Chapter 996: Shang Shan Ruo Shui
Chapter 996: Shang Shan Ruo Shui
"Dao Troops" are an extremely powerful force in the cultivation world, a unique battle formation.
Ordinary cultivators, limited by their talents and cultivation, can rely on formations, battle formations, and spiritual equipment to empower themselves, forming Dao Troops and uniting to challenge those with exceptional natural talent.
This is a remarkable strategy, turning the weak into a formidable force against powerful enemies.
In the history of cultivation, many formidable demons with overwhelming personal strength, who were difficult for cultivators of the same level to match, were ultimately killed by large numbers of determined and fearless Dao Troops.
Even the most talented Celestial Geniuses would have to avoid the sharp edge of a well-equipped and numerous Dao Troop.
Ordinary cultivators forming Dao Troops are already formidable, but what about Celestial Geniuses?
If Celestial Geniuses were to form Dao Troops, wouldn't they be invincible, unstoppable?
Throughout cultivation history, numerous aristocratic families, sects, and secret organizations have attempted to cultivate "Celestial Genius Dao Troops," both openly and discreetly.
However, aside from a few rare successful cases, most of these attempts have failed.
The primary reason is the exorbitant cost.
Cultivating ordinary Dao Troops requires a complete set of spiritual equipment, battle formations, techniques, Dao Fa, and tactical traditions, which demands a massive consumption of spiritual stones and years of arduous training, pouring in immeasurable effort.
The cost increases exponentially with each level of improvement in the Dao Troop's talent.
Using top-grade or even supreme-grade spiritual roots as the foundation for cultivating Dao Troops from Celestial Geniuses requires resources and traditions that are immeasurable.
Even the wealthiest aristocratic families might struggle to afford it.
The title "Celestial Genius" implies that each of them is unique and one of a kind.
If they were to participate, it would be as generals, not as mere soldiers, sacrificing their personalities and pride.
Especially in the Qian Xue Prefecture, where the "elite" tradition is prevalent, sects cultivate their top disciples through a process of "survival of the fittest," ensuring they stand out and bring honor and benefits to the sect.
This aligns with the interests of both the sect and the aristocratic families.
The aristocratic families seek disciples who can excel above others, reach the pinnacle, and climb to higher positions in the future.
They have no need for their Celestial Genius disciples to form Dao Troops; it would be a waste.
Some sects have tried to emulate the Dao Troop system by organizing their disciples to participate in the Swordsman Competition Congress, including the Tai A Gate, which attempted this long ago.
However, the results were not satisfactory.
From team formation and coordination to spiritual equipment forging, battle formation compatibility, formation changes, and tactical drills, there were too many challenging issues.
The cost was astronomical, and the forging of spiritual equipment and battle formation compatibility was the most significant problem.
After all, the competition's situation is ever-changing, and the opponents vary.
Even if sects can afford spiritual stones, they often lack the corresponding cultivation "industry" to complete large-scale specialized "customizations" within a short time.
Organizing such an endeavor is also challenging.
No one can truly command the respect of all and organize the Celestial Geniuses.
Each generation of a sect has a "Big Senior Brother," but even with their high prestige, they often struggle to manage the overall situation and earn the respect of every disciple.
Moreover, as the Swordsman Competition Congress progresses, the stakes of victory increase.
The "Tian Di Xuan Huang" competition features four-character battle scenarios, with the "Di" character scenario and the final "Tian" character scenario offering the highest rewards.
Winning a single match in these scenarios can earn dozens or even hundreds of victory points.
After much turmoil, sects realized that it was more direct and efficient to cultivate "top disciples" through "survival of the fittest" and let them achieve higher rankings.
As a result, the "Dao Troop System" in the Swordsman Competition Congress became less common among sects.
The Tai A Gate also abandoned this approach.
As the Tai Xu Gate disciples below practiced in perfect unison, the Tai A Gate Leader suddenly felt a sense of unreality.
It was indeed a "Dao Troop System" competition...
He then examined the scene carefully for a moment and was surprised.
There seemed to be some differences...
The Tai Xu Mountain's practice was not a one-size-fits-all Dao Troop system; not all disciples followed the same routine.
Some teams were formed based on the disciples' strengths, Dao Fa, and formations, creating unique combinations.
There were teams with balanced offense and defense, frontal assaults, swift sneak attacks, escape specialists, and endurance experts...
Although the time was short, and they lacked spiritual equipment and formation support, their true combat power was already evident.
At the very least, there was a method to their madness, and they were much stronger than the previous "self-organized" teams.
The Tai A Gate Leader watched the scene below with admiration and sincerely praised the Tai Xu Gate Leader:
"Brother, your foresight and strategies are truly remarkable."
The Tai Xu Gate Leader smiled and said, "It's all thanks to the disciples' efforts."
"You're too humble."
"It's indeed the disciples' hard work..."
The Tai Xu Gate Leader felt a bit helpless, as he was telling the truth. As the sect leader, he had merely delegated authority, and the disciples' efforts were the real reason for their success.
The two continued drinking tea.
The Tai A Gate Leader watched the training below, which resembled a "Celestial Genius Dao Troop" in the making, and became increasingly engrossed. After three rounds of tea, he finally snapped out of his trance and remembered why he was there.
"I hope Xuan'er hasn't caused any trouble..."
The Tai A Gate Leader's gaze wandered, scanning the surroundings, until he finally spotted Ouyang Xuan in a corner of the training ground.
Everything seemed normal.
Ouyang Xuan, the sword genius from Chong Xu Mountain, Mo Hua, the formation expert from Tai Xu Mountain, a large-built cultivator, and a talented sword cultivator were practicing together.
The process was smooth, and the atmosphere was normal.
The Tai A Gate Leader breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Xuan'er, despite his rebellious nature, knew when to exercise restraint and execute tactics effectively.
Indeed, people can change in just three days.
We shouldn't judge others based on preconceived notions.
People change and grow.
This "younger cousin" in terms of seniority, who was once on par with him, now gets along surprisingly well with the disciples from the other mountains.
He picked up his teacup, about to take a sip, but before the tea touched his lips, he suddenly heard a "plop" and something unexpected happened.
Ouyang Xuan and the big guy had messed up their tactical positions, suddenly moving forward and backward, colliding and falling together, each taking a tumble.
The big guy got up and started complaining.
Ouyang Xuan's face turned cold.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
"Xiao Xuan, you're feinting from the right wing, be careful, don't bump into Cheng Mo..."
Being in the Illumination Realm, his cultivation was profound, and despite the distance, he still heard it.
This sentence left even the sect leader dumbfounded.
"Xiao Xuan"... Who was he referring to?
Could it be... Ouyang Xuan?
With that kid's stubborn temperament, could he bear it?
Obviously, he couldn't bear it.
The next moment, with an arrogant demeanor, he let out a cold snort, showing his disdain, and headed straight to the right.
Apparently, he managed to hold it in.
Is this person Ouyang Xuan?
Could he actually bear it?
In the Tai A Gate, he couldn't stand being scolded by me, and he would even show his displeasure to the true transmission elders.
This stubborn "donkey" had actually changed his ways after coming to Tai Xu Mountain?
Linghu Xiao from Chong Xu Mountain wanted to team up with him.
Now, Ouyang Xuan from Tai A Mountain actually listened to his instructions and even allowed himself to be called "Xiao Xuan" without showing any temper.
This kid might be a... fairy who can bewitch people's hearts?
He glanced at Mo Hua, who was handsome with bright eyes and white teeth, and his suspicions grew...
After a moment, he made up his mind and summoned an elder, instructing:
"Have all the disciples from Tai A Mountain go find Mo Hua and let him help form teams for joint training and participation in the Swordsman Competition."
The elder was slightly taken aback, "Sect Leader, this..."
"Moreover, I've observed the training on Tai Xu Mountain, and it's very systematic. Whether we can win is uncertain, but it's definitely better than Tai A Mountain."
"Since the three clans are merging, let's not differentiate."
"We'll go along with it..."
As a sect leader, he has always been very practical in his actions.
He learns from the good and follows the strong.
This is called seeking truth and being pragmatic.
It was also for this reason that Tai A Gate once "mixed" its way to the top among the Eight Great Gates.
When the sect leader spoke, the other elders rarely dared to disobey.
"Then..." The elder deliberated, "Should I make the arrangements?"
"Yes."
The elder withdrew and carried out the sect leader's orders.
The order also reached the disciples.
Tai A Mountain, inside the disciple's dormitory.
A group of disciples gathered, discussing animatedly.
"The elders instructed us to find 'Little Senior Brother' and have him lead us to the Swordsman Competition."
Without a mistake, the first shot, inside, content, in one, 69shubaiguikank!
"What 'Little Senior Brother'?"
"Mo Hua? Who's this Little Senior Brother?"
"I know, I mean..." One disciple lowered his voice, sounding dissatisfied, "He's the junior brother of Tai Xu Mountain's lineage. What does he have to do with us Tai A Mountain?"
"Didn't he teach you battle formations?"
"Even if he did, at most, we can greet him when we see him, and call him 'Little Senior Brother' behind his back. He doesn't have the qualifications for that."
"Do as you please. If you don't call him, I will."
"You have no backbone."
The disciple protested, "He taught me battle formations, graded my homework with an 'A', and said I had a bright future... If I don't call him Little Senior Brother, who should I call?"
"Have some conscience..."
"Alright, alright, let's get to the point."
"Are we sure we want to join Mo... Little Senior Brother for the competition?"
"What else can we do? This is the elder's order, and it's the sect leader's wish..."
"Speaking of which, is Mo... Little Senior Brother just a formation master really that good at swordsmanship?"
"Not sure..."
"But the Swordsman Competition on Tai Xu Mountain seems very different. I asked a few Tai A Mountain disciples who teamed up with Tai Xu Mountain disciples, and they said the training is completely different..."
"So, do we really have to go to Tai Xu Mountain?"
The Tai A Mountain disciples hesitated.
After a moment, someone's eyes lit up, and he asked a slightly dark-skinned, slender disciple in the crowd:
"Wood, you're close to Little Senior Brother. Is he really that amazing?"
Ouyang Mu was bent over, designing diagrams for refining tools.
These were tasks assigned by Mo Hua, asking him to help with adjustments and improvements for the compatibility of battle formations and refining tools.
Hearing this, Ouyang Mu looked up.
Although he was still a bit slender, he had spent a lot of time with Mo Hua and had gone through the tribulations of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, which made his temperament much more stable, and his eyes now exuded a firm confidence.
Unconsciously, the other disciples from Tai A Mountain had also grown to respect him.
Ouyang Mu put down his pen and said seriously, "Little Senior Brother is very capable."
"How capable?"
"No matter how capable he is, it's just his battle formations that are impressive..."
"Exactly. His spiritual root isn't good, his spiritual power isn't strong, he doesn't know any advanced Dao Fa, and his physical body is weak. What can he do in a swordsmanship competition?"
"Ouyang Mu shook his head, "It's not just about the battle formation, but I can't reveal everything to you. If you want to perform well in the Swordsman Competition Congress, then follow Little Senior Brother. Be respectful and sincere, and don't have any other thoughts, or Little Senior Brother will see right through you..."
"This matter is not only for Tai Xu Gate, for Tai'a Mountain, but also for your own sake. How you choose to proceed is entirely up to you."
After Ouyang Mu finished speaking, he remained silent and continued to study the weapon refinement blueprints.
He would not be attending the Swordsman Competition Congress.
His true ambition did not lie in competing in the congress or fighting others to prove his strength. Instead, he was dedicated to mastering weapon refinement and forging exceptional swords.
However, the matter of the competition was closely tied to the honor of the sect, especially concerning Little Senior Brother, so he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Thus, some of the weapon forging and design tasks that Mo Hua had planned were handed over to him.
This not only lightened Mo Hua's burden but also provided Ouyang Mu with an opportunity to refine his sword-forging foundation through practical design and casting.
For a Zhubi disciple, such an opportunity was incredibly precious, and Ouyang Mu cherished it.
The tasks assigned by Mo Hua were carried out with utmost concentration and dedication.
Seeing Ouyang Mu's intense focus, the crowd also quieted down.
Those who can truly focus on a task often earn the respect of others.
Ouyang Mu's words resonated with everyone.
The next day, disciples from Tai'a Mountain began to visit Mo Hua one after another, sincerely requesting, "Please, Little Senior Brother, guide us in the path of the Swordsman Competition."
Their intention was clear—they wanted Little Senior Brother to lead them.
Mo Hua did not refuse anyone.
After all, there is strength in numbers.
The more low-level disciples enhanced through the "Dao Troops Formation," the stronger Tai Xu Gate would become, and the greater their chances of winning the competition.
Mo Hua began to compile a list and form teams.
Of course, he wasn't very familiar with the disciples from Tai'a Mountain, so before assigning teams, he would usually ask, "Who do you have a grudge against?"
"Who is someone you would never want to be in a team with?"
"Do you have any close friends?"
He asked these questions to avoid putting two enemies in the same team, creating disharmony.
After forming the teams, Mo Hua arranged tactics for each team and considered customized spiritual equipment and battle formations.
Then, he had the disciples from Tai'a Mountain join the training at Tai Xu Mountain.
The training ground at Tai Xu Mountain instantly became crowded with people, bustling with activity. Colorful Dao Fa flew everywhere, creating a lively atmosphere.
Soon, word spread that the disciples from Tai'a Mountain had infiltrated Tai Xu Mountain and were being "recruited" by Mo Hua.
Chong Xu Mountain could no longer sit idly by.
Initially, the three sects had merged, but Tai Xu Mountain seemed to stand out due to Mo Hua's presence.
Now, Tai'a Mountain was proactively drawing closer to Tai Xu Mountain.
Chong Xu Mountain, on the other hand, became the odd one out.
The sect leader of Chong Xu Mountain was displeased, so after reporting to the old ancestor, he also sent his disciples to "join" Mo Hua.
Mo Hua accepted them all, and once again, he "recruited" a group of disciples.
The training ground at Tai Xu Mountain was filled with voices.
Disciples from the three mountains were both teammates and opponents, sparring and training together, creating a chaotic yet harmonious atmosphere.
For a moment, the place was bustling with people, indistinguishable from one another, and the noise was extraordinary.
This scene not only surprised the Tai Xu Gate leader but also left Old Master Xun momentarily in disbelief.
They never expected that the disciples from the three mountains, who had previously been at odds, would be brought together so forcefully by Mo Hua for the sake of the Swordsman Competition Congress.
The entire Tai Xu Mountain was now filled with disciples, their voices echoing, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.
The three sects were truly merging...
In the vast training ground, whenever Mo Hua had some free time, he would stroll around with his hands behind his back, observing, providing tactical guidance, directing formations, and improving the shortcomings of various teams.
All the disciples, regardless of their background, cultivation level, or Dao Fa strength, would respectfully address him as "Little Senior Brother" upon meeting him.
On the high platform, the Tai Xu Gate leader watched this scene, shaking his head in amazement, "I won't hide it from the old ancestor. As a senior and then as the sect leader, I've seen countless disciples over the years, but I've never encountered a child like 'Mo Hua'..."
Despite his humble background and weak spiritual root, his personality and temperament were not dominant.
Yet, within Tai Xu Gate, from the top-tier Celestial Geniuses to ordinary disciples, all those with better backgrounds and qualifications than Mo Hua were listening to him...
It was truly...incredible...
Meanwhile, Old Master Xun, observing Mo Hua's calm and graceful figure in the crowd, felt a mix of admiration and sentiment.
In his original plan, he had indeed intended for Mo Hua to become the Little Senior Brother of the three sects: Tai Xu, Tai'a, and Chong Xu.
But even he hadn't anticipated that Mo Hua would achieve this level of success...
Old Master Xun watched Mo Hua's silhouette, and a sudden realization struck him, causing him to whisper an ancient saying:
"Shang Shan Ruo Shui."
"Water benefits all things and does not compete."
"It is because it does not compete that it is never in danger."
Old Master Xun muttered to himself, his pupils narrowing, and his emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
...
On Tai Xu Mountain, the disciples from the three mountains crisscrossed, creating an unusually noisy atmosphere.
Amidst the busy and tense training, with meticulous planning, time gradually passed.
Soon, three months flew by in the blink of an eye.
Throughout Qian Xue Prefecture and even the entire Qian Prefecture, thousands of sects and countless cultivators eagerly awaited the Swordsman Competition Congress, which finally officially commenced...
(End of Chapter)
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