Chapter 243: Convinced
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Qin Mu smashed into walls time again and again, and pictures of mountains and rivers appeared in almost every wall in Disabled Elderly Village. Only Granny Si's house was not imprinted.
Qin Mu wanted to rush over once more when he realized that his vital qi was depleted. He couldn't help but feel stunned by this.
Defeated.
Overlord Body was defeated. It had suffered a crushing defeat. Not only was his sword techniques not on par with those of Village Chief, even the density of his vital qi could not be compared to that of Village Chief. It looked like he could only take over the title of human emperor.
Village Chief said gently, "You can wait for your vital qi to recover before coming again."
Qin Mu composed himself, "Okay!"
Village Chief's expression darkened as he saw the cowherd boy sprinting away to cultivate his weird Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique.
"You cheated," Apothecary said as he came over once he saw Qin Mu's figure disappearing into the distance.
Village Chief was stunned. "Did I?"
Apothecary sneered. "Your sword skills exhaust an extreme amount of vital qi, and with the density of your cultivation, you can execute them twice in Five Elements Realm, three times at most. How many time have you executed them just now? About seven times, right?"
Village Chief couldn't keep a straight face and muttered, "The density of my vital qi is not as you imagine. If I control it and use the lowest amount possible, I can execute my skills four times… However, Mu'er's vital qi is indeed dense. I thought my and his vital qi reserves in Five Elements Realm wouldn't be too different but to my surprise…"
Apothecary laughed. "To your surprise, he's a huge cauldron and you're only a barrel."
Village Chief sighed and shook his head. "His qi is several times denser than mine in Spirit Embryo Realm, but it's not possible for it to be so much denser than mine in Five Elements Realm. I had no shortcomings in my Five Elements Realm, but he… also has no shortcomings. You noticed it too, but didn't say it out."
Apothecary smiled. "He already lost to you with the same sword skill, so why do I need to say anything? However, earlier you said that the title of human emperor only has responsibilities and burdens but no benefits, isn't that false?"
Village Chief said lazily, "What benefits does it have? How come I don't know them?"
Apothecary's eyes flickered over. "I heard some legends about human emperors and their seal. Human Emperor's Seal is related to many ancient inheritances and some of them can be traced all the way back to tens of thousands of years ago. Some sacred grounds were founded by human emperors, and I've heard that the Human Emperor's Seal is even more useful than the emperor's jade seal."
Village Chief said indifferently, "That's a legend from god knows how many years ago, and the Human Emperor's Seal is merely a black iron lump. Who would listen to a black iron lump?"
Apothecary smiled. "Legend says that once the Human Emperor's Seal is used, one can command all the heroes of this world."
Village Chief yawned and said lazily, "Human Emperor's Seal is with Mu'er. You can let him take it out and show it off, see which sect will be willing to hear his command. It'll be lucky if he won't be beaten to death."
Apothecary said resentfully, "You clearly knew it was this dangerous, so why did you pass the Human Emperor's Seal to him?"
Village Chief was no longer lazy and a sword light flashed across his eyes as he said solemnly, "This is a responsibility and also a burden. When this burden was placed on my shoulders, I couldn't carry it so my limbs were severed. However, someone must carry this burden, I can't it take into the grave with me! Some things must be done even if it's clearly known that they're dangerous!"
Village Chief let out a shaky breath and said, "If something is done, there's a possibility of failure and even death, but there's also a slither of hope. If nothing is done, there won't even be a slither of hope. What the past human emperors did is much more than what you can imagine. Mu'er is pretty good."
Apothecary said in sorrow, "I only feel pained for Mu'er to be pulled into your old path. How can he win against you?"
"He can't win." Village Chief's tone had a hint of pride when he said, "He will never win against me using Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers. This skill may be formed by the fourteen basic sword forms, but after me polishing it, there's already no flaw in it. When he wanted to incorporate the three basic sword forms of Imperial Preceptor into my sword skill, he had to make some changes. Even though his ideas were good, his horizons aren't as broad as mine. A single change will create a flaw, and the more he changes, the more flaws will appear."
Apothecary was dumbfounded. He let out a shaky breath and looked at Qin Mu who was currently sprinting and felt pity.
"However, he can borrow my hand to polish his sword skill." Village Chief smiled. "The more he changes the Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers, the more he will understand the sword. The more he understands, the more likely he will be to step away from sword techniques, step away from sword skills and come closer to the path. If his understanding of the sword reaches the level of the path, it will no longer matter if there are fourteen or seventeen basic sword forms.
"Learning sword skills and using sword skills is only the realm of technique; it's learning and using something. If one wants to go higher, they will have to innovate, which is where Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor is on right now. To go one step further, one would have to abandon skill and technique, which is the realm of path.
Village Chief said, "Mu'er is currently between technique and skill. For him to use my hand to polish his sword skill is much better than for him to improve by me teaching him sword skills."
After some time, Qin Mu's cultivation recovered to its peak, but he didn't find Village Chief straightaway. Instead, he sat down and comprehended quietly. He tried to perfect his own Sword Treading Mountains and River so that there was no flaw.
What he wanted to do was to incorporate Imperial Preceptor's three basic sword forms into Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers and not leave any flaw.
He definitely couldn't defeat Village Chief using Village Chief's skills, but if he improved on them, there was a chance he might win.
He comprehended diligently, and all the sword moves in his mind were messed up before they were reorganized again. He then simulated an image of clashing with Village Chief's sword skill in his mind.
However, every clash ended in a defeat.
Various battles were simulated in his mind, but no matter how he improved, he couldn't change his defeat.
Sometime later, Qin Mu roused his spirit and stood up. In the storm in his mind, he had finally managed to defeat Village Chief with his new sword skill, so he rushed over with excitement. "Village Chief, once more!"
Village Chief beamed. "Okay."
Qin Mu rushed over and executed his improved sword skill. He then flew high up into the air and left a trail of blood in mid-air before crashing into the chicken coop.
A dozen hen dragons clucked and rushed over fiercely. Qin Mu immediately rose into the air, and the hen dragons also flapped their wings to fly. Their feathers were like swords and they spewed fire at him.
Mountains and rivers suddenly appeared in mid-air and flooded the dozen hen dragons. After one move, they fell bare from the sky, and their feathers fluttered everywhere.
Qin Mu landed on the ground, stunned.
The hen dragons clucked and ran back into the chicken coop, closing the wooden door and not daring to show their faces again.
"Cluck cluck!" the old hen clucked in a stern tone.
Qin Mu waved his hand and a few traces were left on the wooden door by his sword qi.
The chicken coop was in a flurry.
Qin Mu was stunned and looked at his hand. When had he become so powerful?
"Mu'er is so suave, he can finally defeat chickens!" Cripple praised.
Qin Mu's face turned slightly red, but he continued to concentrate on comprehending what he felt. Suddenly, Mute threw a sword pellet over and signaled, "Aba! Aba! Ah ah!"
Qin Mu thanked Mute. What Mute meant was that he had just created a sword pellet and he should try it out.
He gripped the sword pellet tightly, and his vital qi rushed into it. Countless sword lights instantly flew out, and they were the rays of swords which seemed to have no substance. They could warp according to his will and be as natural as his vital qi!
Qin Mu grasped the sword pellet and gave a punch forward. The sword rays in the sword pellet instantly transformed into a huge dragon which rushed out and roared through the small village!
Qin Mu jumped in shock, and Village Chief also jumped in shock before giving an angry stare to Mute.
Qin Mu retracted his fist, and his mind moved slightly. He could feel as if the sword pellet that he was gripping tightly was melting. He took a firmer grip of it, and the sword rays transformed into a huge smithing hammer. When he smashed down with a powerful force, he created a huge pit in the ground.
He leaped up, and knife lights appeared. Sun on East Sea Thousand Layers Wave had knife lights which were like a wave with a thousand layers and a sun rising into the sky.
The knife skill was then retracted as the sword rays transformed into a huge brush which swept into the sky to draw a painting of a flood dragon, which soared into the sky and transformed into a long spear that was twelve yards long. Qin Mu grabbed onto the spear in mid-air and stabbed forward.
The corners of Village Chief's eyes twitched furiously as he stared at Mute with an unpleasant gaze.
Mute immediately retreated into his smithy and didn't dare to show his face.
The spear vanished, replaced by countless sword lights which formed vast mountains and rivers.
Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers!
Qin Mu landed on the ground with surprise and delight. This sword pellet that Mute had forged was to his liking. He must have extracted the gold qi from the mysterious iron and mysterious gold, choosing qi and forgo the form.
Even though this sword pellet was a sword pellet, it had a myriad of changes. His fist skills, spells, and sword skills could all be unleashed, and there was no obstruction at all.
Mute's forging skills were already close to the path!
Qin Mu kept the sword pellet, but he didn't use it to challenge Village Chief. Mute popped his head out and gave two signals, drawing a line across his head. What he meant was that this sword pellet could definitely get rid of Village Chief who was using the Five Elements Realm.
Village Chief blew up and the wrinkles on his face twitched. If Qin Mu was to really use the sword pellet, the power of his sword skill would increase exponentially, and he might really be able to defeat him.
Qin Mu shook his head. "Grandpa Mute, Village Chief is not using a weapon so I can't use one as well; otherwise he won't accept that he lost."
Mute rolled his eyes and gave him a 'you are hopeless' look.
Qin Mu continued to concentrate on comprehending and improving his Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers. However, the result of each clash was the same.
Every time he failed, he would have new comprehension which allowed him to perfect his Sword Treading Mountains and Rivers more and more. However, he still failed after each improvement.
Finally, after one more failure, Qin Mu discovered that he could no longer improve his move.
With his current knowledge and experience, he could no longer upgrade his skill.
He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to realization. He executed one of the moves of Sunset Sword Skills, Sun Sets on Surging River, and his sword skill was like the surging river water that had a red sun half-set in the heart of the river. From the red sun, countless sword lights would burst forth.
He had only practiced this move once or twice, but the power he had unleashed was incomparably astonishing. It was like he had spent a hundred years polishing this skill.
Qin Mu was then convinced, and he knelt down in front of Village Chief to carry out the rites of taking him as his master.
Village Chief smiled. "Get up, there ain't so many rules. I shall teach you the other moves of Sword Picture in no time, and with your current attainment, it won't be hard for you to learn them… Mute, you rogue, you still have the face to come out and congratulate?"