Chapter 872: I Want to Learn Sword

The old man's heart was suddenly swept by a storm of shock.

Yet Mo Hua remained unaware.

His hands were filthy as he blindly dug at the earth and stones, burying the broken sword deeper, setting it upright so it wouldn't tilt over in the wind.

Until, from behind him, he sensed a terrifying aura that sent shivers through his bones.

And this aura, stirred by emotional turmoil, had become wildly unstable.

Only then did he jolt in alarm, turn around, and see the bearded elder, eyes blazing red, as if countless sword qi surged through his pupils, coalescing into an endless sea of swords—vast as the void, like ten thousand swords returning to their origin.

His entire aura carried a sharp, murderous edge, terrifying to the extreme.

Dark specks flickered, and the void itself grew unstable, cracking into fissures.

Mo Hua's pupils trembled in shock.

This was the first time he had faced the terrifying presence of a Void-Exploration cultivator.

Only now did he realize how immense a high-level cultivator could be when unleashing full power without restraint…

The realm gap was too vast; beneath this pressure, he had almost no capacity to resist.

Fortunately, after decades of rigorous cultivation of his heart, the bearded elder recognized his lapse and struggled to suppress his emotions.

After an unknown length of time, all sword intent receded, the void's cracks sealed, and the elder's expression returned to the stillness of an ancient well.

Yet within him, calm was far from restored.

"This broken sword… where did you get it?"

The bearded elder's voice was aged and hoarse, tinged with a hint of sorrow.

Mo Hua's heart leapt.

He immediately realized this broken sword was likely of extraordinary origin.

And that Senior Xuan, alongside this powerful elder with astonishing sword intent, must also share some unknown connection…

After a brief pause, Mo Hua cautiously spoke:

"I once went to a small fishing village by the Yan Shui River, beyond the Ganxue Continent's border. In the village stood a hidden, abandoned River God temple, with a blood pool inside—this broken sword was buried beneath it, corroded by blood qi."

"River God temple… blood pool…" The bearded elder frowned slightly. "Why did you go there?"

Mo Hua replied: "I was pursuing a Dao Ting Si bounty. Several traffickers had kidnapped two children from the village. Dao Ting Si issued the reward and needed disciples skilled in arrays. My array skills are decent, so I tagged along with them, entered the temple, captured the traffickers—and just happened to find something in the blood pool. When I pulled it out, it turned out to be this broken sword…"

Traffickers, fishing village, Dao Ting Si bounty.

These were all public matters, recorded by Dao Ting Si—anyone could verify them.

But the leech demons, water monsters, corrupted River God—only he knew of those.

The elder pondered a moment, then asked: "How did you know the owner of this broken sword was buried in this sword tomb?"

This point, Mo Hua had no need to conceal.

"I inquired about legends from the fishing village. From the clothing on the sword's owner, I deduced he must have been a senior of our Grand Void Gate."

"I also asked our sect elders, but learned nothing of his identity—only that he likely mastered a powerful sword art, and…"

Mo Hua paused slightly, secretly observing the elder before whispering:

"His life sword was broken, his foundation damaged."

"Thus, I assumed the owner of this broken sword faced an unknown powerful enemy, endured a great battle, was mortally wounded, and was buried alongside other Grand Void Gate seniors in this sword tomb…"

The bearded elder's expression was blank, his gaze desolate.

Then he gathered himself, carefully weighing Mo Hua's words—his intuition detected no inconsistency.

This meant his account closely matched the true cause and effect.

Even if he concealed something, it was likely minimal.

The bearded elder turned his head and studied Mo Hua again, especially noting his pure aura and clear eyes, and sighed deeply within.

This matter, in truth, involved many coincidences.

But put another way, it might also be fate.

Heaven, through these coincidences, had brought this child before him—perhaps out of pity for his solitary, lonely existence, sending him this relic of Xuan's, this broken life sword he had nurtured since childhood, the sword that accompanied him through cultivation and growth.

Perhaps this was Heaven's mercy.

Heaven still cared for this old man, half-buried in earth, granting him a final hope before death.

The bearded elder slowly exhaled.

He looked again at Mo Hua and said:

"This broken sword is of great importance to me. That you brought it here to the sword tomb suggests, in some unseen way, a thread of destiny connects you to it."

"I am a man who knows right from wrong. If there is a grudge, I repay it. If there is a debt of kindness, I never wish to owe another."

"I grant you a promise: within the bounds of righteousness and law, I will fulfill one wish of yours."

"Speak. What do you desire?"

The bearded elder's tone was solemn, weighty as a thousand gold pieces.

Mo Hua froze, stunned within.

This sealed, yet terrifyingly powerful Grand Void Gate Void-Exploration elder would fulfill one of his wishes?

He had never imagined this broken sword could be so precious.

But what request should he make?

Mo Hua had no preparation, caught off guard, and felt torn.

The bearded elder did not press Mo Hua.

This was a matter that truly required deep thought.

As a disciple, a wish would naturally be to enter the inner sect, learn the lineage, become an instructor—even being granted the position of elder one day would not be impossible, so long as he reached Jin Dan.

Of course, if Mo Hua truly succumbed to greed and dared to demand becoming Grand Void Gate's leader, the elder would immediately grab him by the neck and toss him out the back mountain.

Mo Hua naturally had some sense of it in his heart.

Although this elder had not specified the exact limits of this wish, it was clearly not any wish he would grant.

If I were completely clueless and made an outrageous demand, I'd surely get no good outcome.

It must align with my status as a disciple—upwardly ambitious—yet not make this elder feel I'm pushing too far, nor ask for some "big pie" that's beautiful in the future but inedible now.

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, then spoke solemnly:

"Ancestor, I wish to learn swordplay!"

The Lone Ancestor frowned slightly.

As a disciple, wanting to learn swordplay was normal.

His own swordcraft, synthesizing the strengths of countless schools, was vast as an ocean—though not unprecedented, within the entire Qianxue State, few could match him.

Yet…

The Lone Ancestor glanced at Mo Hua, especially noting his frail body, meager Qi, and the faint, nearly nonexistent aura of sword technique surrounding him.

"Since childhood… have you ever received sword inheritance?" the Lone Ancestor asked.

"No…" Mo Hua answered honestly.

His true background couldn't be hidden.

"Do you have any sword heritage?"

"No."

"Have you ever nurtured a spiritual sword?"

"No."

"Have you ever cultivated sword Qi for over ten years?"

"No."

"Have you ever forged a Sword Heart?"

Mo Hua still shook his head, "No…"

And now it wasn't just that he lacked it—he didn't even know what a Sword Heart was…

The Lone Ancestor fell silent.

With this… he still wants to learn swordplay?

The elder remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

Though this child's mediocre talent makes achieving anything in swordplay seem "delusional," the very desire to "learn swordplay" is correct.

Talent, innate aptitude—these are no excuses.

If one is willing to strive, to study hard with ambition, such spirit must be encouraged.

In the tens of thousands of years of cultivation history, there have been cases of those with mediocre talent who, through sheer effort, became supreme sword cultivators.

Moreover, this karmic connection exists.

I delivered the sword to him; now I teach him swordplay.

This perfectly fulfills the karmic bond.

This child's cultivation is low, his swordcraft weak—even teaching him a little would suffice for his entire life.

The Lone Ancestor pondered for a moment, then scanned Mo Hua's cultivation methods and combat techniques, and said:

"I will teach you the 'Hánxū Piǎomiǎo Sword Art'—sword and body movement fused as one, capable of offense and defense, flexible in advance and retreat."

Mo Hua thought for a moment, then shook his head.

His body movement was already sufficient; if he wanted to embed killing techniques into it, the Small Meteor Technique was better—learning a sword art fused with body movement would be redundant.

"Then I shall teach you the Chōnglíng Six Meridians Sword Art. This sword art is inherited from the Chōngxū Sect, specializing in sword Qi—its power is weaker, but the Qi is gentle and imposes little burden on the body."

Mo Hua still shook his head.

His sword Qi is already poor; cultivating it would be useless.

"Then I shall teach you the Tàixū Flying Dragon Sword Art. This sword art is immensely powerful—its effect is subtle at Foundation Establishment, but at Jin Dan, even Liu Yuhua, it allows sword control over a thousand li, sword Qi like a dragon—it is one of the core transmissions of the Tàixū Sect, reserved only for inner disciples. Your situation is special; I will make an exception and teach it to you once."

Tàixū Flying Dragon Sword Art…

Mo Hua's expression turned stunned.

The name alone sounded majestic.

But equally, it sounded impossibly hard to learn—requiring vast Qi, an excellent sword, and profound sword heritage.

He had none of these.

The sword art was excellent, but clearly beyond his reach.

Mo Hua still shook his head.

The bearded elder finally grew impatient, frowning:

"You won't learn this, won't learn that—then tell me, what sword art do you want to learn?"

Mo Hua felt a twinge of guilt.

He had assumed the elder would mention that sword art himself, sparing him the need to speak up and avoiding the appearance of "hidden motives."

But now it seemed impossible.

The Mind-Projection Sword Art was banned by the Tàixū Sect; it would not be transmitted again, and the elder would never teach it to him voluntarily.

And the Tàixū Sect's Mind-Projection Sword Art was buried within the Sword Tomb.

Within the Sword Tomb, only this elder remained.

This meant that within the entire Tàixū Sect, the only person who truly knew this sword art was likely the elder before him.

At this point, he could no longer be polite.

He must seize this opportunity himself.

Taking advantage of the fact that I brought the broken sword, this elder ancestor still feels a trace of gratitude for this small kindness—so I might as well ask for everything at once.

If I hesitate again and miss this once-in-a-millennium opportunity, I may never have such a chance again.

"Elder Ancestor, I want to learn..." Mo Hua's expression gradually hardened, his gaze brightening, each word spoken clearly:

"The Grand Void Divine Mind Sword Art!"

His voice rang clear and resonant, echoing through the silent night, between the graves of swords.

The atmosphere grew utterly still.

The bearded elder sat in silence, momentarily dazed.

In a flash, he seemed to remember...

Hundreds of years ago, in just such a forest, his most beloved grandson had looked at him just like this—eyes resolute—and said he wanted to learn the Grand Void Sect's... Divine Mind Sword Art.

Back then, his heart had softened, and he had held the boy to the highest expectations, so he broke the sect's ban and secretly taught him.

And then...

He was wrong. Terribly wrong.

A trace of helpless bitterness rose in the elder's heart.

He forced himself to suppress all past memories and thoughts, his gaze deep and piercing as he studied Mo Hua, radiating a faint pressure:

"Within the Grand Void Sect, a silence edict has been issued. How did you come to know the name of this sword art?"

Mo Hua felt a twinge of guilt. "I... overheard it from one of the elders..."

"Why do you want to learn this sword art?"

"Because... it sounds really powerful..." Mo Hua whispered.

And it truly is powerful.

Hearing this childish answer, the bearded elder paused, no longer suspicious of any hidden motive in Mo Hua's request.

But he still coldly refused:

"I can teach you other Grand Void Sect sword arts—including parts of the Tai'e and Chongxu lineages—but this one, you cannot learn. Not under any circumstances."

"Is it because it's too dangerous?" Mo Hua asked.

The bearded elder's eyelids flickered. "You know that?"

"Yes," Mo Hua nodded. "They say this sword art cultivates sword intent, battles with spiritual awareness, and kills with the soul—so its power is immense, but so is its risk. One misstep, and your soul may be damaged beyond repair."

He even knew about the soul...

The bearded elder's gaze sharpened.

He'd have to investigate later—see which Grand Void elder was so loose-lipped, telling disciples everything.

"You know all this—and still want to learn it?" the bearded elder asked.

"Precisely because I know—this is why I want to learn it!" Mo Hua said matter-of-factly. "Elder, you must have noticed—I have terrible elemental roots, and I'm weak by birth. My blood qi and spiritual energy are far inferior to others'."

"But the Dao is balanced—where there is lack, there is also advantage. My blood qi and spiritual energy are weak, but I have one thing..."

Mo Hua's expression was humble, tinged with quiet pride: "My spiritual awareness is strong!"

"Because my spiritual awareness is strong, I decided to cultivate the Divine Mind Sword Art!"

The bearded elder's gaze sharpened.

Playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses—this made sense.

But even so, a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual awareness—how strong could it possibly be...

The bearded elder dismissed it, releasing his spiritual sense to probe Mo Hua's spiritual energy—and suddenly his eyes trembled. After a pause, he asked slowly:

"What realm is your spiritual awareness at?"

"Nineteen-pattern peak," Mo Hua said.

For an instant, the bearded elder thought he'd misheard. Frowning, he said: "Release your spiritual awareness fully."

Mo Hua nodded and complied without concealment, unleashing his nineteen-pattern peak spiritual awareness.

The bearded elder sensed this spiritual energy, nearing the Foundation Establishment limit, and his gaze gradually turned sharp.

He hadn't examined closely before—only vaguely sensed Mo Hua's spiritual awareness was unusual.

But no matter how unusual, he was still just a Foundation Establishment junior disciple.

He was a Void-Perceiving elder ancestor—he'd seen countless storms in his lifetime.

But this...

Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation, nineteen-pattern peak spiritual awareness.

He had never seen such a thing in his life...

The bearded elder found it hard to believe.

"You..."

Mo Hua revealed a sliver of his true nature: "Elder Ancestor, I walk the Path of Spiritual Awareness Enlightenment."

"The Path of Spiritual Awareness Enlightenment..."

The bearded elder, hearing this ancient, long-forgotten path, grew wistful.

No wonder...

But after a moment's thought, he still shook his head. "The Divine Mind Sword Art is a sword technique—it's not the same as pure spiritual awareness enlightenment. You know nothing of the way of the sword. I still cannot teach you. Even if I did, you couldn't learn it."

Mo Hua immediately said: "I've already learned it!"

"Learned it?" The bearded elder froze.

Mo Hua was about to say he had already mastered the Sword Transformation and Shocking Soul Sword—but suddenly remembered the Parasite was fused to him, his soul sealed, the Shocking Soul Sword unusable, and the Sword Transformation unshowable outside.

If he claimed he knew it but couldn't use it, he'd be seen as a fraud.

Moreover, his "Divine Mind Sword Art" was learned without permission—effectively theft. Would this offend the elder?

Mo Hua mumbled, "I mean… I'll definitely learn it!"

The bearded elder regarded Mo Hua deeply, then shook his head slightly. "This sword art is no child's play."

"Disciple understands."

"If you make a mistake in cultivation, you may suffer damage to your spiritual sense—or worse, your consciousness sea shatters."

"It doesn't matter."

"In battle, even a slight misstep can shatter your soul core—or even corrupt you with malevolent spirits…"

"I'm not afraid."

……

No matter what the bearded elder said, Mo Hua was determined to learn it.

The bearded elder did not scold Mo Hua; instead, he felt a pang of sorrow.

Years ago, Xuan'er had shown this same "stubborn" attitude, begging him to teach him Spirit Mind Sword Transformation—no matter how much he tried to persuade him, it was useless.

The elder's heart softened a little.

Maybe… just teach him.

But this child's sword foundation is too weak—how could he possibly learn it? Solely relying on spiritual sense to attain Dao and comprehend this sword art?

At this thought, the elder suddenly felt a flash of startling insight.

Spiritual Sense Attainment!

Spiritual Sense!

The Grand Void Spirit Mind Sword Transformation True Scripture contains two paths: the path of spiritual sense, and the path of swordcraft.

Because practitioners who attain Dao through spiritual sense are rare, the Grand Void Gate had always treated this spirit-mind sword art purely as a "sword art."

Thus, they had overlooked the very words "spiritual sense" within it.

Spirit Mind Sword Transformation does indeed cultivate sword intent—but it should not reduce spiritual sense merely to "sword intent."

The scope encompassed by "spiritual sense" is far deeper than "sword intent."

How can one master Spirit Mind Sword Transformation without cultivating spiritual sense?

The elder's heart trembled.

He realized—the Grand Void Gate's path in cultivating this sword art had likely been flawed from the very beginning.

Only cultivating sword intent, neglecting spiritual sense.

They had essentially severed one arm to cultivate the Spirit Mind Sword Transformation True Scripture.

Perhaps… allowing a spiritual sense attainer to cultivate Spirit Mind Sword Transformation would open an entirely new realm.

The elder couldn't help but glance at Mo Hua; that long-dead emotion within him stirred faintly back to life.

He wanted more than anyone to pass on this legacy.

But he had forcibly suppressed this thought for centuries.

He simply stared silently at Mo Hua, and finally sighed.

He knew clearly: teaching this child Spirit Mind Sword Transformation would surely harm him.

This sword art is a double-edged blade.

The sharper it kills others, the more fiercely it kills its wielder.

Over the years, countless gifted sword prodigies had perished because of this art.

He did not want to add one more.

Mo Hua seemed to sense the elder's thoughts, and said: "Elder, everyone must die…"

The bearded elder was slightly startled—he did not understand what Mo Hua meant.

Mo Hua's gaze was bright, and he continued:

"We shouldn't refuse to live just because we will eventually die."

"Similarly, no matter how dangerous the sword path, we shouldn't abandon cultivation just because it's dangerous."

"The Dao is lofty and distant; most cultivators spend their entire lives without attaining it, dying halfway—but those truly determined to become immortals will not abandon their quest for the Dao."

Mo Hua's eyes were clear and brilliant, like stars.

The bearded elder was deeply shaken.

This child…

Where had he cultivated such a luminous "Dao heart"?

The elder pondered for a moment, his emotions gradually calming. His gaze turned solemn, and he asked slowly:

"What is your name?"

Mo Hua bowed respectfully. "Elder, my name is Mo Hua."

Mo Hua…

The elder silently repeated the name, then nodded:

"Very well. I accept. I will teach you Spirit Mind Sword Transformation!"

Mo Hua's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Elder!"

The elder said: "It's late today. Go back. From now on, every seventh day, I will bring you to this back-mountain sword graveyard to learn the Spirit Mind Sword Transformation True Scripture."

"How far you progress depends entirely on your own insight and destiny."

"But I warn you: if I ever find you have made a mistake in cultivating this sword art, or if you use it recklessly in violence, or if you wield it to commit evil, I will destroy your spiritual sword technique and expel you from the Grand Void Gate."

Mo Hua's expression turned solemn. He nodded firmly.

"Elder, disciple remembers."

The bearded elder glanced at Mo Hua, saw his serious gaze and upright demeanor, and gave a slight nod.

"Alright, I'll send you out now. Once you're out, you must remember one thing—nothing about what happened here can be mentioned to anyone."

"Remember—anyone. That includes your parents, your kin, your brothers, and anyone within the Grand Void Gate."

"Yes!" Mo Hua nodded solemnly.

The long-bearded elder said no more. His withered arm tore the void open out of thin air, then grabbed Mo Hua and tossed him inside.

And just like that, Mo Hua's world spun, and in a daze he was back at the disciples' quarters.

On the ground, the formation he had been halfway through drawing was still there.

And everything that had just happened—thinking about it now—felt like a dream.

Mo Hua pinched his own cheek. It hurt a little, so clearly it wasn't a dream. Then his eyes couldn't help but light up.

Finally…

He could learn the orthodox Divine Sense Sword Transformation!

……

Meanwhile, at the Sword Tomb on the back mountain.

After sending Mo Hua away, the long-bearded elder still sat withered in place, his thoughts in turmoil.

He did not know whether his decision was truly the right one.

But this might well be his last chance, and the final attempt of this life…

To take a different path—borrowing the way of Divine Sense to prove the Dao—and use it to cultivate the art of Divine Sense Sword Transformation.

Cultivators who proved the Dao through Divine Sense were exceedingly rare.

And a prodigy with such heaven-defying Divine Sense as this—he had never seen one in his entire life.

If he let this one slip by, it was very likely that in this life—no, even if he lived two more lives—he might never encounter another.

"Mo Hua…"

The long-bearded elder silently repeated the name once more, then took out a piece of bamboo, carved it into a bamboo sword, and inscribed the two characters "Mo Hua" upon it.

His heart heavy, he thrust this bamboo sword into a sword tomb before him.

This sword tomb was rather special—many bamboo swords were thrust into it, bearing the names of many cultivators.

These names, only he knew, and they would be buried with him into the yellow earth, vanishing completely.

The bamboo sword inscribed with "Mo Hua" was just an ordinary bamboo sword, and it was placed at the very end.

The long-bearded elder was merely going through the motions.

But the instant this bamboo sword was thrust into the sword tomb—

Within the forbidden ground, sword qi suddenly surged, and the broken swords buried in the sword tombs let out low, deep hums one after another.

Ancient sword intent seemed to awaken, transforming into wisps of white smoke that rose from each barren grave-sword tomb, weaving together into one vast and magnificent expanse of sword clouds.

Patriarch Dugu's pupils jolted, and for an instant he forgot to breathe.

For several hundred years, in a heart long still as an ancient well, a sliver of incredulous trembling arose.