Immortality Through Array Formations

The only time Mo Hua encountered a sword was when Zhang Lan was teaching the Water Passing Step. To demonstrate the Formation, he let Mo Hua stab him with a sword.

That splendidly heavy treasure sword, Mo Hua couldn't even lift it...

In the end, he had to substitute it with a tree branch.

So, truly speaking of sword cultivation, Mo Hua had absolutely no foundation, let alone competing with other sword cultivators to see who was superior...

But being idle was still being idle, and a person should always have some aspirations.

Mo Hua thus took up swordsmanship training as his way of "intellectual recreation."

Even if he couldn't master it, knowing both himself and the enemy, and restraining sword cultivators, would be beneficial.

This sword technique belonged to the Sever Gold Sect.

Mo Hua couldn't practice it openly, so he found a secluded grove, bought a second-hand, worn-out spirit sword, and practiced by himself just for fun.

The Sever Gold Sword Control Technique was a technique of the Golden Series.

Mo Hua had the Small Five Elements Spiritual Root, which included some Metal Spirit Root.

It was feasible for him to practice it.

However, after practicing for a while, Mo Hua noticed a problem.

This thing called Sword Qi, it seemed really strenuous for him to consolidate.

The sword cultivators he had seen, like Uncle Zhang Lan, Senior Brother Ouyang Feng, Senior Brother Shangguan Xu, and Situ Jian who was in the same batch as himself,

When they wielded their swords, the Sword Qi they stimulated was invariably stable in form, sharp, and powerful.

But the Sword Qi he produced...

Mo Hua found it difficult to evaluate...

The Sword Qi he managed to form first of all, the shape was unstable, called a "sword" but more like a "stick," and occasionally like a "tree branch"...

The Sword Qi was also not sharp, sometimes it couldn't even cut tree bark...

Not to mention its power.

He could throw a Fireball with his hand, and its destructive power was higher than this "Sword Qi"...

Mo Hua fell into deep confusion.

"Is my talent for sword cultivation really this poor?"

"That can't be right..."

"Or is it just that everything is difficult at the beginning, and I just haven't gotten the knack of it yet?"

Mo Hua couldn't figure it out and decided not to think about it anymore.

There wasn't anything else to practice anyway, so he might as well play around with it...

Whatever it turned out to be, it would be what it would be, no need to pressure himself.

If he really couldn't master it, he'd treat it as laying a foundation for the upcoming "Tai Xu Divine Thought Transforming Sword True Jue."

"Divine Thought into sword True Jue," as the name suggests, should not be the same kind as ordinary sword techniques.

He might not be able to cultivate ordinary sword techniques, but that does not necessarily mean he couldn't cultivate "Divine Thought into Sword."

Mo Hua sighed.

That was the only way he could comfort himself...

Later, during tea and meal breaks, whenever Mo Hua had some free time, he would find a small grove and casually slash a few times with his sword.

Sword Qi flew about, trees stood firm, only the leaves gently fell.

Fortunately, Mo Hua wasn't discouraged.

He just treated it as pruning the Sect's trees.

...

And so, some time passed like this.

One day, as Mo Hua was returning to the Disciple's Residence, he came across a few disciples whispering to each other.

Mo Hua focused and saw that it was Cheng Mo, Situ Jian, and three other less familiar fellow disciples.

Mo Hua quietly approached and overheard bits and pieces of their conversation:

"The day after tomorrow... during the break..."

"Outside Qingzhou City..."

"Pretending to be a Senior Brother... finally got the task..."

"Not dangerous..."

"No worries... we five are enough..."

"Just need to capture a person..."

"Easy catch..."

"...Ah!!"

Cheng Mo hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly realized someone was standing behind him, which gave him a fright and his face went pale. Upon realizing it was Mo Hua, he finally relaxed.

"Mo Hua, you scared me..."

Then he complained, "How can you eavesdrop on our conversation?"

Mo Hua looked at him blankly, "This is a proper path, I came straight over here, stopped straight here, and listened straight to you guys talking..."

"Blame your own lack of vigilance, how can you blame me?"

Cheng Mo was at a loss for words and then muttered:

"Who knew you'd walk like a cat, soundlessly and even without a breath..."

Mo Hua looked at them suspiciously, "What scheming plots are you guys hatching?"

Cheng Mo, like a student caught by an instructor, immediately became anxious, "We were just discussing... cultivation matters..."

Mo Hua seemed unconvinced.

Cheng Mo then said, "Really!"

After saying that, he realized something wasn't right.

Mo Hua wasn't an Elder or an Instructor, just a Junior Brother teaching them Formations, who they didn't dare to offend. Why was he so nervous?

Cheng Mo immediately straightened up.

Mo Hua whispered, "You guys are planning to secretly take on a quest from the Taoist Court?"

Cheng Mo was startled, "How did you know?"

Mo Hua pursed his lips.

Always playing the mysteriously secretive game...

Situ Jian spoke in a low voice, "Mo Hua, don't tell anyone, alright?"

Cheng Mo also nodded repeatedly, paused thinking that it didn't seem sincere enough, as in these situations, one typically needs to "bribe" a little.

Cheng Mo then said, "Mo Hua, if you promise not to tell anyone, after the task is accomplished, we'll…"

Cheng Mo hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, "...share some Merit Points with you!"

Mo Hua was curious, "How much are you sharing?"

Cheng Mo started to feel conflicted.

They had just started doing these tasks, and they couldn't earn many Merit Points from them, and those they did earn weren't very useful.

"We'll share…" Cheng Mo steeled himself, "ten points with you!"

Mo Hua: "…"

Seeing that Mo Hua didn't respond, Cheng Mo said shockingly:

"You can't still think it's too little, do you?"

"Ten points... isn't much either," Mo Hua said.

Cheng Mo exclaimed in distress:

"You really don't understand the struggle until you're in charge; do you know how many days I have to guard the gate or how many times I have to sweep the streets to earn these ten Merit Points?!"

"You think these points are easy to earn?"