The Quest for Immortality

”Qi Refining cultivators can externally release their Divine Sense; in the Foundation Establishment, they can manipulate objects with their Divine Sense; by the Golden Core stage, Object Manipulation reaches mastery, and cultivators’ ability to control objects and swords advances further.”

”Only upon reaching the Late Golden Core Stage can one dabble in the techniques of Soul Emergence. Upon Feather Transformation, they can truly master Soul Emergence.”

”This is the general progression of a cultivator’s Divine Thought power...”

Elder Xun Zixian said.

Mo Hua asked in confusion, ”But Shui Yan... the Sin Cultivator I encountered, he was only at the Foundation Establishment Peak and could already use pupil skills, doesn’t that mean he mastered the Soul Emergence technique in the Foundation Establishment Realm?”

”That’s why I said, this is the situation for typical cultivators,” Elder Xun Zixian explained, ”Foundation Establishment cultivators can indeed achieve Soul Emergence, but their Divine Sense is weak, which makes emergence very dangerous.”

”This pupil skill of his, if targeted towards a typical cultivator, is fine. But if he encounters a cultivator adept in Divine Thought Slaughter, he would be defeated instantly. The real fear is encountering other evil spirits or unknown existences, where even the soul might be at risk of being devoured.”

”If a part of the Seven Souls of the Life Soul is devoured by evil spirits, the cultivator may easily become demented, or worse, go insane or have their soul extinguished and Dao withered.”

”The soul is far more precious than flesh and Spiritual Power and cannot be easily damaged.”

Mo Hua glanced secretly at Elder Xun Zixian and asked, ”Elder Xun, you are in the Late Golden Core Stage, have you learned ’Soul Emergence’?”

Elder Xun Zixian shook his head, ”I haven’t learned it.”

Mo Hua was taken aback, greatly surprised, ”You haven’t learned it?”

He thought, given Elder Xun Zixian’s interest in the Dao of Divine Thought, he would at least try to learn it himself.

”The Ancestor forbids it,” Elder Xun Zixian sighed.

After speaking, he shook his head again, ”It’s not just forbidden, it’s strictly prohibited.”

”All the elders of Taixu Gate are not allowed to practice the Soul Emergence techniques, this is a strict order set by the Ancestor.”

Mo Hua frowned, softly questioning, ”Is it because of... Divine Thought into sword?”

Elder Xun Zixian’s gaze flickered, staring at Mo Hua, ”Have you been secretly inquiring about it?”

”Inquired a little bit...” Mo Hua replied.

”Did you find out anything?” Elder Xun Zixian raised an eyebrow slightly.

”No,” Mo Hua shook his head, ”I found out nothing, it seems everyone is very secretive about it and unwilling to mention it.”

Elder Xun Zixian nodded, ”That’s natural, as the sect has already established rules, classifying this swordsmanship as a Forbidden Technique, preventing disciples from practicing it anymore, and naturally, the elders won’t mention it. Of course, there is another reason why you can’t find out about it...”

”Another reason?”

Elder Xun Zixian nodded, looking at Mo Hua, ”The Ancestor specifically instructed us elders not to allow anyone to tell you a single word regarding ’Divine Thought into sword’...”

Mo Hua opened his mouth, astonished:

”The Ancestor targeting me, surely not...?”

”You must understand,” Elder Xun Zixian looked up at Mo Hua, saying, ”Your situation is unique, your physical and Spiritual Root aptitudes are average, but your Divine Sense talent is outstanding, and you’re intelligent and curious. If you knew that Taixu Gate had a sword technique called ’Divine Thought into Sword,’ you would surely rack your brains trying to learn it...”

”This...”

Mo Hua couldn’t deny it at all.

Indeed, he was racking his brains to learn it.

Elder Xun Zixian sighed, ”This is precisely what the Ancestor fears. This sword technique cannot be learned anymore.”

”Why?” Mo Hua couldn’t help but ask.

Elder Xun Zixian’s gaze was complex, even with some pain, ”Have you ever been to the back mountain?”

”The back mountain?”

”The back mountain of Taixu Gate.”

Mo Hua was taken aback, shaking his head, ”Isn’t that a Forbidden Land? I’ve never been.”

Elder Xun Zixian nodded slightly, ”I went there once before...”

”In the back mountain, there’s a ’Sword Tomb’, and within it, countless broken swords are buried, as well as countless... corpses of Sword Cultivators.”

Elder Xun Zixian took a deep breath, his tone mournful, ”These Sword Cultivators practiced the Divine Thought into Sword technique, and they are the predecessors of my Taixu Gate.”

Mo Hua’s pupils shook.

”This is the reason...” Elder Xun Zixian sighed, ”Those who practiced the Divine Thought into Sword died faster than others. The higher the disciple’s talent, the quicker they learned the sword technique, and the more likely they were to die young.”

”Soul Emergence, sword transformation slaughter, walking the line between life and death.”

”Strong as it may be, but too rigid can easily break, leaving no room for maneuver.”

”Amidst Divine Thought, there are far too many terrifying killing intents... the enemies of blood, flesh, and Spiritual Power are visible. Yet those on the plane of Divine Thought are more powerful, more obscure; sometimes what you’re facing are terrifyingly strong foes, and you’re completely unaware.”

”Thus, within Taixu Gate, those who can cultivate to the Heaven Void and become predecessors of the Ancestor are very few.”

”In other sects, when encountering talented disciples, sects often place high hopes, these disciples, as long as they cultivate steadily, can hold their own in the future.”

”But in our Taixu Gate...”

Elder Xun Zixian showed a hint of bitterness, ”When meeting talented disciples, instead there’s anxiety.”

”No matter how astonishing the talent is, as long as they practice Divine Thought into Sword, they’ll face layers of unseen danger, the path of cultivation littered with thorns. If injured, the Life Soul will be harmed, meaning at best, their path is interrupted; at worst, they die halfway through...”

Elder Xun Zixian was deeply pained.

Mo Hua also showed emotion and reflection.

No wonder...

Clearly an extraordinarily clever sword technique, yet it’s locked away and no longer passed down.

Previously, he speculated that the side effects of this sword technique were surely significant, so the sect chose not to pass it on.

Now, after listening to Elder Xun’s explanation regarding the soul, he truly understood the dangers within.

Others expend swords in practice, but Taixu Gate expends lives.

When a sword breaks, it can be repaired. When a life soul is damaged, repair is no longer an option.

And now, in the peaceful cultivation world, noble families’ sons are pampered, even if the sect wanted to pass on this technique, likely few disciples would dare to learn it.