Chapter 896: Supreme Severance of Emotions
Chapter 896: Supreme Severance of Emotions
After returning to the disciples' quarters, Mo Hua didn't rush into cultivation. Instead, he carefully reviewed the old ancestor Dugu's guidance in his mind.
He meticulously copied the key points onto a jade slip, keeping it for frequent reference to avoid forgetting them.
Only then did he formally attempt to cultivate the "Divine Severance Sword."
After Dugu's guidance, Mo Hua finally understood:
The technique of the Divine Severance Sword was not what he had been practicing all along!
The Divine Severance Sword was not about severing one's own soul. This "severance" meant renunciation and transformation.
One needed to cultivate a heart seeking the Dao, renouncing the small self to achieve the greater self, and to comprehend the essence of the sword path, thus achieving a transformation in divine consciousness and the sword path.
Mo Hua's emotions were complex as he took out an ancient, simple bamboo slip inscribed with the sword path.
On the bamboo slip, the sword patterns were simple yet profound.
He immersed himself in the ancient sword intent, wandering within the sword patterns.
This was the flow of the Void Sword...
Mo Hua held his breath, sat in meditation, and focused his mind. Then he began to visualize the "Void Sword Flow" inscribed on the bamboo slip.
Renouncing the small self, forgetting his own sword path, and with a void and empty mind, he visualized the Void Sword Flow, comprehending the essence of the sword path, thus drawing closer to the source of the sword and thoroughly understanding the Void sword path.
After thoroughly comprehending the sword path, he could follow the old ancestor's guidance and integrate the essence of the sword path into his divine soul, manifesting the true and powerful "Divine Severance Sword," capable of slaying deities!
Mo Hua's divine consciousness was profound, with a deep foundation in array formations and various techniques of divine consciousness. He had also devoured a large number of malevolent spirits, purifying massive impure thoughts through meditation.
He had even dabbled a bit in the "Dao Heart Demon."
Therefore, in terms of "cultivating the heart," Mo Hua was stronger than many cultivators who had reached the Golden Core stage after hundreds of years.
"Renounce the small self, forget the sword path, and with a void and empty mind, visualize the Void Sword Flow"—this was something he could do quite easily.
But the problem lay in what came next.
Mo Hua visualized for a long time...
The ancient sword intent in the Void Sword Flow remained unchanged from before, showing no signs of transformation.
Mo Hua did not experience any "sudden enlightenment."
His understanding of the sword path remained shallow.
His comprehension of sword techniques did not improve in the slightest.
Mo Hua stared intently at the bamboo slip for a long time, eventually realizing that he was merely looking at it in vain...
He couldn't understand the sword flow.
He hadn't comprehended the sword path.
Mo Hua thought perhaps he hadn't put in enough effort.
The next day, after finishing his classes, Mo Hua returned to the disciples' quarters and stared at the bamboo slip for a full three hours.
But he still understood nothing.
The profundities of the Void Sword Flow, the essence of the sword path, and the great way of sword techniques... none of it showed even a trace.
Mo Hua furrowed his brow, reflected a bit, and gradually understood.
The problem lay in this "small self."
Severing the small self, achieving the sword path.
But Mo Hua didn't even have a "small self."
The "small self" in the sword path was the accumulation of nurturing spirit swords, practicing sword techniques, and comprehending the sword path from a young age, forming the "foundation" of the sword path.
This "small self" mentioned by the old ancestor was actually not small at all!
Mo Hua placed himself in the old ancestor's position, roughly estimating that if he were to cultivate the sword path from scratch to the "small self" realm in the old ancestor's eyes...
That would require someone of Linghu Xiao's caliber, starting to cultivate the sword path from a young age, practicing for several decades, even a century, reaching the Golden Core stage and achieving a small success in the sword path, thus cultivating the "small self" of the sword path.
Only with such a "small self" would one have the qualification to sever it.
Using such a "small self" as a foundation and stepping stone, after severing it, one could ascend to a higher level, comprehending the flow of the Void Sword and climbing toward the essence of the sword path.
Mo Hua's heart sank.
He finally understood why the old ancestor had always had him cultivate the sword path, saying that his foundation in the sword path was insufficient, and that he couldn't transform divine consciousness into a sword.
The old ancestor had been right.
The true technique of transforming divine consciousness into a sword was built upon the foundation of the "sword path."
Without enough foundation in the sword path, one couldn't transform into a sword.
Without a deep understanding of the sword path and a small success in sword techniques, one couldn't sever the small self, comprehend the flow of the sword, or learn the final "Divine Severance Technique."
And Mo Hua himself didn't even have the "small self" of the sword path to sever.
Let alone the flow of the sword, the essence, or the great way...
"Spent so much time, and still can't learn it..."
Mo Hua sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Reflecting on it, this was normal.
The Void Divine Consciousness Transformation Sword Technique was the supreme sword technique of the Void Sect. If it were so easy to learn, it wouldn't deserve to be the "supreme" inheritance.
Moreover, Mo Hua wasn't even a sword cultivator.
Without any foundation in the sword path, wanting to learn the supreme sword path inheritance was indeed wishful thinking.
But Mo Hua didn't want to give up.
He thought over it repeatedly and realized it was a "dead knot."
To cultivate the Divine Severance Sword, one needed to sever the soul;
To sever the soul, one needed to sever the small self;
And to sever the small self, one needed to cultivate a "small self" of the sword path to sever...
Without this "small self" realm of the sword path, there was nothing to sever, and from the beginning, it was unfeasible.
Mo Hua's emotions were complex and indescribable.
This Divine Severance Sword had been practiced to a mess by him.
He couldn't practice the orthodox version.
What he had practiced was not only wrong but also injured his divine soul.
Each day, severing a sword, the accumulated injuries in his divine soul were silently piling up, and he would need to find "divine marrow" to repair them.
And "divine marrow" was now very scarce, needed not only for repairing the divine soul but also for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
After calculating this, it was another vicious cycle.
Not being able to learn the Divine Severance Sword, the day of slaying the evil fetus was still far off.
Muhua's scalp tingled slightly, and he couldn't help but sigh. However, sighing wouldn't solve anything. The path of cultivation must be pursued, the sword must be honed, and life must go on.
"Next time I visit the forbidden area, I'll ask the elder for advice..."
Muhua forced himself to put the matter aside, calmed his mind, and continued his cultivation and studies.
Two days passed in this manner.
Muhua woke up one morning, went through his usual routine of cultivation, and then took out the bamboo slip as usual. Using the sword intent on the slip, he slashed his life soul to suppress the evil fetus and invigorate his mind.
This was a routine action for him.
But after the slash, Muhua suddenly realized that he no longer needed to do this.
The Divine Slash Sword technique wasn't meant to be practiced this way.
It wasn't about actually slashing one's own life soul.
Muhua sighed again, feeling a bit annoyed, and delved his divine consciousness into his sea of consciousness to check the injuries on his divine soul.
Fortunately, his divine soul had grown accustomed to the slashes over time. While there were injuries, they weren't too severe.
Muhua breathed a sigh of relief and used his divine consciousness to inspect his divine soul more closely.
His soul was marked with jagged sword scars, fine and intricate like fish scales.
These were the results of Muhua's daily self-slashes.
"Sometimes, being too diligent isn't such a good thing..."
Muhua muttered to himself, then prepared to withdraw from his sea of consciousness.
But at that moment, his peripheral vision caught something that made him pause.
He noticed that the wounds on his divine soul still retained traces of sword intent.
This wasn't unusual.
Using the Void Sword Intent to slash his divine soul would naturally leave some sword intent on the wounds.
This was a normal occurrence.
However, as he observed it now, Muhua felt a tremor in his heart, as if a startling idea was slowly forming in his mind.
"Tempering the divine soul with the sword, self-slaughtering the life soul... cutting away the ego, observing the sword flow, comprehending the essence, and integrating the sword path..."
"Self-slaughtering the life soul is the means, but the ultimate goal is to integrate the essence of the sword path into the divine soul..."
"If that's the case..."
Muhua's expression changed dramatically, as if struck by a bolt of lightning:
"If I use the Void Sword Intent to slash my own divine soul, isn't that equivalent to... engraving the sword intent onto my divine soul?"
"The sword intent contains the essence of the sword path."
"This means that I am engraving the essence of the sword path... into my divine soul through the sword scars and wounds?"
"Later, as long as I thoroughly integrate this essence with my divine soul, wouldn't the final result be the same?"
The only difference was that the orthodox method of practicing the Divine Slash Sword involved first cultivating the "ego" sword path, then cutting away the ego, comprehending the sword flow, and integrating the sword path.
But Muhua had skipped all those steps and gone straight to integrating the sword path!
Without the ego, it didn't matter.
Not understanding the sword flow had no impact.
Failing to comprehend the essence of the sword path was also irrelevant.
All those steps were unnecessary. He could directly use the sword intent to self-slash.
The self-slashes would leave sword scars and wounds on his divine soul.
This way, the essence of the Void Sword Path would naturally merge with his divine soul through the scars and wounds!
This was a more thorough and direct form of "cheating" than "cutting oneself to become a sage"!
And this "cheat" was something only he could do...
Others couldn't withstand the slashes of the Void Sword Intent.
But Muhua could.
Others couldn't heal the wounds on their divine souls.
But Muhua could.
And he didn't need to comprehend the Void Sword Path. He just needed to integrate the essence into his divine soul and use it directly.
The elder had once said, "A nobleman's nature is not different; he is good at using things."
Using the method as a means to achieve the greater path.
Once the greater path is achieved, the method and means can be discarded.
The form is not important.
Muhua's heart raced.
Only now did he truly sense that the door to the essence of the sword path was slowly opening to him.
With his mind made up, Muhua immediately focused his breath and visualized himself.
He used his divine consciousness to perceive the wounds on his divine soul and the sword intent within those wounds.
The wounds were fine and painful.
The sword intent was profound and indelible, with the essence of the sword path continuously flowing within.
Muhua endured the intense pain and directly integrated the sword intent into his divine soul through the wounds.
The process was excruciating, but Muhua gritted his teeth and endured it.
The ancient sword intent seeped into the wounds of his divine soul, causing pain, but it also gradually merged with Muhua's divine soul.
It was like blades flowing into flesh, circulating within.
But these "blades" were like ancient elixirs, converting into threads of sword intent with each circulation, merging seamlessly with Muhua's divine soul.
This was the ancient essence of the sword path of the Void Sect, merging with Muhua's divine soul, which had already been transformed into something akin to a "divine" essence.
Muhua's Divine Sword True Technique finally began to truly enter the realm of "Divine Slash."
From then on, he only needed to slash once a day, refining a portion of the essence, accumulating day by day.
Using the flesh and blood of his divine soul to merge with the essence of the sword path, refining the Divine Slash Sword.
Until the day the true "Divine Slash Sword" was born...
That day would also be the end of the evil fetus.
Muhua's spirit soared, his eyes shining brightly.
He then refined his divine soul for a while using the method he had summarized, but he stopped for the moment.
Because it was really too painful.
Using the Void Sword Intent to slash his own divine soul was already painful enough.
Now, he had to integrate the fragments of sword intent into the "flesh" of his divine soul, which felt a bit like being flayed alive.
Therefore, he had to proceed step by step, without rushing.
Mo Hua rested for a moment, allowing his divine consciousness to recover.
Now that the cultivation of the Divine Severing Sword had settled into a steady rhythm, Mo Hua finally had the time to consider another issue...
"The Supreme Severing of Emotions..."
Mo Hua murmured softly, his brow furrowing.
This was another supreme dao technique that the Ancient Patriarch, Dugu, had imparted to him that night in the Sword Tomb's forbidden area.
Mo Hua hadn't dared to delve too deeply into it.
He felt there was something off about it.
The Void Severing Divine Sword and the Supreme Severing of Emotions seemed similar at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were entirely different in style.
One was a profound and righteous sword dao.
The other was a cold, emotionless, and eccentric technique.
In all the sword dao doctrines of the Void Sect that Mo Hua had studied, he had never encountered anything similar to "severing emotions."
"Also, why did the Ancient Patriarch suddenly teach me this?"
Mo Hua frowned, recalling that night.
The Patriarch had appeared as usual, but there was a subtle sense of unease in his words.
Could something have happened to the Patriarch?
Was the person who imparted the dao to him that night really the Ancient Patriarch himself?
Could there be some entity, something powerful enough to bypass the formidable Cave Void Ancient Patriarch and impart the dao to him?
Mo Hua's frown deepened.
Things were getting mysterious...
However, since the dao had already been imparted, the question now was whether he should learn the "Supreme Severing of Emotions."
Mo Hua reviewed the technique again, and he had to admit that it was an extremely profound, rare, and powerful dao "law."
If cultivated, one might truly sever all emotions and cut off all ties, severing everything.
But Mo Hua felt there was something wrong with this technique.
The problem lay in the words "severing emotions."
People are human because they have emotions. Severing emotions and becoming devoid of desires, could one still be considered human?
If one is no longer human, what kind of dao could they possibly comprehend?
Even if they did comprehend a dao, what kind of dao would it be, comprehended in a non-human state?
"Is the Ancient Patriarch... deceiving me?"
"Or is some malevolent entity secretly deceiving me?"
"Should I learn it?"
...
Mo Hua stroked his chin, considering it. He thought he might try it, after all, it was a dao comprehension technique.
But he couldn't fully commit, as there was definitely something mysterious about it.
Take the essence, discard the dross.
In short, he would learn it cautiously.
The supreme "severing emotions" doctrine imparted by the "Ancient Patriarch" echoed in Mo Hua's mind:
"Empty your mind, sever the self, merge with the dao, integrate the 'severing' law. Body and soul become the sword, unmatched in sharpness, and nothing in this world can resist it!"
This sounded powerful, and he could learn it.
But the part about "severing all worldly emotions, achieving a state of no feelings, no desires, no thoughts, and no attachments..."
That sounded strange, and he would learn it cautiously.
Mo Hua began to practice the "Supreme Severing of Emotions" according to the technique.
He started severing his emotions.
No thoughts, no attachments, no self, no heart...
Severing emotions...
His expression gradually shifted from gentle to cold, even a hint of icy ferocity.
It seemed that everything in this world was an obstacle to his dao, and everyone had to be severed.
Himself, his family, his friends, his teachers, those he loved, all had to be cut down...
Only by severing everything could he achieve the dao.
Mo Hua couldn't help but murmur softly:
"Only by severing everything... can one achieve the dao..."
"Sever everything..."
"Sever..."
Mo Hua's mind went blank, his expression becoming hazy, his features dissolving like makeup melting away...
"No!"
A moment later, Mo Hua suddenly snapped out of it.
He covered his face, cutting off all thoughts, and used "meditation" to stabilize his mind.
After a long while, he finally regained his senses from the "severing emotions and comprehending the dao" state.
Mo Hua was still shaken.
"This technique is incredibly powerful, but also terrifying..."
He almost truly severed all his emotions.
Mo Hua frowned.
If he severed his emotions, his self would be lost, and his divine consciousness would go out of control. He didn't dare think about what he would become.
"Severing emotions..."
Mo Hua pondered deeply.
Emotions could be severed to some extent, but not entirely.
"Severing emotions" was for comprehending the dao, not for the sake of severing emotions.
If he severed everything and stopped being human, the problems would be even greater.
He had gained this insight when he absorbed divine essence, transformed his divine consciousness, and integrated divinity and humanity.
Since divinity and humanity could be integrated, the "severing emotions" dao should also be integrable.
"Can't sever everything. Some emotions must be retained..."
"The kindness of my parents must be remembered..."
"The teachings of my master must never be forgotten..."
"The uncles and aunts of Immortal City, the friends I've made along the way, the senior and junior disciples of the Void Sect, the elders of the sect, Mr. Xun, and the Ancient Patriarch Dugu..."
"Also, Aunt Wan, Yu'er, Uncle Gu..."
Mo Hua realized that there were many people he needed to remember...
Interactions with others and the bonds of friendship and affection were the foundation of human emotions.
If abandoned, one would eventually lose their true self, becoming empty and numb.
"I need an anchor..."
However, there were too many people to remember, and Mo Hua couldn't immediately find an "anchor" to determine the extent of "severing emotions."
Father, Mother, Master, the karmic ties are too heavy, the bonds too deep.
Because the bonds are so deep, even severing emotions is the final "sever," not something easily forgotten.
But once truly forgotten, it means I’ve unknowingly severed the very essence of myself.
It means my humanity is beyond saving, and any attempt to turn back will be too late.
Others can serve as anchors for severing emotions, but Mo Hua is always afraid that he might be too busy and, in a moment of negligence, truly sever them.
Once severed, the ties are broken, and the memories are gone forever.
If I ever meet them again, they will recognize me, but I, having secretly severed the "bonds," will have completely forgotten them, which would be very awkward.
"Who should I use as the anchor for severing emotions...?"
Mo Hua was conflicted, pondering for a long time before suddenly having a good idea:
"Little Senior Sister!"
Using Little Senior Sister as the anchor for cultivating the "Supreme Emotion Severing Path."
While cultivating, he would occasionally think of Little Senior Sister.
If he felt the emotions fading, it would mean he had made a mistake in his practice.
If the emotions remained, it would mean he still possessed "humanity," and the bonds of human sentiment had not been extinguished.
As long as his humanity remained, and his heart for the Dao was intact, there would be no problem.
There are plenty of "impurities" within human nature that can be severed.
Greed, anger, delusion, resentment, and hatred.
The mind is as unstable as a mayfly, desires as turbulent as the sea.
All sorts of worldly desires and distractions can be severed.
After severing these desires, cleansing the world of dust, and seeing through the illusions, his dao heart would become purer, and his resolve would grow stronger.
By using this method of severing emotions, he could cultivate the "Supreme Emotion Severing Path," where one appears emotionless but retains a deeper emotion.
Mo Hua felt delighted but then frowned.
But would this mean he was practicing incorrectly again?
After some consideration, Mo Hua decided it didn't matter.
"Whatever works..."
It wasn't the first or second time he had practiced this way.
He had grown accustomed to it.
Thinking about this, Mo Hua felt at ease.
He then began to formally sever emotions and understand the dao, following the method passed down by "Elder Dugu," severing his emotional attachments.
After severing for a while, he would meditate on Little Senior Sister.
If the emotions remained, it meant he was on the right path.
If he felt the emotions fading, he would pause, reflect on his "emotion severing" method, and see if there was anything wrong.
Until Little Senior Sister's clear and beautiful face reappeared in his mind, he would continue severing emotions and understanding the dao.
Seeking the truth, preserving humanity.
In this way, using "Little Senior Sister" as the anchor, Mo Hua's cultivation of the "Supreme Emotion Severing Path" gradually deepened...
Of course, he didn't forget the "Great Void Demon Severing Technique."
Every morning, he would use the Great Void Sword Flow to sever his soul, deeply fusing the sword's essence with his own divine soul.
In the evening, he would cultivate the "Supreme Emotion Severing Path."
Following this supreme method of enlightenment, he would understand the path of emotion severing and then integrate this path into his divine consciousness, transforming it into a sword.
This way, he cultivated both the "Great Void Demon Severing Sword" and the "Supreme Emotion Severing Path."
Both methods were ones he had accidentally discovered, and now, practicing them together, he wasn't sure what the final result would be, but he believed it wouldn't be too weak.
At the very least, it should be enough to sever an evil spirit.
Mo Hua nodded slightly.
He didn't have high expectations; being able to sever an evil spirit was enough...
...
Time lost all meaning in cultivation.
With the addition of two new cultivation methods, Mo Hua's daily schedule became even tighter, and his tasks more demanding.
He had to cultivate, attend classes, and teach thousands of junior disciples and apprentices array formation.
During breaks, he had to study array formation, the Demon Severing Sword, and the Emotion Severing Path.
Mo Hua was completely focused on cultivation, with no time for distractions.
But one day, while cultivating the Supreme Emotion Severing Path, he suddenly sensed a disturbance in his karmic ties.
Uncle Gu's pale, blood-stained face suddenly appeared in his mind.
Mo Hua's heart raced.
"Uncle Gu?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, feeling something was amiss, and took out his communication talisman to send a message to Gu Changhuai:
"Uncle Gu, are you alright..."
No response.
Mo Hua waited patiently for a long time, but Gu Changhuai still didn't reply.
"What's going on..."
Mo Hua frowned, recalling the blood-sucking demon sect Uncle Gu mentioned during the New Year, the dozen or so Golden Core demon cultivators, and the Dao Tribunal's mobilization to exterminate them.
"Is he on a Dao Tribunal mission and can't use the communication talisman, or..."
"Is Uncle Gu in trouble..."
Mo Hua felt a growing sense of unease.
...
Night fell.
Qingzhou City.
Several Gu family cultivators were driving a horse-drawn carriage in a hurry, their bodies covered in blood, their expressions anxious, and their foreheads drenched in cold sweat.
As the carriage entered the city, it sped through the streets, stopping at the Gu family residence. One of them immediately jumped down, ignoring everything else, and shouted:
"Hurry! Someone! Go call the Alchemy Elder!"
The once peaceful Gu family residence was now a scene of chaos.
A moment later, the Gu family's alchemy elder arrived, lifting the blood-soaked curtain of the carriage and seeing the bloodstains inside.
Lying in the carriage, with half his dao robe soaked in blood, his face pale and unconscious, was Gu Changhuai.
His forehead was pitch black.
"Malevolent energy has entered his brain, his forehead is black..."
The Gu family elders' pupils dilated, their hearts turning cold.
"This is... a sign of death..."
(End of Chapter)
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