https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-894-Transformation-of-the-Sword-Path/12828722/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-896-Supreme-Severance-of-Emotions/12828724/
Chapter 895: The Divine Sword Path
Chapter 895: The Divine Sword Path
I am a cultivator who has chosen the path of divine consciousness, a practitioner of the Divine Consciousness Dao.
I must hold myself to the highest standards.
I must become stronger.
I must use the darkspawn as a test and the dark gods as my ultimate adversaries.
Defeating the darkspawn marks a minor accomplishment, but slaying a dark god is the true mark of mastery.
If I fail to meet these standards, I am not worthy.
Mo Hua nodded in agreement.
The "Sword Transformation Technique," derived from the myriad sword formations, is indeed powerful, but the fundamental energy it employs is relatively weak.
It is highly effective against common darkspawn, but when facing dark gods, even if I can defeat them, I may not be able to kill them.
Therefore, I must continue to learn and master more advanced sword techniques to enhance the power of my divine consciousness swords.
The most lethal technique in the Divine Consciousness Sword Art is the ultimate sword form...
The Divine Slayer Sword.
However...
Mo Hua frowned, taking out the bamboo scroll given to him by the Grand Ancestor Dugu. He studied the ancient, simple sword patterns and felt the sword intent within, muttering to himself:
"Tempering the divine consciousness with the sword, severing the soul..."
This is indeed how I have been training.
Using the sword intent from the scroll to refine my divine consciousness and sever my own soul.
I do this every day, one sword strike per day, without fail.
But after so long, apart from turning the darkspawn into a "turtled" state and leaving my soul scarred, I have not gained any special insights.
Mo Hua only vaguely felt that he was on the path to mastering the Divine Slayer Sword.
But he was unsure if his method was correct, if it was effective, or what the essence of the Divine Slayer Sword truly was...
Mo Hua studied this issue for several days but found no other leads.
In the end, he had to admit that such a profound and unknown sword technique could not be understood through solitary contemplation.
He should honestly seek guidance from the Grand Ancestor Dugu to avoid straying from the path.
Previously, the Grand Ancestor did not reveal the specific technique for the Divine Slayer Sword because my divine consciousness swords were not yet refined enough.
But now, things are different.
My Sword Transformation Technique, based on sword formations, has undergone a transformation.
If I seek guidance from the Grand Ancestor now, he will likely teach me more...
...
A few days later, at the rear mountain of the Void Gate.
The Sword Tomb.
Grand Ancestor Dugu appeared as usual, looking well, which slightly relieved Mo Hua.
After explaining the sword path, Grand Ancestor Dugu gave a routine lecture on sword techniques.
Once the lecture was over, Mo Hua took the opportunity to ask quietly:
"Grand Ancestor, how exactly does one practice the Divine Slayer Sword?"
Grand Ancestor Dugu was momentarily taken aback, then calmly looked at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with thought.
When Mo Hua asked about the Divine Slayer Sword before, it was perhaps out of curiosity.
But now, he clearly understands that the child has already begun practicing the Divine Slayer Sword technique.
Grand Ancestor Dugu sighed inwardly.
After living so long, he has never seen someone advance so rapidly in the Divine Consciousness Sword Art, almost improving by leaps and bounds...
This is the Void Gate's Divine Consciousness Sword Art.
The most profound divine consciousness sword technique of the Void Gate, and a forbidden sword technique...
Grand Ancestor Dugu shook his head.
So be it...
Perhaps geniuses are like this.
He is beginning to get used to it.
At this point, there is no need to keep the ultimate sword technique a secret.
Grand Ancestor Dugu's gaze sharpened, and he asked, "Have you studied the bamboo scroll I gave you?"
"Yes," Mo Hua nodded.
"Did you notice anything?"
"There are sword patterns on the scroll, and these patterns contain sword intent."
"Do you know what kind of sword intent it is?"
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Disciple only knows that this sword intent is very ancient and profound. It doesn't seem strong, but it seems to contain... a fundamental essence of the sword path?"
Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to injure the darkspawn.
Grand Ancestor Dugu's brows furrowed slightly.
To recognize the fundamental essence of the sword path...
Who is this child's master, and how did he gain such profound insight?
Grand Ancestor Dugu pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly and asked, "Do you know what kind of fundamental essence of the sword path it is?"
Mo Hua shook his head.
He had no idea.
He was originally a "sword blind," and although he had learned a lot about the sword path from Grand Ancestor Dugu, he was far from being able to discern the fundamental essence of the sword path.
Grand Ancestor Dugu nodded, his expression serious, and slowly said:
"This fundamental essence of the sword path has a great origin. It is a thread of sword technique essence extracted from an ancient 'divine sword' by the Void Gate before the three sects split."
"Subsequent generations of the Void Gate's ancestors and predecessors poured their entire lives' knowledge of the sword path into this essence."
"Through the efforts of dozens of generations of cultivators over thousands of years, this invaluable 'fundamental essence of the sword path' was finally cultivated."
Grand Ancestor Dugu's voice grew solemn, "And this fundamental essence of the sword path is also known as..."
At this point, a term floated into Mo Hua's mind as if by divine intervention:
"Sword Stream?"
Grand Ancestor Dugu raised his eyes to look at Mo Hua, his gaze trembling, then nodded in approval:
"Exactly, it is the Sword Stream, the ultimate culmination of our sect's sword path... the source of sword techniques!"
Mo Hua's heart trembled.
Sword Flow...
These past days, Mo Hua had been immersed in his studies, and the tool he used to cut his divine soul was none other than the exceedingly precious Sword Flow. No wonder this ancient and profound technique could even harm the essence of a demonic fetus.
And such a valuable Sword Flow was actually entrusted to him by Elder Dugu. Of course, it wasn't exactly "entrusted"; it was more accurately "lent" to him for a time to study—though this alone showed the elder's high regard for him.
Mo Hua was deeply moved.
At the same time, his feelings were a bit complex. He was an array master, yet he hadn't even mastered the Array Flow, and now he was learning the Sword Flow first. It felt a bit like the heavens had been inverted.
"Then what’s the connection between this Sword Flow and the 'Divine Slash Technique'?" Mo Hua asked.
Elder Dugu replied, "Since you're on the path of divine consciousness enlightenment, you should know about malevolent spirits and ghosts. But do you know about deities?"
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
He was very familiar with deities. He had several deity "friends": an old friend, Huangshan Jun; a little friend, Little Silver Fish; and a "bad friend," the Great Desolate Evil Deity. The evil fetus of this bad friend was currently parasitic in his life soul.
Elder Dugu had no idea about Mo Hua's extensive "connections" with deities. He simply nodded and said, "I see. That saves me the trouble of explaining. There are many kinds of divine consciousness entities, malevolent spirits, and ghosts in this world. Above these malevolent spirits, there are even higher beings, such as celestial deities, fallen evil deities, ancient Daoic essences, and realms."
Elder Dugu paused for a moment, then continued, "Demons, malevolent spirits, and ghosts corrupt the mind and consume divine consciousness. These malevolent spirits are formed from mental energy, and blood, qi, and spiritual energy cannot harm them at all. Cultivating divine consciousness into a sword can slay them. But above malevolent spirits, there are celestial deities. Deities can also fall and bring calamity to the world. Humans can slay demons, malevolent spirits, and ghosts... but can they slay deities?"
Elder Dugu looked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua hesitated and said, "I suppose... it should be possible?"
Elder Dugu shook his head. "Humans are humans, and deities are deities. Human divine consciousness cannot slay deities."
Mo Hua was taken aback. He thought about it and felt it was wrong. If human divine consciousness couldn't slay deities, how was Huangshan Jun slain? If this were true, wouldn't the evil deities in this world be invincible?
No matter how much they wreak havoc, cultivators wouldn't be able to resist them. The elder couldn't possibly be unaware of this...
Mo Hua thought about Elder Dugu's words and slowly said, "Human divine consciousness cannot slay deities, so... we need to transcend the limits of 'human' by using certain methods. This way, we can slay deities."
Elder Dugu's eyebrows raised, and he looked at Mo Hua deeply before nodding. "Exactly!"
"Deities are born with the Dao, and humans are inherently lacking. But through the study and understanding of the Dao, and by borrowing the Dao, humans can slay deities."
"Even though humans cannot slay deities, they can learn, understand, and borrow the Dao of the universe and the laws of all things to create methods that can alter their divine consciousness and slay deities!"
"This is the Divine Slash Technique!"
Elder Dugu's voice was resolute.
Mo Hua pondered silently.
Deities are naturally endowed and born with the Dao. Cultivators are inherently lacking, but through the study, understanding, and borrowing of the Dao, they can slay deities. In a sense, this is a true example of the weak overcoming the strong, humans slaying deities, and humans triumphing over fate...
Mo Hua was profoundly moved.
However, he was still a bit lost about how to "understand the Dao and slay deities." How does one understand the Dao? How does one borrow it?
Elder Dugu, seeing his confusion, said, "Do you remember the secret I told you about cultivating the Divine Slash Sword?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Using a sword to refine the divine consciousness and cutting one’s life soul."
"Those eight words are the key," Elder Dugu said. "Human divine consciousness cannot slay deities, so you must 'borrow' the Dao and the powerful essence."
"But the essence of the sword path is immensely profound and not something that can be easily obtained."
"The Sword Flow of the Void Sect is based on a fragment of Daoic essence from an ancient divine sword. Over generations, our ancestors have infused it with their sword path insights, nurturing this essence that has the power to slay deities!"
"With this essence, the divine sword cultivators of the Void Sect can 'borrow' the essence of the sword path to slay deities that would otherwise be invincible to human power."
"The form this essence takes is the Void Sword Flow."
"The cultivators of the Void Sect understand the Void Sword Flow, borrow the essence of the sword path, and refine their divine consciousness with it. This is called 'using a sword to refine the divine consciousness'..."
Mo Hua nodded in understanding and asked, "What about cutting one's life soul?"
Elder Dugu asked, "Have you made any insights into the Void Sword Flow?"
Mo Hua felt a bit ashamed. "No..."
He had only sensed a faint ancient sword intent. If not for the elder's mention, he wouldn't have realized it was the essence of the sword path. He had spent a long time trying to understand it but had gained no real insight into the sword path.
"This is not your fault..." Elder Dugu sighed. "Even when I was your age, and even when I reached the Golden Core realm, I couldn't understand it."
Here is the rewritten chapter with non-English characters replaced with their English equivalents or transliterations:
"Not only can they not comprehend it, but they can't even understand it..."
Elder Dugu sighed, "This is the ancient sword flow of the Great Void Sect, a sword art that approaches the Dao itself..."
"The founders and cultivators who nurtured this fundamental principle are all at least of the Void Passage realm or higher in the Great Void Sect’s lineage."
"How could ordinary disciples possibly learn such an advanced sword art?"
"Even sword geniuses, being young and lacking the necessary time and high realm, are limited in their scope and cannot truly grasp the essence of the sword flow."
"If a lineage's disciples can't learn its techniques and only those at the Feathered or Void Passage realms can understand them, no matter how exquisite or powerful they are, they will eventually be lost."
"That's why the ancestors of the Great Void Sect took a different path, a method almost like 'cheating'... self-severing the soul!"
Mo Hua’s heart trembled.
Elder Dugu continued with his aged voice, "A commoner wants to become a sage. But sages have noble virtues and far-reaching vision, while commoners are shallow and burdened with worldly desires, which cloud their judgment. No matter how hard they try, they can never become a sage. What would they do?"
Elder Dugu answered, "The only way is to sever the self and become a sage!"
"Sever the small self to achieve the great self."
"Completely forget yourself, cut off your shallow and despicable thoughts, abandon worldly desires, and discard prejudices. Transform yourself into a ‘sage’ directly."
"Think as the sage thinks, act as the sage acts, and you will naturally become a sage."
"This is severing the small self to achieve the great self."
"The same applies to severing the soul in sword arts..."
"You are a ‘commoner’ in sword arts, wanting to become a ‘sage’ in sword arts."
"But your understanding is shallow, your mind is burdened with distractions, your resolve is weak, and you have various erroneous biases in sword arts. Achieving ‘sainthood’ is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Even a single misstep can lead you down the wrong path, forever barring you from the pinnacle of sword arts."
"Given this, you must sever the self!"
"Sever distractions, sever biases, sever errors, sever ignorance, and sever your own small path. Emulate the ‘sage,’ visualize the ‘sword flow,’ and connect with the essence of sword arts. Imprint this essence into your soul to achieve true unity of man and sword, soul and Dao, allowing your soul to undergo a transformation in sword arts."
"Sever the small self to become a sage."
"Sever the small path to achieve the great path of sword arts!"
"Sever the self to become a sage, sever the soul to become the Dao!"
Elder Dugu’s words echoed in Mo Hua’s ears, deafening and enlightening.
Mo Hua felt as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, his mind trembling with shock, unable to calm down for a long time.
He carefully considered Elder Dugu’s words, trying to grasp their deeper meaning.
But before he could delve deeper, he heard a violent cough.
Looking up, Mo Hua saw Elder Dugu covering his mouth and nose with his withered hand, his brows furrowed, coughing violently.
Mo Hua immediately sensed something was wrong and asked worriedly, "Elder, your old injury..."
Elder Dugu waved his hand, gradually calming down, but his eyes were much dimmer, his voice hoarse, "It's nothing, it happens often..."
While he said it was common, Mo Hua had never seen Elder Dugu cough so heavily and look so exhausted before.
It was as if... he was a worn-out, terminally ill old man.
Mo Hua felt a pang in his heart.
Elder Dugu, a Void Passage elder with heavenly cultivation, had exhausted himself for the sect, living like a broken sword buried in a graveyard...
Mo Hua felt a deep sense of unease.
Elder Dugu noticed Mo Hua’s emotions, his gaze softening, and he said gently, "It's nothing."
Mo Hua’s expression remained worried.
Elder Dugu paused, then asked, "Did you understand what I said just now?"
Mo Hua shifted his thoughts and nodded lightly. After a moment, a doubt arose in his mind.
Furrowing his brow, Mo Hua asked, "Elder, to sever the self and become a sage, to sever the soul and become the Dao, does that mean the small self and the minor sword arts I have learned are all for naught?"
Elder Dugu shook his head, "Without the small self, there would be nothing to sever, and thus no great self."
"Similarly, without learning sword arts, you would have no minor sword arts to sever, and you would not be able to advance further and understand the essence of sword arts."
"In other words, without the small self, there is no great self, and without the minor sword arts, you cannot grasp the sword flow."
"Though the small self is shallow and despicable, filled with ignorance and prejudices, it is the prerequisite for ‘becoming a sage.’”
"Your own sword arts, though minor and shallow, are the steps to achieving the essence of sword arts..."
"Even the Great Void Sect’s foundational sword arts are designed to cultivate the ‘small self’ in disciples, which is then severed to approach the essence of sword arts and achieve the great path..."
"Is that so..." Mo Hua’s heart shook again, and he was enlightened.
This principle, if not for Elder Dugu, he would never have understood on his own.
Cultivating the self’s sword arts is for the purpose of severing them...
The wisdom of the ancestors is truly profound.
Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then his expression changed, and he suddenly realized:
No!
Is self-severing the soul really done this way?
Then what about...
Mo Hua asked hesitantly, "Elder, self-severing the soul isn't... directly using sword intent to ‘sever’ one's own soul, is it?"
"Using sword intent to sever one's own soul?"
Elder Dugu was taken aback, then frowned. "A person’s soul is extremely fragile. How could it withstand such a severing?"
"Who in their right mind would actually ‘sever’ their own soul?"
Mo Hua: "…"
He didn’t really want to admit that he was that “fool.”
After all this, it turned out he had been practicing incorrectly.
Severing the soul was not about actually severing it.
He had misinterpreted the words…
Mo Hua couldn’t help but sigh.
Elder Dugu, seeing Mo Hua’s expression, fell into deep thought and then was startled. "You don’t mean…"
"No!"
Mo Hua vehemently denied it, refusing to admit he was a fool.
Elder Dugu silently looked at Mo Hua, not saying a word.
Mo Hua then timidly asked, "Elder, what would really happen if someone truly severed their soul?"
"Truly severing the soul…"
Elder Dugu drew a sharp breath, his brows furrowed, and he was about to speak when his expression suddenly froze.
His aged face seemed to dissolve into nothingness, like a blank sheet of paper.
Multiple overlapping faces appeared and disappeared.
But this change was silent and fleeting, lasting only an instant before everything returned to normal.
By the time Mo Hua noticed something was amiss and looked up, Elder Dugu’s face was back to its usual appearance, even his expression unchanged.
"Severing the soul isn’t that big of a deal," Elder Dugu said.
Mo Hua was taken aback. "No problem?"
Elder Dugu nodded. "I told you, you’re different from others. Some things that others can’t learn, you can. Some paths that others can’t take, you can. Similarly, severing the soul, which others can’t do, you can."
"The only issue is that severing the soul isn’t easy. You need to understand some special techniques."
"Special techniques?"
"Exactly," Elder Dugu nodded. "You need to understand a certain Dao."
"Understand Dao?" Mo Hua asked curiously. "What Dao?"
Elder Dugu’s gaze grew serious as he slowly said, "The ‘Heartless’ Dao."
"Heartless Dao?"
Mo Hua’s brow furrowed, growing increasingly confused.
Elder Dugu’s expression was indifferent, devoid of emotion. "The Great Void Severing Sword’s most important aspect is the ‘severing’ part. It can sever deities because it contains the power of the origin, infused with the ‘severing’ Dao."
"The ‘severing’ Dao, as the name suggests, is about severing emotions and desires."
"By severing all worldly attachments, reaching a state of heartlessness, desirelessness, selflessness, and thoughtlessness, only then can you truly sever everything. Only then can you understand the supreme sword Dao and slay deities with a mortal’s will."
"This is known as the Supreme Heartless Dao…"
Mo Hua was deeply shaken.
The Supreme Heartless Dao…
Before he could fully comprehend, Elder Dugu continued, "This is a great Dao law. If you truly master it and integrate it into your sword Dao, with an empty heart and severed self, you can achieve oneness with the Dao. You will fuse with the ‘severing’ law, becoming a sword in body and soul, with a blade that can cut through anything in this world!"
Elder Dugu looked at Mo Hua. "Do you wish to learn?"
Mo Hua’s heart raced, and he slowly nodded.
"Good!" Elder Dugu’s eyes lit up, praising him. "Your talent is unparalleled; you must not waste it. I will now impart to you the Supreme Heartless Dao and teach you how to understand this supreme Dao law…"
Elder Dugu extended his withered finger and tapped Mo Hua’s forehead.
In an instant, a profound insight, intertwined with the changes of the Dao and the ethereal sounds of the cosmos, flooded Mo Hua’s mind.
It contained various unfathomable methods of understanding the Dao.
Mo Hua felt his mind become clear, experiencing a profound and mysterious insight, almost as if he were merging with the origin of the universe.
A boundless and profound technique was imprinted in his heart.
Mo Hua meditated in deep contemplation, and after an unknown amount of time, he slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, his eyes were vacant, but then they gradually returned to normal.
"Remembered everything?" Elder Dugu asked.
Mo Hua nodded. "Remembered everything."
Elder Dugu’s eyes held great hope for Mo Hua. He said solemnly, "Study well and understand deeply. What I have imparted to you is the supreme Dao. Master this Dao, transform it into your sword, and your sword skills will reach their peak, able to sever everything in the world!"
Mo Hua’s spirits were lifted, and he bowed three times to Elder Dugu, respectfully saying, "Thank you, Elder, for imparting this Dao."
Elder Dugu nodded, his expression filled with satisfaction. "Besides you, I have no one else to pass this on to…"
Mo Hua bowed again to Elder Dugu.
Elder Dugu then said, "Alright, go back and study well."
"Yes," Mo Hua replied.
Elder Dugu tore open the void and sent Mo Hua back to the disciples’ quarters.
After Mo Hua left, in the forbidden area.
The night was deep and the moon’s light was cold, the sword tomb desolate.
Elder Dugu remained seated alone, motionless, as if carved from stone.
After a moment, Elder Dugu suddenly came to his senses, looked around, checked the sky, and realized Mo Hua had already been sent away. His pupils constricted sharply.
"What did I just… teach him?"
"No… What did those ‘things’ teach this child…"
Elder Dugu’s face trembled, a chill running through his heart.
(End of Chapter)
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