God of Pets Chapter 869: Sword Technique

In Chen Guan’s perspective, the inscribed hand seals appeared to animate, slowly vanishing from the Jade Sword. As the seals faded, phantom hands, or rather hands unbound by time, materialized from the void, becoming visible to Chen Guan. These were the very hands that had imprinted the seals onto the Jade Sword, now revealed in reverse through the flow of time. Thousands of these spectral hands, moving backward, converged upon a single point, coalescing around a shadowy figure. This figure resembled a thousand-armed Buddha, its numerous arms and hands displaying a multitude of postures, yet the shadow itself remained a chaotic, indistinct mass. Chen Guan realized the figure wasn’t literally multi-limbed; this phenomenon occurred because all the hand seals originated from a single individual, and the analysis of their trajectories created this illusion. Indeed, as the thousands of hands shifted, they merged into the silhouette of a normal human. The shadow then adopted a pose, forming a distinctive gesture with its hands. This gesture was peculiar, devoid of the earth-shattering power Chen Guan had anticipated, lacking the might of gods or demons, and not even resembling the starting stance of a Palm Technique. Just as Chen Guan pondered its nature, an unexpected event unfolded. The Jade Sword, previously lodged in the cliff face, flew out and landed directly into the shadow’s hand. It was then that Chen Guan understood the oddity of the shadow’s posture: it wasn’t a Palm Technique stance but a position for gripping a sword, with the other hand forming a Sword Technique posture. "How is this possible?" Chen Guan exclaimed, astonished. He had presumed the owner of the Jade Sword and the creator of the hand seals were adversaries, not the same person. "If he owned the Jade Sword, why would he himself imprint seals upon it? What was his purpose?" Chen Guan continued to observe as the shadow sheathed the sword and vanished. "Now it’s definite: the Jade Sword and the hand seals originate from the same person. Was he attempting to enhance the Jade Sword’s power or suppress it?" Chen Guan mused internally. If the intention was to enhance its combat capabilities, its placement atop the mountain suggested it might be suppressing or sealing something on or within the mountain. Conversely, if it was meant to suppress the Jade Sword, it implied the sword possessed extraordinary qualities and perhaps unique attributes. Chen Guan leaned towards the latter explanation; if enhancement were the goal, there would be no need to strike with such force as to carve grooves into the sword. Another reason supporting this view was that, even viewed in reverse, the imprinting of those hand seals did not convey any benevolent amplification. Through repeated analysis using the Secret Law, Chen Guan grew increasingly convinced that the hand seals were designed to suppress the Jade Sword itself, and he began to discern some clues about their nature. The reason Ming Fei’s Prajna Wisdom failed to identify the Palm Technique associated with the seals was twofold: firstly, the inherent power of the seals was exceptionally peculiar, and secondly, they were not executed as a Palm Technique at all. These hand seals corresponded to the gestures of a Sword Technique, intended not for destruction, but for controlling the Jade Sword. Since it was a Sword Technique specifically tailored for the Jade Sword, a wise individual like Ming Fei could never have deciphered it without first witnessing the sword’s power. Chen Guan attempted to reconstruct the Sword Technique using the analytical capabilities of the Secret Law. However, his practice yielded little progress. The power wielded by the original user of this Sword Technique must have been quite specific, and without that corresponding power, it could not be properly executed. Lacking knowledge of the Sword Technique's required power, Chen Guan couldn't deduce or learn it. Nevertheless, this posed no insurmountable obstacle for Chen Guan. Although he couldn't grasp the true essence, Chen Guan meticulously memorized the movements and the underlying aura, replicating them continuously. When Chen Guan felt his imitation was nearly perfect, he sought Ming Fei’s assessment, asking if this Sword Technique was indeed used to suppress the Jade Sword. Ming Fei activated his Secret Law and innate abilities, analyzing the Sword Technique Chen Guan demonstrated and the circumstances he described. With the available clues, Ming Fei’s Prajna Wisdom came into full effect.

"It is indeed a Sword Technique for suppression and control, but it requires a power beyond our current understanding. Without witnessing its direct use, replicating it precisely is challenging," Ming Fei stated after a brief contemplation. He continued, "However, that doesn’t render the endeavor fruitless. While direct recreation is unlikely, reverse-engineering the technique might offer viable results."

"How is it that we cannot perform it forwards but can analyze it backward?" Chen Guan questioned Ming Fei's reasoning.

"My ability allows you to replicate a specific power, but you perceived it in reverse and have not witnessed its original form. Therefore, even if I merged with you to lend you my power, I could only mimic the reversed Sword Technique, not the standard one," Ming Fei elaborated.

"I see, so understanding the reversed Sword Technique should simplify grasping its function," Chen Guan mused, agreeing to let Ming Fei transform into armor and meld with him.

He then simultaneously employed both Ming Fei's power and his own Secret Law to re-examine the projection from the demon's eye.

This time, Chen Guan experienced a distinct shift. As he observed the inverted Sword Technique, the Primordial Energy within him, amplified by Ming Fei's capabilities, transformed into a unique, flowing attribute.

With a mere thought, Chen Guan assumed the reversed Sword Technique stance, a peculiar power coursing through his palms.

Following the reverse sequence, Chen Guan manipulated his hands through a series of gestures, deconstructing and reassembling various hand seals characteristic of Sword Techniques.

As the hand seals shifted, Chen Guan felt the Primordial Energy within him draining at an alarming rate, flowing out as if a dam had burst.

For any ordinary cultivator, even one at the Ninth Awakening stage, such an exertion would likely deplete their Primordial Energy instantly.

Chen Guan, untroubled by such depletion, suddenly heard a sharp sword cry and instinctively halted the replication and execution of the Sword Technique, sensing a disturbance.

Unable to discern the external situation, Chen Guan was certain that his reverse application of the Sword Technique had provoked a reaction from the Jade Sword.

He had never anticipated that employing the Sword Technique in its inverted form would elicit any response, especially without intentionally targeting the Jade Sword.

While Chen Guan was unsure of the Jade Sword's current condition, he surmised that the woman would arrive imminently.

Due to his adjusted Secret Law, which allowed for energy fluctuation masking, he dared not allow the demon's eye to observe. Instead, he proceeded to the telescope himself to survey the surroundings.

Precisely as he had anticipated, the woman materialized, this time descending directly onto the opposing mountain platform without traversing the intervening clouds.