Chapter 660: Sword Cultivation - The Quest for Immortality

### Chapter 660: Sword Cultivation After the "Merit" system was activated, it was evident the disciples had become busier. Although they hailed from prestigious families and lacked nothing in terms of cultivation resources like spirit stones, some rare inheritances, reputation within the sect, and even inner sect quotas needed to be fiercely contested. This was an inherent, invisible competition. The more opportunities one seized to earn merit, the more they contributed to the sect, becoming favorites of the elders and gaining a louder voice among their peers. These disciples were all prodigies. Even if they were outwardly cordial, prizing camaraderie among fellow disciples, inwardly, none were truly convinced of the others' prowess. Acquiring merit involved not just personal gain but also saving face among peers. For individuals at their age, maintaining face could outweigh mere "benefit." Thus, whenever they had time, these fellow disciples eagerly took on various "bounties," accomplishing tasks to earn merit points. This left Mo Hua a bit at a loss. At noon, after lunch, he used to laze around on the grass, sunbathing, and chatting with his fellow disciples. Now, with the onset of the "merit" frenzy, everyone disappeared. Cheng Mo went off to guard the gate. Si Tu Jian was out sweeping the streets. Zheng Fang was buried in formation tasks... Everyone else was figuring out ways to earn merit. Mo Hua, however, was left solitary and idle. He was accompanied only by Little Yu'er, who would joyfully roll on the grass under the sun. Back at the Shangguan residence, Yu'er was expected to maintain the decorum demanded of disciples from great families, always refined and restrictive. Within the sect, without those restrictions, he became much more lively. Even rolling on the grass attracted no reprimands; Mo Hua would just smile at him, making Yu'er supremely happy. Seeing Yu'er so joyful brought Mo Hua some comfort. As for the merit points, it wasn't that he wasn't concerned. It was just that he saw little value in these "entry-level" tasks. Moreover, some entry-level tasks didn't find value in him either. For instance, tasks like gatekeeping or street sweeping... Even if he wished to experience them, others would deem him too frail for such duties. And he still had over a thousand merit points. These were accumulated over time, by capturing rogue cultivators and drawing formations, and remained even after purchasing various formations. Additionally, there was an outstanding merit reward related to the Fire Buddha. However, the Dao Court's processes were notoriously slow, bogged down with bureaucracy, and it was uncertain when the reward would be issued. Regardless, having over a thousand merit points was quite the "fortune." For his fellow disciples, accomplishing enough entry-level tasks to accrue this many points would take an unpredictable amount of time. Mo Hua occasionally felt as though he had already graduated, observing his fellow disciples as they scrambled to address their "backlogs." Yet, a thousand merit points would certainly not suffice in the future. Especially considering his continued formation studies. Rare formations, if deemed expensive, were truly bottomless pits for resources. Currently only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, Mo Hua followed senior brothers and sisters on Dao Court missions to earn merits, using them to study mid-tier second-grade formations and just managing to stretch his resources. But pursuing high-tier second-grade formations could eventually deplete his reserves. And should the Tai Xu Sect possess absolute formations, how many merit points would that require? Mo Hua dared not even speculate. Thus, he had to prepare ahead, strategizing to earn more merit points. Such rewards could never be excessive. During his reprieve, Mo Hua approached Senior Sister Murong, seeking more missions, only to find Murong Cai Yun full of apologies. "Junior Brother, this year, we might not have time for missions..." Mo Hua was taken aback. Murong Cai Yun explained, "We mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciples are entering the Demon Refining Mountain." "The Demon Refining Mountain!" Mo Hua's eyes sparkled. He remembered that previously Si Tu Jian had mentioned it. Within the Qianxue State boundary, there was indeed a 'Demon Refining Mountain.' The mountain was inhabited by numerous demons, some of which were rare species captured deliberately by mighty cultivators and placed there. The purpose was for sect disciples to experience real combat, refine their techniques, and collaborate in demon slaying... "Are there many demons inside?" "Yes," Murong Cai Yun replied. "The Demon Refining Mountain is vast with complex terrains teeming with demons. Many of these beasts are rich sources of rare materials for crafting spiritual artifacts." "Is this Demon Refining Mountain owned by the Tai Xu Sect?" Mo Hua queried. Murong Cai Yun laughed, "No. Though the Tai Xu Sect is formidable, it doesn't command the entirety of the Demon Refining Mountain..." "The mountain, nominally, belongs to the entire Qianxue State, jointly managed by the four major sects, eight great doors, and twelve factions." "Disciples of all sects are allowed to enter the mountain for demon hunts." "The hunted demons can be skinned and dismembered for forging materials or sold to the sect in exchange for merit points..." "Of course, it's best if you use them yourself." "Certain specialized sword cultivators require materials for crafting their unique spiritual swords, which can only be obtained from specific demons within the mountain, such as bones, claws, blood essence, or inner cores..." "Some incredibly rare beast materials, when sold to the sect, fetch hefty merit rewards..." "Hence in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, the primary source of merit for most sect disciples originates from the Demon Refining Mountain's beasts." Mo Hua listened with wide, eager eyes. Hunting demons! Merit points! He felt his hunter's instincts stirring restlessly. Murong Cai Yun seemed to see through his thoughts and sighed. Having spent considerable time with Mo Hua, she could easily discern her junior brother's intentions. Although at times deep and unfathomable, at others, Mo Hua was simple and earnest, his thoughts plainly visible. "You can't go," Murong Cai Yun stated. Mo Hua was startled, "Why not..." Murong Cai Yun patiently listed the reasons: "First, you're only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, lacking sufficient cultivation; second, you're in just your second year since joining, not meeting the tenure requirement; third, entry to the Demon Refining Mountain requires a sect token, which you're ineligible to purchase..." Mo Hua quietly asked: "Can I sneak in?" Murong Cai Yun gave him a small glare, "It's guarded by formations, how could you sneak in?" Mo Hua's eyes sparkled, "What tier formation is it?" Murong Cai Yun shook her head, "I don't know, but it should be at least a fifth-tier formation." "Fifth-tier, huh..." Mo Hua was a bit disappointed. A fifth-tier formation was far too advanced for him to meddle with. Otherwise, he might have snuck in for a look. Still, he was curious about the nature of a fifth-tier formation. "In any case," Murong Cai Yun advised, "don't dwell on the Demon Refining Mountain for now..." "If you encounter mission issues, just let me know. I'll always help whenever I can." Mo Hua felt deeply moved and nodded: "Don't worry, senior sister. You focus on your tasks; you don't have to worry about me!" After parting with Murong Cai Yun, Mo Hua strolled towards the disciples' quarters. As he walked, he pondered: "Senior Sister Murong is headed to the Demon Refining Mountain..." "Then Shangguan Brother, Brother Feng, and Sister Qian should also be going..." "After all, the mountain is the key source of merit for mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciples." With this shift, there would be no one to accompany him. While the Dao Court was becoming more familiar to him, it wasn't the sect, full of complexities and murky waters. The merits earned there couldn't simply be converted into sect "merit points." And even if convertibility were assured, the process would be both lengthy and cumbersome. "Perhaps... I should gather some companions?" But who to involve? Cheng Mo and Si Tu Jian, perhaps? Mo Hua shook his head slightly. They were all at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Previously, he played alongside senior brothers and sisters from the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, Dao Court practitioners, and even Uncle Gu, a Golden Core expert. Downgrading wouldn't do at all. But as he contemplated, no other names came to mind. After pondering for a long while, Mo Hua sighed. “Let's discuss this later...” Mo Hua sighed, deciding to focus on his own matters first. Returning to his room at the disciples' quarters, he began to meditate, closing his eyes to cultivate. Once his Qi Sea felt sufficiently full and his meridians slightly engorged, he opened his eyes. “Cultivation!” he resolved. From now on, he would dedicate more time each day to cultivation. Though cultivating is a slow, gradual process, with persistence and continued effort, progress in cultivation is sure to follow. Mo Hua had considered this long and hard. The second year in the sect was actually quite tedious. His spiritual sense had hit a bottleneck due to his cultivation level. Transitioning from the sixteenth to the seventeenth vein was the cusp between the mid-Foundation Establishment and late-Foundation Establishment stages—an obstacle akin to a great chasm. Even though Mo Hua honed his spiritual sense by frequently drawing formation diagrams and occasionally warding off nightmares for Little Yu’er—earning some extra "side income" in the process—his spiritual sense was far too advanced. Overcoming this barrier in the short term seemed nearly impossible. With his spiritual sense stuck, Mo Hua’s proficiency in formations couldn’t advance either. He could only broaden his foundational knowledge by continuing to learn other formations with fewer than sixteen veins... However, these formations posed little challenge; their repetition was becoming tiresome. Mo Hua sighed. He yearned to learn more advanced formations. Particularly those involving geomagnetic forces, the exquisite construction of magnetic patterns, and nuanced techniques of using thunder patterns, which he had long coveted. But without breaking through in spiritual sense, there was nothing he could do. Mo Hua felt somewhat helpless. As the weeks passed, since his Senior Sister Murong and the others ventured into the Demon Refining Mountain, Mo Hua seldom went out on missions. As a lone mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he couldn’t accept assignments meant for higher levels. The lower-tier bounties at his current level offered too few merit points. Attempting them alone felt like a waste of time. He might as well continue crafting his intricate tier-two formations, which allowed him to earn more merit points without having to run about. Mo Hua found things increasingly dull. Unable to go out on bounties. His cultivation level crept up incrementally, but remained stuck. His spiritual sense, likewise, showed gradual improvement but couldn’t break the bottleneck. Little Yu'er continued to suffer occasional nightmares, rare demonic disturbances, without the intervention of some mysterious sheep-bone enforcer. As for spells, he had learned most of what was available. The spell structure for his Small Meteor Technique was already quite stable. He had also mastered many tier-two functional formations... In the short term, he had little left to chase. Life was mundane, devoid of excitement or joy. Mo Hua suddenly felt he should actively pursue learning something new. He pondered, and then decided to pick up "The Golden Severing Sword Art" to practice honing sword Qi. Regarding sword Qi, Mo Hua's foundation was practically nonexistent. Other sect disciples with sword expertise came from lineages with long-standing traditions—schooled from a young age in sword forms and Qi cultivation. With each progression of their cultivation stage, their sword Qi grew sharper. Toward the later stages, man and sword became one, their sword Qi mightier than ever. Mo Hua, being an itinerant cultivator, had barely touched a sword prior to his Foundation Establishment stage. His only encounter with a sword was when Zhang Lan demonstrated the Technique of Flowing Water, instructing him to thrust a blade for formation demonstration. The ornate, hefty sword was too much for Mo Hua; he ended up using a tree branch. Thus, lacking even the basics, Mo Hua couldn’t hope to compete with other sword cultivators. However, being idle did not suit him, and man should always have aspirations. Thus, Mo Hua decided to treat sword practice as a way to "amuse and improve" himself. Even if he couldn’t master it, understanding and resisting sword cultivators could be advantageous. The sword art was derived from the Gold Severing Sect. He preferred not to practice openly, so he found a secluded grove, bought a second-hand, dilapidated spirit sword, and practiced. The Golden Severing Sword Art was metal-based. Mo Hua had a minor five-element spiritual root, which included metal—it was feasible to practice. However, after a while, Mo Hua noticed an issue. He struggled to properly condense sword Qi, laboriously so. The sword cultivators he’d seen, like Uncle Zhang Lan, Senior Brother Ouyang Feng, Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, and his peer Si Tu Jian, all wielded swords with disciplined form, sharp Qi, and considerable power. His own sword Qi, however... Mo Hua found it difficult to articulate. The condensed Qi lacked stability—more precursor to “sword” than “staff,” or even "twig." The Qi wasn’t sharp enough; sometimes it couldn't even scar tree bark... As for power, throwing a simple fireball was more lethal than his so-called "sword Qi"... Mo Hua was deeply puzzled. “Am I really so untalented at sword practice?” he wondered. “It can’t be...” “Or is this merely the difficult start for all things?” Unable to decipher it, Mo Hua decided to carry on regardless. With no other training options, he continued casually, letting the results be what they may, applying no pressure on himself. If he couldn’t truly master it, he could consider it laying a foundation in swordsmanship against future challenges, like in the "Tai Xu Divine Sense Transmutation Sword Art." The “Divine Sense Transmutation Sword Art,” as the name suggested, was likely divergent from conventional sword techniques. Failing at common sword arts didn’t preclude success with “Divine Sense Transmutation.” Mo Hua sighed, content to comfort himself with this reasoning. Henceforth, Mo Hua would take time after meals to find a quiet grove and cut through the air in practice. Sword Qi scattered, but the trees stayed unmoved, merely shaking loose a few leaves. Yet, Mo Hua remained undeterred. He treated it as a pruning session for the sect trees. ... Days passed. One day on the way back to his quarters, Mo Hua encountered some disciples engrossed in talk. Peering closer, he noticed Cheng Mo, Si Tu Jian, and three other less familiar faces from the sect. Mo Hua approached quietly and overheard their fragmented conversation: “Day after tomorrow… during rest period…” “Outside Qingzhou City…” “Pretending to be a senior brother… tough getting it…” “Not dangerous…” “No problem… the five of us will be plenty…” “Just catching someone…” “Piece of cake…” “Ah!!” Cheng Mo was startled, noticing Mo Hua standing behind him, causing his face to blanche before relaxing upon recognizing him. “Mo Hua, you scared me…” He complained, “Were you eavesdropping?” Mo Hua looked bemused, “This is a public path. I was walking along it, stopped here, and openly heard you speak…” “How is your lack of vigilance my fault?” Cheng Mo fell silent, muttering afterward: “How do you walk like a cat, making neither sound nor presence known…” Mo Hua eyed them skeptically, “What mischief are you plotting?” Cheng Mo, like a student caught by an instructor, tensed up, “Just talking about... cultivation matters…” Mo Hua was skeptical. Cheng Mo reiterated, “Truly!” He then realized the error—Mo Hua was neither an elder nor an instructor, merely a junior they couldn’t afford to upset. Cheng Mo straightened himself. Mo Hua whispered, “You plan to secretly accept a Dao Court bounty?” Cheng Mo was shocked, “How did you know?” Mo Hua merely gave a small sneer. These were the activities he’d tired of, yet they made it sound so secretive… Si Tu Jian, speaking quietly, urged, “Mo Hua, please don’t tell…” Cheng Mo eagerly nodded, realizing sincerity demanded a “bribe” in such scenarios. Cheng Mo offered, “Mo Hua, if you promise to keep quiet, when successful, we’ll…” He hesitated, then resolutely stated, “... share some merit with you!” Mo Hua was intrigued, “How much?” Cheng Mo hesitated further. Being new to these tasks, they hardly earned much merit, which was hardly sufficient. “We’ll share…” Cheng Mo steeled himself, “ten points with you!” Mo Hua: “…” Seeing no immediate response from Mo Hua, Cheng Mo exclaimed, surprised: “Are you thinking it’s still too little?” “Well, ten points… it isn’t much…” Mo Hua responded. Cheng Mo lamented: “You wouldn’t understand the value unless you managed household affairs. Do you realize how many hours guarding gates or times sweeping streets it would take for ten points?!” “Do you think earning these points is easy?” "Alright, alright…" Mo Hua replied with resignation, "I won't say anything. I don’t need your merit points, but remember that going out can be dangerous. Be careful." Cheng Mo was taken aback, but his face soon broke into a wide grin. Throwing an arm around Mo Hua's shoulder, he said, "You're truly a good brother! If anything happens in the future, I've got your back!" Si Tu Jian also shot a grateful glance at Mo Hua. However, seeing Cheng Mo so self-satisfied, another disciple couldn’t help but chime in, "Don’t flatter yourself—Mo Hua doesn’t need your protection." Cheng Mo retorted, "What do you know?" "What do I know? It takes three posts to make a fence, and even a hero needs help…" "Are you the hero? More like a broken post..." ... Seeing them squabble, Mo Hua decided it was best to leave them be and simply advised, "Just be careful when you're out there... Some rogue cultivators can be very cunning..." With that, Mo Hua departed. Mo Hua wasn’t too worried, though. The five of them, while only in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, hailed from esteemed families and had solid cultivation foundations with strong Dao techniques. Even against mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could likely escape unscathed if not win outright. Moreover, the target they were capturing was merely an early-stage rogue cultivator; it shouldn’t pose much of a problem. A few days later, Mo Hua noticed Cheng Mo and his group sneaking out of the sect during a rest period. Within two days, they returned, visibly triumphant. Mo Hua didn’t need to guess—they had clearly completed their task successfully. Cheng Mo, in particular, seemed exceedingly proud of his contribution, his entire demeanor exuding satisfaction. The Tai Xu Sect typically prohibited disciples from taking on such rogue cultivator tasks because these individuals were often treacherous. Moreover, the sect's disciples, raised in comfort and prone to arrogance, could easily find themselves ensnared when abruptly confronting such cunning adversaries. Cheng Mo and his compatriots were quite capable, aided significantly by good fortune. Undertaking the mission covertly, they became, apart from Mo Hua, the first among their peers to successfully execute such a bounty. Of course, this made them quite the talk of the sect. While elders might have remained oblivious or simply chosen to tolerate these actions, the story swept through the disciples' circles. Many began considering excursions themselves. After all, entry-level tasks accrued merit too slowly and were tiresome, lacking the thrill and lucrative rewards of these bounty missions. Some disciples began quietly consulting Cheng Mo on how to accept such missions, what to beware of when venturing outside, and which medicinal pills to prepare... Cheng Mo basked in his newfound attention. But he hadn’t forgotten Mo Hua. One day during a meal, Cheng Mo whispered to Mo Hua, "Next mission, I’ll take you with us..." Mo Hua was surprised, "You’ll take me?" "Yeah!" Cheng Mo assured, "With the four of us plus you, you won’t have to do anything—just run errands and help out a bit. Then we'll split some merits with you..." Mo Hua felt a mix of emotions, touched yet bewildered. But he shook his head. He didn’t need Cheng Mo to lead him. Moreover, he wasn’t interested in a share of the merits. Cheng Mo perhaps thought Mo Hua doubted his intentions and emphatically declared, "In formations, you're the big boss! But for bounties and apprehending rogue cultivators, those skinny arms and legs of yours won't cut it. You’ll have to accept me as the big boss!" Mo Hua remained expressionless, "Oh..." "Thanks to our Immortal Cultivation Grandmaster for the support~ There are also other allies and rewards I’ll thank you all for later~ Currently, I owe the Alliance Leader four chapters~ I will repay them one by one as soon as I organize my outline~ (End of Chapter)"