As the sword-fighting conference was approaching, the atmosphere in Taixu Sect suddenly became tense.
From top to bottom, everyone's heart was on edge.
Mr. Xun hasn't appeared in public for a long time.
Now all formation classes, from lesson preparation, teaching, to homework correction, are all handled by Mo Hua alone.
Mr. Xun became a hands-off boss, sitting quietly in the middle of the elders' room, deducing something wholeheartedly and day and night.
Even the head of Taixu sect is not so leisurely.
When Mo Hua went to feed the big white dog, he occasionally saw the master a few times and found that he looked a little haggard, and his thick black hair finally began to fall out.
In addition, all the elders that Mo Hua met were in a hurry and had serious expressions. They were busy preparing for the various matters of the Sword Discussion Conference, each of them having their own division of labor.
The most nervous ones were the disciples of Taixu Sect.
Because they were the ones participating in the sword fight.
The honor of the sect, the interests of the family, and personal future all depend on this competition.
Everyone felt as if a stone was hanging in their heart, making them uneasy, and as if a stone was pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.
During the intense training and fighting, the disciples' expressions became more and more solemn and dignified.
Even when eating, they didn't talk much.
At noon, the disciples stayed.
Mo Hua was gnawing on a chicken leg, looking left and right, and found that the dining hall, which was originally bustling with people talking and laughing, seemed to be covered with a layer of frost. Everyone was eating with their heads down, not saying a word. He couldn't help but shook his head.
This is not good.
If the atmosphere is too depressing, it will cause indigestion.
Mo Hua turned around again and looked at Cheng Mo beside him.
Cheng Mo, who used to be nagging, is now truly "silent". He has a stern face and is chewing an elbow with a tasteless look.
Mo Hua handed him a chicken leg.
Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw that it was Mo Hua, and said slowly: "Thank you, Junior Brother."
Mo Hua then asked him, "How's your sword fighting training going?"
Cheng Mo nodded and said, "Not bad..."
But he looked unsteady and obviously not that confident.
Mo Hua was a little confused, "You have a good foundation, don't you have confidence?"
Cheng Mo was depressed and didn't want to talk much, but he had to reply to Mo Hua's words. After thinking for a moment, he sighed,
"Little Senior Brother, to be honest with you, my cultivation, whether it's martial arts, bones, or Taoism, has almost no shortcomings. In my Cheng family, if I say I'm second, no one dares to say I'm first."
"But this is Qianxuezhou. Sects like the Four Sects and Eight Schools are places where only the 'top' disciples can come. My qualifications are only standard. I am just a little better than others because I am 'thick-skinned'."
"When it comes to swordplay, I really don't have any advantage over the other sects' geniuses..."
Cheng Mo didn't feel confident.
Situ Jian and others nearby also nodded.
They are undoubtedly the best in their respective families.
In other places in Kyushu, he is a "genius" that is rarely seen in a century.
Not to mention anything else, if you pick up any disciple from Taixu Sect and send him to the Daheishan State where Mo Hua came from, he will definitely be a genius who will "make a sensation in all parties."
But all these geniuses gathered in Qianxuezhou, because they were all the "best" in their families. Relatively speaking, they were all "ordinary people" without outstanding abilities, and naturally seemed to be lost in the crowd.
It's not that Cheng Mo and the others are weak, but the truth is that the disciples around them are too strong.
There is always someone better than you.
There is always a stronger "genius" above the genius.
Cheng Mo and his fellow "geniuses" have merely stepped into the realm of Qianxuezhou and are on the threshold of meeting even stronger geniuses.
Mo Hua felt a little sad.
Fortunately, I was able to attain enlightenment through spiritual consciousness, and by chance, I took the "back door".
Otherwise, with his qualifications, he wouldn't even be able to step into the threshold of Qianxuezhou, let alone be admitted to Taixu Sect and become a junior brother of Cheng Mo and others.
Mo Hua counted in his mind and found that in the current Taixu Sect, the only one who could truly be considered a "top genius" was Xiaoxiao, who was "merged" here.
Linghu Xiao, a disciple of the Chongxu lineage.
His sword heart is clear and his talent in swordsmanship is rare even in the history of Chongxu Sect in the past five hundred years.
If the three sects had not merged, Taixu Sect would not even have this one "top genius".
Mo Hua was a little unhappy, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that this was reasonable.
Top talents naturally have to join the top four sects.
Only other talents can be distributed among the eight major sects.
The four major sects have the top talents and are the best in sword fighting, so they will naturally always be at the top.
If you always stay at the top, you will naturally be able to attract top talents.
If they don't accept them, then the eight major schools, the twelve schools, and the hundred schools of Qianxue will be accepted.
In this situation, it is actually very difficult for Taixu Sect, including the eight major sects, to recruit a few truly top talents.
"It's not just the spirit stones and inheritance that are differentiating, the talents are also differentiating..."
Mo Hua sighed in his heart.
The only special one was Taiamen three years ago.
At that time, the Tai'a Sect was ranked first among the eight major sects and had a great reputation. There were also two or three top geniuses in the sect.
But top talents are inevitably conceited, and they are all young and full of vigor. Because of the Rouge Boat incident, they were all disqualified from "discussing swords".
After the defeat in the sword fight, Taiamen was unable to recover.
On the surface, the current Taixu Sect is the merger of the three sects, gathering the talents of the three sects.
But because the "top talents" were eliminated, it is not much stronger than the Tai'a Sect, which was ranked first among the eight major sects.
In a sense, it is even a lot weaker.
There are just a lot more people.
Mo Hua frowned.
If you think about it carefully, the situation of Taixu Sect's sword fight is really not optimistic at all.
No wonder the leader started losing his hair.
"No, it seems that it's not just pessimism..."
Mo Hua thought again, the Tai'a Sect was the "rafter" that came forward, bearing the brunt of the firepower of the four major sects.
Chongxumen acts as a buffer for the waist and also shares some of the pressure.
Taixu Sect is at the end and has the least pressure.
But now, Taixu Sect has "taken in" Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect, which is equivalent to directing all the "firepower" towards itself.
All the pressure was concentrated on one person, and he had to bear the "encirclement and suppression" of the four major sects alone.
The situation is appallingly serious.
Mo Hua gave the master a headache.
"I wonder how much of the master's hair will be left after the sword-fighting competition ends..."
Mo Hua began to feel sorry for the master's hair.
Seeing that Cheng Mo was still frowning, Mo Hua comforted him, "Do your best and don't feel stressed."
Cheng Mo smiled bitterly, "Junior Brother, I know the truth, but this pressure can't just go away."
How could he not be nervous about such a big event as a sword fight?
Mo Hua then asked, "Do you want to win the sword contest?"
"Everyone wants to be the champion," Cheng Mo said helplessly, "but I don't have the ability to do so. I just want to get a good ranking."
"What can you do with a good ranking?"
"There are so many things you can do." Cheng Mo's eyes lit up, and he spoke eloquently as if he had been given a shot of chicken blood:
"First of all, if you rank high, the sect will reward you with a large amount of merit, which can be used to exchange for resources, inheritance, or to enter the inner sect, which is perfect..."
"Even if you don't get into the inner gate, it's still impressive to get a good rank and return home in glory."
"This is the ranking of the sword contest in Qianxuezhou. The ancestor of the family will definitely look favorably upon me."
"Even if you brag outside, you will still be ignored, and everyone will be inferior to you..."
Mo Hua was a little confused: "Is it really that powerful?"
Cheng Mo nodded: "That's natural."
"But..." Mo Hua frowned, "I got the first place in the formation, but I feel like it's just like that, not that great..."
Cheng Mo held his breath in his chest and didn't want to talk to Mo Hua.
The other disciples were also choked.
Junior brother is good in every way except that sometimes his words can be very irritating.
But after Mo Hua said this, everyone unconsciously became less nervous.
Mo Hua then asked the others: "Do you want to win the sword fight and show off in your family?"
"It's natural. If you don't show off, you're wasting your youth."
"Of course, it's not just for showing off, there are many benefits..."
The atmosphere became more lively, and the disciples started talking more, saying all sorts of things:
"I want to bring honor to my family. If I get a good ranking, my parents will also be proud. My father often said that the most successful thing in his life was giving birth to a son like me..."
"I mainly want to earn some merits. My skills consume too many resources..."
"My parents said that if I could win a good place in the sword contest and become famous, they would find me a good marriage."
"Did your parents get the difficulty wrong? Don't you know how difficult it is to fight with a sword? How much difficulty can it take to find a marriage partner?"
"That's because you haven't looked for it. If you look for it, you will know..."
…
There are also those who come from wealthy families but have poor families:
"My father is a gambler, and my mother remarried. I can't rely on anyone but myself. I want to fight for a future for myself!"
Someone nearby also echoed: "Yes, I also want to give it a try and make a name for myself in Qianxuezhou with my own strength. If I fail..."
He looked unwilling, "I can only go back and listen to my parents' arrangements, marry a woman of equal status, and inherit the position of head of the family..."
A lot of people were speechless...
"Thank you. We are no longer friends now." said the disciple.
"No, it's a small family, only a fourth-rank family. Why are you angry?"
"We're done. Don't talk to me..."
…
As they talked, the atmosphere became harmonious. Everyone felt more relaxed and relieved of some of the pressure.
Cheng Mo glanced at Mo Hua and asked in a low voice:
"Junior Brother, are you also going to participate in the Sword Discussion Conference?"
Mo Hua groaned, "I think he will participate as well."
"Junior brother, do you also want to get a rank and show off when you return home?" Cheng Mo said.
"This..." Mo Hua fell into deep thought.
"What nonsense! Junior brother is not as superficial as you?" Situ Jian said dissatisfiedly.
"How is it superficial?" Cheng Mo was dissatisfied. "If you don't return home when you are rich and powerful, it's like walking at night with embroidered clothes. This is human nature. How can it be superficial?"
"That's right." A disciple echoed.
"That's what I said, but Junior Brother must have other intentions..."
"I guess he wants to enter the inner sect through the sword fighting competition and become an elder in the future."
"What are you talking about? With Junior Brother's status, is it necessary for him to enter the inner gate?"
"What about earning merit?"
"Do you know how many merits Junior Brother has now?"
"How many?"
"To the point where Junior Brother himself doesn't even know how many merits he has..."
"I heard that the ancestor has already sealed the Grand Void Order of Junior Brother, and his merits have been displayed. He is afraid that we disciples will see it and damage our Dao heart..."
"It's not that exaggerated..."
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
"Then, little brother, you participated in the sword contest to get a good ranking and find a good Taoist partner in the future."
"Nonsense! Do you still need to find a Taoist partner for my little brother?" A disciple said solemnly, "To be honest, I have a younger sister with top-grade spiritual roots, who is young and beautiful, and just the right age..."
Before he finished speaking, someone shouted, "Lu Zhenming! I asked you to introduce your sister to me before, but you said your sister was still young, so you disagreed?!"
"This is my own sister. I can't push her into the fire..."
"Okay, okay, okay, we are brothers. Can you explain to me what the hell is a 'fire pit'?"
…
Amid the noise, the atmosphere in the cafeteria became more lively.
Mo Hua, however, was lost in thought.
Although most of the remarks were jokes, what these disciples said was also correct.
"Why am I participating in the sword-fighting competition?"
This issue is worth pondering and must be considered carefully.
When he returned to the Disciples' Residence in the evening, Mo Hua was still thinking about this problem.
Other disciples wanted to win a good ranking in the sword-fighting competition. Some wanted fame, some wanted family benefits, some wanted merit, some wanted a place as an inner disciple, and some wanted a good marriage...
What do I want?
Fame. I am already famous enough.
The protruding rafters rot first, and the fat pigs are slaughtered first. For you, being famous may not be a good thing.
You have no lack of merit, but you cannot enter the inner gate.
He was a casual cultivator, had no family interests to fight for, and no position of "family head" to inherit.
As for marriage...
It's still early, there's no need to think about it now.
Besides, based on Mo Hua's understanding of Junior Sister...
If I really go to participate in the sword competition, the junior sister will most likely worry about whether I get hurt first, and will not care about what ranking I get.
Whether I get a ranking or not, it doesn't affect me being her junior.
After much calculation, Mo Hua found that he actually had no needs at all.
What may be in demand is the reward for first place in the sword-fighting contest.
But these rewards have already been decided, and Mo Hua has also seen them.
One is the choice of the top-grade martial arts inheritance from the four major sects and the eight major schools.
There is another one, which is also a self-selected one from the top Taoist traditions of the four sects and eight schools.
In addition, there are also some sect treasures, top-grade elixirs, talismans and the like.
The things are undoubtedly top-notch, but they are prepared for the real "chosen ones" and are not very practical for those with weak foundation in ink painting.
Even those martial arts and Taoist methods were not worthy for him to learn given his spiritual roots.
Apart from this, the only reason to participate in the sword-fighting conference is probably to help Mr. Xun and help Taixu Sect overcome this difficulty.
After all, he had received so much favor from Mr. Xun and Taixu Sect.
Of course, this is also to make the head lose less hair...
But that's all, it won't take that much effort.
Moreover, Mo Hua had considered it and realized that this matter was actually very risky.
What Mr. Xun said before was correct. Once you participate in a sword-fighting conference, under the spotlight of everyone, all your cards will be revealed bit by bit.
This is extremely fatal.
After all, many of his hidden cards cannot be seen in public.
And if he didn't use his trump card, he would have no ability to participate in such a grand sword-fighting event.
The sword-fighting conference is no joke. It is attended by many geniuses and powerful men.
This is a long and arduous battle.
Mo Hua would not be so naive as to think that he could get a good ranking without giving his all.
Even if he tried his best and played all his cards, it was hard to say whether he could make it to the end...
High difficulty, high risk and low return.
Mo Hua thought deeply for a long time, and then he helplessly discovered that this was the objective situation.
In the sword-fighting competition, it would be best if he could just go and do some paddling.
Try to help Taixu Sect and move up some places.
As for the rest, there is no need to consider it.
Mo Hua sighed slightly.
He thought about it over and over again, and even used a cause-and-effect algorithm. After a little calculation, he found that no matter how he considered it or how he deduced, "slacking off" was the best option.
Ink painting became a little boring.
But this is the situation, and this is the cause and effect.
People cannot do things that are out of touch with reality.
Mo Hua became more open-minded and felt much calmer. He also became less concerned about the sword-fighting conference.
While the other disciples were doing their best to prepare for the sword fighting competition, Mo Hua was still practicing his unique formations and studying the principles of formations as usual.
The days are as plain as water, passing by little by little...
…
At this time, Daozhou.
Tianshu Pavilion.
In the high pavilion shrouded in mist and unable to be seen through, the old man with a head full of white hair was still dozing off.
In the hazy smoke, the elder slept peacefully.
It was unknown how long it had passed before the elder woke up from his doze. He slowly raised his eyes and looked at the chessboard in front of him.
The chessboard was made of dead wood and there was nothing special about it. However, reflected in the elder's turbid but abyss-like eyes, it glowed with a faint light, as if there was some mystical mystery and cause and effect involved.
The elder looked at the chessboard, his voice like a dusk drum, and slowly muttered:
"The chessboard... is set up, and the chess pieces are in place, but... there is still something missing."
The chess pieces are all dead and can only develop in a predetermined direction.
The chess game is naturally a dead end, with no twists and turns.
We need a variable, a "live piece" to revitalize the whole situation...
Then… who has the capacity to be this "living child"?
The elder's eyes were deep, and as his mind surged, cause and effect continued to flow.
At the same time, he reached his withered fingers into the chess pot, fumbled for a moment, and pulled out an ordinary black chess piece.
The elder looked slightly surprised and even found it strange.
"In such a large chess game, is there really someone who can be a living piece?"
The elder was curious, and he twisted the chess piece, looking at the chessboard in his eyes, trying to figure out the identity of this "live piece".
But after twisting it for a while, he gave up.
Since it is a live piece, it cannot be counted out. If it is counted out, it becomes a 'dead piece'.
"Never mind..."
"If you have a live fish, you have a fish. If you have a fish, you need to give it 'bait' to make it move on its own..."
What bait should he give?
The old man began to calculate again, thinking about how to "fish".
The myriad skills of Tianshu Pavilion flowed through his mind like running water, but there was not even a slight fluctuation in cause and effect...
The elder skipped over the techniques and started to calculate the Dao techniques, elixirs, talismans, and formations...
But after all the calculations, even some top-quality inheritances as "bait" still cannot lure this "fish".
The elder looked indifferent, not surprised.
In such a big situation, the one who can be a "live piece" and serve as this variable is definitely not an ordinary person, but must be a "big fish".
Since it is a big fish, it cannot be caught by ordinary "bait".
The elder began to raise the level and pick the "bait" from the secret teachings of Tianshu Pavilion.
This time there is a causal fluctuation.
But that's all.
This "big fish" seemed to have just sniffed the scent and was a little bit moved, but it quickly adhered to its heart, put aside its greed, swam back to the bottom of the water, and lay dormant.
The elder was finally a little stunned.
"You can't even fish this?"
"Really... such a big 'air'..."
"Is this a fish or a dragon?"
The elder felt a little pained, and sighed in his heart: "You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child..."
He gritted his teeth, pointed his finger and broke through the void, and began to search among the ancient inheritance sealed in Tianshu Pavilion.
One after another unusual names passed by his eyes. The elder searched for a while and finally found a heritage with a golden cause and effect.
Above the inheritance, cause and effect shine brightly and condense into gold.
This means that as long as you use this inheritance to fish, you will definitely be able to catch this big fish.
The elder opened this ancient inheritance.
The inheritance is an ancient jade slip, on which are engraved five ancient and unique words:
"Yin Yang Rebirth Array".
These five words, carrying with them a chaotic aura of the first judgment of heaven and earth, the flow of yin and yang, and the reversal of life and death, suddenly made the room suffocate.
The elder's expression slowly hardened, and his eyes became terrifyingly deep.
Yin and Yang Rebirth...
Whose "rebirth"?
It can't be...
In the calm heart, there were layers of shocks.
The elder's eyes were as deep as the abyss.
(End of this chapter)