Chapter 835: The Shocking Sword

"Qi Condensation cultivators can project their spiritual sense; Foundation Establishment cultivators can use their spiritual sense to manipulate objects; by the time they reach Jin Dan, their object manipulation reaches perfection, and the power of their weapon and sword control increases further."

"Only upon reaching the late stage of Jin Dan can one begin to explore the methods of spiritual soul departure; only at Liu Yuhua can one truly master spiritual soul departure."

"This is the progression of a typical cultivator's spiritual sense power…"

Xun Zixian said.

Mo Hua asked in confusion: "But Shui Yan—the cultivator I encountered, a mere peak Foundation Establishment cultivator—already possessed the Eye Technique. Doesn't that mean he mastered spiritual soul departure even at Foundation Establishment?"

"That's why I said this applies to typical cultivators," Xun Zixian said. "Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't incapable of spiritual soul departure—they simply lack sufficient spiritual sense depth, making departure extremely dangerous."

"If this Eye Technique is used against ordinary cultivators, it's fine—but if it encounters a cultivator skilled in spiritual sense assassination, he'll be defeated instantly. That's not the worst part. The terrifying part is encountering other malevolent spirits, or even certain unknowable entities, where the spiritual soul risks being devoured."

"If even a portion of the seven po of the life soul is devoured by malevolent spirits, the cultivator may fall into stupor, or madness, or even lose his soul and perish entirely."

"The spiritual soul is far more precious than flesh and blood or spiritual energy—it must not be squandered lightly."

Mo Hua stole a glance at Xun Zixian and asked: "Elder Xun, you're late-stage Jin Dan—have you learned 'spiritual soul departure'?"

Xun Zixian shook his head. "I haven't learned it."

Mo Hua froze, deeply surprised. "You haven't learned it?"

He had assumed that, given Elder Xun's deep interest in spiritual sense arts, he would have at least tried to learn it himself.

"The Ancestor forbade it," Xun Zixian sighed.

He shook his head again. "Not just forbade—it's an explicit ban."

"All elders of Grand Void Gate are strictly forbidden from practicing the method of 'spiritual soul departure.' This is a direct order from the Ancestor."

Mo Hua frowned and whispered: "Is it because… spiritual sense turned sword?"

Xun Zixian's gaze trembled as he fixed his eyes on Mo Hua. "Have you been secretly inquiring about this already?"

"I asked a little…" Mo Hua said.

"What did you find out?" Xun Zixian raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Nothing," Mo Hua shook his head. "I couldn't get a single word out of anyone—it's as if everyone is terrified to speak of it."

Xun Zixian nodded. "Naturally. The sect has already established rules classifying this sword art as a forbidden technique, forbidding disciples from practicing it, so elders naturally avoid mentioning it. Of course, the reason you couldn't find out anything is also another one…"

"Another reason?"

Xun Zixian nodded, looking at Mo Hua. "The Ancestor specifically instructed all of us elders not to tell you a single word about 'spiritual sense turned sword'…"

Mo Hua opened his mouth in shock.

"The Ancestor is targeting me? That can't be…"

"You should understand," Xun Zixian raised his gaze to Mo Hua. "Your situation is unusual—your physical meridian quality is mediocre, but your spiritual sense talent is extraordinary, your intellect is sharp, and your curiosity is intense. If you learned that Grand Void Gate possesses a sword art called 'spiritual sense turned sword,' you'd spare no effort to learn it…"

"This…"

Mo Hua couldn't deny it.

He had indeed been scheming to learn it.

Xun Zixian sighed. "The Ancestor fears precisely this—this sword scripture cannot be learned."

"Why?" Mo Hua couldn't help asking.

Xun Zixian's gaze grew complex, even pained. "Have you ever been to the back mountain?"

"The back mountain?"

"Grand Void Gate's back mountain."

Mo Hua paused, then shook his head. "That's a forbidden zone—I've never been there."

Xun Zixian nodded slightly. "I went there once…"

"Within the back mountain lies a 'Sword Tomb,' filled with countless broken swords, and buried beneath them, countless… the skeletons of sword cultivators."

Xun Zixian drew a deep breath, his voice heavy with sorrow. "These sword cultivators were all practitioners of 'spiritual sense turned sword'—our predecessors of Grand Void Gate."

Mo Hua's pupils shrank sharply.

"This is the reason," Xun Zixian sighed. "Those who practice 'spiritual sense turned sword' die faster than others. The more talented the disciple, the faster they learn the art—and the more likely they are to die young."

"Spiritual soul departure, transformed into a sword for assassination, walks the razor's edge between life and death."

"It is powerful indeed—but excessive rigidity breaks easily; there is no room for compromise."

"The dangers within spiritual sense are too numerous… A physical or spiritual energy enemy is visible. But a spiritual sense enemy—the stronger it is, the more hidden it becomes. Sometimes, you face a terrifying foe, yet you know nothing at all."

"Thus, among Grand Void Gate's elders, very few have ever reached Void Penetration to become Ancestors."

"In other sects, when a disciple with extraordinary talent appears, the sect places great hope on them—such disciples, if they cultivate steadily, will one day stand alone as pillars."

"But in Grand Void Gate…"

Xun Zixian's expression grew bitter. "When we encounter a talented disciple, we feel only unease."

"No matter how extraordinary their talent, if they practice 'spiritual sense turned sword,' they face countless invisible dangers. The path of cultivation becomes a thorned road; once injured, the life soul is damaged—either their cultivation path is severed, or they perish prematurely…"

Xun Zixian was deeply pained.

Mo Hua too felt profound sorrow.

No wonder…

Such an exalted sword scripture, yet locked away, no longer passed down.

He had suspected before—this sword scripture must have terrible side effects, which is why the sect stopped teaching it.

Now, after hearing Elder Xun's explanation of spiritual soul, he truly understood the peril.

Others break swords in cultivation; Grand Void Gate breaks lives.

A broken sword can be remade. A damaged life soul cannot be repaired.

And now, in the current era of Zhao Chengping, noble families' sons live in luxury—this spiritual sense turned sword art, even if the sect wished to pass it on, would likely find no disciples willing to learn it.

"Then if Grand Void Gate doesn't teach 'spiritual sense turned sword' or practice 'spiritual soul departure,' won't we fall far behind other sects?" Mo Hua asked again.

"Falling behind is inevitable," Xun Zixian said, "but it's not so bad."

"Without spirit-sword formation, there are still other scattered lineages—though inferior to the best, they're still above the worst, enough to get by in the Eight Sects, though inevitably at the bottom…"

"Some elders within the sect, including a few Ancestors, are researching improved methods of spirit-sword formation—not relying solely on the spirit-soul, but using alternative sword intentions to amplify the killing power of sword qi."

"If this research succeeds, it would still constitute a superior sword lineage, one that carves its own path—though its power remains far inferior to true spirit-sword formation."

"As for spirit-soul departure…"

Elder Xun Zixian paused, then added: "This method is inherently aberrant. Most cultivators, even upon reaching Nascent Soul, never deliberately learn the 'spirit-soul departure' technique."

Mo Hua didn't quite understand. "Even at Nascent Soul they don't learn it? Because it's dangerous?"

"Yes," Elder Xun Zixian nodded. "Spirit-sword formation requires spirit-soul departure and combat—it's extremely dangerous."

"Even pure spirit-soul departure, even without combat, isn't safe."

"After all, if your spirit-soul is weak and you lack spiritual knowledge, you won't even know what demons, ghosts, and malevolent spirits drift through the four directions of heaven and earth. Once your spirit-soul departs, these evil forces seize their chance—and trouble becomes immense."

"Nascent Soul cultivators are pillars even in great clans. If one risks spirit-soul departure and 'gets possessed,' it's a tremendous loss."

"Moreover, for ordinary cultivators, spirit-soul departure has little practical use."

"Whether in combat or conflict, cultivators rely on 'overwhelming strength.' But your spirit-soul can't be cultivated—you're no stronger than others. What's the point of departing?"

"Furthermore, spirit-soul departure is itself an exceedingly difficult technique to master."

"Most cultivators in this world know how to train the physical body to dominate, or condense spiritual power into devastating arts—but few are willing to sit in quiet introspection, pondering the nature of their own spirit-soul…"

Mo Hua slowly nodded.

Elder Xun Zixian gazed at Mo Hua, speaking with solemn gravity: "The Ancestors forbade our elders from telling you these things, fearing for you. But 'blocking is worse than guiding.' You're a clever child, with a strong thirst for knowledge—if you don't understand, you won't rest. So better I explain the stakes clearly, so you know how to choose."

Mo Hua replied sincerely: "Thank you, Elder."

Elder Xun Zixian waved his hand, then suddenly remembered something, his brows lifting as he spoke earnestly:

"I've told you everything I know. Right now, it may not be enough—but if in the future, your cultivation advances further and your experience broadens, and you learn deeper spiritual doctrines, don't forget to tell me…"

Mo Hua nodded vigorously. "Yes, I promise!"

After their conversation ended, Mo Hua rose to take his leave.

The page escorted Mo Hua to the door, watching his retreating figure in silent reverie.

He had overheard fragments of Mo Hua and Elder Xun Zixian's exchange—but understood not a word.

"This Brother Mo—what's his background? How powerful he is! He doesn't even look much older than me, yet he can already discuss cultivation doctrines with the learned Uncle Zixian…"

In the page's eyes, a quiet admiration stirred.

"Shu'er…"

Elder Xun Zixian's voice came from inside the room.

The page snapped back to attention. "Elder, I'm coming." Then, casting one last lingering glance at Mo Hua, he turned and reentered the elder's residence.

Meanwhile, Mo Hua was fully absorbed in thoughts of "spirit-soul departure," unaware that a small page had been secretly watching him all along.

Thus, as he walked, lost in thought, he returned all the way to the disciples' quarters.

Upon reaching the disciples' quarters, Mo Hua barred the doors and windows, then took out the Water Prison Sealed Casket and began to ponder it.

The azure-blue casket bore a bloody prison diagram—grim, terrifying, almost monstrous.

This was no ordinary image.

Nor was it even merely a simple eye technique. Its core was a technique of "spirit-soul departure."

And Elder Xun Zixian did not know the spirit-soul departure technique.

The Grand Void Gate forbade teaching the knowledge of spirit-soul departure.

According to Elder Xun Zixian, ordinary cultivators—even at Nascent Soul—never deliberately learned spirit-soul departure.

But Mo Hua was different.

He was now certain: "spirit-soul departure" was the prerequisite for "spirit-sword formation."

To unleash spirit-sword formation, one must first master spirit-soul departure.

As for the drawbacks of spirit-soul departure, Mo Hua had weighed them—and for himself, they weren't too severe.

After all, his greatest strength was his spirit-soul.

Even Water Yanluo, a mere water bandit who wasn't even an array master, could learn fragments of spirit-soul departure—how could he not learn it?

But the question now was: how?

Mo Hua placed the Water Prison Sealed Casket before him, staring at the prison diagram upon it.

"According to Elder Xun Zixian, the spirit-soul has three souls and seven spirits. To depart, the technique must relate to 'souls and spirits.'"

"Any pattern is a symbol."

"Could this prison diagram refer not merely to a prison, but to some… symbol tied to the spirit-soul?"

"Eight prisons. Eight punishments. Eight criminals…"

"But eight doesn't match three souls and seven spirits…"

Mo Hua frowned.

He reexamined Elder Xun Zixian's words, then suddenly understood.

"Though humans have three souls and seven spirits, the Heaven Soul and Earth Soul drift outside the body, dwelling in heaven and earth—only the Life Soul remains within."

"Thus, within the body, there is truly only one soul and seven spirits—eight in total."

"The Life Soul hosts the seven spirits…"

Mo Hua glanced again at the sealed casket.

On the diagram, eight prisons: the largest in the center, the other seven arranged around it, centered upon the middle one.

Perfectly matching the principle: "the Life Soul hosts the seven spirits."

Each of the seven outer prisons bore a lock, chains linking them together, converging upon the gate of the central prison.

The criminals in the seven outer prisons each suffered different punishments—but upon closer inspection, each punishment was merely a portion of the punishment inflicted upon the criminal locked within the central prison…

Mo Hua's mind suddenly cleared.

The Dao Prison map on the sealed casket, with seven dungeons per prison, perfectly matched the cultivator's one soul with seven spirits, resembling a "simulated image" of the spiritual soul.

What the map depicted was the cultivator's inner image.

Cultivators long meditated on this map, etching the images of sinners enduring punishment deep into their hearts, forming an "inner image," then carving this inner image into their spiritual soul.

Thus, the spiritual soul would naturally carry the solemnity and deadly aura of the prison.

The prison embodies slaughter.

When the spiritual soul contains the "prison" image, merely emerging from the body can inflict damage upon others' spiritual awareness, causing terror, dread, even shattering their liver and gallbladder until death.

Therefore, the Water Prison Sect's "nurturing deadly aura" is, at its core, actually "nurturing the soul."

By upholding Daoic law and slaying sinful beings, one cultivates righteous qi and deadly aura, integrating them into the spiritual soul to instill fear in the wicked.

But Water Yama was different—he knew nothing of nurturing the soul, only "nurturing deadly aura," and even resorted to demonic methods of transforming deadly aura, accumulating massive killings.

These deadly auras, he merely kept them stored, and that was fine.

But if one day he truly reached the stage where deadly aura entered his soul, the "deathly auras" he had amassed through indiscriminate slaughter would immediately erupt, devouring his spiritual soul, driving him mad, making life unbearable.

Mo Hua's thoughts shifted.

He couldn't help but devise a way to "trap and kill" Water Yama without lifting a finger himself…

Mo Hua's gaze brightened slightly.

But he hadn't yet found Water Yama; he couldn't act yet.

For now, he must first learn the eye technique.

Mo Hua began practicing, based on the theory he had distilled.

He calmed his mind, focused his spirit, meditated on the Dao Prison map, memorizing it firmly, transforming it into an "inner image."

At first, nothing happened.

The map remained just a map; no strange phenomena appeared.

Mo Hua's inner state showed no change whatsoever.

But he was not discouraged.

Any technique, when first learned, is difficult—it requires gradual exploration, repeated trials, and painstaking study.

Just like when he learned complex, profound arrays—he understood it demanded dripping-water-through-stone persistence, never instant success.

Mo Hua studied arrays daily; he was familiar with this process.

He concentrated his attention to its utmost limit, pouring his entire being into the Dao Prison map.

After an unknown length of time, Mo Hua's heart trembled—his spiritual awareness finally responded.

Within his mind-sea, his spiritual awareness seemed to undergo a mysterious transformation, as if something within was "awakening itself."

Mo Hua's spirit lifted; he focused intently, tracing back to the source.

From the external spiritual awareness, he gradually sensed inward, seeking the origin from which spiritual awareness arose.

After yet another unknown span of time, following a hazy, indescribable search, Mo Hua's mind trembled—he finally traced back to a certain presence within himself, belonging to him, yet one he had never previously recognized—

"Spiritual soul."

The sensation was exceedingly subtle.

Mo Hua "sensed" his own spiritual soul.

It was as if, from the perspective of an observer, he saw himself, saw those latent "selves" buried deepest within his heart.

And his "spiritual soul" was exceedingly complex.

Within it, countless indescribable, murky and clear, indistinguishable energies intertwined and rose and sank, a chaotic mess.

Mo Hua realized then that he seemed unable to fully comprehend "himself."

Yet after sensing his spiritual soul, the subsequent process became somewhat easier for Mo Hua.

Integrate the "inner image" into the spiritual soul.

Mo Hua began merging the "inner image" of punishment upon sinners from the Dao Prison map into his own spiritual soul.

This act resembled "reshaping" one's own spiritual consciousness.

The integration process went smoothly.

Mo Hua felt his spiritual soul tremble—a desire surged from within: "Hate evil as if it were an enemy!" As if every evil person in this world deserved to die!

Every sinner must be cast into the Dao Prison, tortured mercilessly, cruelly beaten to death—only then could their sins be erased…

This perception, along with the Dao Prison inner image, seemed carved into his spiritual soul.

Mo Hua's gaze grew slightly grotesque, the deadly aura in his eyes deepening, his entire being radiating a harsh, ruthless "corrupt official" aura.

"Wrong!"

Mo Hua immediately snapped to awareness.

He forcibly restrained his spirit, calmed his emotions, halting the further carving of the prison's inner image into his spiritual soul.

Once he severed his perception of the spiritual soul and cut off the integration of the inner image, he finally recovered—his gaze cleared again, the deadly aura in his eyes entirely vanished.

Mo Hua involuntarily exhaled in relief.

"Almost went off track…"

Imprinting the Water Prison Sect's prison "inner image" into his own spiritual soul—if successful—it would be deeply, irrevocably engraved within him.

Though afterward he could use the Water Prison Sect's eye technique, Mo Hua pondered and decided this was not what he wanted.

He had no intention of nurturing the Water Prison Sect's "righteous deadly aura."

Though he constantly reminded himself he was a righteous cultivator, seeking the Dao with integrity, he understood that in this world, some distinctions between "righteous" and "evil" were not so clear-cut.

Where there is righteousness, there must be evil.

Pursuing an extreme, absolute "righteousness" might very well lead one onto the path of "evil."

More importantly, this doesn't suit my nature.

Mo Hua felt that his interpersonal relationships were still quite good.

Even if not universally adored, he was at least warm and harmonious with others.

Even Gu Uncle, who was always reclusive, though never saying anything kind, still cared for him at critical moments.

When danger arose, he would shield Mo Hua behind him.

His master had also told him that to follow the path of support and destruction, he must learn to leverage others' strength and maintain good relations.

If so, cultivating a aura of malevolence like Gu Uncle—keeping a cold, stern face that makes others keep their distance—would not be a good thing.

Moreover, he was a Array Master, destined to devote himself to the Way of Arrays.

Once the "heart-image" of the Water Prison Sect was carved into his soul, it would influence him, making him forever desire only to kill demonic cultivators, evil cultivators, and demonic cultivators, to torment these sinners with endless tortures until death.

In that case, he would inevitably be confined to the penal realm, walking the path of the Dao Ting Si's Gu Diansi.

This conflicted with Mo Hua's own plans.

Therefore, the true malevolence of the Water Prison Sect must not be cultivated; the heart-image of the penal realm must not be merged.

If the penal arts cannot be merged, then what can be merged?

Mo Hua frowned, silently pondered, then suddenly froze, murmuring: "Then… merge sword art?"

Merge spiritual intent into sword?

How exactly?

Mo Hua furrowed his brow, focused his mind in deep thought, and then, as if guided by some unseen force, suddenly recalled the name of a sword technique:

Startling Spirit Sword!

Images and voices surfaced in Mo Hua's mind.

These were fragments he had painstakingly deduced from a tangle of karmic mist.

"Xuan'er…"

"I should never have taught you this sword art, but I cannot bear… for the Grand Void Gate to lose this lineage…"

"Your foundation is solid. Today, I shall teach you…"

"Startling Spirit Form!"

…

Mo Hua's heart trembled, and without thinking, he pulled from his Nai Zi Ring the broken sword he had taken from the Blood-Red Fishing Village.

This was the first time he had taken out this broken sword within the Grand Void Gate's grounds.

yifan

xsguan

23zw