceptional" kind of strength.
The likely reason was that the late-stage Sword Intent technique had also been lost.
It was already difficult to learn and took a long time.
Even if one managed to learn it later, they might lack the means to manifest the Sword Intent due to some unknown reason.
No wonder the Tai Xu Sect no longer taught Sword Intent...
This legacy, or rather, the Tai Xu Sect's orthodox path, was full of constraints and difficult to pass on. As a result, the Tai Xu Sect, which used to be renowned for its Sword Intent, had become the "laggard" among the Eight Great Sects.
After speaking about the Tai Xu Sect, Yu Canghai sighed, "Therefore, your Tai Xu Sect possesses the most orthodox legacy passed down from the ancient sect, but the difficulty lies in its very nature. You only need to focus on imparting it to your disciples, while my Shui Yu Sect has too many things to consider."
Mo Hua: "..."
"What do you have to consider?" Mo Hua asked.
Yu Canghai sighed, "My Shui Yu Sect's legacy is closely related to the Dao Court. We're used to scheming and intrigue, so we have to guard against both others and ourselves."
"Even the founding ancestor of my Shui Yu Sect, the one who established our sect's orthodox path, was a deeply calculating and cunning old ancestor."
"The ancestor trusted no one, not even his own kin, let alone the disciples of the sect." Yu Canghai explained. "So, he established a strict hierarchy for the techniques within the sect."
"Direct descendants learn superior techniques, inner disciples learn intermediate techniques, and outer disciples learn inferior techniques."
"Naturally, the inferior techniques are countered by the superior ones."
"And inferior techniques are ineffective against superior ones." Mo Hua frowned, puzzled. "With such obvious discrimination in the sect's teachings, are there still disciples willing to join the Water Prison Sect?"
"Of course," Yu Canghai replied. "Human nature is such that people will only talk about self-respect and morals when there is no benefit involved. But when there's an opportunity for gain, they will readily cast aside their self-respect and morals."
"A little discrimination in the teachings is nothing compared to the potential benefits."
"Moreover, when it comes to the legacy of water-based techniques and spells, my Water Prison Sect is already the best in the Qian Xue State."
"Even with the hierarchy of three, six, and nine levels, the inferior techniques are only ineffective against fellow sect members of higher standing. Against other cultivators, they are still quite powerful."
Mo Hua nodded.
The Water Prison Art he had learned was a perfect example.
So far, it had only been ineffective against Shui Yanluo and the elder before him. However, it had proven to be extremely useful against other cultivators, easily trapping most of them.
"Such a powerful Water Prison Art is considered an inferior technique in the Water Prison Sect?" Mo Hua couldn't help but be amazed.
Yu Canghai hesitated for a moment before answering, "Not exactly."
"Not exactly?"
"Even the Water Prison Art has levels of three, six, and nine," Yu Canghai explained.
"Three, six, and nine levels?" Mo Hua asked, confused. "Why haven't I heard of this before?"
"You're not a disciple of my Water Prison Sect, and you've only received some written teachings, which can be considered a rough outline of the art." Yu Canghai sighed. "The true essence of a technique lies in its application. The inner workings are often passed down orally and are not recorded in any texts."
Mo Hua was shocked. "Are there other secrets to the Water Prison Art?"
He had been practicing and using it for so long, yet he had never discovered this.
Yu Canghai didn't want to reveal this information, but under Mo Hua's eager gaze and considering that he owed him a debt of gratitude, he decided to share a little. Besides, these minor secrets probably wouldn't have much impact. And even if he told him, Mo Hua might not be able to master them anyway.
"When you cast the Water Prison Art, you should notice that the technique forms several spiritual power chains, right?" Yu Canghai asked.
Mo Hua nodded.
"How many?" Yu Canghai inquired.
"I think three," Mo Hua replied after a moment's thought.
"Those spiritual locks form the so-called three, six, and nine levels," Yu Canghai explained. "Each lock represents a small hurdle. Every time you overcome one, your spiritual power consumption increases, but the binding effect of the Water Prison Art also strengthens."
"And every three spiritual locks form a major hurdle. Each time you overcome one of these major hurdles, the Water Prison Art undergoes a qualitative change and rises to a higher level."
"Three spiritual locks are just the beginning. Six spiritual locks indicate a minor achievement, while nine spiritual locks represent a major accomplishment."
"The Water Prison Art with three spiritual locks can barely counter any disciple who has cultivated the Water Prison Sect's techniques."
"Six spiritual locks are a step higher and have a noticeable binding effect on some outer disciples."
"And if one can perfect the Water Prison Art and manifest nine spiritual locks, it will pose a significant threat even to inner disciples and some less skilled direct descendants of the Water Prison Sect."
"I had no idea there were so many intricacies," Mo Hua exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes," Yu Canghai sighed, "the paths of cultivation are complex, and these things are not recorded in any secret manuals. They are passed down from person to person, and only those who truly master such techniques come to understand their secrets."
"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded.
The paths of cultivation were ancient and profound, and it seemed that the legacy of spells and techniques was far more complex than he had imagined.
Indeed, whenever one sought knowledge, there was always something new to learn.
"Then how exactly are these three, six, and nine spiritual locks formed in the Water Prison Art?" Mo Hua asked.
"Well..." Yu Canghai hesitated.
"Can't you tell me?"
"It involves specific secrets of the sect, so I can only give you a simple explanation," Yu Canghai sighed before continuing. "When casting the Water Prison Art, spiritual power is drawn from the Dantian and flows into the forearms, passing through the Chi Ze and Wai Guan acupoints, as well as several acupoints on the right palm, including Bai, Ling Gu, Zhong Bai, and Zhong Zhu, before finally forming the technique and flowing out from the Shang Yang acupoint on the index finger."
"These acupoints are the key."
"The path of spiritual power through these acupoints forms a small cycle. Within the few breaths of time it takes for the technique to form, each additional cycle generates another spiritual lock."
"It sounds simple, but it's extremely complex to perform. It requires years of practice to achieve speed and precision without disrupting the flow of spiritual power..."
Before Yu Canghai could finish, Mo Hua interrupted, "Is that so?"
He turned to look at Mo Hua and saw that he had already created a Water Prison Art with four spiritual locks, one more than before.
Yu Canghai fell silent.
"Should I go faster?" Mo Hua asked. After a moment's thought, he concentrated and manipulated his spiritual power, casting the Water Prison Art again.
His spiritual power flowed faster and with greater precision.
Soon, the Water Prison Art manifested five spiritual locks.
Yu Canghai was stunned.
Mo Hua still seemed a little dissatisfied.
"I think I can go a little faster, and the path of spiritual power through the acupoints can be more precise..." Mo Hua tried the Water Prison Art another five or six times.
He failed a few times, but eventually, he managed to create six spiritual locks, though it was a bit clumsy.
It seemed that six was the limit, as adding more cycles made the technique too slow and unstable.
However, six spiritual locks were still an improvement over his previous three.
"Isn't this hierarchy of three, six, and nine levels a bit arbitrary?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled. "There doesn't seem to be much difference in difficulty between three, four, five, or six spiritual locks. Why divide it so finely?"
Yu Canghai stood there expressionlessly, feeling a bit embarrassed and at a loss for words.
How could he explain that most disciples of the Water Prison Sect didn't practice this way?
"Wouldn't it take years, even a decade or more of practice to condense each additional spiritual lock?"
How could he make such a request?
It would be embarrassing even to mention it.
Yu Canghai's expression turned numb as he said, "Well... the predecessors of the sect might have been a bit careless, but after all, it's a low-level spell, and the difficulty isn't that great. Dividing it into finer levels is also to... to... give disciples confidence in learning spells and encourage cultivation..."
By the end of his speech, Yu Canghai didn't even know what he was saying.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, believed every word, "I never expected that the elders of the Water Prison Sect would be so kind-hearted."
Yu Canghai gave a bitter smile.
How could he know?
He was just making things up.
"Then does your Water Prison Sect have even more powerful spells?" Mo Hua asked curiously.
Yu Canghai's spirit lifted.
As this concerned the sect's secret legacy, he had originally not wanted to speak about it.
But now, he had to ensure that the Water Prison Sect wouldn't be looked down upon by this little brother.
Otherwise, where would the Water Prison Sect's dignity be?
"Of course," Yu Canghai said solemnly, with a hint of arrogance, "My Water Prison Sect is renowned and has a profound heritage. We possess countless advanced water-based spells."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, "For example?"
Yu Canghai pondered for a moment, "Never mind the others, even for a control spell like the Water Prison Art, my Water Prison Sect has a more superior lineage."
"There's an even stronger control spell than the Water Prison Art?" Mo Hua's eyes sparkled.
Yu Canghai nodded, "The Water Prison Art can condense at most nine spiritual locks..."
"And above the Water Prison Art is another spell that starts with eighteen spiritual locks."
"This is my Water Prison Sect's ultimate technique, an advanced control spell - the Water Prison Technique!"
Water Prison Technique?!
Mo Hua's heart trembled.
Just the name alone was astonishing.
Seeing Mo Hua's astonished expression, Yu Canghai felt a sense of pride and continued, "There are quite a few advanced offensive spells, but control spells are few and far between."
"This Water Prison Technique is an extremely rare and advanced control spell!"
"Moreover, it is also the most superior 'control spell' within my Water Prison Sect's lineage, capable of restraining all cultivators who have practiced Water Prison Sect's techniques and body refinement arts. Only the sect master's direct descendants are qualified to learn it!"
"Also, most importantly, the Water Prison Technique is a powerful control spell that can ignore the immunity effects of Golden Body Technique, Golden Body Talisman, and other Golden Body-type spells, allowing for forced control over cultivators."
"In the face of the Water Prison Technique, the Golden Body is nothing but a useless piece of paper."
Mo Hua was truly shocked now.
An advanced spell, a powerful control spell that ignored the Golden Body.
He immediately asked, "Then if I learn the Water Prison Technique, can I capture Shui Yanluo?"
Yu Canghai shook his head.
"It won't work?" Mo Hua asked.
"It's not that it won't work," Yu Canghai replied, "Learning the Water Prison Technique itself is even harder than capturing Shui Yanluo..."
"This is an extremely complex spell and an advanced technique. How can it be easy to learn? Throughout the generations of the Water Prison Sect, only the sect master and his direct descendants have had the qualifications to learn it, and even then, not all sect masters have been able to master it."
"Then..." Mo Hua said.
Yu Canghai said, "Naturally, I don't know it, and since I'm not the sect master, I wouldn't have access to the Water Prison Technique's lineage."
Mo Hua was a little disappointed and asked, "Then aside from the Water Prison Technique, are there any more powerful spells?"
"The Water Prison Technique is an advanced spell, and above that, there are only..."
Yu Canghai stopped mid-sentence.
"What kind of seal?" Mo Hua asked.
"It's nothing..." Yu Canghai forced a smile and said, "There are indeed spells more powerful than the Water Prison Technique, but those are not control spells. If we're talking about control, none of them can compare to the Water Prison Technique."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.
After that, Yu Canghai didn't say much else.
He still had his injuries, and Mo Hua didn't want to disturb him further, so he bid his farewell and left.
However, this conversation gave Mo Hua a lot to think about.
First, there was a more advanced way to practice the Water Prison Art.
He could practice this when he returned and see if he could perfect the Water Prison Art to the ultimate level of nine spiritual locks.
The Water Prison Art with nine spiritual locks would likely be even more effective.
Secondly, there was the Water Prison Technique.
Almost only the Water Prison Sect's sect master could learn it, and it could restrain the Water Prison Sect's cultivation techniques and ignore the Golden Body Technique. It was an extremely rare advanced control spell.
As for offensive spells, Mo Hua wasn't greedy.
But for some reason, these control spells attracted him.
Mo Hua looked forward to it and felt a bit sorry at the same time.
Elder Yu had said that he didn't have the Water Prison Technique's lineage, and Mo Hua didn't know if he was telling the truth, but even if he did, he probably wouldn't let him learn it.
After all, this was the Water Prison Sect's "sect master's" ultimate technique.
Moreover, as an advanced spell, the spiritual power consumption was astonishing.
With his meager spiritual power, even if he learned it, he might not be able to use it effectively...
When talking about "spells more powerful than the Water Prison Technique," Elder Yu had mentioned the word "forbidden," and Mo Hua was almost certain that he was referring to "forbidden spells."
Could it be that the Water Prison Sect also had forbidden spells? This Elder Yu had quite a few secrets up his sleeve...
Mo Hua sighed inwardly.
However, these were the Water Prison Sect's secrets, and he couldn't force the issue.
He could only put aside his curiosity and return to the Tai Xu Sect.
But as soon as he entered the mountain gate, he lifted his head to look at the plaque above the gate, which read "Tai Xu Sect," and he couldn't help but think of what Elder Yu had said about the Tai Xu Sect's ancient records regarding the Tai Xu Sect's predecessor.
"Casting the Tai Ah Godly Sword, deriving sword qi from Chong Xu, and transforming sword intent from Tai Xu..."
"What was the name of the ancient sect that the three sects originated from before they split?"
"If the three sects were to reunite, and the godly sword, sword qi, and sword intent were combined into one, what kind of powerful sword cultivation lineage would it create?"
Mo Hua looked up to the sky, his heart filled with wonder.
Soon, his expression turned dejected.
It was a pity that the three sects had already separated.
Given the current situation, it was unlikely that they would reunite, and such thoughts were pointless.
"It would be great if the three sects could reunite..."
Mo Hua thought to himself and then shook his head, stepping into the Tai Xu Sect's mountain gate.
Above the mountain gate, white smoke continued to rise, ascending into the sky and merging with the clouds.
An ancient sword intent lingered within.
(End of Chapter)
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