Chapter 836: Sword Demon

This broken sword, obtained from the Bloodred Fishing Village, had never been taken out by Mo Hua before, nor submitted to the sect, mainly because its origins were unclear.

Moreover, the broken sword still carried the karmic traces of "Tai Xu Divine Thought Transformed into Sword," and he wished to keep it for further study.

Once submitted, it would be gone forever.

The true essence of Divine Thought Transformed into Sword, beyond the basic "Transformation Form," required profound sword Dao foundations and guidance from a master to grasp the critical insights—impossible to understand merely by glancing at it.

Mo Hua had studied it several times before and gained nothing, so he set it aside for now.

Later, with too many other matters, he forgot about it entirely.

He had too many secrets himself, and too many unexplained artifacts—he could afford one more.

Thus, the broken sword naturally ended up buried at the bottom of his chest.

Now that he had obtained the Water Prison Sealed Casket and learned the path of "Soul Out-of-Body" through its Dao Prison "Forbidden Map," Mo Hua remembered this broken sword again.

Mo Hua touched the ancient, battle-worn, broken blade, and felt a pang of sorrow.

The owner of this sword must have been a senior of the Grand Void Gate.

To have refined Divine Thought Transformed into Sword to such a degree, he must have been a prodigy of extraordinary brilliance in his time.

From the few fleeting scenes deduced from the sword's karmic traces, it was clear that as a youth, this senior's sword qi was dense and refined, his sword intent radiant, radiating astonishing power—he had delved deeply into the sword Dao and was an exceptional sword genius.

Mo Hua sighed.

"Even a prodigy like this had his life-sword shattered."

"I wonder what became of him?"

"If his life-sword broke, he must have suffered catastrophic spiritual damage, his Dao path ruined…"

At this thought, Mo Hua was startled—"Could this senior… already have perished? If so, his remains should be buried in the back mountain?"

Mo Hua felt an inexplicable sadness.

"If I ever get the chance, I should visit the back mountain and try to return this broken sword to its rightful owner…"

After all, for a swordsman, the sword is his second life—alive, they fight together; dead, they are buried together.

This would at least repay the unseen debt of this senior, who had gifted him the method of Divine Thought Transformed into Sword.

Mo Hua nodded.

Then Mo Hua pondered further: "This senior's name… was it 'Xuan Er'?"

That was how elders addressed juniors; calling him that felt disrespectful, so he silently thought in his mind:

"Senior Xuan."

Mo Hua committed the name to memory, then began to seriously study the sword technique.

"Startling Spirit Form" was the next tier of the Tai Xu Divine Thought Transformed into Sword true technique, beyond the basic "Transformation Form."

Mo Hua deduced the sword's karmic traces again, rewatching the process by which "Senior Xuan," as a youth, learned the Divine Thought Transformed into Sword—Startling Spirit Form.

This time, as he deduced, the visions within the broken sword dimmed further, the sounds more fragmented.

Clearly, the karmic traces on the broken sword were slowly fading.

And deducing the karmic traces accelerated this process.

Mo Hua deduced it only once, then dared not continue, fearing the karmic traces would vanish entirely—he locked the images and sounds firmly in his memory, then cherished and valued the broken sword, returning it to his Nai Zi Ring.

The imagery and sounds related to the "Startling Spirit Sword" within the karmic traces were identical to before, even more blurred.

But now, Mo Hua was no longer the same man.

Before, he had not understood.

But now, having mastered the Transformation Form and comprehended the principle of "Soul Out-of-Body," as he recalled the visions within the karmic traces, a growing clarity dawned in his mind.

Tai Xu Divine Thought Transformed into Sword—the Transformation Form was the foundation.

From the perspective of "Soul" theory, the Transformation Form was essentially the manifestation of the sword's "mind-form."

That is: the mind holds a sword.

The Startling Spirit Form, building upon the Transformation Form, integrates the sword's "mind-form" into the soul, thereby condensing a true, lethal "sword intent" imbued with soul power.

The Startling Spirit Sword uses an overwhelming, piercing sword intent to terrify others and all evil spirits, instilling fear so profound they tremble without fighting.

This principle is identical to the Water Prison Sect's Seven Soul Blood Prison Eye Technique, which integrates the mind-form of punishment prisons into the soul to cultivate demonic qi into the spirit.

Yet the two paths diverged completely—one pursued the sword Dao, the other the prison Dao—and their applications differed vastly.

"Startling Spirit Sword Form…"

Mo Hua closed his eyes and sat in meditation, his consciousness sinking into his mind sea.

Within his mind sea, his divine thought avatar opened its eyes and began condensing divine thought, manifesting a crude sword in its hand.

"This is my mind's image of the sword…"

Mo Hua sighed, helpless.

So pitiful…

Though it shimmered with Jin Guang, its form was far too simple—merely a primitive prototype of a "sword."

"Oh well, I'll make do with it…"

Mo Hua shook his head.

He had taken up the sword Dao mid-path—he couldn't expect perfection.

Then, following the method deduced from the broken sword, he began practicing the sword technique properly.

He infused his understanding of the sword Dao into the "mind-form."

He carved this "mind-form" into his soul.

Simultaneously, according to the Startling Spirit Sword technique, he repeatedly refined his soul, awakened sword qi, and fused his soul and mind-form into one, becoming true "sword intent."

The soul's methods were formless, intangible, profoundly mysterious.

But for Mo Hua, who already excelled in divine thought Dao, manipulating his own consciousness through these transformations was second nature.

Mo Hua could feel his spiritual mind-sword slowly merging into his soul.

This process came with some pain.

And this faint pain made Mo Hua's perception of his life-soul and seven ethereal spirits clearer.

He felt his soul being tempered by the Sword Art.

After several rounds of tempering, the sword intent within Mo Hua's soul gradually emitted a strange, astonishing aura.

The icy sword intent was chilling.

Mo Hua's gaze gradually sharpened.

The aura of sword intent emanating from his body also slowly rose…

But after rising for a while, it quickly stalled, unable to advance an inch further.

It seemed this was as far as it could go…

No matter how much he tempered his soul with the "Startling Soul Sword Art," no matter how much he fused his sword intent, the aura of the technique could no longer rise.

Mo Hua had a faint feeling that this was his current limit.

He opened his eyes, took out a mirror, and gazed at his own delicate and handsome face, then focused his gaze and activated the "Startling Soul Sword Art."

Through the mirror, he could clearly see his gaze slowly brightening, while his pupils carried the sharp edge of sword intent, too piercing to meet directly.

But that was all.

Compared to Shui Yanluo's eye technique, it was far inferior.

At least when Shui Yanluo activated his eye technique, his eyes turned blood-red, as if steeped in blood, with monstrous, demonic forms inside screaming wildly, radiating intense malevolent energy.

In both aura and effect, it was vastly stronger than his own sword-art "eye technique."

"If I'm even worse than Shui Yanluo, how can that be acceptable…"

Mo Hua rested his chin on his hand and began to ponder where the problem lay.

After much thought, Mo Hua concluded there could only be two reasons:

One, the foundation of sword Dao.

The other, the method of soul-extraction.

Subjective spiritual awareness relies on objective external matter as its base.

In other words, "sword intent" must be grounded in the foundation of sword Dao.

Sword Dao foundation refers to the blood, sweat, and years an swordsman pours into the sword path.

It includes years of learning swordplay, practicing swordplay, dueling, refining sword techniques, contemplating, and gaining insights—all merged into a single body of sword Dao experience.

These cannot arise from nothing.

They are the Dao forged through years of arduous training—the fusion of one's sword techniques, insights, and realizations.

This thing either exists or it doesn't.

Mo Hua clearly did not have it.

Nor could it be suddenly "suddenly awakened."

Sudden awakening is built upon long-term practice and contemplation.

Just as he daily drew arrays and constantly pondered their principles, someday he might achieve "sudden awakening" in array arts.

But someone who never studied arrays could never achieve sudden awakening in array arts.

Likewise, someone who never practiced swordplay could never achieve sudden awakening in sword techniques.

Before entering Qian Xuezhou, Mo Hua had barely touched a sword; since childhood, he had never learned a single sword technique, so naturally he had no foundation of sword skills, experience, or insight.

His sword Dao foundation was extremely weak.

This meant the "sword intent" he cultivated must also be feeble, and the sword-intent eye technique would naturally be underwhelming.

That was one issue.

Moreover, there was another: the method of soul-extraction.

The owner of the broken sword—the "Xian Elder"—used the "borrowing-sword soul-extraction" method.

That is, after the sword intent exited the body, it attached to the sword, enhancing both the sword qi's power and the sword intent's killing aura.

Not only Xian Elder, but likely all previous generations of sword cultivators in Grand Void Gate also used the "borrowing-sword soul-extraction" method.

The problem lay precisely in this "sword."

Mo Hua had no spiritual sword.

His sword Dao foundation was weak; he used only "self-destructive" spiritual swords, lacking the lifelong-nurtured, soul-tuned, future-artifact-grade personal sword that other sword cultivators possessed.

Thus, he could not use the borrowing-sword soul-extraction method.

Sword intent was weak; the eye technique's power was weak.

Without the enhancement of a sword weapon, its power dropped further.

As a result, the Grand Void Startling Soul Sword Art lost much of its aura, becoming almost useless.

But Mo Hua was unwilling to give up.

If spiritual mind turned into a sword had only this much power, how could that suffice?

"What should I do?"

Mo Hua frowned in deep thought, pondering for a long time without insight, then slumped backward onto his meditation cushion, staring blankly at the ceiling.

One was sword technique; the other was eye technique…

Sword technique emphasizes sword intent and borrowing-sword soul-extraction.

Eye technique cultivates malevolent energy and borrowing-eye soul-extraction.

Now I've abandoned malevolent energy, replaced it with sword intent, and used borrowing-eye soul-extraction.

Without the intimidation of malevolent energy, without piercing sword intent, and without the enhancement of a sword weapon—I've discarded the strengths of both methods and amplified my own sword Dao's weaknesses to the extreme…

"Will you patiently practice swordsmanship bit by bit?"

Mo Hua shook his head.

Too slow.

The foundation of sword Dao demands the slow erosion of water dripping on stone—it cannot be mastered in a day or two.

Moreover, if I start practicing now, by the time my sword Dao achieves even minor mastery and this Divine Shock Sword can unleash its power, it will be ages away…

"I need to think of a solution…"

"When faced with obstacles, don't be rigid—learn to adapt."

"All methods under heaven are endlessly variable; their true mastery lies within the mind…"

Mo Hua continued to ponder.

Right now, I am borrowing the "soul-exit method" of the Water Prison Sect's Seven Souls Blood Prison Eye to cast the Divine Shock Sword.

If the Divine Shock Sword were strong enough, it wouldn't be a problem.

But my sword Dao foundation is weak, and the Divine Shock Sword isn't strong enough.

So I cannot yet abandon the original framework of the Seven Souls Blood Prison Eye technique.

"Then…" Mo Hua's mind lit up, "what if I integrate the Divine Shock Sword technique into the framework of the Seven Souls Blood Prison Eye?"

"But how?"

Mo Hua continued frowning in deep thought.

The Divine Shock Sword cultivates sword intent and uses the sword to exit the body; the Blood Prison Eye nurtures malevolent qi and uses the eyes to exit the body.

First, I am not a sword cultivator—I can directly ignore the "use the sword to exit" method.

That leaves only: cultivating sword intent, nurturing malevolent qi, and… exiting through the eyes.

So does this mean combining sword intent and malevolent qi, exiting through the eyes?

If the sword intent is weak, use malevolent qi to compensate…

And use the upright, righteous Grand Void Sword Intent to neutralize the sinister malevolent qi of the Punishment Prison Dao?

Mo Hua's heart leapt, his gaze growing brighter.

"It seems… I could try?"

Mo Hua suddenly sat upright and took out the Water Prison Forbidden Chest.

Now that he had the idea, the next step was figuring out exactly how to do it.

How could he fuse the sword intent of the Divine Shock Sword with the Punishment Prison malevolent qi of the Water Prison Sect?

Mo Hua pondered for a long time, unable to resist scratching his head again.

One is an inheritance of a sword scripture; the other is an inheritance of a forbidden diagram.

They are completely unrelated—how could they be fused together?

"Indeed, some things seem easy to think of, but are hard to actually accomplish…"

Mo Hua sighed inwardly.

He recalled once more the process of Xuan Elder's cultivation of the Divine Shock Sword in the karmic vision, then stared with wide eyes at the Water Prison Forbidden Chest.

Sword, prison, torture instruments, criminals…

By some strange impulse, Mo Hua's heart suddenly leapt.

A sword is a weapon of killing.

Killing and injuring others generates malevolent qi.

The Punishment Prison punishes criminals.

Then, using a sword to replace torture instruments in punishing criminals—isn't that also a way to nurture malevolent qi?

And it nurtures both sword intent and malevolent qi together!

In this way, I need not alter the original structure of the Water Prison Forbidden Diagram—I can seamlessly integrate the Divine Shock Sword technique into the Blood Prison Eye technique.

Replace punishment with the sword—sword and malevolent qi as one!

Mo Hua's expression glowed with excitement.

He immediately sat in meditation and began fusing the method according to his idea.

The cultivation method remained the same: visualize the Punishment Prison mental image, carve it into the soul, and thus nurture the soul's killing force.

But unlike before, Mo Hua subtly manipulated things during the visualization of the Water Prison Forbidden Diagram—"deceiving himself."

Leveraging his mastery of spiritual intent, he "altered" his own perception, replacing every torture instrument in the Punishment Prison mental image with the Divine Shock Sword.

Thus, the Punishment Prison diagram became the Sword-Punishment diagram.

All criminals now suffered judgment beneath the blade of the Divine Shock Sword, trembling and wailing in terror.

This subtle spiritual technique was Mo Hua's own discovery—similar in spirit to the "Seed Demon in the Dao Heart" method, yet more like planting a certain "suggestion" into his own Dao Heart.

Once the Sword-Punishment diagram was complete, the entire spiritual prison shed its sinister aura and became fiercely sharp, like a spiritual "Sword Prison" brimming with sword qi.

This Sword Prison, fused with sword intent and malevolent qi, was carved into Mo Hua's soul.

A majestic, piercing sword-malevolent qi erupted from Mo Hua's eyes, its blade-like radiance shifting, the sword Dao righteous and grand, the malevolent qi chilling and dreadful—ready to purge all sin from the world, making evil spirits and vile beings tremble in fear.

In an instant, Mo Hua resembled the Earth Store Bodhisattva ruling the Nine Heavens of Darkness—his sword-malevolent qi's might was too fearsome to meet directly.

This was the true Divine Shock Sword!

And unlike any version cultivated by past Grand Void Sect elders—it could be cast through the eyes, infused with malevolent qi!

Moments later, all the sharpness receded.

Mo Hua's eyes returned to their clarity.

He looked around, his expression regretful.

"Pity—Shui Yanluo isn't here. Otherwise, I might have locked eyes with him and seen whose gaze was sharper…"

But there were no enemies around, and Mo Hua felt an inexplicable loneliness.

"Not even a single villain came by for me to see…"

But at least he had finally learned it!

"Startling Divine Sword!"

Mo Hua grinned foolishly, then suppressed his inner excitement, sank his spiritual awareness into his mind sea, and resumed practicing the formation.

Do not rejoice over external gains, do not grieve over personal losses.

At all times, maintain a calm mind, study formations diligently, and never slack off.

Mo Hua closed his eyes, settled his spirit within the Dao Stele of his mind sea, and began drawing the formation…

…

But before this.

The instant Mo Hua drew out the broken sword, a thread of karmic energy had already spread outward.

In the back mountain's Sword Grave, the white-haired, bearded elder suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils trembling.

"Xuan'er…"

"How could there be Xuan'er's spiritual trace within Grand Void Gate?"

He released his spiritual awareness, and his powerful spiritual sense spread outward in an extremely subtle manner, sweeping across the entire Grand Void Mountains, seeking the origin of this energy.

But he was no longer what he once was; his spiritual awareness had been severely damaged, and its sudden use brought a needle-like pain.

Though his spiritual awareness spread out, his search was painfully slow.

Meanwhile, Xuan'er's spiritual trace grew stronger.

Someone was stirring Xuan'er's karmic thread, probing into something.

"Who…?"

The elder's heart tightened; he continued tracing the energy's source—but just as he was about to perceive its origin, everything vanished.

Completely vanished.

As if deliberately hidden by someone.

And hidden to a place beyond provincial boundaries, beyond karmic reach.

The elder's face darkened with anger, then slowly calmed.

But in his heart, he added another debt to his tally.

Suddenly, the spiritual pain intensified, and a celestial demonic voice echoed in his ears.

The elder's gaze sharpened; he immediately retracted his spiritual awareness, suppressed all his aura, held his breath, and steadied his heart.

Long after, the demonic voice faded, and his spiritual awareness stabilized.

Only then did the elder slowly open his eyes, his expression weary, as if aged several more years.

He stood alone, surveying his surroundings, gazing at Manshan's Sword Grave, at the countless rusted broken swords, and the skeletal remains buried within.

These swords had once shone with unmatched brilliance.

These men had all once been his junior brothers, senior brothers, or even his masters.

And Xuan'er had been, in his despair and unwillingness to surrender, the last hope he clung to—the final heir of the sword Dao.

But he was wrong.

He should never have passed it on…

His fallen junior brothers, senior brothers, and masters—their broken swords, their corpses—could still rest in this Sword Grave, keeping him company in his solitude.

But Xuan'er—his body was gone, his sword lost, its break unknown…

The elder's back bent involuntarily, heavy with desolation.

A bitter voice echoed lowly through the Sword Grave:

"Has it truly… come to an end…?"

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