Chapter 1012: Ten Thousand Methods

The elders of Gui Shui Men debated this among themselves:

"Is he an heir of Shui Yu Men?"

"Or did he inherit Shui Yu Men's legacy?"

"And his Water Prison Art— he's formed four full Water Prisons, with considerable mastery; this is no ordinary legacy…"

"Indeed." One Gui Shui Men elder nodded.

Another elder with sharp eyes said, "Don't be fooled by this brat—he's cunning. Just now, when he cast it, his Qi flowed swiftly, with no hesitation at all, and he summoned it as easily as picking flowers; his mastery of Water Prison Art goes far beyond this—four prisons are not the limit; six or even seven are possible…"

"Water Prison Art beyond six prisons…"

"Even the direct disciples of Shui Yu Men in their prime would have struggled to reach such a level…"

"This boy must have deep ties to Shui Yu Men!"

An elder of Gui Shui Men, with a hawk-like nose, wrinkled face, deep seniority, and high authority, rasped an order:

"Investigate. Find out his connection to Shui Yu Men. Find out whether he carries…"

He paused, did not finish, then said: "Whether he carries… other Shui Yu Men legacies."

"Yes."

A direct disciple bowed and turned to leave, but the elder called him back, his voice dark:

"Investigate in secret. Do not alert Grand Void Gate."

Grand Void Gate is no longer what it once was, and Mo Hua is someone under the old patriarch's eye.

"Understood…"

The direct disciple departed on his mission.

The other Gui Shui Men elders continued their heated discussion.

Their hoped-for prodigy, Qin Cangliu, had been "ambushed" by Mo Hua's Fireball Art and lost in bitter defeat.

These elders, therefore, began to take notice of Mo Hua.

Unexpectedly, this attention unearthed the tangled pasts of "Water Prison Art" and "Shui Yu Men"—the Gui Shui Men high-ups were all shaken.

There was no good karma between Gui Shui Men and Shui Yu Men.

Though Gui Shui Men has since changed its banner, old grudges still linger.

Mo Hua knew this well.

Casting Water Prison Art would inevitably draw suspicion.

But he was not afraid.

The second-rank Water Prison Art was originally found by him in Grand Void Gate's scripture archives.

It had been collected by an Elder Liu Yuhua of the Yi family, who, while traveling and upholding justice, received it as a gift.

Clear cause and effect, transparent origin—he had nothing to fear from investigation.

Yet, Mo Hua later, by "fateful chance," acquired Shui Yu Men's sect-preserving legacy, met with Shui Yu Men elders, exchanged insights, and deepened his mastery of Water Prison Art further.

These matters must be kept secret.

But since he himself never spoke of them, few would likely know.

His sect would protect him.

He had contacts in Dao Ting Si.

Even within Dao Ting, Inspector Xia had once "colluded" with him.

If Gui Shui Men truly investigates, they will hit walls at every turn.

Thus, the Water Prison Art card can still be "revealed" slightly—some risk, but not too high.

Unlike other more dangerous Dao arts, which, if revealed, would surely summon him to Dao Ting Si for tea—and perhaps a jail cell…

…

This sword debate ended thus.

Thereafter, Mo Hua used Water Prison Art to win two more Tian Xuanzi debates.

And won them easily.

Mo Hua controlled, Linghu Xiao attacked, others restrained.

As long as Water Prison Art held them, Linghu Xiao could unleash his Chong Xu Sword Qi—and sweep them away in one combo.

There was no help for it: "strong control" Water Prison Art paired with "strong offense" Chong Xu Jie Jian Zhen Jue was simply too powerful.

Especially since it was Mo Hua's Water Prison Art.

His spiritual awareness was astonishingly strong, his spellcasting lightning-fast, his spell-locking exquisitely precise—once cast, no one could escape.

With his Water Prison Art controlling them, Linghu Xiao was like chopping at wooden stakes.

A sword prodigy specializing in slaughter, able to chop "wooden stakes" in a debate tournament—his damage output was unimaginable.

The opponents in these two matches had indeed tried to counter Mo Hua's Water Prison Art.

But Water Prison Art was not the same as Fireball Art.

Fireball Art was a "common" spell—Mo Hua simply used it well, able to interrupt, burn, track targets, and add fire damage.

It had a bit of everything.

But to say it had a bit of everything meant it excelled at nothing.

Water Prison Art was different—it was a niche spell, extremely tricky, dealing no damage at all, its core lying entirely in "control," plus a suffocating, nauseating sensation of drowning.

Using Golden Body talismans to negate Water Prison Art's control was meaningless.

Because Water Prison Art was not a high-tier spell—it consumed little Qi, required almost no recovery, and could be cast instantly.

Activating a Golden Body talisman could grant immunity to Water Prison Art.

But if you merely delayed, once the Golden Body talisman faded—

Mo Hua used Water Prison Technique to control, and Linghu Xiao slashed with Void-Cutting Sword Qi—basically one sword, one down, all dispatched.

Seamless spell control, combined with ultra-high sword qi bursts, made the entire team feel utterly unstoppable—every opponent fell to one prison and one sword; if that wasn't enough, prison again, sword again.

Almost no one could withstand three rounds of this.

All watching cultivators were deeply shaken.

Those cultivators who had previously mocked Mo Hua of Tai Xu Gate as the "Crown Prince," Sanshan's "second-generation heir," a disgrace of the Sword Dueling Assembly, merely a "Fireball Technique" scavenger picking up heads, and cried that Tai Xu Gate's Ancestor was senile, the Sect Master incompetent, and the sect doomed—all fell silent.

Only a scattered few cultivators still spat at Mo Hua.

They shifted from accusing him of knowing only Fireball Technique to saying, "Isn't he just good at one Fireball Technique and one Water Prison Technique?"

"With just these two things, he won't go far."

They weren't wrong—he truly wouldn't go far.

Water Prison Technique plus Void-Cutting Sword Art was indeed powerful.

This combination fully leveraged Mo Hua's spell control and Linghu Xiao's sword genius's killing power—it looked undeniably formidable.

But this was Qianxue Sword Dueling.

Their opponents were the prodigies of various sects.

These prodigies stood behind sects that had endured for thousands of years, rich in depth, producing talent after talent, and brimming with Dao scriptures.

Targeting hundreds of teams from countless sects was too cumbersome, too many variations, too troublesome.

But targeting just one team—or even just one person—there must be a way.

So, in the next round of Sword Dueling, Mo Hua was once again neutralized.

And his opponent this time was none other than Qiandao Sect, one of the Sida Sect.

Though not Qiandao Sect's top prodigy—merely around upper second-tier level.

In Xuanzi Dueling, the advancement rate for ordinary sects hovered around one in ten.

Tai Xu Gate was slightly higher.

The Sida Sect were even higher.

Besides the true top-tier prodigies, the Xuanzi arena still held many first- and second-tier teams from the Sida Sect.

But even a second-tier team from the Sida Sect was far stronger than ordinary teams.

And now, this Qiandao Sect team had run into Mo Hua.

They all wore red-and-blue interwoven "Water-Fire Dao Robes."

These were rank-two rare spiritual artifacts from a major sect's treasury, granting immunity to most fire damage and reducing water-based control effects.

Additionally, each of the five Qiandao Sect members carried a top-grade "Fire-Melting Dao Armor Talisman."

Water and fire counteract and neutralize each other, further reducing the duration of Water Prison control.

This was the depth of a major sect.

Water-Fire Dao Robes, plus Fire-Melting Dao Armor Talismans.

These two rare spiritual artifacts and talismans stacked together.

Whether Mo Hua used Fireball Technique or Water Prison Technique, neither could exert even the slightest decisive effect in the duel.

Qiandao Sect's strategy was clear and straightforward.

Among the five Tai Xu Gate members, the strongest and most feared was unquestionably Linghu Xiao.

They could not allow Linghu Xiao the freedom to unleash his True Sword Decree.

Otherwise, except for true top-tier prodigies, even ordinary teams—even ordinary teams from the Sida Sect—could not withstand his sword qi slaughter.

Thus, everyone, every tactic, prioritized Linghu Xiao above all else.

Linghu Xiao must be subjected to sufficient pressure.

All other means—spiritual artifacts and talismans—were deployed solely against Mo Hua to nullify his spells.

With water and fire spells neutralized, Mo Hua was utterly useless.

Qiandao Sect effectively fought five against four, holding great advantage.

Qiandao Sect differed from ordinary Shierliu Sects—its disciples were all elites; even second-tier disciples had no inferior spiritual roots, high cultivation, and formidable overall strength.

Their five-versus-four advantage—even Linghu Xiao might not endure it.

This was their strategy.

But in truth, these Qiandao Sect disciples truly wanted to "kill" Mo Hua once.

Mo Hua and Qiandao Sect had long-standing grievances.

Every member of Qiandao Sect held not the slightest fondness for Mo Hua.

Especially in the last Array Dueling Assembly, Mo Hua, at Foundation Establishment mid-stage, crushed Qiandao Sect's senior brother and seized the Array Dao championship—this was a blatant slap to Qiandao Sect's face.

Every Qiandao Sect disciple felt humiliated. If left to their own impulses, they would have charged without restraint, overwhelmed Mo Hua with a mob, and killed him outright.

But this was Sword Dueling, not private combat.

Winning was what mattered most.

It concerned sect interests, personal honor, and future Dao advancement.

They could not, for a moment of rage to kill Mo Hua, ignore the bigger picture.

Linghu Xiao was the key to Sword Dueling.

They must not confuse the king with the pawn.

As long as they first found a way to eliminate Linghu Xiao, Mo Hua alone—a spell-focused cultivator—could do nothing to turn the tide.

They would still have chances to hack Mo Hua to "death" with chaotic swords.

Qiandao Sect's grudge could still be settled.

When the duel began, events unfolded exactly as the Qiandao Sect disciples had anticipated.

Mo Hua's fireball technique was useless.

The water prison technique only had a little effect.

【183】 His spiritual sense was too strong, his lock precise; even the water prison technique could still trap the Qiandao Sect disciples.

His spiritual sense is too strong, his lock is too precise, but the Water Prison Technique can still trap a Qiandao Sect disciple.

But the control effect was largely negated by the precious "Water-Fire Dao Robe."

Added to that, the "Melt-Fire Dao Armor Talisman" caused the water prison to evaporate the moment it touched the body, leaving only a negligible residual duration.

The "control"-type water prison technique was reduced to barely any "interrupt" effect.

With the spells failing, Mo Hua stood at the edge of the arena, truly like a "waste."

The Qiandao Sect disciples sneered inwardly, then completely ignored Mo Hua, intensifying their assault to surround and trap Linghu Xiao and the other three.

Linghu Xiao, under siege, found his swordplay constrained at every turn, unable to unfold properly.

The situation for the Grand Void Gate naturally worsened again.

With this, the spectators who had previously "fallen silent" now had more to say:

"I told you, relying only on fireball and water prison techniques won't get you far. Look—once targeted, they're back to being embarrassed again."

"This Grand Void Gate team composition has serious flaws."

"It's not the Grand Void Gate's fault—it's the Qiandao Sect that's just too strong."

"Yes, the Qiandao Sect lives up to its status as one of the Sida Sect. Even a second-rate team inside can crush the Grand Void Gate's prodigies with no resistance."

Outside the arena, rumors spread.

Inside the Sword Debate Arena, the situation remained stalled for a while longer.

Linghu Xiao remained severely restricted; Ouyang Xuan and the others could not move freely—the situation grew worse.

Mo Hua let out a faint sigh.

This was the Sword Debate.

With so many eyes watching, most techniques could only be used unexpectedly, one or two times at most, to gain a fleeting advantage.

Any revealed trump card would surely be countered within one or two rounds.

Fireball and water prison techniques had both been neutralized.

Mo Hua could no longer hide his true strength.

He stopped suppressing himself and began using all the vast array of low-grade spells he possessed.

These spells were numerous in type and came from many sources.

Most came from bounty hunts during which he captured heretic cultivators.

When Mo Hua first entered Qianxue Province and joined the Grand Void Gate, he accompanied his senior brothers and sisters on bounty missions, capturing numerous heretic cultivators.

Most of these heretics were traitorous disciples from various sects within Qianxue Province.

They carried with them vast amounts of sect transmissions.

Especially strange, obscure, and varied low-grade spell manuals—nearly all had been seized by Mo Hua through "torture."

In addition, there were the Grand Void Gate's Dao Treasures.

And other miscellaneous small spell scrolls obtained by chance through various means.

Altogether, no fewer than hundreds of types.

These spells were all inferior; as long as one's elemental affinity matched, they were generally not hard to learn.

Mo Hua's spiritual sense was strong, his comprehension high; once he saw a spell diagram, he could usually use it passably after just two or three glances.

This was something he did casually.

The more he learned and used, the deeper his understanding became, and the more refined his spellcraft grew.

Unfortunately, Mo Hua had rarely used these low-grade spells before.

Since his Foundation Establishment stage, his opponents had been cultivators like "Fire Buddha" and "Water Yama."

Later, the situations he faced—such as "Xiao Zhenhai," "Mo Sect elders," "Mo Sect commanders," and "Xuan Young Master"—were all Jin Dan.

No matter how well he used second-rank low-grade spells, they were utterly useless.

But now it was different.

This was the Sword Debate; his opponents were all sect disciples at roughly his own realm. His path of "all spells mastered" could finally reveal its power.

Thus, the five Qiandao Sect disciples became the first group of Sword Debate disciples to endure Mo Hua's "spell baptism."

Mo Hua gathered his qi and focused his spirit, then clasped his hands in the air; his spiritual force flowed with his spiritual sense, spells pouring from his fingertips toward the Qiandao Sect disciples.

Light flashed continuously, spells unceasing.

Golden Blade Technique, Wood Binding Technique, Water Arrow Technique, Fire Illumination Technique, Earth Prison Technique, Flowing Sand Technique, Earth Burial Technique, Wood Poison Technique, Golden Resonance Technique…

The Five Elements rotated endlessly.

Strange and varied spells came effortlessly.

Though their power was weaker, Mo Hua's spiritual sense switched too quickly, he knew too many spells, and his attacks were fast, precise, and unpredictable.

So dazzling and relentless that defense was impossible.

This was the effect born from combining the "Master of All Spells, Speed Alone Breaks All" taught by Puppet Elder, and the "Five Elements Flow, All Spells Are Connected" once spoken by Elder Yi.

Mo Hua stood in place, fingers tapping continuously, unleashing a stream of Five Elements spells—like a human "spell machine gun," his unending barrage left the Qiandao Sect disciples overwhelmed, flailing, and utterly disheveled.

All the watching cultivators, including the Qiandao Sect elders, fell silent.

The spectators who had just been talking immediately "fell silent."

But Wenren Wan, Yu'er, Elder Murong, Qianqian, and the other Grand Void Gate disciples—including the Grand Void Gate elders—watched with surging emotion.

Especially Elder Yi, whose expression was intensely stirred.

He was the Dao Spell Elder, devoted his entire life to spell research.

This scene of "all spells mastered" had long haunted his mind.

Mo Hua was the first disciple to manifest the "Five Elements Flow" in reality.

Moreover, this was happening at the Sword Debate Assembly.

The opponent was a disciple of the Qiandao Sect.

Using basic Five Elements spells to suppress the genius disciples of the Sida Sect so thoroughly that they could not lift their heads proves the immense power of this "spell school" to transform the mundane into the miraculous.

But after the excitement, Elder Yi felt regret:

"This child, Mo Hua, has too poor a spiritual root and too low spiritual energy…"

Even though these are low-tier Five Elements spells, the flow is too rapid, and the consumption is still high.

Mo Hua cannot sustain this casting state for long.

His qi sea, his spiritual energy, cannot support such "wastefulness."

Otherwise, solely through him, with a rapid, vast, abundant chain of Five Elements spells that perfectly align, generate, and counterbalance each other with no weaknesses, he could have crushed the five Qiandao Sect disciples to death.

"What a pity…"

Elder Yi sighed again.

Yet nothing is ever perfectly complete.

Even though Mo Hua's "Five Elements Flow, All Spells Accessible" has fundamental flaws, it is sufficient to handle the current situation.

Moreover, this is the Sword Debate, and Mo Hua is not alone.

By using Five Elements spells to temporarily suppress the Qiandao Sect disciples, he gave Linghu Xiao room to catch his breath and counter.

Moreover, there are Ouyang Xuan, Cheng Mo, and Sister Situ coordinating with him.

The Qiandao Sect disciples soon fell on the defensive.

As Mo Hua cast a Fire Illumination Spell, burning one Qiandao disciple's eye, then a Mud and Sand Spell, trapping his feet, a Water Arrow Spell, dissolving his fire talisman, and a Metal Blade Spell, carving a small wound on his body…

The battle turned completely.

These spells are low-tier, their effects all weak.

But in a duel between experts, life and death hang by a thread.

These minor changes, accumulated, are enough to reverse the tide of battle.

Sister Situ's Li Huo Sword pierced through the small opening Mo Hua created, straight into the Qiandao disciple's chest.

Cheng Mo swung his axe down from above, Ouyang Xuan added a thrusting sword strike, Linghu Xiao swept with his sword qi—and the Qiandao disciple's Dao Disc shattered, his body vanished.

With one dead, the Qiandao Sect had only four left; the situation turned dire.

Now that the Qiandao Sect had lost one, Linghu Xiao's sword qi finally had no restraint and became even more unstoppable.

After another hundred rounds of fierce combat, the remaining four Qiandao Sect disciples were each "slain" by the five Taixu Sect members working together.

This round, the Taixu Sect won.

The vast spectator stands fell utterly silent.

The Qiandao Sect elders wore grim expressions.

The elders of the Qitage Sect also looked solemn.

At this moment, they finally understood Mo Hua's "role" in the Sword Debate Assembly.

All of us had misjudged him.

This master of the Qi School's Array Path is not, as previously thought, merely an "array master," but an unconventional, highly skilled "spiritual cultivator" with remarkable spellcraft.

He is a "spell master" who cannot master high-level Dao arts but excels in all low-tier spells, possessing the embryonic form of "All Spells Accessible."

(End of Chapter)