Chapter 603: Three Immortals Sword Art

After Moke lowered his head and pondered for a moment, he beckoned to Zhang Nuo and said:

"Follow me inside!"

Zhang Nuo was overjoyed; he stepped forward and followed the old monk into the Scripture Pavilion! At this moment, Luo Lie outside also wanted to follow them in, but Moke flicked his hand backward, unleashing a burst of force that shut him out behind the door!

With a loud "Boom—", the doors of the Scripture Pavilion closed! Luo Lie's mouth worked for a long time, but he didn't dare utter a single word of objection! Moke was a figure of some standing even within Jile Temple; even the abbot, the monk Ji Ran, had to show him a degree of deference!

Walking into the interior of the Scripture Pavilion, one could see that the surrounding walls were covered in bookshelves, reaching heights of several dozen zhang, and the shelves were completely filled with various types of Jade Slips!

In the center of the Scripture Pavilion was an open space; being in it made one feel refreshed and relaxed, with an indescribable sense of clarity in one's heart!

"Master, since you know the true name of the cultivation art I practice, you must also know its origin, right?"

"In this life, this old monk has had almost no hobbies, save for a fondness for studying various cultivation arts. The Shangqing Sword Art you speak of is something I once saw in an ancient text. Legend has it that it was created by three True Immortals from the ancient past. Do not be fooled by the ordinary nature of the first few layers; its true essence lies in the final three layers!"

Zhang Nuo had not mentioned how many layers the art had, yet Moke had brought it up himself. It seemed he truly knew, and was not just using empty words to deceive Zhang Nuo! Furthermore, with his cultivation at such a realm, and being a person of high virtue and prestige in Jile Temple, there was no need for him to lie!

"What I am lacking is precisely the content of those final three layers of the art!"

His eyes lighting up, Zhang Nuo said with excitement.

"That is only natural! The final three layers are the essence of the essence. Even if you were to cultivate the first ten layers to perfection, without the final three, this Three Immortals Sword Art would at most be a mid-grade cultivation art!"

Moke said noncommittally.

"Master, do you possess the cultivation method for the final three layers? If you do, I am willing to exchange anything for them!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhang! You think too highly of this old monk! How could I possess such a rare treasure of heaven and earth? Even if you tried to trade a mountain of Spirit Stones for it, I would be completely helpless!"

Moke's attitude toward Zhang Nuo had clearly shifted significantly; he had actually started calling him 'Fellow Daoist'! However, Zhang Nuo had no heart to dwell on this; his expression of disappointment grew, and finally, he fell into complete silence! He had been full of hope that he could gain something here from Moke, but who would have thought it would be another case of drawing water with a bamboo basket—all for nothing!

"However, this old monk does have a proposal. I wonder if you would agree to it, Fellow Daoist?"

"Master, may I hear it?"

The fire of hope that had just been extinguished in Zhang Nuo's heart ignited with a flicker of light once again!

"Although this old monk does not have the ready-made cultivation method for the final three layers, I can deduce them from the countless classics here. Perhaps they might match the art created by the True Immortals. Even if they cannot be perfectly restored, I could likely get them seventy or eighty percent right. That is still better than you knowing nothing at all, Fellow Daoist!"

A flash of cunning light crossed the monk's eyes, appearing and then vanishing in an instant! Yet, it did not escape Zhang Nuo's gaze. Knowing full well that the monk had another agenda in mind, he could only nod in agreement. Just as Moke said, having something was better than having nothing!

Seeing Zhang Nuo nod, Moke immediately said:

"In that case, this old monk's only requirement is that you contribute the first ten layers of the sword art you possess. We shall study them together, and with my understanding of the arts of the Immortal Domain, perhaps we will have some success!"

Zhang Nuo was startled. Giving up the first ten layers of the sword art—didn't that mean handing the sword art over on a silver platter? Even if they managed to deduce the content of the final three layers, at the same time, it would mean Moke had learned this art as well!

The old monk doing this clearly had deep intentions!

"Fine! I agree!"

Zhang Nuo had no other path to take; the Shangqing Sword Art had almost trapped his entire path of cultivation! Now, his Eight Extremes Demon Veins had reached their peak, and his Immovable Underworld King was only missing the final layer; as long as he obtained the 'Yin and Yang Qi', he might be able to bring it to completion! Only this Shangqing Sword Art had seen no progress for hundreds of years! Even if he suffered a loss, Zhang Nuo had no choice but to do it!

Furthermore, even if Moke learned the sword art, what of it? At most, he would only know the techniques within the sword art, whereas Zhang Nuo was completely different; he also had the 'Beast-Taming Unity Illusion Immortal Art'. As long as his three main cultivation arts reached completion, his Illusion Immortal Art would also reach a new height! This was something no other cultivator could compare to!

Having thought everything through, Zhang Nuo agreed. Seeing Zhang Nuo's consent, Moke was also overjoyed, and the two of them sat cross-legged in the Scripture Pavilion.

Zhang Nuo took out the Shangqing Sword Art and handed it to Moke! The old monk sank his Divine Sense into it, and after a long while, he withdrew his Divine Sense and said:

"It is indeed correct! On the surface, this sword art seems no different from ordinary cultivation arts, but Fellow Daoist, think carefully: are there not some parts of the sword art that have no real use for existing cultivation methods? They look like painting a snake and adding feet?"

Zhang Nuo nodded slightly. Having been immersed in the sword art for so many years, he had studied it in depth more than once. What Moke said was indeed true. That the old monk had discovered this issue after only a few glances was enough to show that his understanding of various cultivation arts had reached a state of perfection!

Even if one day this person were to create one or two cultivation arts of his own, it would not be surprising at all!

"Master Moke, are you confident in completing the final three layers of the art?"

"This old monk will do his best!"

With Moke's experience, he did not dare to speak too confidently. After all, the predecessor of the sword art was created by three True Immortals; the profound meanings within were not something he, a cultivator at the Refining Void Stage, could fully penetrate. He could only rely on his understanding of cultivation arts to deduce them! It was a case of treating a dead horse as if it were still alive!

The monk slightly raised his hand and beckoned toward the surrounding bookshelves. Immediately, several Jade Slips were taken into his hands, lined up, and suspended before him!

"Let us both search together! I hope we can have a result!"

After Moke finished speaking, he took a Jade Slip first, sank his Divine Sense into it, and began to study it carefully! With a helpless, bitter smile, Zhang Nuo also picked a random one and sat on the ground to watch!

Outside the Scripture Pavilion, Luo Lie waited for several days, but he did not see Zhang Nuo or Moke come out, and a look of suspicion appeared in his eyes! The old monk had clearly said he would only give Zhang Nuo the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but so many days had passed; it seemed that some parts of the sword art had attracted him!

There was no point in waiting any longer, so Luo Lie turned around and returned to his own residence!

Several months later, in the Scripture Pavilion, one could see countless Jade Slips floating around Zhang Nuo and Moke. Neither of the two spoke; they simply recorded anything useful they found and then switched to the next Jade Slip to study!

The Jade Slips in the Scripture Pavilion were countless; looking through them one by one, it would certainly take more than a hundred years to finish! In the vast sea of Jade Slips, how easy could it be to find some clues about the Three Immortals Sword Art? It was not quite like finding a needle in a haystack, but it was close!

Zhang Nuo could not take it anymore. He withdrew his Divine Sense from a Jade Slip and looked toward Moke's direction, only to see the old monk still focused entirely on the content of a Jade Slip, seemingly in a state of obsession!

With a bitter smile, Zhang Nuo had no choice but to sink his Divine Sense back into the Jade Slip!

Ten years! Twenty years! Thirty years! Fifty years passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, inside the Scripture Pavilion, a long roar suddenly erupted, the sound echoing endlessly throughout the entire Upper Temple!

"So that is it! Why didn't I think of this sooner? To have sat here suffering and reading Jade Slips for so many years, only to find it is such a simple principle! True Immortals! The methods of the True Immortals are truly impossible to fathom! Haha!"

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, Moke held the Jade Slip of the Shangqing Sword Art, laughing like a madman. Zhang Nuo did not know what had happened and stared blankly at the monk!

"Master Moke, have you already deduced the final three layers of the art?"

"Why would there be a need to deduce them? We were trapped in a misconception before, always thinking that the final three layers of the art would be something particularly profound. But ever since I read these Jade Slips, I discovered that the profundity of some cultivation arts does not lie in the meridians through which the Qi flows, but in the 'change'!"

"Change?"

Zhang Nuo was completely confused!

"Correct! It is change! Do you remember what this old monk said to you fifty years ago?"

"Master, are you referring to the seemingly useless settings in the cultivation art?"

Recalling the past, the conversation between Zhang Nuo and Moke had been very limited, and he immediately thought of this point!

"That is it! These things that seem like painting a snake and adding feet are actually the essence of the Three Immortals Sword Art. However, penetrating them is not an easy task. On the surface, no matter how you combine the art, it will not look any smoother than it does now! But in reality, that is not the case. Some things cannot be seen to have an effect unless you test them yourself!"

Zhang Nuo lowered his head, reflecting on the monk's words, and felt there was some truth to them!

"As long as you add the seemingly useless content of the art into other parts of the art in the correct order, you will naturally comprehend the final three layers of the art! Leave this matter to this old monk! You stay here and guard me! I must test it myself!"

Hearing the monk's words, Zhang Nuo was shocked. With his cultivation at this realm, if one were to casually practice a certain art without being able to bring it to completion, it would affect future cultivation. Was Moke crazy? To take such a risk for a sword art?

Seeing Zhang Nuo's suspicion, the monk smiled faintly and said:

"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist! This old monk does not possess any great divine abilities, but I have spent my life meticulously studying cultivation techniques; even if one has practiced different types of techniques, I can still erase one or two of them on my own!"

Zhang Nuo's eyes went a bit blank! Erasing techniques that had already been learned—how could such a thing be possible? Once the meridians within the body have taken shape, they are fundamentally impossible to change! It seems there is indeed a reason why this monk has always been a unique existence at Jile Temple!