Chapter 616: All Methods Are Interconnected

In the Qianxue Province, one of the Twelve Schools of the Sects, the flagship technique of Duanjin Gate:

Duanjin Yu Sword Art!

Mo Hua stroked the jade slip, heart brimming with joy, and immediately scanned it with his spiritual sense.

The jade slip contained detailed text, a complete lineage transmission—undoubtedly, it was the Sword Art of Duanjin Yu, and it fully encompassed three categories of sword cultivation:

The Method of Sword Qi Cultivation;

The Method of Sword Weapon Forging;

The Method of Spiritual Sense Sword Control.

Mo Hua was surprised.

This was the genuine, inner-disciple transmission of Duanjin Gate.

No wonder its power was so great…

I wonder how Jiang Laoda managed to steal it…

Mo Hua muttered to himself, then glanced over it briefly and put away the Duanjin Yu Sword Art jade slip.

There was too much inside—he'd study it carefully when he had time.

There was another jade slip, sealed with irregular magnetic patterns, its contents unknown.

Mo Hua had assumed the two Duanjin jade slips were upper and lower volumes, both recording the Duanjin Sword Art.

But now it seemed otherwise.

The sealed slip already contained a complete transmission of the Sword Art; thus, the other slip must contain something else.

"Could it be another Duanjin Gate transmission?"

Mo Hua muttered, feeling anticipation, and began focusing to unravel the seal on the other jade slip.

To Mo Hua's surprise, though the two jade slips appeared identical in form, their "sealing patterns" were vastly different.

One was a traditional, sect-style "sealing pattern."

The other was obscure and esoteric, as if entirely the work of a different lineage's cultivators, with peculiar habits in using secondary thunder patterns.

This clashed sharply with the "secondary thunder pattern repository" Mo Hua had quietly amassed.

Mo Hua had no choice but to take out another jade slip and catalog these unusual lineage cultivators' preferred "secondary thunder patterns."

Mo Hua vaguely felt that though this was his first encounter with such secondary thunder patterns, it wouldn't be his last.

If so, he must prepare in advance.

He would collect every single stroke, every single pattern.

Never fight unprepared.

But since he had to deduce, categorize, and decipher from scratch, the process took longer.

After the New Year break, Mo Hua spent another half-month, through his own effort and a touch of luck, "accidentally" deducing the "sealing pattern" needed to unlock the other Duanjin jade slip.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief, then eagerly peered into the jade slip with his spiritual sense.

The sealing method was so tight, the unlocking pattern so unusual.

Surely this slip concealed some tremendous transmission—or a "secret."

But upon looking, Mo Hua was stunned:

"March 7th…"

"Captured one person, sold for eighty thousand spirit stones."

"Gave ten thousand to my brothers, kept seventy thousand for myself."

"To avoid discord, lied that I got only twelve thousand—I took two thousand…"

"The brothers call me a good big brother."

…

This is…

Mo Hua frowned.

A diary-like journal?

Who among proper cultivators writes diaries?

Does Jiang Laoda have a mental defect?

Even recorded the loot division…

He'd expected some precious transmission, waited so long.

Mo Hua was disappointed.

But after all that effort to break the seal, why not read it? Mo Hua began reading with interest…

…

"March 28th…"

"Brother Six was sloppy, leaked the info, got hunted by Dao Ting Si…"

"Can't let one man drag down so many brothers…"

"Brother Six is dead…"

"I killed him. I'm heartbroken."

"But Brother Six surely died without regret…"

"He understood my intentions—he won't blame me…"

…

"April 1st…"

"Brother Four suspects me…"

……

"April 10th……"

"My secret embezzlement of spirit stones was discovered by Brother Four."

"He wants to split it with me."

"We were brothers, yet he's so greedy—I'm deeply disappointed."

"With tears in my eyes, I killed him……"

"But out of old affection, I gave his mistress and illegitimate son some spirit stones as compensation; the other brothers were deeply grateful and praised me for being loyal and righteous……"

"The brothers understand me—I'm heartened……"

……

"May 4th……"

"Two brothers died; I recruited three more……"

"These three seem sharp, but I wonder how long they'll last as brothers."

……

"July 12th……"

"Four died—I'm heartbroken……"

……

"Sigh—this life, building something is so hard; brothers won't stay……"

……

"My endeavors have faced repeated setbacks; morale is crumbling……"

"The brothers aren't trying hard enough—we can't capture hostages, can't earn spirit stones, Jin Dan feels impossibly far—I'm desperate."

……

Later sections were scribbled over, words fragmented; Mo Hua could only skip through them:

"Market conditions are bad……"

"Dao Ting Si is unbearable—just a pack of hounds!"

"Damn Gu Changhuai! Damn him!"

"When I become a Jin Dan, I will bathe my Broken Gold Sword in Gu Changhuai's blood……"

……

"Today I killed another expert—how exhilarating……"

"The Broken Gold Sword Art—no wonder it's the cornerstone technique of the Broken Gold Sect; so far, no one has survived beneath this sword……"

"No wonder the Broken Gold Sect once treasured this sword art and refused to teach it to me……"

"Broken Gold Sword Qi—never misses; Golden Sword claims lives……"

"When this sword is drawn, golden light surges—no one can survive its strike……"

"I truly wish to witness it……"

"Too bad Gu Changhuai is a Jin Dan—the gap in cultivation is too great; otherwise, I'd make him taste this sword art's power……"

……

"Earned two hundred thousand spirit stones……"

"Lost two more brothers……"

"Brothers don't last……"

……

"September 3rd—a big job……"

The later sections were heavily erased, as if entirely wiped; Mo Hua continued reading:

"Mr. Tu forbade me to speak of it—I dare not write it down……"

"I only know that after completion, it might even grant transcendence……"

It was erased again.

"I can't write it down—I can only keep it in my heart; it pains me deeply……"

"Enough……"

"September 10th—auspicious day."

"Operation failed……"

"Damn it……"

"September 12th……"

"No disaster—it went smoothly. The other groups of cultivators all died; our group, weakest and least noticeable, succeeded……"

"I, Jiang Jingtian, am blessed beyond measure—I'm within reach of Jin Dan."

"Mr. Tu's final instruction was to deliver……"

What was written here was erased and replaced with the words "cargo."

"……deliver the 'cargo' to the outskirts of Qingzhou City; someone will meet us—a black-clad figure will transfer it to the Divine Temple; the task will then be complete—do not stir up trouble……"

"Outskirts of Qingzhou City, meet-up, Divine Temple!"

"Must remember!"

……

"September 14th……"

"Passed through the withered mountain temple, picked up an 'extra'—a little fool, not worth mentioning……"

……

"September 20……"

"Today is the last day of the mission. Before setting out, I specifically checked the almanac……"

"Auspicious: Traveling, Sending Off, Cremation, Opening a Chest, Meeting Friends, Breaking Ground, Burial……"

"Inauspicious: Speaking Brings Disaster, Lighting a Stove, Riding a Sword……"

"Auspicious to travel, auspicious to send off, all matters are auspicious……"

"It's a good day."

……

The diary ended at this "good day."

After that, Jiang Laoda set out, and nothing followed……

Mo Hua flipped through it again, searching for any content related to the trafficking of "Yu'er," but found none; the few related lines were roughly what he already knew……

There were also no records regarding family property, secret treasures, or lineage.

Mo Hua sighed, feeling deeply disappointed in Jiang Laoda.

This diary had zero value.

Mo Hua could only put the "diary" away safely, then pulled out The Severing Gold Sword Art once more……

Before learning the sword art, one must consider one thing.

That is, not to attract trouble from the Severing Gold Sect.

Though this sword art is excellent, it is still the Severing Gold Sect's legacy.

If I secretly learn it and the Severing Gold Sect finds out, they will hunt me down—that would be troublesome.

Even if they don't hunt me, their petty minds won't allow me to use it; then learning it would be pointless……

Mo Hua couldn't help flipping further through the sword art, reading more of the sword cultivation methods, and then realized he had overthought it.

Even if they let me learn it, I might not be able to master this sword art anyway……

Mo Hua had taken Daoist sword cultivation classes and knew sword cultivators fell into several types:

One type purely cultivates sword qi.

They condense spiritual energy into sword qi, release it externally to kill enemies at range—similar to spiritual cultivators who use swords.

Uncle Zhang Lan was this type; he likely cultivated water-form sword qi.

Another type wields a sword weapon, similar to body cultivators.

They transform their spiritual energy into force, infuse it into the sword, and use the weapon's power to kill enemies in close combat.

Senior Brother Ouyang Feng likely cultivated this kind of sword art.

A third type fuses sword qi and sword weapon: they gather and condense sword qi, channel it into the sword, then use spiritual awareness to control the sword and kill enemies.

This is a method that unites sword qi and sword weapon into one.

That is, the sword art recorded in The Severing Gold Sword Art.

These three sword arts each have strengths and weaknesses.

But in terms of power, the Severing Gold Sword Art—fully unleashing the might of sword qi and the advantage of the sword weapon—is the most lethal.

The problem is, most sword cultivators begin training from childhood, learning to condense sword qi.

Mo Hua has never trained in sword art; his sword qi is faint and scattered.

Moreover, his spiritual energy is weak, so his sword qi is naturally weak.

The Golden Spirit Sword required for The Severing Gold Sword Art must be specially forged, and Mo Hua cannot afford it.

Sword qi cultivation, sword forging, sword control.

Of these three, the only one Mo Hua might possibly excel at is "sword control," since his spiritual awareness is strong.

But without sharp sword qi and a high-quality spiritual sword, knowing how to control it means there's literally no "sword" to control……

Mo Hua sighed.

"We'll have to plan carefully……"

Train the sword qi slowly, accumulate over time, see if any progress can be made.

Save up spirit stones or merit points, see if I can gather enough materials to hire someone to forge me a spiritual sword at a low price.

If one day I truly master The Severing Gold Sword Art, then I can worry about how to deal with the Severing Gold Sect later.

Otherwise, it's like worrying about having too many spirit stones before even earning any—just a fool.

"What a shame……"

"The majestic, glittering golden great sword—I can't learn it for now……"

Mo Hua was unhappy.

The matter of sword cultivation also reminded Mo Hua of something.

Even if I can't learn sword art, my current spells are still overall too weak……

Especially combat-oriented spells.

The Concealment Technique is still first-grade and incomplete; it only works well when augmented by a concealment array.

The Water Prison spell is decent, but the Fireball spell……

At Foundation Establishment, and especially in Qianzhou where prodigies abound, the Fireball spell is common as dirt; even though it's fast and accurate, its power is already insufficient.

It's only useful for finishing off wounded foes.

In direct combat, the Fireball spell's power has hit a ceiling—it poses little threat anymore.

Especially since future opponents won't be easy targets.

"I can't learn sword art yet—I need to find a way to learn stronger spells……"

Mo Hua silently thought to himself.

After one Daoist law class, Mo Hua went to humbly seek guidance from the sect elder who taught Daoist law.

The Daoist law elder was of middle age, slightly stout, and had a strong impression of Mo Hua.

After all, in all these years of Grand Void Gate, disciples with mid-low grade spiritual roots were few and far between.

Especially in the past few decades, there had been almost no disciples with mid-grade spiritual roots.

Mo Hua was the only one.

Moreover, Elder Xun's favoritism toward Mo Hua was evident to all the elders, so despite Mo Hua's poor spiritual roots, none of them dared to look down on him.

"Elder, can I learn any powerful spells?" Mo Hua asked tentatively.

The Daoist law elder looked at Mo Hua, deliberating for a long time, unsure whether to speak.

Mo Hua wore an expression of resignation.

"Elder, if you have something to say, just say it outright…"

The Daoist law elder cleared his throat and said gently:

"You surely understand yourself: the more powerful the spell, the stricter its requirements…"

"First, the grade of the spiritual root…"

"Some powerful spells require upper-grade, even upper-upper-grade spiritual roots to learn and use…"

"Without an upper-grade spiritual root, without practicing upper-grade cultivation methods, with a meager qi sea and weak spiritual energy, one cannot wield such high-power spells."

The Daoist law elder gave Mo Hua a look, as if to say: you know your own spiritual root and cultivation method—no need for me to spell it out.

"Moreover, there is the spiritual root's attribute…" the Daoist law elder continued.

"Some spells require special spiritual root attributes—such as thunder, ice, wind, pure metal, yi wood, heavy water—to achieve maximum power."

"The… uh…"

The Daoist law elder paused, sounding embarrassed, "The five-element spiritual root—that is, you have a bit of everything, but none of it really works well…"

"So the spells you can learn are generally rather 'mediocre'…"

The Daoist law elder phrased it delicately—he said "mediocre," not outright "commonplace."

"These kinds of spells… their power is hard to call impressive…" the Daoist law elder said softly.

The implication was: no chance.

Mo Hua's expression grew gloomy.

The Daoist law elder felt pity, thought for a moment, and added:

"But your previous approach to spells still showed insight…"

"Not relying on raw power, but on speed—fast strikes, precise hits—can indeed achieve surprise victories."

"And your Fireball Spell is extremely refined; its power is genuinely quite good. Unfortunately, Fireball Spell is still just Fireball Spell—the ceiling is fixed…"

The Daoist law elder felt regretful.

Mo Hua knew this well.

His Fireball Spell was already very powerful, but compared to the superior spells passed down through generations in the families of these Tianjiao from Qianzhou, it still paled in comparison.

Even though his speed allowed him to strike first.

But if he ever faced an opponent who required overwhelming power to suppress, Fireball Spell alone would not suffice.

Arrays were powerful, but they consumed spirit stones and spirit ink, and required thought and skill—they were not as simple or convenient as spells.

Mo Hua asked:

"Elder, what spells do you think I should learn in the future?"

After a moment's deliberation, the Daoist law elder said slowly:

"Technically, I shouldn't say this to you—after all, the sect's examination rules are clear…"

"Not just Grand Void Gate, but all sects across the Qianxue Prefecture emphasize spell grades, uphold the principle of 'power overwhelms skill,' relying on the deepest spiritual energy to unleash the most superior spells, one spell to end all battles, crushing everything!"

"Daoist law examinations follow this rule."

"But you are different…"

"Since your spiritual energy is weak, you should instead learn many low-grade spells with low energy consumption, fast casting speed, and strong utility—and learn all five elements."

"Spiritual energy has generation and restraint; spells do too."

"The more spells you know, the more techniques you have; your speed lets you strike first."

"And some spells may seem low-grade, but their utility is not low—only their power is."

"Some spells are stealthy; some are endlessly variable; some are impossible to defend against…"

"The five elements flow; all spells are interconnected."

"Even if you know only low-grade spells, you can win by volume—spells come in waves, overwhelming your opponent until he cannot retaliate."

"Of course, the prerequisite is first breaking through the opponent's Golden Body spell—only then can you suppress him with spells…"

Mo Hua's eyes gradually brightened.

Spell Master!

Master of the five elements, proficient in all spells, spiritual energy flows endlessly, spells never cease.

If he could manifest the "Five Element Source Array" beneath his feet to reinforce the five elements and amplify his spells, he would become a "spell" artillery platform!

Even with only low-grade spells, he could overwhelm an opponent by sheer volume.

"But…" Mo Hua asked again, "Do I really have to learn all five-element spells? Can't I just learn Fireball Spell?"

Even if he learned other spells, Fireball Spell would still be his strongest.

The Daoist law elder said: "It's not just about power—some spells have irreplaceable utility."

"For example, if someone casts Golden Body on themselves, your Fireball Spell's power drops sharply—but if you use Metal Blade Spell, though its power isn't strong, it shortens the duration of their Golden Body…"

"Your Fireball Spell is fast, but some spells are even faster—when time is too short to blink, you can interrupt an opponent's attack..."

"Some spells can shatter Water Armor, extinguish Fire Shield, inflict Wood Poison, and damage the physical body..."

"Every spell, no matter how humble, has its unique utility..."

Mo Hua's heart tightened; he recalled the old puppet master's teachings from long ago, and suddenly understood, murmuring:

"Ten thousand Dao arts, each with its own brilliance—the art of application lies within the mind?"

The Dao Art Elder looked slightly surprised, yet nodded slowly:

"That is indeed true..."

"You've just entered Foundation Establishment and have little combat experience. When your cultivation grows and you've faced more cultivators, you'll realize how deep the knowledge truly is."

"Strong spell power is certainly beneficial."

"But that doesn't mean all ten thousand spells are useless."

"Spells contain the principles of Heaven and Earth—the more spells you master, the deeper your understanding of Dao principles becomes, and the stronger your spells will grow."

"You've studied Formation Arts well—you should understand this principle..."

Mo Hua nodded vigorously.

Seeing Mo Hua grasp it, the Dao Art Elder felt relieved, yet warned:

"I'm just saying this—if you can learn superior spells, of course superior spells are better: powerful, simple, and brutal..."

"But since you can't learn them, that's why I'm making this suggestion."

"Moreover, even if you master these inferior spells, the sect's evaluation won't give you a high score—you'll likely still get a 'C'..."

"I must remind you again: don't blame me later..."

"And don't go complain to Master Xun that I'm leading students astray..."

Mo Hua smiled: "I understand. Thank you, Elder."

The Dao Art Elder confirmed once more with Mo Hua, received his assurance, and finally felt at ease.

After returning, Mo Hua began pondering how to become a "Spell Master" who masters all arts...

The Severing Golden Sword Art might not be usable for now.

But spell cultivation is urgent.

Especially since he must accumulate merit points and join many missions with Sister Murong and the others—each additional spell increases his chances.

More skills never weigh you down.

But Grand Void Gate spells require merit points to obtain.

Mo Hua checked his merit points and found the records listed countless elemental spells—numbering in the thousands.

But none were cheap.

The cheapest cost dozens of points; the most expensive, hundreds.

Some superior elemental spells demanded over a thousand merit points.

Mo Hua felt relieved.

Good thing he couldn't learn them—he didn't have to waste this "fool's money"...

But dozens of points...

Compared to Formation Arts, they weren't expensive.

Yet he learned so many already—and still needed to learn Formation Arts—his already meager merit points were sinking further into debt...

Besides, cheap things are rarely good.

Some of these inferior spells, though not to be judged too harshly, still seemed utterly ordinary after careful review...

If he wanted to become a "Spell Master," he'd need to learn countless spells.

Buying them all with merit points would be a huge loss...

"Is there any way to learn spells without spending merit points?"

Mo Hua frowned in thought, but after days of pondering, he found no solution.

Until one day, after finishing his Formation Arts lesson and feeling tired, he lay on his bed, flipping through Jiang Da's diary to pass the time.

As he flipped through it, Mo Hua frowned—he sensed something odd about the diary.

Faintly, between the lines of his diary, he seemed to sense a trace of a weak magnetic current...

Magnetic flow...

Secondary Thunder Pattern?

"That doesn't make sense..."

The Secondary Thunder Patterns on jade slip seals are used for unlocking.

The Secondary Thunder Patterns inside the jade slip connect to Magnetic Patterns to manifest text.

But where did these Secondary Thunder Patterns on the surface of the text itself come from?

Mo Hua froze—he suddenly remembered Zheng Fang's words about Seal Patterns and Secret Patterns, and his heart jolted.

The traces of these Secondary Thunder Patterns are...

Secret Patterns?!

That unscrupulous Jiang Da—he encrypted his diary?!

Thank you to hong and Du Du Feng Shi for the tips~