Chapter 611: Sword of Divine Thought
It was mid-afternoon, and bright sunlight streamed through the lush, verdant mountains.
A moss-covered stone stairway wound its way up toward the mountain peak.
Mo Hua climbed the stairs with a spring in his step and a cheerful tune on his lips.
But when he reached the ruined temple at the top, he froze.
"No one?"
The dilapidated temple was completely empty—no sign of life. Even his divine sense couldn't detect the mountain god's presence.
Mo Hua peered closer. The offerings on the altar—several steamed buns—had gone moldy, and the fruits had shriveled, dried out from age.
There was no meat left—just a single cup of "wine."
Only… it wasn't wine. The cup was full, but the liquid inside was clearly rainwater that had dripped in from the eaves. The surface was clear, but silt and dust had gathered at the bottom.
It all looked so bleak and desolate.
Mo Hua couldn't help feeling sympathetic.
What a miserable mountain god.
"Lord Huangshan?" he called.
He shouted a few times, but the ruined temple remained silent. Wind whistled through the eaves, and his voice echoed off the lonely mountain walls before vanishing into the void.
"Not home?"
Mo Hua frowned. He felt like someone who had traveled thousands of miles to visit a friend, only to find they weren't in.
"But that can't be right…"
Where could a mountain god go, exactly? Just abandon the temple?
Mo Hua glanced around. The temple wasn't large—just four crumbling walls. No sign of Lord Huangshan anywhere.
Narrowing his eyes, Mo Hua suddenly sensed something.
Within his divine thought clone, the faint strands of golden blood marrow he had refined from the demon commander—the horned enforcer—began to tremble.
Mo Hua's eyes lit up. Following the pull of that divine golden essence, he walked around the outside of the temple and found…
A statue of a little dog.
It was gray and worn, dirty and dust-covered, lying flat in the weeds with its head down—utterly motionless, hiding its presence entirely.
Mo Hua squatted in front of the dog statue, big eyes fixed silently on it.
The dog statue didn't dare move.
"Hey—" Mo Hua whispered.
The little statue's clay eyes somehow looked… nervous.
"Lord Mountain…" he called again.
The statue looked like it wanted to close its eyes and disappear.
"You're a mountain god. Hiding inside a little dog statue… don't you feel the slightest bit ashamed?" Mo Hua muttered.
The clay dog trembled with silent rage but still didn't move.
Mo Hua's expression darkened slightly. He raised three fingers and said seriously:
"I'll count to three. If you don't come out, I won't be so polite…"
"Three…"
"Two…"
He didn't even reach "one" before a puff of smoke billowed out from the statue. Lord Huangshan's long, smiling face appeared.
Seeing Mo Hua's less-than-pleasant expression, he smiled warmly and said:
"Ah—so it was you, little friend! I was just sunbathing in the mountains and dozed off. I apologize for not greeting you sooner!"
Mo Hua looked up at the sky and blinked.
"But this spot's in the shade. What sun are you talking about?"
Lord Huangshan froze for a moment, then forced a smile.
"Shade-sunning is the best kind! Warm and cool at the same time…"
Worried Mo Hua would keep questioning, he quickly changed the subject:
"Did you come to see me for something?"
Sure enough, Mo Hua was successfully diverted.
"Mm." He nodded, but before speaking, glanced at Lord Huangshan and asked curiously,
"Are you going to stay in that little dog statue the whole time?"
Lord Huangshan grumbled internally:
Do you think I want to? If not for hiding from…
Then he froze mid-thought.
"Wait… how did you know I was hiding? I mean—sunbathing?"
He had gone so far as to "lower his divine stature," hide his essence, and squat inside a random clay dog… and he still got found out?
"I felt it," Mo Hua said.
"Felt it?"
"Mm," Mo Hua nodded. "I just had a feeling you were here, so I looked around… and there you were."
Lord Huangshan's scalp tingled.
It's over. This little walking calamity… I really can't hide from him anymore.
Unbelievable.
Clever children aren't scary. What's terrifying are clever children who are also mysterious, unpredictable, and absolutely ignore common sense.
You can't defend against that.
Lord Huangshan sighed and slowly emerged from the clay dog, making a gesture:
"Please, come in and catch up…"
So the mountain god led the way, and Mo Hua strutted in behind him into the ruined temple.
Lord Huangshan turned into green smoke and re-entered the central clay statue on the altar.
Mo Hua sat casually beside it, chatting shoulder-to-shoulder with the "statue."
But Lord Huangshan was clearly uneasy. Mo Hua frowned and asked:
"I'm not going to eat you. Why are you so scared?"
Lord Huangshan forced a chuckle. If only I believed that…
But aloud, he said:
"Little friend, you're wise beyond your years. Your Dao heart is pure as a mirror. I'd be lucky to befriend you—why would I avoid you?"
Mo Hua obviously didn't believe a word. He glanced at Lord Huangshan and asked curiously:
"Lord Mountain, were you… very powerful before?"
Lord Huangshan stiffened, his smile fading slightly. "How do you know?"
"Just a guess."
Lord Huangshan shook his head. "Do I look powerful to you?"
Mo Hua stared at him, eyes clear, voice calm:
"Ten-zhang tall. Fangs seven feet long. Brown fur, thick and bristling. Divine might shrouding the mountain. Heavy aura. Eyes bloodshot. An overwhelming killing aura and malice wrapped around your form…"
Lord Huangshan's expression twisted violently—then went pale the moment he met Mo Hua's deep gaze.
"You… you… how do you…?"
Mo Hua blinked. "Was that really you back then?"
Lord Huangshan's face turned bitter. "How did you know?"
"I dreamed it," Mo Hua said. "A giant yellow-furred demon god. I figured it might be you, so I came to ask."
Lord Huangshan's expression turned complex. After some hesitation, he let out a long sigh.
"That's all in the past…"
"Back then, I truly did enjoy incense offerings in this region. My divine will was vast, covering mountains and rivers. I manifested my divine form. Under the laws of Heaven, I stood at the pinnacle of a realm—nearly invincible."
"But mountain gods are like humans. The moment arrogance is born in the heart, evil will find its way in."
"You can guess what happened after that… not worth recalling. Now I'm like a tiger fallen from the mountains…"
"...and bullied by me?" Mo Hua asked.
Lord Huangshan nodded. "Yes…"
Then suddenly froze and said quickly, "No, no! You've never bullied me!"
Mo Hua thought for a moment. The majestic, fierce image of Lord Huangshan in his prime clashed sharply with the defeated, salted-fish-like figure he was now. It was hard to reconcile.
Lord Huangshan seemed to sense Mo Hua's thoughts and sighed:
"All things in this world—man, beast, or god—are mostly puppets of strength, fame, power, and position."
"Humans especially."
"A beggar becomes a king—authority cloaks him in majesty."
"A king becomes a beggar—without power, he can only beg for scraps."
"Those who can transcend worldly attachments, unbound by status or fame—are as rare as phoenix feathers."
"I was no different."
"When my divine will was at its peak, I exuded grandeur and might…"
"But that grandeur—it wasn't me. It was the power of Heaven and Earth, using me as its puppet."
"But the one that was mighty… wasn't truly me. It was the power of Heaven and Earth, using me as a mere puppet…"
"Later, my cultivation was cut down with a single sword. Without that mighty force behind me, I was just myself again—just a down-and-out little mountain god, struggling to get by with my tail tucked between my legs…"
Mo Hua looked both surprised and thoughtful—he admired Lord Huangshan's clarity but also couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him.
Lord Huangshan felt incredibly uncomfortable being looked at with such sympathetic eyes by this kid and quickly said:
"You didn't come all this way just to pick at my scabs, right…"
Mo Hua nodded, "Of course not. I'm not that free."
Lord Huangshan's eyelid twitched, looking exasperated.
This kid… always looks innocent, but every word stabs you in the heart…
With a deep sigh, Lord Huangshan said:
"Alright, what do you want to ask? Just get it over with…"
The sooner he got this over with, the sooner this little ancestor would leave.
"That sword move that struck you down—the one that turned divine thought into a sword. Can you teach me?"
Lord Huangshan muttered, "I told you, I don't know how…"
Mo Hua shook his head, "You might not know how to use it, but your divine thought is strong. You were struck by it directly—you must at least understand the principles behind it. Maybe even know how that Divine Thought Sword is cultivated!"
"I don't know…"
"You do!" Mo Hua said firmly, eyes shining with confidence.
Lord Huangshan felt a headache coming on under Mo Hua's piercing gaze.
In my whole life, I've never met such a clingy, impossible little pest…
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you…" he gave in.
Best to just say it and get it over with. If he didn't, who knows how long this little demon would keep pestering him…
He seemed to recall past events as his expression grew solemn and focused:
"That sword technique is called…"
"The Great Void Divine Sword Will Manifestation Technique!"
Lord Huangshan spoke each word slowly and clearly. After finishing, he glanced at Mo Hua and saw that he wasn't surprised at all. He blinked in confusion, "You already knew?"
"Yep," Mo Hua replied.
"How?"
Mo Hua hopped off the altar, spread his arms, and displayed the elegant robe he was wearing—black and white tones, simple and dignified:
"Guess which sect this disciple robe belongs to?"
Lord Huangshan stared for a moment, then his eyes went wide.
"Don't tell me—"
"Great Void Sect," Mo Hua smiled. "This is the uniform of the Great Void Sect… the same 'Great Void' as in Great Void Divine Sword Will Manifestation Technique."
Lord Huangshan felt bitterness in his heart.
He thought the robe looked familiar… now that Mo Hua had pointed it out, it was unmistakably the Great Void Sect's robe.
This little troublemaker… was from the same sect as the one who once cut him down!
Though to be fair, Mo Hua's robe was a beginner disciple version—much plainer in style and embroidery. The black dominated, with only a bit of white, unlike that person back then—who wore almost all white. That's probably why he hadn't recognized it right away…
With a look of resignation, Lord Huangshan asked:
"You're a disciple of the Great Void Sect. Can't you just learn it from your own sect? Why come asking me?"
"It's not in the sect… or at least, I haven't found it."
Mo Hua paused, then added, "Maybe my cultivation is too low… not enough clearance. So I can't access it yet."
Lord Huangshan went silent. He clearly didn't want to say more.
So Mo Hua said:
"Just tell me. I'll owe you a favor."
"Hah… what use is a favor from you…"
He muttered under his breath—but still replied honestly, "Fine, I'll tell you…"
Mo Hua hopped back onto the altar, sat cross-legged, and quietly listened.
Lord Huangshan let out a long sigh.
"I'm a mountain god. My divine thought isn't the same as a normal cultivator's—my understanding of divine will is naturally deeper…"
"Back when I fought that Great Void sword cultivator, I was cut all over by divine sword intent. From that battle, I came to understand a bit about the true mystery of that sword technique…"
"This sword technique—Divine Thought Manifestation—is different from ordinary sword arts."
"Normal sword techniques use spiritual energy infused into a sword to form 'sword qi' and then attack the enemy with sharp force."
"But Divine Thought Manifestation requires you to go beyond that—on top of the sword qi, you must infuse it with a formless, intangible, yet infinitely profound power—Sword Intent."
"Sword qi is the foundation. Sword intent is the soul."
"Only by using intent to temper the sword's spiritual rhythm can you unlock its full power—capable of cutting both form and spirit, slaying both the physical and the divine!"
"In short—"
"Typical sword cultivation is about building the sword and refining sword qi."
"But Divine Thought Sword is a step beyond. It takes that sword qi and cultivates the intent within it."
"You can't skip either. Only by refining sword qi to its peak can you produce sword intent. And with sword intent, your sword qi becomes unstoppable—able to cleave through all directions!"
Lord Huangshan's eyes gleamed with pride:
"If not for this very technique—this Great Void Divine Sword Will Manifestation—capable of turning the tangible into the intangible, striking even divine souls—there wouldn't have been a single person in that world who could've done anything to me…"
Mo Hua considered this carefully, then asked:
"Then doesn't that mean… you turned into a 'Dao Calamity'?"
Lord Huangshan's heart went cold. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"You… how do you know?!"
Mo Hua nodded, "I've seen it before. That's how Dao Calamities are nurtured."
…And I've even killed one.
But that sort of thing is a bit taboo. Best not to say it aloud…
Even so, Lord Huangshan sucked in a sharp breath.
This kid… really is not to be messed with.
He immediately withdrew all traces of his earlier arrogance.
No more boasting. One slip, and this little ancestor will catch it again—and then I'm finished…
Mo Hua didn't notice the subtle change in Lord Huangshan's expression. He was too focused, silently thinking over the Sword of Divine Thought:
"So… you have to first cultivate sword qi, refine it to the utmost, then shift from tangible to intangible, and develop sword intent. Sword intent must fuse into sword qi… only then can one train in the Great Void Divine Sword Will Manifestation Technique…"
Mo Hua sighed in disappointment.
"If I don't become a sword cultivator and never train in sword qi… does that mean I can't learn the Divine Thought Sword?"
Lord Huangshan nodded, "That's right."
Mo Hua thought for a bit, then his eyes lit up:
"What if I skip sword qi altogether? If my divine sense is strong enough, could I directly condense it into sword intent instead?"
Lord Huangshan looked at him like he was crazy and snapped:
"You're not cultivating sword qi—so where's your sword intent supposed to come from?!"
"You're a formation master. If you don't draw formations, how are you going to understand formation theory?"
"It's the same principle!"
"The better your swordsmanship, the sharper your sword qi—the purer and stronger the sword intent you'll eventually form!"
"Just relying on divine thought to transform it—how are you going to manage that? Do you think your divine thought is stronger than a sword cultivator's sword qi?"
"And besides, how strong is your divine sense anyway?"
Mo Hua softly muttered, "Sixteen Runes—is that enough?"
Lord Huangshan scoffed, "Sixteen Runes? That's noth—wait, how many did you say?"
"Sixteen Runes..."
Lord Huangshan's face froze.
Sixteen Runes… How was it already sixteen?!
What age was this kid? What stage was he even at?
Early Foundation Establishment—where the heck did sixteen-rune divine sense come from?
Unless he'd eaten some—
Lord Huangshan's heart skipped a beat. He immediately straightened up and, with eyes cast down respectfully and a gentle tone, said:
"Sixteen-Rune divine sense is already very strong… but if you really want to turn divine thought into a sword—it's still not enough…"
"Then how much is enough?"
"Nas–…" Lord Huangshan stopped himself mid-word and downgraded quickly, "At least Golden Core. Twenty Runes or more…"
"Even then, a Golden Core cultivator might still not manage it."
"Because divine thought manifesting into a sword isn't just 'divine thought turning into sword qi'—it's about using sword qi to give rise to sword intent, and then using sword intent to manifest sword qi."
Mo Hua nodded. "Alright, got it."
Might as well try.
Once he reached twenty Runes and entered Core Formation, he'd give it a shot—see if divine thought alone could manifest into a sword.
But before that, he'd try to investigate within the sect—see if he could find the authentic version of the Great Void Divine Thought Sword Technique.
After all, Lord Huangshan's version was purely from a victim's perspective. That didn't guarantee it was 100% accurate—it was just a reference at best.
Thinking of this, Mo Hua felt a bit resentful:
"Why didn't you tell me this last time I asked?"
Lord Huangshan's face was complicated as he muttered:
"So I could help you practice it and then get chopped down again?"
Mo Hua froze for a second… then realized that made sense, so he didn't blame Lord Huangshan anymore.
Instead, he pulled out some wine and food from his storage ring.
"I bought this just for you."
There was pork, beef, vegetables, fruit, pastries, and even wine…
In that moment, Lord Huangshan was stunned—he felt a sudden warmth rise in his chest.
After all these years, he'd grown used to dry steamed buns and wild fruit. He drank rainwater, had no incense offerings, and was already skinny and shriveled…
This kid, Mo Hua—
Bad-tempered, sure.
Ruthless? Yeah.
Not particularly reasonable either…
But at heart… not a bad person.
Lord Huangshan felt deeply comforted.
Mo Hua carefully laid the food and wine upon the altar.
In this world, altars were sacred—offerings placed on them would be divided into two parts:
One remained in the physical world.
The other transformed into a spiritual version—a sacrificial essence—for the mountain god or spirit to consume.
Meat that had been consumed by a god would turn pale and flavorless.
Wine that had been touched would become thin and watery.
Mo Hua placed everything one by one onto the altar. But when he placed a lamb shank down, Lord Huangshan's expression suddenly changed. He immediately said:
"No lamb!"
Mo Hua blinked. "No lamb?"
Lord Huangshan's face turned slightly pale as he nodded. "I don't eat lamb."
Mo Hua found that a little strange, but didn't pry.
One must respect others' dietary preferences.
Humans could be picky—why not mountain gods too?
Still, waste wasn't good either.
So Mo Hua kept the lamb shank for himself.
In the dilapidated temple, Lord Huangshan sat with Mo Hua, eating together.
Lord Huangshan enjoyed the spiritual offerings of meat and wine, but his thoughts drifted—he kept glancing over at Mo Hua.
Mo Hua was sitting on the altar, holding the lamb shank and gnawing away at it with great enthusiasm.
"Meat I wouldn't dare eat… Mo Hua's over there devouring it…"
Lord Huangshan's eyes trembled. His heart pounded with sudden unease.
A strange feeling welled up—like someday, this kid… was going to do something terrifying.
After they ate their fill, Mo Hua said farewell to Lord Huangshan.
The idea of the Great Void Divine Thought Sword Technique had started taking clearer shape in his mind.
Three major directions:
Divine Sense
Sword Qi
Secret Manual
"Twenty-Rune divine sense… still a long way off."
Twenty Runes—that was Core Formation level, and likely a major bottleneck. He didn't know what the roadblock would be.
But based on Lord Huangshan's words, it was only after twenty Runes that one could attempt to manifest a sword from divine thought.
Even if it failed, it was still worth trying.
Then there was sword qi.
Whenever he had downtime, he could practice sword techniques. He didn't need to master them—but at least lay some foundation for turning divine thought into a sword.
Finally, the secret manual—the true version of the Great Void Divine Thought Sword Technique.
He'd need to complete more missions, earn more merit, unlock more permissions, build connections with fellow disciples, and gather clues…
Maybe, just maybe, he could get access to it early.
It was still far off—but it didn't hurt to prepare in advance.
Mo Hua nodded to himself.
"Step by step…"
Right now, the priority was array formations.
Upon returning to the sect, Mo Hua resumed his routine of cultivation, classes, and intense focus on array studies and strengthening his divine sense.
Every rest cycle, he'd team up with Senior Sister Murong and the others to take on missions and earn merit points.
After a long and difficult effort, Mo Hua finally scraped together over 800 merit points.
He went straight to the Merit Pavilion and exchanged them for a formation he had long dreamed of—
the Grade-2, Sixteen-Rune "Flamefire Primordial Magnetic Array"!
This was a Bagua Thunder-Magnetic System array.
It was also a classified formation.
In the Great Void Sect, few disciples studied it. In fact, across the entire Qianxue Province, few were well-versed in it.
But for Mo Hua—it was incredibly important.
He carefully unfurled the formation diagram for the Flamefire Primordial Magnetic Array, as if opening a grand new gateway…
—into an entirely new realm of the Dao of Formations!
(End of this Chapter)