Fourteen years, a full fourteen years, and he hadn't realized the old man beside him was a master. Qin Chu didn't know if he was slow-witted or if the old man was just good at hiding his strength.
“This is what a true master is like! Who else would dare to dig up graves?” After figuring it out, Qin Chu smiled. His heart felt much more at ease knowing the old man was a hidden master; at least the old man’s safety wouldn’t be an issue.
While Qin Chu was contemplating, Mo Daozi arrived.
“Elder Mo!” Qin Chu stood up and greeted him.
“You rascal, why didn’t you say anything when your Cultivation Technique had problems? I completely forgot about this matter until Elder Ling Taishang reminded me.” Mo Daozi sat down opposite Qin Chu.
“I was thinking of seeing if I could solve it myself,” Qin Chu said.
Mo Daozi looked at Qin Chu, then asked, “You are Cultivating a Sword Technique now. How long can you sustain a full-power Sword Qi attack?”
“If every move is a Sword Qi attack, probably about a quarter of an hour,” Qin Chu thought for a moment before replying.
“Do you know how long an ordinary Cultivator can sustain it? Only about half a quarter of an hour. The fact that you can last twice as long as others is the effect of Cultivating the Heaven Origin Incomplete Manual. The Heaven Origin Art has expanded and strengthened both your Dantian and Meridians. Perhaps it’s because of your Holy Blood that you haven’t noticed anything. If it were anyone else, they would already be unable to sustain it at your current level. Continuing to Cultivate would lead to their Dantian collapsing and Meridians bursting. I had you Cultivate the Heaven Origin Incomplete Manual because I discovered your physique was very strong,” Mo Daozi said, looking at Qin Chu.
“No wonder my Meridians have been a bit sore recently. Although it’s not serious, I’ve started to feel something,” Qin Chu mused.
“The full name of the Heaven Origin Incomplete Manual is the Heaven Origin Art. Its incompleteness was man-made, handled by a certain Ancestral Master of the Azure Cloud Sect named Xiao Yun,” Mo Daozi told Qin Chu.
Qin Chu thought for a moment and remembered that there were two people’s annotations on the Heaven Origin Incomplete Manual: one was Mo Daozi, and the other was Xiao Yun.
“Ancestral Master Xiao Yun was worried that the Heaven Origin Art would harm later Disciples, so he divided the Heaven Origin Art into two. He left the acceptable first part in the Scripture Pavilion and hid the second, potentially harmful, lower part, making it a forbidden book,” Mo Daozi explained to Qin Chu.
“So, the second part is still there?” Qin Chu excitedly stood up, as this was very important to him. Even if he couldn't Cultivate it, it could give him some inspiration. As for needing points to exchange for it, he wasn't worried; he still had a million points!
“It’s still there! But it’s really not suitable for Cultivation. Do you know what happened to Ancestral Master Tian Yuanzi, the creator of the Heaven Origin Art? He wasn’t Human; he was an extremely powerful Azure Rhinoceros among Yao Beasts. A newborn Azure Rhinoceros already has a fourth-rank physique. His Cultivation Technique is truly unsuitable for Human Race Cultivators. I forgot to tell you, the Azure Rhinoceros was once our Azure Cloud Sect’s Protector Elder,” Mo Daozi shared some of the Azure Cloud Sect’s secrets with Qin Chu.
Qin Chu was a little stunned. He hadn't expected that the Cultivation Technique he was Cultivating was actually one used by a Yao Beast.
“Seven hundred years ago, an astonishingly talented Genius appeared in the Azure Cloud Sect. He was Ancestral Master Xiao Yun. Because his Disciple had an accident while Cultivating the Heaven Origin Art, he dealt with the Heaven Origin Art, annotated the first half, and left it in the Scripture Pavilion. The second half is in the Forbidden Book Pavilion, and he left an ancestral instruction that no one is allowed to Cultivate it,” Mo Daozi told Qin Chu.
“Damn! If it can’t be Cultivated, what’s the point of keeping it? No, his ancestral instruction was not to Cultivate it, not that it couldn’t be studied or referenced,” Qin Chu caught the key point.
“Don’t try to exploit loopholes. The second half of the Heaven Origin Art cannot be given to you. That’s absolutely impossible,” Mo Daozi directly shut down Qin Chu’s idea.
“So, after all that, what’s the use?” Qin Chu was extremely frustrated.
“Of course, there’s a use in telling you all this, because Ancestral Master Xiao Yun referenced the Heaven Origin Art and created another Cultivation Technique with stringent Cultivation requirements. This Cultivation Technique is called the Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon. Also, it must be noted that Ancestral Master Xiao Yun was the most outstanding Sword Cultivator in the history of the Azure Cloud Sect, surpassing even the founding Ancestral Master in achievement,” Mo Daozi told Qin Chu.
“Elder Mo, can we please get to the point? Is that Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon still around?” Qin Chu was getting a bit impatient with Mo Daozi’s long-winded explanation; he was concerned about his future Cultivation path.
“The point is, the Cultivation requirements for the Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon are extremely stringent. It requires a third-rank physique and also Sword Intent. It seems you meet all these conditions,” Mo Daozi said after appraising Qin Chu.
Qin Chu looked at Mo Daozi, waiting for him to continue.
“Let’s go!” Mo Daozi led Qin Chu away from Azure Bamboo Peak.
Qin Chu initially thought they were going to the Scripture Pavilion, but to his surprise, Mo Daozi led him to the main hall of the Main Peak. Luo Zhen and Lu Yuan were talking inside the main hall, and both greeted Mo Daozi and Qin Chu as they entered.
Mo Daozi didn't look at Luo Zhen and Lu Yuan; instead, he turned to Qin Chu, “The Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon is our Azure Cloud Sect’s foremost classic. Originally, only the Sect Leader lineage could Cultivate it. I won’t make things difficult for you. Swear an oath before the Ancestral Master statue that you will not betray the Azure Cloud Sect, and then you can Cultivate it.”
Looking at the sculpture of the Azure Cloud Sect’s Ancestral Master with a sword on his back, Qin Chu spoke, “My principle as Qin Chu is: if people do not betray me, I will not betray them. As long as the Azure Cloud Sect does not abandon or betray Qin Chu, Qin Chu will never betray the Azure Cloud Sect.”
“Although your oath has a slight issue, it’s not a big problem. I’ll tolerate it. Give me one million points, and I will give you the Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon,” Mo Daozi said after Qin Chu made his oath.
“Elder Mo Taishang, are you crazy? Are you asking for points or robbing me?” Upon hearing Mo Daozi’s words, Qin Chu became anxious. One million points? This was ridiculous! From what he understood, the most expensive classic in the Azure Cloud Sect was only two hundred thousand points. Who the hell could afford a one-million-point classic?
“It’s fine if you don’t take the points! Swear that you will stay in the Azure Cloud Sect in the future, become a Sect Leader Disciple, then take over the position of Sect Leader, and die for the Azure Cloud Sect, and the classic will be given to you for free Cultivation. You must know that the Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon is a classic of the Sect Leader lineage. This one million points is my explanation to the Ancestral Master’s last wishes,” Mo Daozi offered another solution when he saw Qin Chu was anxious.
“Sigh, Elder Mo, you’ve got me cornered. You know I need to find my family and can’t stay in the Azure Cloud Sect,” Qin Chu sighed and took out his points card.
After taking Qin Chu’s points card, Mo Daozi took out a thread-bound ancient book and handed it to Qin Chu, “Qin Chu, you are unwilling to be promoted and only wish to remain a Utility Disciple, which is a sign of not wanting to take responsibility. I must make some choices, otherwise, I wouldn't force you to swear an oath. Are points a problem for you? Go to Heavenly Fragrance Valley one more time, and won’t you have another million points? I want to secure some development Opportunities for the Azure Cloud Sect.”
“Although I find you a bit detestable, Qin Chu can also understand,” Qin Chu said, looking at Mo Daozi. He knew that as an Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect, he had to consider the sect’s well-being.
“The Heaven-Reaching Sword Canon, how many people want to Cultivate it, but either their status isn’t appropriate or the conditions aren’t appropriate. Qin Chu, you must make it flourish,” Luo Zhen said, looking at Qin Chu.