Chapter 233: Chapter 91: Hold Something in Reserve
“Of course! Mo Dao is a kind of long saber, possessing both the power of a simple blade and the flexibility of a saber. However, it has a clear flaw: it can only attack from a distance and is limited in close combat. Your saber art flows continuously like a stream, which is impressive in power, but every time you execute it, there is a node where a deviation occurs, making it very difficult for you to advance to the third level…”
Zhang Xuan detailed his observations.
“Deviation?”
Min Jiangtao was taken aback, then displayed the Mo Dao again, stopping quickly at a certain point, “Is this it?”
“Exactly!”
Zhang Xuan nodded, “According to the normal inference of the Mo Dao, after this slash, you should continue with a horizontal cut following the momentum; instead, you swiftly retract your strength, causing not only the gathered saber qi to disperse, but also a slight disturbance in your internal breath. This is like throwing a punch, where the Swing Punch would be the most powerful, yet you switch halfway to a fist art!”
Min Jiangtao’s body stiffened, his face filled with disbelief: “This was specifically modified by my teacher during training, supposedly to catch the opponent off guard…”
Zhang Xuan: “If it’s only about catching the opponent off guard, you could connect the following seven variations, each one extending the power brought by the Mo Dao’s slide… Don’t believe me? Try using this technique against me!”
“Yes!” Min Jiangtao nodded, lifted his Mo Dao in his hand, took a deep breath, and with a “whoosh,” a brilliant blade light fell directly towards Zhang Xuan’s head.
Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist, and a Mo Dao appeared in his palm; without noticeable movement, he merely flicked it lightly, disrupting the incoming blade light. Immediately after, Min Jiangtao felt a stuffiness in his chest and pain in his palm, as his Mo Dao slipped from his grip.
Whoosh!
Zhang Xuan’s Mo Dao stopped at his throat.
“I…” Min Jiangtao’s eyes widened, his body involuntarily trembling slightly.
Fortunately, it was only a sparring match that stopped at first touch; otherwise, a single strike would have pierced his throat on the spot.
“Come, change it as I mentioned!” Zhang Xuan picked up the fallen Mo Dao, repeated the saber technique just executed by the other party, but this time, instead of retracting his strength, he performed a rapid horizontal cut.
Min Jiangtao hesitated for a moment, then started using the technique demonstrated by his opponent, and indeed felt his breath flow more smoothly, causing his whole body to relax.
Even without actual combat, he understood that this way of wielding the saber was correct, and the previous way was definitely problematic.
After continuously slashing more than ten times, becoming smoother with each attempt, Min Jiangtao suddenly let out a long howl, his whole body’s breath erupting like a furnace, and his strength, which had just advanced to the 3-dan Divine Clarity Realm of Star River, made further progress.
“Many thanks to Lord Zhang for your guidance… I’ve benefitted greatly! Not only me, but perhaps my teacher also has the same issue. I hope you would allow me to report the truth when I return…”
After finishing his practice, Min Jiangtao looked slightly embarrassed.
“Telling Elder Bai Ye about the modification I made to the saber technique is no issue… However, I am curious about his understanding of Mo Dao, how far has he reached?” Zhang Xuan wondered.
Min Jiangtao smiled: “Mo Dao Destiny was created by my teacher, and his understanding has already reached the pinnacle of the third level, ready to break through at any moment!”
“Pinnacle of the third level?”
Zhang Xuan’s eyes showed a hint of confusion: “If his understanding is so profound, how could he possibly overlook the flaws and loopholes in the technique, yet let you continue practicing it?”
Min Jiangtao was startled.
Indeed.
As the founder of the Mo Dao Destiny, with a deep understanding of the saber art, he casually noticed the fault; even he sensed something amiss during his practice. Just out of trust, he had not corrected it, so how could his teacher not have noticed?
“Think about it carefully…”
Seeing him confused, Zhang Xuan did not want to say more and sat down cross-legged, falling into his thoughts as well.
He, a person who had only recently advanced to the third level of the Mo Dao Destiny, could easily spot the flaws in the opponent’s technique; Elder Bai Ye must have seen them too.
For a teacher to knowingly see the problem yet not help fix it, allowing his student to continue down the wrong path, is definitely amiss.
“I understand!”
Suddenly, Min Jiangtao sighed, his eyes showing deep loss.
“Oh?” Zhang Xuan looked over.
Min Jiangtao explained: “Unique Destiny, cultivating the same destiny, tends to lead to competition. To prevent surpassing by a student, teachers often hold back… meaning they don’t impart everything wholeheartedly! This is the fundamental reason why several of us brothers, despite having understood the second realm of Mo Dao long ago, have been unable to break through to the third realm…”
“This…” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Teachers holding back, not wanting students to surpass them… This was the first time he heard of such a thing.
In the Master Teacher Continent, those who are teachers are expected to impart everything, disciples need not be less than teachers, and teachers need not be more virtuous than disciples. The way of learning has its sequence, and each craft its mastery, that’s all there is.
If it were like Elder Bai Ye deliberately holding back, one would definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame, and it would be difficult to recover for a lifetime.
Min Jiangtao nodded: “It’s actually quite normal. When I teach my disciples, I also secretly hold back the most crucial tricks. With Unique Destiny, my teacher does not want to be surpassed by me, and I do not want to be surpassed by others, thus being replaced…”
“No wonder Empyrean Kong shi was so quickly branded as a Mandate Chaos Master and hunted by the entire Heaven Mandate Hall…” Zhang Xuan realized.
In a world where everyone holds back, suddenly there’s someone unselfishly willing to teach everything, even suggesting that students can surpass their teachers; naturally, he would appear as an anomaly.
“Lord Zhang, I’ll go back and practice now…”
After speaking out about things he shouldn’t have, Min Jiangtao knew he had said too much and immediately stopped talking, returning to his seat to continue understanding the saber technique he had just learned.
Zhang Xuan paid no attention, instead immersing his mind in the Mo Blade Water Flow within the Library of Heaven’s Path, studying it carefully.
Although it was just a grade-7 Destiny, insignificant, for his current strength, it was also of significant help.
When used effectively, even a double realm Star River powerhouse could be split in two by a single strike.
…
In Zouyi City, at the Mo Blade Hall.
Mo Baiye was sitting cross-legged on the ground calmly practicing his cultivation; suddenly, the elder stood up, reached out into the air, and the leaning Mo Dao at the corner of the wall flew into his palm.
Immediately, a series of fierce saber lights came slashing down like flowing water.
If Min Jiangtao were here, he would surely recognize that the saber art being deployed was the same as the one modified by Zhang Xuan, not the battle techniques taught to him.
Hum!
As the saber art was displayed, the Mo Dao in his hand suddenly started to shake violently; Mo Baiye was startled and quickly looked over to the incense not far away.
The incense burned without fire, strands of Heavenly Mandate Vitality swirling around, gathering into the shape of a Mo Dao.
Just like when Zhang Xuan comprehended the second level of Mo Dao, incense was used, only this time, three sticks were lit, releasing a stronger aura.
“Someone has reached the third level? How, how is this possible?”
Sheathing his saber, Mo Baiye’s excitement was gone, replaced by a somber expression: “The Mo Dao is an extremely fierce weapon; to break through to the third level, one needs abundant masculine energy. Neither Mo Hong, Mo Qing, nor Min Jiangtao could achieve it, so how could anyone possibly break through?”
He was puzzled.
To prevent his disciples from surpassing him, he had covertly altered the techniques and even sabotaged their bodies, causing their masculine energy to weaken as they practiced, leading to… impotence!
Under normal circumstances, such people would have no capacity to comprehend the third realm of Mo Dao, yet now someone had legitimately made a breakthrough!
This posed a significant threat to him.
He scrutinized carefully.
“The scent drifts southeast… the direction of Han Yuan Dynasty, Min Jiangtao or Ling Buyang?”
Mo Baiye narrowed his eyes.
He knew about Mo Qing’s death and had just received news of Ling Buyang’s demise; could it be that Min Jiangtao had broken through?
After a careful sensing, trying to absorb any Heavenly Mandate Vitality brought by the other’s promotion, he found nothing around him, sensing absolutely nothing.
If Min Jiangtao had made a breakthrough, being his direct disciple, he would certainly enjoy certain benefits, yet now there was nothing, which was definitely suspicious.
“Forget it, we’ll talk when he returns…”
After much thought and still puzzled, Mo Baiye had no choice but to sit quietly in the room, his gaze flickering, lost in thought. After a moment, he gestured grandly: “Go call Mo Hong over!”
Mo Hong was his eldest disciple, whose cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of the Divine Clarity Realm at the 3-dan of Star River, and his comprehension of Mo Dao had also achieved the Major Accomplishment of the second realm, far surpassing Min Jiangtao and Mo Qing.
“Teacher!”
Mo Hong approached.
A middle-aged man in his forties, like Mo Qing, adopted as an orphan by Mo Baiye, he bore the surname Mo after his teacher since he had no family name.
“I sent Jiangtao to investigate something, he’ll be back today!”
Mo Baiye stood up. “If all goes well, he should have gained new insights. Once he arrives, test his strength, then report back to me!”
“Yes!” Mo Hong nodded.
“If he unleashes his full strength, show no mercy; otherwise, I fear you might not be up to the task. If you sense anything amiss with him, if necessary… you may execute him on the spot!”
Mo Baiye said indifferently.
“This…”
Mo Hong hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Don’t worry, Teacher! If my second junior brother does anything against our sect, I will certainly show no mercy.”
Being raised by the teacher, he was unswervingly loyal. With such instructions, there must be his reasons, and he would carry them out to the letter.
After arranging with Mo Hong, Mo Baiye finally breathed a sigh of relief.
…
“I’ve finally integrated it thoroughly…”
Standing on the back of an Iron Scale Winged Beast, Min Jiangtao didn’t know how many times he had swung the Mo Dao before he finally comprehended the maneuvers taught by Zhang Xuan completely.
At this moment, with one strike, his saber qi surged wildly, and solely in terms of strength, he had doubled in power. Combined with his recently achieved cultivation breakthrough, even though he had only been in Han Yuan City for a few days, his combat capabilities had drastically evolved.
“It seems the saber art taught by my Teacher indeed had issues…”
With a sigh in his heart, he looked up at the young man not far away.
If it were not for his reminder, he might still be practicing according to what his teacher had said, in which case even another ten or twenty years would not allow him to successfully challenge the third level!
“After returning, should I display the newly learned maneuvers in front of my teacher?”
Min Jiangtao fell into deep thought.