Chapter 926: Soul Severance Sword Manifestation
Chapter 926: Soul Severance Sword Manifestation
"Soul Severance Sword manifestation..."
Mo Hua was stunned for a moment, looking down at his palm and giving it a light squeeze.
Thinking that he might possess the power to break through and slay Golden Core cultivators, Mo Hua's heart raced, and his eyes grew brighter.
As long as the Soul Severance Sword could manifest, his 'Divine Perception Enlightenment' would truly undergo a qualitative transformation.
Not only in the Mind Realm, but in reality as well, he could turn the virtual into reality, transforming his strongest divine mind into the most formidable killing move.
In reality, he could perform Mind Realm Slaughter.
"I need to try it..."
...
The next day, at the Great Void Sect, north of the Disciple Residence.
On a quiet, small hill.
The lush vegetation and beautiful forest were shrouded in a thin layer of mist, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
Mo Hua sat on the grass, closing his eyes to rest.
There was no one else around, only a large white dog lying lazily under a tree, dozing off.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a verdant glow on the mountain, illuminating Mo Hua.
The thin mist enveloped him, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
Mo Hua focused his breath and mind, cultivating his heart and temperament, as still as a withered rock, not moving a muscle.
After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes, his irises swirling with black, white, and gold, and his aura shifted.
Mo Hua pointed at his forehead, drawing out a hint of sword intent from between his eyes, and then, with sharp eyes, he pointed forward with two fingers.
In the void, something seemed to break through the air, directly pointing at the towering tree in front of him.
The mountain wind suddenly picked up, causing the leaves of the tree across from him to rustle as if trembling.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment...
But a moment later, the mountain wind stopped.
Nothing happened.
There was no manifestation of the Mind Realm Sword, no sword intent, and the tree remained motionless, unharmed.
Mo Hua maintained the 'sword unsheathing' motion, his fingers pointing forward, standing firmly in place with a determined expression.
But...still, nothing happened.
The large white dog in the distance yawned, bored.
It had grown tired of watching.
Mo Hua could only retract his fingers and sighed helplessly.
From morning until now, he had attempted it no less than seven or eight times, but it was all in vain. The Soul Shock Sword could manifest, but the more advanced Soul Severance Sword, though it could appear in the Sea of Consciousness, couldn't break free from it.
Without manifestation, there was no way to slaughter.
The distant white dog wagged its tail, licked its fur, and lay down again, dozing off.
Mo Hua sat cross-legged and began to ponder carefully.
"Where did I go wrong? Is it the method of manifestation, or is my divine perception realm not high enough?"
Mo Hua remembered that Elder Xunzi Xian had once told him about the general process of a cultivator's divine mind advancement:
"Qi Condensation cultivators can release their divine perception to sense external objects."
"Foundation Establishment cultivators can control objects with their divine mind."
"Upon reaching the Golden Core stage, control over objects is perfected, and the power of manipulating artifacts and swords is further enhanced."
"Only at the Golden Core stage can one initially explore the methods of soul departure. It is only upon Ascension that one can truly master soul departure..."
There were few cultivators who delved into the path of the Mind Realm, and Elder Xunzi Xian himself did not practice it. However, as an array master, he had a keen interest in the subject and had conducted extensive research.
His words were highly credible.
"Golden Core is the initial stage of exploration..."
Mo Hua muttered.
"But this should be for ordinary cultivators. When I used the Soul Shock Sword, I was already in the state of soul departure."
"Does that mean...there's a problem with my Soul Severance Sword manifestation method?"
Mo Hua pondered carefully.
Soul Severance Sword manifestation was more complex than the Soul Shock Sword.
The cultivation of the Soul Shock Sword involved imprinting sword intent or a diagram of killing intent within the soul, and upon manifestation, it would directly use the eyes as the outlet, revealing the soul.
The Soul Severance Sword was different; its method was more profound and challenging.
One must first calm their breath and focus their mind, accumulating divine mind power, and then in the Sea of Consciousness, they would condense the form of the Soul Severance Sword and unleash this strike.
Only then could they use their eyes as a medium to transmit this sword out of the Sea of Consciousness.
First 'unsheathe the sword', then 'manifest'.
It seemed like just one extra step, but it was many times more difficult.
The ideal situation was for the sword to move with the divine mind, the divine mind to move with the eyes, and with a single thought, the Soul Severance Sword would condense, and with a glance, the Mind Realm Sword would slash out.
It was fast, and by 'killing with a glance', it was an unstoppable and deadly technique.
It was truly a case of 'I look at you, and you die'.
However, he was still far from this realm and could only progress slowly, step by step.
"Step by step..."
Mo Hua closed his eyes, concentrating, blocking out external influences, and focusing all his attention on the Sea of Consciousness.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Mo Hua's divine mind incarnation opened its eyes, its hands forming a loose grip above its head.
Thick and pure divine mind power, like golden light, converged between his hands, forming a dazzling Mind Realm giant sword.
Various sword arts were displayed.
Metal Cleaving, Mountain Splitting, Water of Yin, Fire of Yang, and the ancient Great Void Sword Intent emerged.
The Supreme Sword Emotion Dao, which was emotionless and selfless, slaying all, was also integrated into it.
Mo Hua held the giant sword, glowing like a divine being.
If he were to slay the evil spirits, divine remains, or even the evil embryo within his divine mind, a single slash would be enough.
But it wouldn't work if he tried to manifest it.
Mo Hua had tried many times before, but each attempt had failed. If he slashed with this sword, the power would still be limited to the Sea of Consciousness, unable to break through the boundary between reality and virtuality, and thus, it couldn't manifest in the real world.
"The manifestation method is incorrect..."
"No, or perhaps, the way I'm sending it out is wrong..."
In his previous attempts, Mo Hua had always focused on 'manifestation', trying to slash outwards with all his might. But within the divine perception, there was no distinction between 'inner' and 'outer'.
He intended to slash outwards, but in the end, the sword remained within his Sea of Consciousness.
The interdependence of existence and nonexistence, and the interconnection of difficulty and ease.
Inner and outer were also relative.
If he couldn't slash outwards, then he would slash inwards. Was this sword slashing his own 'soul'? No, it wasn't a simple 'slashing' but rather using the soul as an interface to connect with reality? The eyes were the window to the soul.
So, by slashing towards the soul, did it mean transmitting the divine mind to the eyes, using the eyes as a window, to truly 'manifest'?
Mo Hua guessed inwardly.
He wasn't entirely sure, but after some hesitation, he decided to give it a try.
Failure was the mother of success, and the cultivation of any technique was accompanied by numerous failures. Only through extensive trial and error could one find the correct path.
Anyway, he was already used to 'slashing himself'.
The Great Void Sword Intent aimed to slay the small self, and the Supreme Detachment aimed to slay desire. Now, using the Soul Severance Sword to slash himself once didn't seem like a big deal...
Mo Hua's heart stirred, his expression resolute, as he began to reverse the giant sword towards himself.
But at that moment, the sword intent reversed, and a vast sword intent surged towards him, causing Mo Hua to instantly feel a sense of impending death.
It was as if this sword strike would be his end.
Mo Hua was about to disperse the Soul Severing Sword, but the next moment, he forcefully stopped himself.
"Fear, is just an unnecessary emotion."
"Supreme Sword Emotion should also sever 'fear'."
"The Soul Severing Sword is my soul's creation, my understanding of the Dao, my Mind Realm Sword, my sword, and it cannot kill me."
Mo Hua firmly held onto his belief, his heart as solid as gold, unwavering, even when faced with the immense Soul Severing Sword capable of slaying evil embryos, he showed no fear.
"Sever!"
Mo Hua shouted lightly.
The gigantic Soul Severing Sword descended with a thunderous crash, like a collapsing celestial river, slicing towards Mo Hua himself.
Mo Hua's gaze remained unchanged, his will as firm as iron, and he faced it without fear.
And as expected, the Soul Severing Sword did not actually sever him, but instead, upon contact, it sliced into his soul.
In an instant, his mind twisted, reality and illusion intertwined.
Mo Hua seemed to have touched a barrier, a boundary between reality and illusion, sensing the gap between them.
The distinction between reality and illusion was too profound for him to see through, and he couldn't break through this gap.
However, where reality and illusion merged, it was himself, his Sea of Consciousness.
He could use his body as a medium, his eyes as a conduit, to transmit his 'illusory' Mind Realm to the 'real' world.
Mo Hua touched his forehead with his finger, communicating with the sword intent within his Sea of Consciousness.
After a moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide.
His eyes shone with dazzling sword light, filled with vast sword light akin to a celestial river, encompassing various sword techniques like Metal Cleaving, Mountain Splitting, Water of Yin, and Fire of Yang.
The Void Sword Intent faintly stirred.
Supreme Detachment, without self and without life.
Mo Hua's expression remained cold, and the surrounding aura began to change.
The big white dog, who was dozing off, suddenly jolted awake, its eyes wide with disbelief as it stared at Mo Hua.
The opportune moment had arrived, and enlightenment struck.
Mo Hua touched his forehead, channeled the Mind Realm Sword through his eyes, and then, with a burst of sharpness in his gaze, Mo Hua pointed forward, and the Soul Severing Sword intent emerged from his eyes, piercing through the air in the direction he indicated, forging ahead relentlessly.
The big white dog was so startled that its fur stood on end, and its tail went straight up.
Then, a surge of Mind Realm fluctuations... but still, nothing happened.
Despite the formidable aura, profound techniques, and powerful, sharp Mind Realm, there was not a sound after it was unleashed.
Or rather, he hadn't even unleashed it.
The grass remained grass, not a single leaf fell.
The tree was still a tree, without a scratch.
The flowers and plants around them were still lush and flourishing, thriving with life.
The big white dog's eyes widened, and after a moment of shock, it realized it was just a false alarm. Its tail drooped, and its fluffy body lay back down on the ground.
Mo Hua also slumped onto the grass, feeling a bit disheartened.
"Why is it still not working?"
"I've already mastered the art of Soul Departure, why can't I sever this sword?"
Mo Hua was unconvinced and wanted to practice more, but as soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and fell back to the ground.
His Sea of Consciousness throbbed with pain, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, looking a bit swollen.
"Practicing too much, it's starting to backfire..."
The Soul Severing Sword's power was too great, and the Mind Realm was too strong, forcing it through the 'eyes' for Soul Departure put too much strain on his eyes.
"Can't practice anymore, need to take a break..."
Mo Hua quickly sat up, meditated, and restored his Divine Perception, while also taking some pills to nourish his blood and clear his mind.
After recovering, when his Divine Perception was restored and his eyes were clearer, Mo Hua finally opened his eyes.
"Still not working."
Mo Hua sighed. But in the short term, he couldn't practice Soul Severing Sword Soul Departure again. And it was almost mealtime, time to eat.
"Let's go back..."
Mo Hua tidied up, called out, "Big White Dog, let's go," and left. After a few steps, he turned back, and Big White Dog was still lying on the ground.
"Big White Dog?"
Big White Dog glanced at Mo Hua, ignoring him, turned its head, and continued dozing, apparently a bit upset.
Mo Hua knew what it was upset about, sighed, and explained, "How many times have I told you, I'm not trying to sneak food."
"And it's not that I don't want to share good food with you..."
"Those things, you can't digest..."
"They're Divine Remains, not clean, if you eat them, it'll cause problems..."
"Next time, next time there's good food, I'll definitely save some for you."
Big White Dog looked at Mo Hua's Storage Box.
Mo Hua said, "That bone can't be eaten, I'm keeping it for later..."
"I'm not lying."
"Next time there's good food, I'll definitely save some for you..."
...
After much persuasion, Big White Dog finally calmed down and then nodded with a bit of arrogance, indicating that he and Mo Hua had made up.
"Next time I encounter evil spirits, I'll definitely bring you a few, just bear with it." Mo Hua promised, "Now, let's go to the dining hall, and I'll get you whatever you want to eat as an apology."
With Mo Hua's promise, Big White Dog finally cheered up, wagging its tail, and happily followed Mo Hua.
The two of them walked down the mountain path.
Behind them, the ancient tree that Mo Hua had 'cut' with his Mind Realm Sword began to show a sword scar, unnoticed.
It was a sword scar, but it didn't look like one.
There were no traces of sword cuts on the scar, and it seemed more like natural withering and decay.
It was as if someone had erased the 'thoughts' of growth near the sword scar.
This scar would never heal, never grow again, and would forever lose its vitality.
This was a Mind Realm wound.
It was a Mind Realm sword wound left by a strand of escaped Soul Severing Sword intent.
Over the long years that followed, this sword scar remained on the ancient tree of the Great Void Sect, enduring the winds and rains, never fading.
...
Disciple Residence, Dining Hall.
Mo Hua, hungry, was sitting at the table, gnawing on a chicken leg.
Beside him, Big White Dog was also on the table, its front paws covering a large elbow, happily gnawing away.
The nearby disciples had long gotten used to this sight.
Generally, the dining hall prohibited spirit beasts from entering.
But this dog was the Sect Leader's, and the person with it was Mo Hua, so no one said anything.
Of course, they didn't know that this big white dog wasn't a spirit beast, nor was it a dog.
After a satisfying meal, Big White Dog's last bit of resentment vanished, and it had truly made up with Mo Hua.
Mo Hua brought it to the book pavilion. Before leaving, the big white dog barked at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua nodded in response, "Okay, okay, I won't forget. I'll definitely treat you to something good when I have the time."
Only then did the big white dog nod in satisfaction.
After sending off the big white dog, Mo Hua returned to his residence. He burned the calming incense and brewed the cloud mist tea, sitting on the meditation cushion to calm his mind and ponder the issue:
"Why can't I still split it?"
"I've mastered the Divine Mind technique, and I've already guided the Soul Severing Sword Intent to my eyes, but I still can't manifest it. Could it be because I haven't formed a Golden Core?"
Only when the Divine Perception forms a Golden Core can the Soul Severing Sword manifest?
Mo Hua wasn't sure. He wanted to practice more, but using the eyes as the manifestation point put immense strain on them. With his physical body's strength, he didn't have the capital to attempt it multiple times.
What if he practiced too much and went blind? That would be a big problem.
Mo Hua contemplated, "Forget it, I'll figure out a way to form a Golden Core with my Divine Perception first."
Once the Divine Perception forms a Golden Core, not only can the Soul Severing Sword manifest, but he can also learn the Reverse Spirit Array. His strength will truly undergo a "transformation."
However, the immediate problem still needed a solution. In two days, it would be the day to besiege the Demon Sect.
If he couldn't learn the Reverse Spirit Array and couldn't project the Soul Severing Sword, he wouldn't be able to use any attack methods, so he could only think of a way to "survive" as a last resort.
If something unexpected happened and he was targeted by a Third Rank Golden Core demon, at least he would have a means of escape.
The Concealment Technique might not be able to hide from a Golden Core cultivator, but Mo Hua had just learned a new body art.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and went to the Dao Art Chamber, where he found Elder Yi.
"Spar?"
Elder Yi was taken aback, looking at Mo Hua, "You want to spar with me?"
"Mhm!" Mo Hua nodded.
Elder Yi didn't know what to say.
You, a Foundation Establishment disciple, want to spar with me, a Golden Core Elder? If it were any other disciple, he would definitely say he was busy, but the request came from Mo Hua, and Elder Yi couldn't refuse.
On the other hand, the fact that Mo Hua wanted to spar with him was, in a sense, a sign of "respect" for his skills.
"Fine, I'll just play along with the Great Void Sect's precious disciple..." Elder Yi thought, and then asked, "How do you want to spar?"
Mo Hua said, "I'll run, and you try to catch me. Let's see if you can."
Elder Yi understood.
This was a request to spar in body arts.
He nodded, "Alright."
Elder Yi then found an empty Dao Art Chamber and said to Mo Hua, "Let's do it here. It's spacious, which will make it easier for you to run."
Mo Hua looked around and nodded, "Okay."
And so the sparring began.
Of course, calling it a "spar" was more like a "partner training" session, and the atmosphere wasn't as tense.
The two stood apart, ten zhang apart, and Elder Yi said, "Begin!"
"Okay!" Mo Hua replied.
Before the sound of his voice had faded, Elder Yi's figure disappeared.
Mo Hua's expression turned solemn. Before he could react, he felt his body lighten, and he was already lifted up.
"Got you," Elder Yi said as he held Mo Hua.
Mo Hua's expression became a little dazed.
"This..."
The body art of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator was incredibly fast, and Elder Yi, being a spirit cultivator, was especially proficient in body arts. In a short time, he could start with extreme speed, and in a moment of inattention, his figure flickered, moving so fast that Mo Hua had no time to react.
The Great Void Sect's direct disciple elder was indeed formidable.
Elder Yi was usually approachable and didn't show off his strength, but when he took action, his power was truly formidable, leaving Mo Hua no room to react.
No wonder he could teach Dao arts in one of the Eight Great Sects...
Of course, there was another reason.
Mo Hua turned to look at Elder Yi, "Elder, you're at the late-stage Golden Core, right? Your cultivation is too high."
Elder Yi was taken aback, "My cultivation is high, but it's not my fault..."
Mo Hua said, "Please lower it to the initial stage of Golden Core."
The power of the late-stage Golden Core was still too high, and his body art was being suppressed, making it hard to practice.
Elder Yi sighed.
What could he do?
As a "partner," he had no choice but to follow the young master's instructions.
"Alright, I'll lower it to the initial stage of Golden Core."
"Mhm," Mo Hua nodded.
Elder Yi put Mo Hua down, and the two stood apart again. With another "Begin," Elder Yi's figure disappeared once more.
But this time, Mo Hua managed to capture Elder Yi's trajectory.
At the late-stage Golden Core, he couldn't react in time, but with his cultivation lowered to the initial stage, the pressure wasn't as overwhelming.
In Mo Hua's Divine Perception, Elder Yi's figure took extremely mysterious steps, shrinking each zhang to a chi with every step, covering several zhang with each stride, and his advances and retreats perfectly placed him in Mo Hua's blind spots.
This step was extremely exquisite and tricky, requiring precise calculations, and timing was crucial.
Soon, Mo Hua's blind spot revealed Elder Yi's palm, and just like before, it reached out to grab Mo Hua.
But this time, Mo Hua was prepared. The moment the palm touched him, he flashed and slid back several steps.
Elder Yi let out a soft "Oh?"
"He has some skill..."
He continued the pursuit, his figure as insubstantial as the wind, his steps in harmony with Yi Numerology, making his movements fast and mysterious, and hard to detect.
But in the following rounds, Mo Hua managed to dodge Elder Yi's palm at the last moment, avoiding being caught.
Elder Yi nodded inwardly.
"Not bad..."
No wonder he had the confidence to spar in body arts...
Not only was his Divine Perception sharp, but his body art was also exquisite. Seeing how relaxed he was, one could tell he had put in a lot of hard work.
As they continued to spar, Elder Yi's figure became clearer in Mo Hua's Divine Perception, and his attacking moves became more apparent, making it easier for Mo Hua to dodge and move with increasing ease.
Watching Mo Hua move like a fish swimming through the Dao Art Chamber, Elder Yi's gaze sharpened, and the Eight Trigram Yi Numerology appeared in his eyes, and his body art changed slightly.
But this change was barely noticeable.
Before Mo Hua could react, he tried to dodge Elder Yi's capture using his previous experience, but as he sidestepped, he realized Elder Yi hadn't moved to grab him, and the space beside him was empty.
"Not good!"
Mo Hua immediately realized something was wrong, but it was too late.
Elder Yi emerged from another blind spot, not invisible but looking as if he had.
A pair of large hands grabbed Mo Hua's shoulders.
Elder Yi smiled slightly, but before he could smile for long, his smile suddenly froze.
The Mo Hua he had grabbed transformed into water mist and dissolved before his very eyes...
(End of Chapter)
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