Chapter 935: White Wood as Skin, Gold and Jade as Bones
Chapter 935: White Wood as Skin, Gold and Jade as Bones
"A Mid-Lower Rank Spirit Root, in theory, isn't too bad... But this depends on the era."
Old Master Xun explained, "Now, it's been over twenty thousand years since the Dao Calendar. After such a long time, the cultivation world has evolved, and those without Spirit Roots have long been eliminated. Even Mid-Lower Rank Spirit Roots are mostly found among solitary cultivators."
"The true Great Clans, including some Medium Clans, are all using 'Spirit Root Inheritance' for their marriages. Disciples from family sects intermarry, and their Spirit Roots improve with each generation."
"It can be truly said that... 'Upper Rank Without Commoners, and Lower Rank Without Nobles'."
This was the development of the cultivation world, but Old Master Xun didn't feel any joy when discussing it.
The Grandmaster of Taixu understood this and nodded, "Yes... Mo Hua's Lower Rank Spirit Root, among solitary cultivators, is passable. In a typical family, he would be considered mediocre at best."
"But this is in the Qianxue State. He joined a top sect, and his fellow disciples are all clan heirs. Compared to them, his Mid-Lower Rank Minor Quintessence Spirit Root is somewhat... not up to par."
The Grandmaster of Taixu shook his head and sighed, "A poor Spirit Root means lower-grade cultivation techniques, fewer Heavenly Cycles of spiritual power, and naturally, weaker spiritual power."
Old Master Xun pondered for a moment, "But on the other hand... Although his spiritual power is weak, he probably has quite a few trump cards up his sleeve."
"I haven't seen it with my own eyes, so I'm not entirely sure, but first, his array-setting skills are definitely extraordinary. Moreover, his body movement techniques are exquisite, and his stealth skills are proficient. He also likely has a few deadly moves that he keeps hidden."
"Who?" The Grandmaster of Taixu was taken aback, "Mo Hua?"
Old Master Xun glanced at him, "You've reviewed Mo Hua's file, haven't you? Up until now, he has secretly caused quite a stir."
The Grandmaster of Taixu silently recalled what he had seen in Mo Hua's file from the Taixu Sect's records. This included, but was not limited to, his actions upon joining the sect, such as capturing Sinful Cultivators for rewards, participating in the extermination of Fire Buddha, infiltrating and destroying Demon Valley, assisting in the capture and killing of Water Yama Luo, burning down the Crimson Boat, escaping from the Dragon King Temple, and so on...
Recently, he also contributed to the annihilation of the Demon Sect.
It was only upon reflection that the magnitude of these events became apparent.
The Grandmaster of Taixu hadn't realized that Mo Hua, since joining the Taixu Sect, had unknowingly been involved in so many significant events.
However...
In the file, Mo Hua's role was limited to participation, and the final resolutions were always handled by the Dao Prefecture Office and the Taixu Sect's elders.
"Participation..."
The Grandmaster of Taixu was stunned, realizing the issue at hand.
How could an ordinary Foundation Establishment disciple possibly be involved in so many dangerous matters?
Once or twice could be attributed to luck.
But with so many instances, it wasn't luck but actual capability.
If Mo Hua didn't possess some skills, it would be impossible for him to survive these perilous events.
Perhaps, some of the Sinful Cultivators and Demon Cultivators had even met their end at Mo Hua's hands.
The image of Mo Hua's harmless appearance flashed through the Grandmaster of Taixu's mind, causing a slight tremor in his heart.
"I was deceived by that child's innocent face..."
After a moment of contemplation, the Grandmaster of Taixu said to Old Master Xun, "In that case, it seems that Mo Hua isn't suitable for the Sword Debating Tournament."
Old Master Xun nodded, "First and foremost, there's the issue of spiritual power."
"The Sword Debating Tournament isn't just about winning a single match and calling it a day. It requires numerous exhausting battles. With insufficient spiritual power, one simply can't afford to sustain it."
"Moreover, if he participates in the tournament, he might face direct confrontations with the true heirs of the Four Great Sects, those with exceptional bloodlines and heaven-exalted talents."
"These individuals all possess Upper Rank Spirit Roots, and occasionally, even a Heaven Rank Spirit Root isn't out of the question."
"The innate gap is too vast."
"Although the tournament emphasizes teamwork, strategy, and tactics, these strategies are built upon a foundation of cultivation and spiritual power. There's no way to truly 'cheat' or take shortcuts."
"Furthermore, Mo Hua must keep some of his skills hidden, as they are not something he can openly reveal."
"If his trump cards are exposed, he will undoubtedly become a target. By revealing all his skills for the tournament, he would be exposing his weaknesses, which could lead to future schemes and calculations against him."
Old Master Xun's expression turned solemn.
There was one more crucial point that he didn't mention.
Mo Hua was the disciple of 'that person', and his skills must have been influenced by 'that person'.
The Sword Debating Tournament would be a spectacle for all to see.
With so many eyes on Mo Hua, if his true abilities were exposed, he would undoubtedly attract terrifying causality and countless conspiracies.
These causality and conspiracies were beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Mo Hua could bear.
Therefore, Mo Hua's participation in the tournament would undoubtedly bring more harm than benefit.
The Grandmaster of Taixu asked, "Have you discussed these matters with him?"
Old Master Xun replied, "This child is wise; I don't need to say much."
Mo Hua should also understand the implications of causality.
As for Spirit Roots, Mo Hua was well aware of his own situation.
Furthermore, Spirit Roots were predetermined at birth, so there was little that could be done about it.
The Grandmaster of Taixu nodded and decided not to bring up the matter again.
The two took a sip of tea, and Old Master Xun suddenly remembered something and asked, "How is that matter I asked you to handle?"
The Grandmaster of Taixu responded, "You mean the Lifesoul Artifact?"
"Yes, it seems that only your sect has that kind of inheritance."
"I inquired, but..." The Grandmaster of Taixu frowned, "White Wood as Skin, Gold and Jade as Bone... This Lifebound Body-Casting Technique is useless to Mo Hua. He doesn't have a bloodline, his physique is inadequate, and he lacks the necessary inheritance."
"It's useless," Old Master Xun agreed.
The Grandmaster of Taixu was taken aback, "Then why do you still want me to obtain it?"
"I see no use for it," Old Master Xun said with a puzzled expression, "But when I calculated it, the divination showed that Mo Hua might actually be able to use it. However, I'm not sure how."
The Grandmaster of Taixu's expression became complicated, "Old Ancestor, didn't you say you couldn't perform divinations?"
"This... isn't a divination."
"Isn't it?"
"It's a bit complicated to explain, but the situation is like this... You don't study Heavenly Foreknowledge, so I can't explain it to you.
"Alright..." The Grandmaster of Taixu spoke.
As the Great Ancestor, whatever you say goes.
But there was another matter that puzzled the Grandmaster of Taixu, "This child's Lifebound Artifact is so difficult to choose from? With your experience, you're not sure?"
Master Yan silently took a sip of tea.
He was the one who was unsure...
Others were not aware of who Mo Hua's master was.
This child's cultivation path was eccentric and peculiar, filled with all sorts of oddities, and no one knew how much he had learned or from whom.
As the Great Ancestor of Void Emptiness, he truly couldn't grasp it.
But these words couldn't be spoken aloud.
Master Yan said, "I understand, you don't need to worry. Just get the 'White Jade Golden Body' Lifebound Body-Casting Technique, and it will be fine. For such a heritage, only you have the means."
The Grandmaster of Taixu naturally wouldn't refuse Master Yan's request.
Although this heritage was not insignificant, and it wouldn't be easy to obtain, as the Grandmaster of Taixu, he also had to consider the sect's interests.
Moreover, this technique was intended for Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was a child he liked, and even without mentioning the idea of forming a "good connection," he was willing to help.
"Rest assured, Master, I've already sent a letter of inquiry, and there should be a reply soon."
Master Yan nodded with a smile, "You've worked hard."
The Grandmaster of Taixu cupped his hands, "Master, you're too kind. As the sect leader, this is what I should do."
After that, the two continued to chat about sect-related matters while drinking tea.
Preparations for the Sword Debating Tournament were also gradually progressing.
...
A few days later, at Demon Refining Mountain.
Mo Hua had come to hunt demons in Demon Refining Mountain again.
Since the incident in Demon Valley, he rarely visited Demon Refining Mountain. This time, he entered the mountain at the arrangement of the sect elders.
The purpose was to allow the disciples to hunt demons in the mountain and temper their cultivation.
Additionally, a new element was added: sparring matches among the disciples.
The elders didn't explicitly state it, but Mo Hua could guess that it was in preparation for the Sword Debating Tournament.
They wanted to observe which disciples had exceptional strength, who had a talent for sparring, who had keen insights, and who could be relied upon in the tournament to bring honor to the sect.
Since it was a debating tournament, they couldn't solely rely on theoretical cultivation levels.
Cultivation level was one thing, but actual combat was another.
Some disciples had high cultivation levels but became nervous in real battles, unable to fully utilize their strength.
On the other hand, some disciples with seemingly average cultivation levels had sharp minds, daring to fight and take risks, often performing exceptionally well in actual combat.
These things could only be known through sparring.
Only by letting the disciples spar and experience real combat could suitable candidates for the tournament be selected.
Not only did Mo Hua understand this, but the other disciples also had a clear understanding.
The Sword Debating Tournament not only concerned the disciples' personal futures but also the sect's reputation and interests.
Moreover, for them, after nine years of learning, they could only participate in one Dao Discussion Tea Gathering.
All the disciples cherished this opportunity immensely.
On a spacious slope in the middle of Demon Refining Mountain.
The elders were arranging the disciples into one-on-one sparring matches to compare their physical and magical skills.
This was just a friendly spar, not meant to determine a winner, but rather to allow the elders to assess the disciples' strengths.
Mo Hua didn't participate.
It wouldn't be meaningful for him to join.
On paper, his strength was too weak.
Among the disciples, aside from Cheng Mo, Si Tu, and a few others who were familiar with Mo Hua and had seen him fight once or twice, the vast majority of the disciples had never seen Mo Hua engage in a fight or a magic duel—
At most, they had only seen Mo Hua cast fireball spells a few times.
In their impression, their harmless "Junior Senior Brother" was a Formation expert with absurdly high standards, while his other abilities, including his physical body and spiritual power, were absurdly weak, making him a "strange" individual.
Sparring with him wouldn't be very beneficial.
No disciple dared to spar with Mo Hua.
Being hit by the Junior Senior Brother wasn't a big deal; at most, they would endure a few fireball spells and suffer minor burns.
But if they injured the Junior Senior Brother, that would be a huge problem.
Mo Hua, as the Junior Senior Brother, was always amiable, kind, and helpful, making him well-liked within the sect. Many disciples, to some extent, had received his help.
If they injured him, they would incur the wrath of the sect, and it would be uncertain if they could continue in the Great Void Sect.
Moreover, Mo Hua had fair and tender skin. Aside from causing injury, even a minor scratch would be a sin.
The elders were even more hesitant to let Mo Hua participate in the sparring.
He was the Array Dao Debating Champion of the Great Void Sect, the sect's treasure, almost like the Grandson of the Great Ancestor. If he were injured during the formation sparring, who could bear that responsibility?
Therefore, in the vast mountain forest, with swords and spells flying, the disciples fought back and forth, creating a lively scene.
Mo Hua could only sit on a tree and watch the spectacle.
There was even a protective formation around the tree, set up by the elders, fearing that a stray spell from the sparring below might accidentally injure him.
Mo Hua sat alone on the tree, sighing helplessly.
Just as he was feeling bored, a person approached from a distance, and Mo Hua's eyes lit up as he called out, "Xiao Xiao!"
The person was indeed Linghu Xiao.
In the eyes of outsiders, he was an aloof sword genius who rarely smiled.
In the entire Great Void Sect, only Mo Hua dared to call him "Xiao Xiao."
Linghu Xiao also sighed helplessly.
Mo Hua sat on the tree, waving at him, and Linghu Xiao used his body technique, his figure moving like a sword, reaching the tree in just a few steps and sitting beside Mo Hua.
"You're done with your match?"
"Yes."
Linghu Xiao nodded. He was now at the Late Foundation Establishment stage, attempting to nurture the Chongxu Sect's sword as his Lifebound Artifact. Not only had his cultivation level improved, but his sword intent had also become more profound.
After the ordeal in Demon Valley, his sword heart had been tempered, and his entire being, from top to bottom, exuded an astonishing sword Dao quality.
His Void Soaring Sword Technique had truly begun to reveal its sharpness.
During sparring, ordinary disciples couldn't even withstand a single strike from him and would quickly lose.
Therefore, Linghu Xiao quickly finished his matches and, having no other matters, came to find Mo Hua, who was watching the spectacle from the tree.
Linghu Xiao and Mo Hua watched the play for a while before Linghu Xiao suddenly asked Mo Hua, "Are you going to the Sword Debating Tournament?"
Mo Hua hesitated, "It's hard to say..."
It was definitely not true if he said he didn't want to go.
Although he had achieved the status of Array Debating Champion, the Sword Debating Tournament was entirely different from the Array Debating Tournament.
Whether it was in terms of intensity, excitement, challenge, or attention, they were not on the same level.
The Sword Debating Tournament was a fierce competition where Heaven-Exalted geniuses vied for supremacy, filled with countless variables, and no one could predict the outcome until the very end.
However, Mo Hua's situation was special, and he was well aware of it.
He could participate, but it was hard to say how much effort he should put in or how far he could win.
His merits were abundant, more than he could ever use.
His reputation, on the other hand, was somewhat burdensome.
At present, the Sword Debating Tournament didn't hold much allure for him.
At most, if the Great Void Sect was in a dire situation, he might consider participating to ensure a decent ranking, but that was the extent of it.
To truly risk exposing his trump cards and fight to the death for a top spot seemed like a losing proposition.
Everything had two sides.
While the Sword Debating Tournament offered fame and glory, standing at the peak could also attract unwanted attention and potentially sow the seeds of future troubles.
Mo Hua was momentarily indecisive.
Linghu Xiao nodded, then fell silent. After a moment, he spoke again, "If you decide to participate, I'll join you."
Mo Hua was taken aback and turned to look at Linghu Xiao.
Linghu Xiao's expression was calm, but his gaze was resolute.
Mo Hua felt grateful.
Participating in the Sword Debating Tournament wasn't a solo endeavor; it required the concerted effort of five people. To achieve a good ranking, they would need to form a strong team, and none of the five could be weak or have obvious shortcomings.
Mo Hua knew that while he wasn't weak, in the context of the Sword Debating Tournament, he wasn't sure how strong he would be in direct confrontations with others.
But Linghu Xiao was genuinely powerful, and since advancing to the Late Foundation Establishment stage, his sword techniques had been improving day by day.
He probably wanted to take Mo Hua under his wing, even if this was his only chance to participate in the Sword Debating Tournament in this lifetime.
Even if Mo Hua's spiritual power was low and might hold him back.
Mo Hua smiled, patted Linghu Xiao's shoulder, and said, "I appreciate your offer, but let's discuss this later."
Linghu Xiao nodded and fell silent.
As the surroundings quieted down, Mo Hua also began to focus intently on the disciples sparring below.
As he watched, Mo Hua noticed that the disciples of the Great Void Sect had made significant progress in both cultivation and techniques compared to before.
Their spirit roots were better than Mo Hua's, and they had reached the Late Foundation Establishment stage earlier, which meant they had half a year more to improve their cultivation.
Mo Hua compared himself to the other disciples and found that his spiritual power was genuinely the weakest among them.
And the gap was widening without him realizing it.
It wasn't apparent during the early Foundation Establishment stage.
But now, having passed the mid-stage and reached the late stage, the difference in spirit roots and cultivation methods had further widened.
Mo Hua made a comparison.
If during the early Foundation Establishment stage, his spiritual power circulation was only 20% weaker than his fellow disciples, it was now estimated to be 30-40% weaker.
And this was compared to the average level.
If compared to a top genius like Linghu Xiao, Mo Hua found that his spiritual power circulation was barely half of theirs...
Half as strong...
And this was just at the Foundation Establishment stage.
If they reached the Golden Core stage, this gap would likely widen further.
After all, with such a large base difference, as cultivation progressed, the strength multiplied, and the gap would become more pronounced.
Mo Hua had understood this principle before, but at that time, he was still naive and didn't comprehend it as deeply as he did now.
Mo Hua took a deep breath, feeling a sense of urgency.
...
At night, the disciples gathered.
Mo Hua, who had returned from Demon Refining Mountain, once again lay on the table, diligently practicing his array techniques.
He felt he should further enhance his strength.
But his weak spiritual power, was almost an insurmountable obstacle. If he couldn't break through, he could only try to strengthen his divine perception.
With stronger divine perception, his arrays, techniques, and sword arts would also improve.
Moreover, the Sword Debating Tournament was just around the corner, next year, and it would be better to prepare early, even if it was just to participate and gain some experience.
Mo Hua practiced his array techniques several times and examined his inner state, but he shook his head helplessly.
"It's no use... I can hardly feel any improvement in my divine perception."
Ever since he reached the Foundation Establishment stage, although he could still enhance his divine perception through arrays, the improvement from this method alone had become minuscule.
The training of arrays focused more on understanding the rules and controlling divine perception rather than increasing it.
This might be related to the fact that his divine perception had already undergone Dao transformation.
Or perhaps it was because he had consumed too many demons and demonic beings.
Now that he had stopped consuming them or lacked good ones, Mo Hua's progress in divine perception had almost stalled, especially at the crucial stage of Twenty Patterns.
"It's stuck again..."
Mo Hua sighed, thinking of his divine perception, array techniques, sword arts, and Lifesoul Artifact.
Cultivation was indeed challenging, with obstacles everywhere.
Of course, the path of cultivation was long, and obstacles and setbacks were common.
Mo Hua forced himself to calm down and continued practicing his array techniques, going over the same ones he had practiced countless times.
He honed his divine perception and comprehended the essence of cultivation bit by bit.
After an unknown period of practice, for some reason, Mo Hua felt an unprecedented sense of fatigue. A heavy drowsiness overcame him, and his eyelids began to droop.
Mo Hua struggled a few times but to no avail; he couldn't muster the energy to stay awake.
Eventually, he couldn't hold on any longer. His eyes slowly closed, his head drooped, and he slumped onto the table, his arm knocking over the spiritual ink.
The ink slowly spread, staining the array paper black.
Mo Hua also had a nightmare.
In the dream, everything was pitch-black. A demon-like entity with a malicious gaze stared at Mo Hua.
(End of Chapter)
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