Chapter 819: Water Prison Technique
"Three-six-nine grades, upper restraining lower?" Mo Hua looked confused. "Why have I never heard of such distinctions in the Great Void Sect?"
"The Great Void Sect?" Yu Canghai was taken aback. "You're actually a disciple of the Great Void Sect?"
Mo Hua nodded.
Yu Canghai sighed.
"No wonder…"
So he's from one of the Eight Great Sects.
He'd heard often that the Great Void Sect had declined, with each generation weaker than the last.
But to think that a random disciple he met outside would possess such unpredictable strength?
Clearly, the rumors weren't reliable.
The Great Void Sect was a branch of an ancient sect—with such profound blessings and hidden foundations, it was truly unfathomable.
Yu Canghai couldn't help but hold the Great Void Sect in higher regard.
He sighed again and explained:
"Your sect's legacy is different from my Water Prison Sect. You walk the path of open transmission and proper teachings. Though you may have internal distinctions of quality, you don't clearly implement a 'higher restrains lower' system."
Mo Hua asked curiously,
"You know about the Great Void Sect's inheritance?"
Yu Canghai nodded slightly.
"Of course. Though the Water Prison Sect has declined, we've retained some ancient tomes recording the grand state of the various sects a thousand years ago."
"A thousand years ago…"
Mo Hua's eyes lit up with interest.
Yu Canghai thought for a moment and continued:
"According to our records, in the Qianxue Province a millennium ago, the Great Void Sect, though not the most powerful, was still feared by all. The key reason… was its inheritance of Sword Intent."
"Sword Intent?"
"That's right." Yu Canghai nodded.
"Tai'a Divine Sword Forging, Chongxu Sword Qi Derivation, and Great Void Sword Intent Transformation—these were the three most ancient sword inheritance systems in Qianxue's five-grade sects."
Tai'a Divine Sword Forging, Chongxu Sword Qi Derivation, Great Void Sword Intent Transformation…
Mo Hua suddenly remembered and asked:
"Elder Yu, I've heard that Tai'a Sect, Chongxu Sect, and our Great Void Sect all descended from the same ancestral sect. Do you know its name?"
Yu Canghai's expression turned regretful.
"That I don't know. Our sect's records never mention it. Only that the ancestral sect was ancient beyond reckoning, but once it split into three branches, even the name of that ancient sect was erased from memory, never spoken of again, nor recorded in any scroll or jade slip."
Mo Hua frowned slightly, growing serious. Then he asked:
"How exactly do you cultivate the Great Void's Sword Intent?"
Yu Canghai looked at Mo Hua strangely.
You're a disciple of the Great Void Sect… asking me, a Water Prison Sect elder, how to cultivate your own Sword Intent?
Mo Hua could only say sheepishly,
"They don't teach us anymore."
Indeed, the current Great Void Sect rarely taught anything about Sword Intent.
He himself focused on spellcraft, not swordsmanship. His sword control technique wasn't true swordsmanship, either.
He only occasionally attended sword classes to observe the methods of sword cultivators.
In all his five years training at the Great Void Sect, he had barely seen any elder formally teach the art of Sword Intent.
It was barely even mentioned.
Even cultivators like Situ Jian, clearly sword-focused, seemed to learn everything except sword techniques from the sect.
His sword cultivation method was from his own family—the "Blazing Fire Sword Art"—not from the Great Void Sect.
Yu Canghai was surprised too.
"They don't teach it anymore?"
He frowned and muttered,
"...That doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't they teach it?"
What kind of sect recruits disciples but doesn't pass on its core Dao lineage?
Yu Canghai pondered for a moment and then said:
"Maybe… because Sword Intent is simply too hard to pass down…"
"You raise your sword during Qi Refinement, study spells during Foundation Establishment, and tirelessly hone your sword path. Comprehension of Sword Intent may only begin to show results by late Golden Core. Only in the Ascension realm will it finally bloom, cleaving the nine heavens."
"That path is too slow. In today's world, it's considered... impractical."
"With countless sects and fierce competition, something like Sword Intent that can't be cultivated in the Foundation stage and takes ages to mature is a liability. Other sects' disciples are already out there slaying enemies with dazzling sword arts, while you're still refining your foundation and nurturing intent. Sure, once you succeed, you'll shine like no other—but how many years of hardship and obscurity must you endure first?"
At this point, Yu Canghai sighed.
The evolution of cultivation methods had brought progress, yes…
But cultivators these days were too obsessed with quick results. Few had the patience to truly refine their Dao.
"Great things come late."
The strength of ancient cultivation paths often lay in their demand for solitude, endurance, and long-term persistence.
Mo Hua nodded slowly.
The Great Void Sect's Sword Intent path did seem to lean on late-stage power. It put Foundation Establishment cultivators at a disadvantage.
That was Yu Canghai's take.
But Mo Hua felt it was more than that.
If Great Void's Sword Intent was all about building power over time, then the sect's inner disciples today should dominate the Eight Great Sects.
But reality said otherwise.
Even among the Eight Great Sects, the strength of Great Void's inner disciples and elders was nothing particularly outstanding.
Not that people like Xun Ziyou or Xun Zixian were weak—but they weren't exceptional either.
The real issue likely lay in the fact that even the late-stage Sword Intent methods had been lost.
Already difficult to learn, slow to master—and then, for some unknown reason, the application of Sword Intent also vanished.
No wonder they no longer taught it…
That lineage—the Dao of the Great Void Sect itself—had too many breaks and obstacles, making it nearly impossible to pass on.
A sect once famed for its sharp, dazzling Sword Intent had now become the slow, lukewarm underdog.
After speaking on the Great Void Sect, Yu Canghai sighed:
"Your sect inherited the most orthodox path of an ancient lineage. The difficulty lies in the heritage itself. You only need to teach it sincerely. As for us Water Prison Sect folk—we've got far more to consider."
Mo Hua: "…"
"What do you have to consider?" he asked.
Yu Canghai sighed again.
"Our entire inheritance is tied to the Dao Court. We're used to scheming and inner strife—so we must guard against others, and even against ourselves."
"Even the Water Prison Sect's founding ancestor—a deeply calculating, power-hungry man—trusted no one. Not his kin, not his clan, certainly not his disciples."
"So he ranked the sect's spells by class, enforcing strict hierarchies."
"Direct bloodline learned the top tier. Inner disciples learned the middle tier. Outer disciples got the bottom tier."
"Low-tier spells were naturally restrained by high-tier ones."
"And naturally, low-tier spells had no effect against high-tier arts."
Mo Hua frowned, puzzled.
"With such obvious 'inheritance discrimination,' how did you still attract disciples?"
Yu Canghai answered:
"That's human nature. Only when there's no profit will people talk about dignity and integrity. Once there's benefit to be gained, they'll toss their pride and morals aside."
"Some minor discrimination in legacy? Please. That's nothing."
"Besides, when it comes to water-based cultivation and Dao methods, our Water Prison Sect is second to none in the Qianxue Province."
"Even if spells are ranked, those 'low-tier' spells are still quite powerful—just ineffective against our own sect. Against outsiders? Still deadly."
Mo Hua nodded.
His Water Prison Technique worked just like that.
So far, it was ineffective only against Water Yama and Elder Yu here—but worked wonders on everyone else. Bind one, capture one—simple as that.
"Even such a powerful Water Prison Technique is considered low-tier?" Mo Hua mused aloud.
Yu Canghai hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Strictly speaking… it's not quite."
"Not quite," Yu Canghai said. "Even the Water Prison Technique has its own 'three-six-nine grades'."
Mo Hua was puzzled.
"Three-six-nine grades? Why haven't I ever heard of this?"
Yu Canghai sighed.
"You're not a disciple of the Water Prison Sect. You only learned a simplified paper-based version of the technique—just the rough outline."
"The true essence of a technique lies in how it's used. Much of the inner knowledge is passed down by word of mouth, not written in manuals."
Mo Hua was stunned.
"There's more to the Water Prison Technique?"
He'd studied it and used it for so long… and had no idea.
Yu Canghai hadn't planned on revealing it, but under Mo Hua's intense gaze—and recalling that Mo Hua had basically saved his life—he decided he owed the young man something in return.
Besides, this was just a minor secret of the Water Prison Technique. Sharing it wouldn't really hurt anything.
And even if he shared it… Mo Hua might not be able to grasp it anyway.
Yu Canghai began,
"When you cast the Water Prison Technique, you must have noticed that it forms a number of spiritual water chains, right?"
Mo Hua nodded.
"How many?" Yu Canghai asked.
Mo Hua thought for a moment.
"Three, I think."
Yu Canghai nodded.
"Those chains are what make up the so-called three-six-nine grades."
"Each chain represents a small threshold. For every threshold you cross, the spiritual energy cost rises, but the Water Prison's binding strength also increases."
"Every three chains form a major threshold. Crossing one causes a qualitative change in the Water Prison Technique and raises it to a new tier."
"Three chains is basic. Six is intermediate. Nine is mastery."
"With three chains, the technique is almost useless against anyone trained in the Water Prison Sect's arts."
"Six chains can subdue outer disciples to a degree."
"Nine chains? That's mastery. With that, even inner sect cultivators—and some less skilled core disciples—would feel seriously threatened."
Mo Hua was amazed.
"There's that much nuance to it?"
"Of course." Yu Canghai sighed.
"Cultivation legacies are complex. None of this would ever be written in a manual. It's passed from master to disciple, and only those who've truly mastered the technique know the inner workings."
"Oh…" Mo Hua nodded.
The cultivation world really was vast. It wasn't just formations—even spell techniques weren't as straightforward as he'd thought.
Turns out, as long as you're willing to learn, there's always something new.
"Then how exactly do you train to reach those thresholds?" Mo Hua asked.
Yu Canghai hesitated.
"That's…"
"You can't say?"
"It involves specifics of our inheritance, so I can only say a little." He sighed, then explained:
"When casting the Water Prison Technique, you gather spiritual power from the Qi Sea, guide it into the forearm, passing through the Chize, Waiguan, and other acupuncture points—Bai, Linggu, Zhongbai, Zhongzhu… finally converging into the spell pattern and releasing from the Shangyang point on the index finger."
"These acupoints are the key."
"As spiritual energy travels through these points, it forms a micro-loop. Every additional loop completed in those few heartbeats before the spell finalizes—creates one extra chain."
"Simple in theory—but extremely difficult in practice. You need years of training to be fast and precise, and your spiritual energy must remain perfectly steady to…"
Before he could finish—
"You mean like this?" Mo Hua asked.
Yu Canghai looked over.
Mo Hua lifted his hand, and four spiritual chains formed in the air—one more than before.
Yu Canghai fell silent.
"Should I make it faster?" Mo Hua asked, then focused again, refined his control, and cast it once more.
His spiritual energy flowed faster, cleaner.
Soon—five chains emerged.
Yu Canghai was stunned.
Mo Hua still wasn't satisfied.
"I think it can be faster… the energy flow through those points can be even more precise…"
He tried again—five or six times.
Some failed.
But in the end, through sheer effort, he successfully formed—six chains.
That seemed to be the current limit. Any more loops would take too long and destabilize the spell structure.
Still, six chains was solid—double what he'd started with.
He used to only form three.
Then Mo Hua frowned and asked:
"Don't you think your 'three-six-nine' system is kind of… arbitrary? I mean, between three, four, five, and six—it doesn't feel that hard to go up a level. Why slice it up that finely?"
Yu Canghai stood motionless, numb, not knowing what to say.
What could he say?
That most Water Prison Sect disciples didn't train like this?
That each new chain took years—sometimes a decade—of dedicated practice?
He couldn't say that.
It was too embarrassing.
Expression stiff, Yu Canghai muttered:
"W-well… maybe the sect elders were a bit hasty with the grading… but hey, it's a basic spell. Not that hard. The fine grading was meant to… um… encourage disciples to keep learning, boost morale, and all that…"
By the end, he wasn't even sure what he was saying.
Mo Hua, on the other hand, believed it.
"Didn't expect the elders of your Water Prison Sect to be so considerate," he said seriously.
Yu Canghai gave a bitter smile.
If only you knew.
He made it up.
"So," Mo Hua asked curiously, "does your Water Prison Sect have any stronger spells?"
Yu Canghai's expression sharpened.
This involved sect secrets. Normally he wouldn't reveal such things.
But after everything that had just happened, he couldn't let this little brother look down on the Water Prison Sect.
Their dignity was at stake!
"Of course," Yu Canghai replied solemnly, a hint of pride in his tone.
"Our sect was once illustrious, with a deep legacy. The number of water-element techniques we've mastered is countless."
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled.
"Like what?"
Yu Canghai thought for a moment.
"Let's not talk about everything. Even just among control-type spells like the Water Prison Technique, we have more advanced techniques."
"There's a control spell even stronger than the Water Prison Technique?" Mo Hua lit up.
Yu Canghai nodded.
"The Water Prison Technique at most can form nine chains."
"But above it, there is a Dao technique that begins with eighteen chains."
"That is our Water Prison Sect's signature, advanced control-type Dao technique—Water Prison Art!"
Water Prison Art?!
Mo Hua's heart trembled slightly.
Just the name alone sounded terrifying.
Seeing Mo Hua's surprised expression, Yu Canghai felt a bit smug and continued:
"There are plenty of high-grade offensive Dao techniques in the cultivation world—but powerful control-type techniques? Those are extremely rare."
"And this Water Prison Art is precisely one of those rare, high-grade control techniques!"
"Moreover, it's the most elite control technique in the Water Prison Sect's legacy. It can counter any cultivator who practices our sect's spells and movement arts—only direct-line successors to the sect leader are allowed to learn it!"
"Most importantly, the Water Prison Art is a true force-type control spell. It completely ignores the immunity effects of techniques like Golden Body Art or Golden Body Talismans, allowing for direct suppression!"
"In the face of the Water Prison Art, a golden body is no more useful than a piece of paper!"
That really stunned Mo Hua.
High-grade Dao technique. Overwhelming control. Ignores golden-body-level resistance.
He immediately asked,
"Then if I learn the Water Prison Art, can I capture the Water Yama?"
Yu Canghai shook his head.
"You can't?" Mo Hua asked.
"It's not that you can't," Yu Canghai said, "it's that learning the Water Prison Art is even harder than catching the Water Yama…"
"This is a highly complex, high-tier Dao art—it's not something one can pick up easily. Throughout the Water Prison Sect's history, only the sect leaders and their direct bloodline successors have even qualified to learn it. And even then, not every sect leader could master it."
Mo Hua asked,
"Then…"
Yu Canghai continued,
"Of course I can't use it. I'm not the sect leader, and I certainly don't have the Water Prison Art's legacy scroll."
Mo Hua was disappointed again and asked,
"Then… is there anything even stronger than the Water Prison Art?"
"The Water Prison Art is already a top-tier spell," Yu Canghai began, "and anything above that would be—"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"Would be what?" Mo Hua pressed.
"Nothing…" Yu Canghai forced a smile.
"There are stronger techniques than the Water Prison Art, but those aren't control-based. When it comes to pure control… nothing beats Water Prison Art."
"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.
After that, Yu Canghai didn't say much more.
He was still injured, so Mo Hua didn't press him further and took his leave.
Still, this conversation had given Mo Hua plenty to think about.
First, the Water Prison Technique
It had higher-level forms of mastery.
Once back, he could train it further and see if he could cultivate it to the highest state—nine spiritual chains.
Nine chains would definitely elevate its effectiveness to another level.
Second, the Water Prison Art
An ultra-rare, top-tier control spell. Only Water Prison Sect leaders could learn it. Not only could it counter their own sect's techniques, but it also ignored Golden Body defenses.
Mo Hua didn't care much for kill-techniques. He wasn't greedy.
But this kind of control spell held a strange, compelling charm for him.
He felt both anticipation… and regret.
Yu Canghai had said he didn't possess the legacy of the Water Prison Art—whether that was true or not was unclear. But even if he did, he likely wouldn't share it.
After all, this was the Water Prison Sect's sect-guarding secret technique.
And more than that, it was a high-tier Dao art, with massive spiritual energy requirements.
With Mo Hua's limited spiritual power, even if he learned it… he might not be able to use it.
As for when Yu Canghai accidentally said "forbidden—", Mo Hua was nearly certain what he meant:
Forbidden Arts.
So the Water Prison Sect had forbidden arts too?
This Elder Yu really had a lot of secrets buried deep…
Mo Hua sighed to himself.
But these were, after all, the secrets of another sect. He couldn't demand too much.
He tucked his curiosity away and returned to the Great Void Sect.
As he stepped through the mountain gate, he looked up at the plaque that read "Great Void Sect."
Mo Hua couldn't help but think of what Elder Yu had said—how ancient records in the Water Prison Sect spoke of the predecessor to the Great Void Sect.
"Tai'a forges the Divine Sword, Chongxu evolves Sword Qi, Great Void refines Sword Intent…"
"What kind of ancient sect existed before these three split?"
"If the three were ever reunited—Sword, Sword Qi, and Sword Intent brought together—what kind of unparalleled sword legacy would that be?"
Mo Hua looked to the sky, full of longing.
But then his expression dimmed slightly.
What a shame—the three sects had long since gone their separate ways.
Judging by the current situation, there was no chance of a reunion. It was a pointless dream.
"If only the three sects could reunite…" Mo Hua thought silently.
Then he shook his head and stepped into the Great Void Sect's gates.
Above the mountain gate, white mist still curled and drifted, rising high into the sky, blending into the distant clouds.
Within that mist, a trace of ancient sword intent still lingered.
(End of this Chapter)