Chapter 870: I Want to Learn the Sword
Chapter 870: I Want to Learn the Sword
A sudden wave of shock and awe surged through the elder's heart.
Mo Hua, however, remained oblivious to it.
His hands, dirty and grimy, continued to dig through the soil and rocks, burying the broken sword deeper and straighter, to prevent it from being knocked askew by the wind.
It wasn't until he sensed a terrifying aura from behind him that he was finally startled. Turning back, he saw the long-bearded elder, his eyes bloodshot, with countless sword auras swirling and condensing into a vast sea of swords, like a grand assembly of ten thousand swords, vast and boundless, as if it were a sea of swords in the ethereal void.
The elder's aura was filled with a terrifying killing intent.
The dark points of light flickered, the void seemed unstable, and cracks appeared in the air.
Mo(Hua's pupils dilated in shock.
This was his first time facing the formidable aura of a Void Realm cultivator.
At this moment, he realized how powerful a true high-rank cultivator could be if they were to unleash their full strength without restraint...
The realm disparity was too great; under such overwhelming pressure, he had almost no power to resist.
Fortunately, the long-bearded elder had spent many years cultivating his heart. Realizing something was amiss, he was making to restrain his emotions.
After an unknown duration, all sword intent converged, the cracks in the void healed, and the elder's expression returned to its calm, ancient well-like state.
But his heart was far from calm.
"This broken sword... where did you obtain it?" The elder's voice was hoarse and sandy, tinged with a hint of sorrow.
Mo(Hua's heart skipped a beat.
He immediately realized that this broken sword was no ordinary item.
And this Elder Xuan, with his formidable cultivation and shocking sword intent, likely had some unknown connection to it...
Mo(Hua pondered for a moment, then cautiously replied, "I once went to the border of Ganxue Province, to a small fishing village by the Yan River. In the village, there was a hidden, abandoned River God Temple. Inside the temple was a blood pool, and this broken sword was suppressed at the bottom of the pool, corroded by blood qi."
"River God Temple, blood pool..." The long-bearded elder frowned slightly. "Why did you go there?"
Mo(Hua explained, "I was on a mission from the Dao(Ting Office. Some human traffickers had kidnapped children from the small fishing village. I tracked them to the temple, caught the traffickers, and coincidentally found something in the blood pool. When I fished it out, I discovered it was a broken sword..."
Human traffickers, small fishing Village, Dao(ting Office mission.
These matters were public, recorded in the Dao(Ting Office; a simple check would reveal the truth.
As for the water leeches, water monsters, and the fallen River God, only he knew about these.
The elder pondered for a moment, then asked, "How did you know the owner of this broken sword is buried in this sword tomb?"
Mo(Hua had no reason to hide this.
"I heard rumors in the small fishing village, from the broken sword's attire, I inferred he was a senior of the Tai Xu Sect."
"I also consulted the elders in the Sect, but didn't learn the name of the broken sword's owner. I only knew he likely mastered a powerful sword technique, and..."
Mo(Hua's tone paused slightly, secretly gauging the elder, then whispered, "His life-bound sword was broken, his foundation damaged."
"Therefore, I assumed the owner of this broken sword likely faced an unknown powerful enemy, endured a great battle, and after suffering severe injuries, was buried here in this sword tomb along with other Tai Xu Sect seniors..."
The Long-bearded elder's expression was indifferent, his gaze distant.
He then forced his spirit, carefully pondering Mo(Hua's words, finding no discord in his intuition.
This meant Mo(Hua's words were not far from the truth.
Even if there were some omissions, they were likely minimal.
The long-bearded elder turned his head, deeply examining Mo(Hua, especially his pure aura and clear eyes, then sighed in his heart.
This matter was filled with coincidences.
But in another sense, it might also be a bond.
Perhaps the heavens used these coincidences to bring this child before him, out of compassion for his solitary and bitter life, to return this heirloom, this life-bound broken sword, that he had nurtured and accompanied him throughout his cultivation and growth.
Perhaps this was the heavens' pity.
The heavens might still cherish the bones of this heirloom, to give him something to think about in his final days.
The long-bearded elder sighed softly.
He then looked at Mo(Hua again, saying, "This broken sword is of great importance to me. Since you could bring it to the sword tomb, it seems there was a bond between us."
"I am a person of clear enmity and gratitude. If there is a grmit, I will repay it, and if there is a favor, I will not owe anyone."
"I give you a promise, to repay this causality. Within the bounds of righteousness and law, I will fulfill one of your wishes."
"Speak, what do you desire?"
The long-bearded elder's tone was solemn and weighty as gold.
Mo(Hua was stunned, his heart shocked.
This person, though sealed, possessed a formidable aura, could he really grant any request?
Mo(Hua was completely unprepared, caught off guard, and stunned.
The long-bearded elder did not urge him.
This matter indeed required careful thought.
As a disciple, the highest wish was to enter the Sect, learn the legacy, study, even if he were to be granted the position of an elder, it would still be unacceptable, as long as he reached the Golden Core Realm.
Of course, if Mo Hua really let greed cloud his judgment and dared to ask to become the leader of Tai Xu Sect, the old man would immediately grab him by the collar and toss him out of the back mountain.
Mo Hua naturally knew his limits. Although the old master hadn't specified what restrictions there were on his wishes, it was obvious that not every request could be granted. If he overstepped and asked for too much, he would surely face dire consequences. He needed to maintain the demeanor of a disciple, be positive and ambitious, yet not offend the old master or appear to be overreaching. He couldn't ask for something that would be beneficial in the future but impractical now.
After some consideration, Mo Hua solemnly said, "Ancestor, I want to learn swordsmanship!"
Dugu Laozu's brows furrowed slightly.
It was normal for a disciple to want to learn swordsmanship. His own sword skills were a synthesis of various schools, profound and vast, unmatched in the entire Qianxue State. However, when he looked at Mo Hua, he saw his frail body, meager spiritual energy, and the almost nonexistent aura of sword skills.
"Have you ever received any swordsmanship lineage?" Dugu Laozu asked.
"No," Mo Hua replied honestly.
"Any swordsmanship foundation?"
"No."
"Have you ever nurtured a spirit sword?"
"No."
"Have you ever dedicated over a decade to cultivating sword qi?"
"No."
"Have you ever refined your sword heart?"
Mo Hua shook his head, "No..." He didn't just lack a sword heart; he didn't even know what a sword heart was.
Dugu Laozu was silent, speechless. With such a frail foundation, he still wanted to learn swordsmanship?
The old man paused, then sighed. Although it was a bit unrealistic for someone with Mo Hua's mediocre talent to achieve great things in swordsmanship, the desire to learn was commendable. Talent and potential were not excuses. If one was willing to strive and work hard, they deserved encouragement. Throughout the history of the cultivation world, there were examples of those with mediocre talent achieving greatness through sheer effort.
Moreover, with this karmic connection, it was fitting for him to teach Mo Hua. He would give him a sword and teach him sword techniques, fulfilling the karmic bond. Given Mo Hua's low cultivation and weak sword skills, even a little teaching would benefit him for life.
After a moment of thought, Dugu Laozu scanned Mo Hua, understanding his strengths and combat techniques, and said, "I will teach you the 'Hanyu Piaomiao Sword Technique.' It integrates sword and movement, making you versatile in attack and defense, and allowing you to advance and retreat freely."
Mo Hua thought for a moment and shook his head. His movement skills were already good, and integrating deadly moves into his movements would be better with the Small Meteor Technique. Learning a sword technique that integrated with movement seemed redundant.
"Then I will teach you the 'Chongling Six Meridians Sword Technique.' This technique is derived from the Chongxu Sect and focuses on cultivating sword qi. It is less powerful but more gentle, placing less strain on the body."
Mo Hua shook his head again. His sword qi was already weak; cultivating it would be futile.
"Then I will teach you the 'Tai Xu Youlong Yujian Technique.' This technique is immensely powerful. Its effects are not noticeable at the Foundation Establishment stage, but once you reach the Golden Core or Feathered Ascension stages, you can control a sword for a thousand miles, with sword qi like a dragon. It is one of the core legacies of the Tai Xu Sect, taught only to inner disciples. Given your special circumstances, I can make an exception and teach you this once."
The 'Tai Xu Youlong Yujian Technique'...
Mo Hua's expression was one of shock. The name alone sounded impressive. However, it also sounded difficult to learn, requiring abundant spiritual energy, a high-quality sword, and a deep foundation in swordsmanship, none of which he had. The technique, though powerful, was clearly beyond his reach.
Mo Hua shook his head again.
The bearded old man finally grew impatient and frowned, "You don't want to learn this, or that. What sword technique do you want to learn, then?"
Mo Hua felt a bit guilty. He had hoped the old master would mention the technique he wanted, sparing him the need to ask and avoiding any appearance of ulterior motives. But it seemed that was not going to happen. The Mind Sword Technique was taboo in the Tai Xu Sect, and the old master would not teach it voluntarily. The technique was buried in the Sword Tomb, where only the old master resided. This meant that the only person in the Tai Xu Sect who truly knew the technique was the old master before him.
Given the situation, he couldn't be polite. He had to seize this opportunity. While the old master was still grateful for the broken sword, he should make his request boldly. If he hesitated and missed this once-in-a-lifetime chance, he might never have another opportunity.
"Ancestor, I want to learn..." Mo Hua's expression grew resolute, his eyes brightening. He spoke clearly and firmly, his voice echoing in the silent night and the Sword Tomb, "The Tai Xu Mind Sword True Technique!"
The atmosphere became heavy and silent. The bearded old man's expression was somber, and he seemed momentarily lost in thought.
Suddenly, he remembered...
Hundreds of years ago, in a similar forest, his beloved grandson had looked at him with the same determined gaze, saying he wanted to learn the Tai Xu Mind Sword True Technique. At the time, he had been soft-hearted and had high hopes for his grandson, so he had violated the sect's rules and taught him in secret.
And then...
He was wrong, terribly wrong.
A hint of helplessness and bitterness surfaced in the elder’s heart.
He forced himself to suppress the memories and thoughts of the past, his gaze deep and penetrating as he examined the ink painting, a faint sense of pressure emanating from him:
"Within the Void Sect, a gag order has been issued. How did you come to know the name of this sword technique?"
Muhua felt a bit uneasy, "I... overheard it from an elder..."
"Why do you want to learn this sword technique?"
"Because... it sounds really powerful..." Muhua replied in a small voice.
And indeed, it was powerful.
The long-bearded elder was taken aback by his somewhat childish answer, but he no longer dwelled on whether Muhua had ulterior motives.
However, he still coldly refused him:
"Other sword techniques of the VoidSect, including some parts of the sword techniques of the Taiyi and Chongxu families, I can teach you if you wish to learn them, but not this one. You cannot learn this one."
"Because it's too dangerous?" Muhua asked.
The long-bearded elder’s eyelids twitched, "You know about it?"
"Yes," Muhua nodded, "They say this sword technique primarily cultivates the sword intent, using spiritual awareness to sharpen the blade, and killing through the spirit. Thus, it has great destructive power and great risk. A moment of inattention could lead to damage to the spirit, making recovery difficult."
Even the matters of the spirit are known...
The long-bearded elder’s gaze slightly condensed.
He would have to investigate later to see which elder of the VoidSect was so talkative, telling the disciples everything.
"You know all this, and yet you still dare to learn it?" the long-bearded elder asked.
"Exactly because I know this, I want to learn it!" Muhua said matter-of-factly, "Elder, you should have noticed, my spirit roots areweak. I’m weak from birth, so whether it’s blood or vitality, I’m lacking."
"But despite this, I have a very strong spiritual awareness!"
"Because my spiritual awareness is strong, I thought of cultivating the spiritual awareness sword technique!"
The long-bearded elder’s gaze slightly condensed.
Playing to one's strengths and avoiding one's weaknesses, this made sense.
However, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, no matter how strong the spiritual awareness, how strong could it be...
The long-bearded elder didn’t think much of it, but he released his spiritual awareness to sense the spiritual aura around Muhua. Suddenly, his gaze trem,, his gaze trembled, and he asked in a soft voice:
"What realm is your spiritual awareness at?"
"It’s at the peak of nineteen Traces," Muhua said.
For a moment, the long-bearded elder thought he had heard wrong. He frowned and said, "Release your spiritual awareness to its fullest extent."
Muhua nodded and did as instructed, revealing his peak-Nineteen Trac es spiritual awareness without any hesitation.
The long-bearded elder sensed this near, sensing this spiritual awareness approaching the limit of Foundation Establishment, his gaze gradually sharpened.
He had not thoroughly examined before, only vaguely sensing that Muhua’s spiritual awareness was somewhat special.
But no matter how special, Muhua was still just a Foundation Establishment disciple.
He was the Void Ancestor, having seen everything in his life.
But this...
Mid-Foundation Establishment, yet peak-Nineteen traces spiritual awareness?
He had never seen such a thing in his life...
The long-bearded elder was momentarily incredulous.
"You..."
Muhua slightly revealed his foundation, "Great Ancestor, I'm on the path of spiritual awareness enlightenment."
"Spiritual awareness enlightenment..."
The long-bearded elder, hearing this long-forgotten path, felt a bit melancholic.
No wonder...
But after a moment of thought, he still shook his head, "Transforming spiritual awareness into a sword is a sword technique, different from the pure path of spiritual awareness enlightenment. You lack the basic understanding of the sword path, so I cannot teach you. Even if I did, you wouldn’t be able to learn it."
Muhua immediately said, "I can learn it!"
"Learned it?" The long-bearded elder was taken aback.
Muhua was about to say he had already learned the Transforming Sword and the Spirit Shocking Sword, but then suddenly remembered the evil fetus parasiting on him, his spirit sealed, making the Spirit-shocking sword unusable, and the transforming sword form unable to be displayed externally.
If he said he could learn it but couldn’t use it, he would definitely be considered a fraud.
Moreover, his "transforming spiritual awareness into a sword" was a secret technique, equivalent to "stealing" it, he didn’t know if it would offend this elder.
Muhua thus ambiguously said, "I mean... I can definitely learn it!"
The long-bearded elder deeply looked at Muhua, then slightly shook his head, "This sword technique is no joke."
"Disciple understands."
"Once you cultivate and go wrong, your could be slight spirit damage, severe could be a shattered spirit sea."
"It’s fine."
"In a confrontation, the slightest misstep could lead to a shattered spirit, even being possessed by evil spirits..."
"I’m not afraid."
...
No matter what the long-bearded elder said, Muhua was determined to learn it.
The long-bearded elder didn’t blame Muhua, on the contrary, he felt a bit melancholic.
Back then, Xuan had this same "stubborn" attitude, pleading for him to teach him the transforming spiritual awareness into a sword, no amount of persuasion worked.
The elder’s heart softened a bit.
Why not... teach him then?
But this child’s sword path foundation was too weak. Teaching him, how would he learn it? Just relying on spiritual awareness enlightenment to comprehend the sword technique?
At this thought, a sudden realization surfaced in the elder’s heart.
Spiritual awareness enlightenment!
Spiritual awareness!
The VoidSect’s True Technique of Transforming Spiritual Awareness into a Sword contained two paths, one the path of spiritual awareness, the other the path of the sword.
Due to the scarcity of cultivators on the path of spiritual awareness enlightenment, almost all cultivators within the VoidSect treated this spiritual awareness Sword Technique as a pure "sword technique."
Thus, they ignored the "spiritual awareness" aspect of this sword technique.
Divine consciousness transforming into a sword is indeed about cultivating the essence of a sword, but it's not just about concentrating divine consciousness into a "sword essence."
The term "divine consciousness" encompasses a much deeper realm than just "sword essence."
Without cultivating divine consciousness, how can one properly master the art of transforming divine consciousness into a sword?
The elder's heart trembled.
He understood that the path of the Sword Technique cultivated by the Void sect might have been flawed from the beginning.
Focusing solely on the essence of a sword, without valuing divine consciousness.
They were almost like, "severing their own arm" to cultivate the true technique of divine consciousness transforming into a sword.
Perhaps... if a cultivator who has enlightened through divine consciousness were to cultivate the divine consciousness transforming into a sword, it would open up a whole new world?
The elder couldn't help but look at Mo Hua, the once once once dead soul, once reign which had died for a long time.
Anyone who wishes to pass down this lineage...
But this thought had been suppressed by him for hundreds of years.
He silently watched Mo Hua, and in the end, sighed.
He knew clearly in his heart that truly teaching the divine consciousness transforming into a sword to this child would undoubtedly harm him.
This sword technique is a double-edged sword.
The more it kills others, the more it kills the wielder.
Over the years, countless sword geniuses with various talents have fallen because of this sword technique.
He didn't want to add one more.
Mo hua seemed to read the elder's thoughts and said, "Elder, everyone will die..."
The elder with the long beard was slightly stunned, not knowing what mo hua's words meant.
Mo hua's gaze was bright, and he continued, "We cannot stop living just because we will die in the end."
"Similarly, we cannot stop cultivating the Dao of the Sword just because it is dangerous."
"The Dao is vast and distant, most cultivators might never attain the Dao, but there will always be a few who will."
Mo hua's eyes were clear, as if they were stars.
The elder with the long beard was deeply moved.
This child...
Where did he cultivate this enlightened "Dao heart"?
The elder pondered for a moment, his mood gradually calmed, his gaze became solemn, and he slowly asked, "What is your name?"
Mo hua respectfully replied, "Elder, my name is Mo Hua."
Mo hua...
The elder silently repeated the name in his heart and nodded.
"Fine, I agree to teach you the divine consciousness transforming into a sword."
Mo hua was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Elder!"
The elder said, "It's not early in the day, go back. Thereafter, every seven days, I will bring you to the back mountain to cultivate the divine consciousness transforming into a sword."
"Whether you can master it or not will depend on your own comprehension and destiny."
"But I must warn you, if one day I find that you cultivation of this sword technique has gone astray, or if you show off your strength, or if you use this sword technique to commit evil deeds, I will surely destroy your divine consciousness sword technique and expel you from the void sect."
Mo hua's expression became solemn, and he nodded seriously, "Elder, I will remember."
The elder looked at mo hua, seeing his gaze was serious, his attitude was upright, and he slightly nodded.
"Good, I will send you out now. After you leave, you must remember that you cannot mention this matter to anyone."
"Remember, to anyone, including your parents, relatives, siblings, and anyone within the void sect."
"Yes!" mo hua nodded seriously.
The elder with the long beard said no more, his withered arm tore the air, tearing apart the void, then grabbed mo hua and tossed him inside.
Mo hua was thus thrown into a whirl of confusion, and he found himself back in the disciples' quarters.
On the ground, the array he had been drawing was still half-finished.
Thinking about everything that just happened, it felt like a dream.
Mo hua pinched his cheek; it hurt, clearly not a dream, and his eyes couldn't help but shine.
Finally...
He could learn the genuine divine consciousness transforming into a sword!
...
Meanwhile, at the back mountain's sword Tomb.
After sending mo hua away, the elder with the long beard still sat motionless on the spot, his thoughts in turmoil.
He didn't know if his decision was right or wrong.
But this might indeed be his last chance, and the last attempt in this life...
Exploring a new path, using the divine consciousness to enlighten the Dao, to cultivate the divine consciousness transforming into a sword...
Cultivators who have enlightened through divine consciousness are few and far between.
If he missed this, he might never encounter it again, even if he lived two lifetimes.
"Mo hua..."
The elder silently repeated the name, then took out a bamboo sliver, carved it into a Bamboo sword, and inscribed "Mo hua" on it.
His heart was heavy, and he placed the bamboo sword in front of a sword tomb.
This sword tomb was unique, with many bamboo swords inserted, each inscribed with a cultivator's name.
These names were known only to him and would be buried with him earth,forever with him, forever forgotten with.
.
The bamboo sword inscribed with "mo hua" was just an ordinary bamboo sword, placed at the end.
The elder with the long beard merely performed the ritual.
But as this bamboo sword was inserted into the sword tomb, the bamboo swords began to hum softly.
Ancient sword ess were as if awakening, they intertwined, forming a spectacular sword cloud.
The solitary old ancestor's eyes widened, momentarily forgetting to breathe.
For hundreds of years, the ancient sword intent had stirred, awakening the ancient sword tomb, weaving into a magnificent sword cloud.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
