The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2208: One Sword

Taixu Gate.

Upon Mo Hua's return to the Disciple’s Residence, an elder from Taia Mountain showed up in person, offering a Formation Diagram as a present.

"Taia Mountain Opening Sword Formation Map."

Delight surged through Mo Hua as he realized the Taia Sect Leader's swift action in bestowing such a valuable item so freely, even sending it via personal delivery.

With utmost respect, he received it and offered heartfelt thanks:

"Thank you, Elder! And thanks to the Sect Leader!"

The Taia Elder grinned and nodded, shared some casual words, then departed.

Once the elder was gone, Mo Hua shut the door, lit some incense, rinsed his hands, and eagerly unfolded the Taia Sword Formation Map.

The Sword Array appeared before him, ancient Sword Patterns radiating a dominant and grand Heavy Sword essence.

His eyes roamed over every Sword Pattern, absorbing them fully, and immense satisfaction filled him.

A second-grade Nineteen Patterns Sword Array.

Beyond the Ultimate Formation, this ranked nearly as the supreme among all second-grade arrays.

The Taia Sect Leader's generosity exceeded Mo Hua's wildest thoughts.

In reality, Mo Hua had possessed the Taia Mountain Opening Sword Formation for quite some time.

He had "coerced" it out of Sword Bone.

Sword Bone had been a Taia Sect disciple once, but he strayed far into Refining Demon Mountain's depths, got seized by monster cultivators, and hauled to the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, where he was made an Evil Sword Master, compelled to forge Evil Swords for the monsters daily.

His legacy held fragments of the Taia Sect’s Sword-Casting Master Skill, encompassing the Taia Sect’s Sword Formation.

Mo Hua had mastered the Mountain Opening Sword Formation.

This fact couldn't stay secret forever.

The true purpose of asking the Taia Sect Leader for the Taia Mountain’s Sword Formation was to secure a "proper" origin.

Mo Hua's current collection of Sword Arrays wasn't fit for public unveiling.

This applied particularly to the Taia Mountain’s Sword Formation.

Inheritance rules within the sect were enforced with ironclad strictness.

Without prior notification, discovery would spell major complications.

After all, unauthorized study equaled inheritance theft.

Even with the Three Sects Unification in place, such conduct remained shameful.

Thus, even if unspoken, the Taia Sect Leader would nurse some grudge and tally it against Mo Hua.

Seizing the moment, it proved smarter to "request" the Taia Sword Formation during the Sword Discussion event from the Taia Sect Leader.

That established a legitimate route.

In this manner, deploying the Taia Sword Formation to showcase strength later on would earn no reproach from the Taia Sect Leader; instead, he might boast proudly of Mo Hua's quick mastery.

Mastering the nuances of human interactions is a subtle skill.

Often, maintaining appearances drives people's choices.

Furthermore, the Sword Formation presented by the Taia Sect Leader surpassed in caliber the one from Sword Bone.

Its framework was flawless, Formation Patterns etched with perfect accuracy, and Sword Qi circulated richly across the Patterns.

It featured four extra Formation Patterns.

Such an unexpected windfall thrilled him.

This Sword Formation could now be wielded boldly in the open for all to see.

The greatest gain lay in his Godslaying Sword, which had already fused the Five Elements Sword Formation.

By incorporating this more refined Taia Sword Formation, the Godslaying Sword's potency would soar even higher.

Advantages piled up from every angle.

Mo Hua spent the next while delving into this purer, elevated Taia Sword Formation.

He owed much to the Sword Array basics provided by Sword Bone.

While blending the Taia Sword Formation into the Godslaying Sword, Mo Hua attained a profound grasp of the connected Sword Dao Laws.

As a result, his comprehension came rapidly.

In merely four hours, he had internalized it deeply.

He rehearsed it over a dozen times on the Taoist Stele, building assurance before leaving his Sea of Consciousness. Pulling from his Storage Bag, he picked a suitable "source-opening" Spirit Sword and carefully carved the second-grade Nineteen Patterns Taia Mountain Opening Sword Formation into it.

Finishing the carving, he sealed the sword’s body.

Thus, a "Mountain Opening Sword" took form.

As Mo Hua beheld the Mountain Opening Sword, thoughts raced in his mind:

"The Daluo Sect’s Flying Sword genius, on par with Xiaoxiao as the two Sword Dao prodigies of the Eight Great Gates..."

"How can this be?"

"This Ye Zhiyuan, at what level, with what vision, could be compared with Xiaoxiao?"

Tomorrow, I’ll knock him down a notch with a single sword stroke.

The first Sword Dao prodigy of the Eight Great Gates can only be my Junior Brother Xiaoxiao.

...

The next day, at the Sword Discussion Conference.

Outside Mount of Tao, amidst the audience, it was still a sea of people.

The attention on this Sword Discussion was almost the highest since the ground-level Sword Discussions began.

Not only because of the infuriating Mo Hua.

But also the two Sword Dao prodigies of the Eight Great Gates.

Featuring the Daluo’s Flying Sword, Chongxu Sword True Art, two superior swordsmanship techniques.

And the contest for the top position of the Eight Great Gates.

This was bound to be a brutal, bloody, and long battle, where the disciples of both sides would fight to the bitter end.

There was simply no reason to miss such a Sword Discussion tournament.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating.

Among the crowd, a fair-faced cultivator with a scholarly aura was eloquently chatting with others, drawing from the stories of various sects with ease, thoroughly enjoying the conversation.

Regular attendees of the Sword Discussions knew this person’s name:

Bai Xiaosheng.

Bai Xiaosheng was in the midst of an enjoyable discussion when he suddenly noticed someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning, he saw a fair and delicate-looking young teenager, feeling a bit disappointed.

The Little Scholar gestured for him to look to the side.

Bai Xiaosheng, somewhat reluctantly, cupped his hands to the crowd, saying: "Excuse me for a moment; I’ll be right back."

With that, he followed the Little Scholar aside, asking, "Why are you here?"

The Little Scholar’s voice was clear: "Sir, if you don’t head upstairs soon, the elders will be displeased."

"I’m not going." Bai Xiaosheng sneered, "What’s there upstairs? Higher up, looking down, the whole world is nothing but ants; you can’t clearly see any faces. What’s the fun in that? I’m not going, I’m not going..."