Chapter 894: Transformation of the Sword Path
Chapter 894: Transformation of the Sword Path
Back in his disciple quarters, Mohua was still pondering how to use sword formations as a medium to integrate array techniques with sword arts.
He had already glimpsed the initial stages of the principles for combining arrays and swords.
Now, he needed to strike while the iron was hot, gathering more diverse types of sword formations. By studying these formations, he could evolve more types of sword auras, deepen his understanding of the sword path, and enhance the power of his mental-sword techniques.
"More sword formations..."
Mohua thought for a moment, then took out the Bone Fragment Sword from his storage ring and tapped it on the table, waking up the sword spirit inside.
"Bonehead, what sword formations do you know? Tell me all of them!"
Bonehead's former self was an evil swordmaster from the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, who had cast countless evil swords and naturally accumulated many sword formation diagrams.
Mohua remembered that Bonehead had even used a sword formation to lure Xiao Mubai.
"This..." Bonehead hesitated.
He didn't want to agree too quickly, as it would be embarrassing to do whatever Mohua said without question. He needed to pause and create some tension...
Seeing his hesitation, Mohua's expression darkened.
"If you don't tell me, I'll feed you to the dogs!"
Bonehead shuddered and quickly replied,
"Yes! Yes! I have sword formations!"
He silently cursed himself,
"Such a wretched spirit!"
These days, this little master had ignored him, not pushing him hard, and he had enjoyed a period of ease. Now, he had forgotten just how ruthless this little master could be.
Indeed, one thrives in adversity and perishes in comfort.
This principle applied even to evil spirits.
Bonehead eagerly said, "Please wait a moment, let me recall, and I'll tell you soon."
Mohua coldly replied, "One incense stick."
Bonehead nodded frantically, "Yes, yes, one incense stick is enough."
Without delay, Bonehead began to recall everything he had learned in his lifetime, transmitting the most proficient sword formation diagrams to Mohua's mind in the form of evil thoughts.
Mohua then transcribed these diagrams one by one.
These diagrams were like "loose change" he had saved up for a rainy day.
He hadn't needed them before, so he hadn't thought of them. Now, the time was right, so he decided to make use of them.
Bonehead transmitted, and Mohua recorded.
After a while, Mohua stopped writing, and several sword formation diagrams with fierce sword patterns and Longitudinal and Horizontal Sword Energy lay before him.
There were three sword formation diagrams in total.
The first was the Taiyi Mountain Sect's Taiyi Mountain-Opening Sword Formation.
Despite its name, it wasn't derived from the Bagua Earth Formation but was actually a Five Elements Earth-type sword formation.
Earth is substantial, virtuous, and enduring, symbolizing continuous growth.
This sword formation emphasized continuous, heavy, and harmonious sword auras, moving steadily and calmly, suitable for prolonged battles with enemies.
Using this formation, one could forge spirit swords for close combat, making it ideal for sword cultivators who engage in close combat.
This was one of the orthodox sword formation legacies of the Taiyi Mountain Sect.
Bonehead had once been a disciple of the Taiyi Mountain Sect, and this formation was personally taught to him by an elder of the sect.
Sword formations were closely guarded secrets of the sect.
The elder who taught him this formation must have had high hopes for him.
But fate was cruel, and Bonehead ended up in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, becoming an evil swordmaster, aiding and abetting evil deeds, and eventually degenerating into a sword demon.
The second was the Gui Water Sword Formation.
The Gui Water Sect had dealings with evil cultivators, and this sword formation was likely leaked to the Ten Thousand Demon Valley by a Gui Water Sect cultivator. It eventually ended up in the hands of the only evil swordmaster in the valley.
The Gui Water Sword Formation was one of the core sword formations of the Gui Water Sect, subtle and somewhat sinister, but quite powerful.
Mohua had a vivid memory of Xiao Zhenhai's Gui Water Sword at the Dragon King Temple, which was quite formidable.
The Gui Water Sect was one of the Twelve Minor Sects, and although it had committed many despicable acts, its lineage traced back to the Water Prison Sect, making it far from ordinary.
While the Gui Water Sword Formation was slightly inferior to the Taiyi Mountain-Opening Sword Formation in terms of intricacy, it was still a top-tier sword formation.
In the realm of Qianxue, the Four Great Sects, Eight Major Sects, and Twelve Minor Sects were all considered "elite" sects, and their legacies were all of high quality.
If this sword formation were to be revealed in a small immortal city like Tongxian City, where many independent cultivators lived, it would likely cause a bloodbath.
After all, the Five-Rank Qianxue Realm, dominated by powerful families, was vastly different from the Two-Rank small immortal cities in terms of lineage and heritage.
If Mohua hadn't had a master to guide him and the fortunate chance to join the Tai Xu Sect, such a sword formation would have been something he could only dream of.
Mohua felt a sense of gratitude and carefully stored the Gui Water Sword Formation.
The last one was an unnamed Li Fire Sword Formation.
It was slightly inferior to the Gui Water Formation but still usable.
According to Bonehead, he had killed a demon cultivator who had provoked him in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley and found this Li Fire Sword Formation in the cultivator's storage bag.
It appeared to be a legacy of a small family outside the Qianxue Realm.
Sword formations were already rare, and this Li Fire Sword Formation, being of decent quality, was worth keeping.
"In total, three formations: the Taiyi Mountain-Opening Sword Formation, the Gui Water Sword Formation, and the Li Fire Sword Formation..."
Mohua pondered for a moment and asked Bonehead, "Is that all?"
"That's all..." Bonehead's scalp tingled as he complained, "Little master, do you know how rare sword formations are? I cast swords in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley for hundreds of years, and I only managed to gather these three formations..."
Mohua asked, "Are they really that rare?"
"Of course," Bonehead sighed, "The sword path has three aspects: sword techniques, sword auras, and spirit swords."
"Sword auras and techniques need to be complemented by spirit swords to achieve their full power. No sword cultivator would not want a good sword."
"Casting swords is also closely tied to the vast cultivation industry. Sometimes, the methods for casting swords are even more important than the inheritance of sword auras and techniques."
"The core secrets of casting swords are the internal sword formations, and these are never easily revealed."
"If sword formations fall into the wrong hands, some sects would issue a death warrant."
Bonehead's tone was heavy.
Mohua was inwardly shocked.
He had underestimated the importance of sword formations.
"Since sword formations are so important, the origins of the formations I have..."
Mohua thought for a moment...
The Broken Gold Sword Formation, he had learned by stealth.
In the aftermath of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley incident, the Broken Gold Sect ceded territory and paid reparations to the Void Sect, opening up a small portion of the Broken Gold Sword Array's lineage to them.
This move provided a clear path for his own Broken Gold Sword Array, ensuring no one would question his knowledge of it.
As for the sword arrays he obtained from Sword Bone...
The Taia Mountain-Opening Sword Array belonged to the Taia Sect.
Now that the Taia Sect has merged with the Void Sect, their lineage is now part of the Void Sect as well.
They're all one family now, so learning it shouldn't be an issue.
Even if discovered, he could just pay some merit points to make it all go away.
According to the sect leader, his merit points were already at the peak for a Foundation Establishment disciple, more than enough to cover the cost of learning this sword array.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario.
Given his status as the "Master of Array Dao," he doubted he'd have to spend those points.
The Kui Water Sword Array... that didn't matter either.
After the Lipstick Boat incident, the Kui Water Sect underwent a complete overhaul by the Central Dao Court. The sect's hierarchy and systems were restructured, and they were preoccupied with their own issues.
If things got really tough, he could ask Uncle Gu, who is a high-ranking official in the Dao Court, to vouch for him.
According to Wang Chen, the Kui Water Sect's restructuring was carried out with the cooperation of Uncle Gu and the Summer Dao Court.
Uncle Gu still had some influence in the Kui Water Sect.
The final array was the Li Fire Sword Array.
This was even less of an issue, as it might not even be a lineage from the Qianxue Prefecture. Learning it shouldn't be a problem.
Mo Hua meticulously reviewed the implications of these sword arrays, finally feeling at ease.
There was no way around it; lineage matters could be either trivial or serious.
If no one cared, he could learn whatever he wanted. But if someone decided to make things difficult, it could be a heavy burden.
Better to be cautious.
Mo Hua nodded, now free of concerns, and decided to continue his studies.
A moment later, he remembered something and asked Sword Bone, "You were once a disciple of the Taia Sect, right?"
Sword Bone nodded.
Mo Hua continued, "Do you have any unresolved wishes from your time in the Taia Sect? Now that the three sects have merged, the Taia and Void Sects are one. If you have any wishes, I might be able to help you fulfill them."
For a moment, Sword Bone felt a touch of emotion.
This young master was actually quite considerate...
But after a moment of silence, he looked at his skeletal, blade-like body and his empty, black eyes, showing a complex expression.
"There's no need. The human me is already dead."
"Those who have died should rest in peace..."
Mo Hua didn't press the issue, "Alright."
He was just being polite.
With his busy schedule, he had no time to resolve Sword Bone's personal grudges.
Next, he needed to focus on cultivating his divine consciousness into swords, wasting no time.
Mo Hua resealed Sword Bone and stored him in his storage bag. Then he began to study the three sword arrays he had obtained from Sword Bone.
All of them were second-rank arrays.
With his current peak nineteenth-ripple divine consciousness, mastering second-rank array techniques was not difficult.
After two days of study and hundreds of practice sessions on the Dao Stele, he had a good grasp of them.
With the sword arrays in hand, he could now further refine his divine consciousness into swords.
In his mind, Mo Hua closed his eyes and focused, visualizing his divine soul. The intricate patterns of his vast divine consciousness captured the synergy between the array techniques and swordsmanship, and he began to manifest divine consciousness swords using the newly learned arrays.
After an unknown amount of time, Mo Hua opened his eyes and extended his palm.
Dark, earth-colored patterns spread, intertwined, and condensed into a heavy, continuous divine consciousness sword.
This was the Taia Mountain-Opening Sword.
Mo Hua flicked his wrist, and the earth-type Mountain-Opening Sword disappeared.
A subtle and venomous sword qi emerged, forming a water-blue long sword.
The Kui Water Sword!
The Kui Water Sword vanished, and Mo Hua summoned a ball of blazing fire in his palm. The fire condensed into explosive patterns, finally manifesting as a fiery, blazing Li Fire Sword.
He swung the sword, leaving a trail of bright red flames.
In a matter of moments, Mo Hua had manifested earth, water, and fire-type divine consciousness swords.
Each sword was composed of a sword array, infused with powerful divine consciousness, and embodied different principles, each with unique and formidable combat capabilities.
Holding the divine consciousness swords, Mo Hua's eyes shone brightly.
Each sword array could manifest a sword.
Others could only manifest one sword with their divine consciousness.
But his divine consciousness could transform into countless forms.
The more sword arrays he mastered, the more intricate the transformations became...
"Ancestor Dugu truly is the sword patriarch of the Void Sect. His sword techniques are unparalleled. Just a single lesson from him, and my divine consciousness swords have become so powerful..."
Mo Hua was both amazed and admiring.
His reverence for Ancestor Dugu was like a surging river, endless.
What he didn't know was that this was somewhat different from Ancestor Dugu's expectations.
Ancestor Dugu himself hadn't anticipated that Mo Hua could train this way and reach such a level...
Days later, when Mo Hua demonstrated his newly learned "divine consciousness swords" to Ancestor Dugu in the Sword Tomb, Ancestor Dugu's pupils dilated, and he was momentarily stunned.
"Each sword array is a different form of divine consciousness sword..."
Through Mo Hua's star-like eyes, Ancestor Dugu sensed the divine consciousness within, where the five elements flowed and the sword intent transformed unpredictably. He was inwardly astonished.
He had intended for Mo Hua to fuse array techniques with swordsmanship, taking a unique path to learn faster and create divine consciousness swords with notable power.
But he hadn't expected Mo Hua to learn this way.
Moreover, it wasn't just about the strength of the divine consciousness swords; it was the unprecedented and incomprehensible transformations that were truly groundbreaking.
Divine consciousness swords were the ultimate expression of a sword cultivator's lifelong swordsmanship.
A sword cultivator would only master one type of swordsmanship in their lifetime.
Mo Hua was not a sword cultivator; he didn't have a specific swordsmanship. Instead, he used sword arrays to create swordsmanship and manifest divine consciousness swords.
But because of this, he could have an "infinite" number of swordsmanship styles.
Existence is for utility, non-existence is for benefit...
Once Mo Hua, this child, mastered enough sword arrays, gained a deep understanding of swordsmanship, and thoroughly integrated array techniques with swordsmanship, his divine consciousness swords would be unimaginably powerful.
Just like array formations, they can encompass myriad possibilities, containing countless great principles, with endless variations...
This... How are others supposed to handle this?
The frown on the face of Dugu Laozu, who hailed from a pure lineage of sword cultivators, deepened.
He pondered further...
This process seemed simple on the surface, but the principles within were as profound as the ocean.
It required top-tier understanding of the laws, a deep foundation in array formations, powerful divine consciousness, and the ability to manipulate, deduce, and perceive with divine consciousness...
As well as the unparalleled skill to manifest array formations through divine consciousness.
Only then could one use divine intent to manifest sword formations, using the formations as the skeleton, and manifest swords of various laws through divine intent.
Dugu Laozu's frown twitched.
He had never imagined that the fusion of array and sword techniques in Mo Hua could evolve into such a terrifying phenomenon...
It was as if he had merely conducted a small experiment, adding a bit of variation.
But in just a few days, this disciple, who was average in sword cultivation, suddenly transformed into a "monstrous" sword cultivator.
And this monster was still a "growth-oriented" one.
The bottleneck in transforming sword formations into swords was not in the sword, but in the "array."
The more terrifying the array formations, the more terrifying the divine consciousness in manifesting swords.
Speaking of array formations... this child before him was already the supreme array master, surpassing countless array geniuses in Qianxue Province...
If he truly became a grandmaster who mastered all formations in the future, what would his divine consciousness manifesting swords evolve into...
Would all formations converge into one?
Would all swords return to their origin?
Dugu Laozu felt his body trembling uncontrollably.
At this moment, he deeply realized that his junior brother had not been wrong at all.
It truly seemed as if the ancestors had blessed him, and he had picked up a treasure and a "monster"...
Dugu Laozu's emotions started to fluctuate violently.
To the point where his mind and divine consciousness began to oscillate and become disordered.
Dugu Laozu's divine consciousness fluctuated, and he quickly covered his face with his hand.
No one saw the face he covered, which had turned as pale as paper, and his features were gradually fading...
Mo Hua was startled and hurriedly asked:
"Ancestor, what's wrong with you?"
Dugu Laozu's voice was hoarse, like a knife cutting through his throat, "An old injury has flared up. I'll send you back after practicing a bit more today..."
Mo Hua's expression was filled with concern, "Ancestor..."
"It's nothing, I'll be fine after meditating for a while," Dugu Laozu said.
"Alright..." Mo Hua nodded.
Without waiting for Mo Hua to say anything else, Dugu Laozu stretched out his hand, tore through the void, and sent Mo Hua away.
The dark void flickered.
Mo Hua's vision blurred, and he was back in the disciples' quarters.
But his emotions were far from calm, and he felt very uneasy.
"Ancestor... What's really wrong with him?"
Mo Hua frowned.
"An old injury flaring up?"
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and then shook his head helplessly.
There was nothing he could do to help the Ancestor, no matter how much he wanted to.
The gap between Cave Void and Foundation Establishment was like the difference between heaven and earth.
His cultivation was far too distant from the Ancestor's.
Moreover, he had no idea what had happened to Dugu Laozu, or what the "old injury" even was...
The more he cultivated, the more he felt his own insignificance.
Mo Hua sighed.
"Still, it's best to focus on what I can do and practice my sword diligently..."
Mo Hua kept this matter in his heart and then practiced transforming his sword formations into swords several times in his divine sea.
A few days later, in his divine sea,
Watching the Gold-Cutting Sword, Mountain-Opening Sword, Water Sword, and Fire Sword flow in his hands, Mo Hua couldn't help but think:
"I need to find something to cut... Otherwise, practicing this sword would be in vain."
What to cut?
Mo Hua immediately thought of the evil fetus.
There was no choice; the evil fetus was like a thorn in his throat, and he couldn't feel satisfied without cutting it.
Moreover, Mo Hua now felt that his divine consciousness manifesting swords was much stronger than before and should pose a certain threat to the evil fetus.
Mo Hua clenched his hand, and the sword pattern spread like spider silk, then condensed into a sharp golden sword.
He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and slashed directly at his soul.
This slash was brilliant with golden light, cutting through the soul.
A shrill scream echoed.
The voice of the evil fetus reverberated in his divine sea.
"Brat, what are you up to now!"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up.
This evil fetus, which had been silent for so long, finally spoke?
Ever since he had cut it with the ancient sword intent from the Bamboo Sword and then outsmarted it, the evil fetus had become much more obedient, like a turtle, hiding and not making a sound.
But now, after being slashed by this sword, it finally cried out.
This meant it was in pain.
Which also meant his sword was indeed stronger!
Mo Hua was overjoyed and slashed it a few more times.
The evil fetus screamed fiercely, "You're a dead brat, stop it now!"
Mo Hua wouldn't listen to it and thrust his sword again.
The evil fetus was helpless and could only say resentfully, "Stupid brat, the ignorant are fearless, you'll regret it..."
Its voice was cold and sinister, and after saying this, it retreated into the divine soul, just like before, not making a sound.
The evil fetus no longer screamed.
Mo Hua slashed it a few times, but without any response, he gradually lost interest.
Then, he pondered and gradually felt something was off.
His current "Sword Manifestation Technique," which combined array and sword techniques, was indeed stronger, and cutting the evil fetus was more painful, but it seemed the damage wasn't that significant...
Otherwise, the evil fetus would have already been desperate.
Mo Hua felt his sword, though painful when cutting his divine soul, did not cause as much damage as the ancient sword intent from the Bamboo Sword.
That is, his current Sword Manifestation Technique was strong, but only in a general sense.
It was strong on the "divine consciousness" level, not on the "divine soul" level.
The damage to the "origin" was still minimal, and it couldn't thoroughly kill the evil fetus.
This wouldn't do...
At least, it wasn't enough for him.
Mo Hua frowned.
"I need to find a way to become stronger, at least strong enough to kill this evil fetus..."
(End of Chapter)
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