The Quest for Immortality

Normally quiet and reserved, Ouyang Mu suddenly became eloquent the moment the topic turned to sword-casting.

Moreover, what he spoke of were insights Mo Hua had completely overlooked before.

Truly, expertise in one field often feels as distant as a mountain in another.

Even though both are under the umbrella of artifact refining, sword-casting stands apart from other disciplines, with profound intricacies of its own.

Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu, admiration clear in his gaze.

This is what they call ”professionalism”!

No wonder he’s a direct disciple of the Ouyang family from the Tai’a Sect.

As Ouyang Mu continued talking, he suddenly grew bashful under Mo Hua’s intense gaze. ”I... I was just rambling. If I said anything wrong, please don’t mind it, Brother Mo.”

”No problem, no problem. You spoke very well.”

Mo Hua nodded with a smile but thought inwardly, even if you said something wrong, I wouldn’t be able to tell...

Mo Hua studied Ouyang Mu further and asked:

”Are you planning to become a sword-casting master in the future?”

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Mu’s expression grew complex. After a long pause, he sighed deeply. ”My father won’t allow it...”

Mo Hua was taken aback and asked in surprise:

”Why wouldn’t your father allow it?”

Ouyang Mu said, ”My father believes that the Tai’a Sect’s lack of renown in the past was due to prioritizing ’sword-casting mastery’ too much.”

”Those who shine are the sword users, not the sword casters.”

”The Tai’a Sect’s recent rise to prominence is because the elders decided to use sword-casting mastery as a foundation to vigorously promote the sect’s Tai’a Sword Skill and gradually develop it further.”

”Now, within the sect, any disciple with potential must study swordsmanship.”

”Only those who can’t develop in swordsmanship are sent to study sword-casting.”

”Being part of the Ouyang family’s direct lineage, with so many eyes on me, I am expected to follow my brother’s example: study swordsmanship and serve as a model for the sect disciples.”

”If I were to focus on sword-casting, my father wouldn’t be pleased...”

Speaking to this point, Ouyang Mu looked visibly dejected. ”It’s just..pared to my brother, I fall so far behind. Whether it’s spiritual roots, cultivation level, insight, charisma, sect prestige, or interpersonal skills, I’m vastly inferior to my big brother...”

The more Ouyang Mu spoke, the quieter his voice became.

Mo Hua sighed deeply.

Having an overly exceptional brother, the pressure on Little Wood was easy to imagine.

Their names matched their personalities. Senior Brother Feng was like a towering, steady, and warm maple tree.

While Ouyang Mu was thin, timid, like a ”little wooden stick” that hadn’t yet grown.

The difference between the two brothers was stark.

”But do you want to become a sword-casting master?” Mo Hua asked.

Ouyang Mu nodded. ”I’m not good at anything else. Usually, I don’t speak well, I’m mediocre at sword cultivation, clumsy at monster hunting, but I only feel a little happy when I’m sword-casting.”

Mo Hua encouraged him, ”Then don’t worry about it. Study what you want to study.”

Ouyang Mu was visibly conflicted. ”But my father...”

Mo Hua asked, ”Now that you’re studying swordsmanship, is your father happy?”

Ouyang Mu shook his head. ”My father thinks my swordsmanship is terrible; he’s not happy.”

”There you go,” Mo Hua said, ”If studying sword-casting doesn’t make your father happy and studying swordsmanship doesn’t make him happy either, then happiness isn’t the issue. So what’s the difference?”

”Since that’s the case, why not study something that makes you happy?”

Ouyang Mu froze.

As his mind spun around, he suddenly realized Brother Mo’s words...

Made quite a lot of sense.

Whether he studied sword-casting or swordsmanship, his father would be unhappy.

The result was the same either way.

So what was he so conflicted about?

Although he understood this logic, deep inside, he still felt some unease and hesitation.

Mo Hua didn’t expect him to figure everything out immediately. Instead, he comforted him:

”Don’t overthink it. Start by forging the Spirit Swords you still owe me.”

Though Little Wood was supposed to study swordsmanship first, he still needed to earn Merit Points.

His swordsmanship skills were not sufficient to support him in earning Merit Points.

He was left with no choice but to rely on sword-casting to earn them.

As long as Mo Hua guided him step by step down the ”right path” of sword-casting, all would eventually fall into place.

Mo Hua thought silently to himself:

”What’s so great about studying swordsmanship...”

”In Qianxue State, disciples who study swordsmanship are everywhere; they don’t lack Little Wood.”

”Besides, Little Wood doesn’t have much talent for Sword Dao, nor is he predisposed to the killing temperament it requires. Forcing him to study swordsmanship is just holding him back...”

”Such a good sword-casting seedling, and the Tai’a Sect doesn’t even recognize his value...”

Mo Hua shook his head.

Ouyang Mu recovered, nodded, and said, ”Alright.”

Regardless, he needed to first forge the eight Spirit Swords owed to Brother Mo.

”By the way,” Mo Hua said, pointing to the sword-casting diagram in Ouyang Mu’s hand, ”Modify this diagram the way you just described for me. It’s for that junior brother in Taixu Gate whose artifact refining skill is mediocre.”

Still lacking confidence, Ouyang Mu hesitated. ”Is this okay? Modifying someone else’s sword diagram—wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”

Mo Hua nodded firmly, ”It’s perfectly appropriate. Just go ahead and revise it.”

Under Mo Hua’s strong insistence, Ouyang Mu focused intently and meticulously revised the Spirit Sword’s formation diagram.

When Mo Hua examined the result, he was utterly blown away.

Had he not compared them, he might have never realized how atrocious his previous diagrams were.

Quietly, Mo Hua crumpled up his own earlier diagrams and stuffed them into his Storage Bag.

”Use your design!”

Mo Hua said to Ouyang Mu.

”Alright, Brother Mo!”

Although Ouyang Mu didn’t understand why, such recognition from the seemingly formidable Brother Mo greatly boosted his confidence.

Upon returning to the Tai’a Sect, he temporarily set other matters aside and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to forging swords for Mo Hua.

Eight days later, on the day of the break period.

In the forested mountains of Refining Demon Mountain.

Ouyang Mu handed a golden Spirit Sword to Mo Hua with both hands.

Since it was his first time crafting this type of Spirit Sword, he wasn’t sure about its actual effectiveness. He only refined one first for Mo Hua’s inspection.

Mo Hua received the Spirit Sword, feeling a slight tremor in his heart.

The sword was lightweight, its luster subdued, its internal structure precise, its shape sharp, and its refining craftsmanship remarkably refined.

Even before engraving a Sword Array, traces of Sword Qi could already be felt emanating.

Compared to the flying swords he had used previously, this sword was leagues apart.

Ecstatic, Mo Hua decided to test the sword.

With practiced ease, Mo Hua swiftly engraved the Gold-Cutting Sword Formation onto the Spirit Sword. His speed was so fast and the patterns so unique that Ouyang Mu couldn’t even discern what Mo Hua had drawn.

After completing the Sword Array, Mo Hua moved to an open area, gazed at the sky, and released his Divine Sense to search for a target.

Soon enough, a ferocious eagle soared across the clear sky.

Mo Hua sat cross-legged, placing the golden Spirit Sword before him.

He held his breath, concentrated, activated the Sever Gold Sword Control Technique, and controlled the sword with his Divine Thought while targeting with his Divine Sense.

The golden Spirit Sword suddenly flared brilliantly.

A burst of golden light flashed momentarily.

Then, a streak of gold shot skyward, heading straight for the savage eagle demon beast.

In a split second, the dazzling golden light erupted.

The sharper Sword Qi spread instantaneously, blossoming like golden lotuses, enveloping the eagle demon completely and shredding its wings and flesh into fragments.

The eagle demon was utterly annihilated by the Broken Gold Sword Qi.

It died instantly, not even making it to the ground!

Such powerful Sword Control!

Mo Hua looked stunned as he turned to the equally astonished Ouyang Mu. He patted his shoulder and declared boldly:

”From now on, stick with me!”