Chapter 746: Follow Me

“This piece of spine bone, I'll just give it to you.”

Mo Hua said generously.

Ouyang Mu was a little flattered for a moment and repeatedly shook his head, saying, “I can't take it…”

“You don't want it?”

Mo Hua shook the bone in his hand.

Ouyang Mu was completely attracted by the bone, his gaze following it as it swayed from side to side, unable to look away.

But he still gritted his teeth and said with firm conviction:

“I want it, but this wasn't obtained from a demon I hunted, I can't take it.”

Mo Hua said, “Senior Brother Feng instructed me before, and now I'll instruct you once too. Take it, it doesn't matter.”

Ouyang Mu still shook his head, “No merit, no reward.”

Mo Hua was a little surprised, and his gaze also held some appreciation.

This Little Mu, although a bit dense, has a very good heart and nature. He acts on principle and doesn't like to take advantage of others.

“Okay,” Mo Hua nodded. “If you don't want it, then forget it.”

Mo Hua made a gesture, about to put away the Fire Demon Wolf spine bone.

But seeing the spine bone in his hand about to be put away, Ouyang Mu was startled, and on the contrary, became a little anxious.

He struggled for a long time, and hurriedly said:

“Senior Brother Mo, can I buy it with merit points?”

“Merit points?” Mo Hua thought for a moment, nodded and said, “That's fine, but this Fire Demon Wolf spine bone, according to the general market, would cost eight hundred merit points. Do you have that much?”

“Eight hundred?!”

Ouyang Mu was startled, and his face immediately turned a little red, “I… don't have that much…”

“How many do you have?”

“Only… three hundred…”

Ouyang Mu mumbled.

Although he was also a direct descendant of the Ouyang family, after entering the sect, he had to follow the sect rules and rely on himself for everything.

These merit points were all saved up little by little from forging swords for people daily.

He had used some before, and now only three hundred were left.

“Then, should I just sell it to you for three hundred?” Mo Hua said.

Ouyang Mu repeatedly shook his head, “No, how can I let Senior Brother Mo suffer a loss? I…”

He hesitated for a moment, and softly said: “Can I owe it to you first, and repay you later?”

Mo Hua rubbed his chin, not knowing what he was thinking, and didn't speak.

Ouyang Mu still thought Mo Hua didn't believe him, and hurriedly promised:

“I will definitely repay it!”

“How will you repay it?” Mo Hua said with a meaningful gaze, probing step by step.

Ouyang Mu said, “I will work hard to earn merit points…”

Mo Hua sighed, “Merit points aren't easy to earn.”

Ouyang Mu's face showed difficulty.

Merit points are indeed not easy to earn.

Good tasks all need to be snatched.

If you can't snatch them, you can only do some low-level tasks and slowly save up.

At the same time, there are many places in the sect that require merit points: various skills, Dao methods, refining tool manuals, elixirs, spirit tool inheritances, etc.

Merit points accumulate like sand when saving, and are used like flowing water.

Most disciples' merit points are in a state of constant outflow.

Generally speaking, disciples who reach the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment can enter the Refine Demon Mountain.

After entering the Refine Demon Mountain, as long as they learn quickly and have rich experience, they can smoothly hunt and kill demon beasts, peel their materials, and merit points are not difficult to earn.

But if the opposite happens, they learn slowly, and repeatedly fail at hunting demons, it will only make things worse, and merit points will be harder and harder to earn.

Ouyang Mu had zero confidence in hunting demons.

And his own three hundred merit points were saved up for a long time…

If he buys this Fire Demon Wolf spine bone, he will owe five hundred merit points.

These five hundred merit points, relying on daily tasks and saving up little by little, who knows how long it will take to save up.

He has no confidence in entering the mountain to hunt demons. If something goes wrong, he won't earn merit points and won't be able to repay this debt. Wouldn't that be saying he did nothing and let Senior Brother Mo suffer a loss?

Ouyang Mu lowered his head, his expression changing, hesitant and uncertain.

Mo Hua saw the situation, smiled slightly, and said kindly, “If you can't repay with merit points, helping me with some things is also fine.”

Ouyang Mu was a little surprised to hear this, “What… what can I do?”

Ouyang Mu thought for a while, and slowly said: “If Senior Brother Mo doesn't mind, I can refine tools… forging swords is also fine…”

Mo Hua's eyebrows rose, finally waiting for this sentence, and immediately nodded, saying:

“Okay!”

Ouyang Mu was a little nervous, “But, my sword forging level is average…”

“It doesn't matter,” Mo Hua said encouragingly, “No one knows everything from the beginning. You can learn slowly and practice slowly.”

After all, he was from the Tai Ah Gate, with a proper sword forging inheritance. He was better than himself, better than Master Gu, and better than other Tai Xu Gate disciples.

Moreover, Mo Hua felt that although Little Mu was a bit wooden, he was sincere and had a very good heart and nature.

If the heart and nature are good, even if the ability is insufficient, it can be slowly trained.

But if the ability is good and the heart and nature are not, there is basically no need to make friends.

Ability can be improved, but once the heart and nature are bad, it's basically impossible to change.

Ouyang Mu was indeed greatly encouraged and said with a serious expression: “Senior Brother Mo, please rest assured, I will definitely not let you down!”

Mo Hua saw his serious expression and smiled, saying:

“Just do your best, don't put too much pressure on yourself.”

“Okay!”

Ouyang Mu nodded seriously.

Mo Hua thought for a while again, and said:

“You owe me five hundred merit points. How about this, forge one spirit sword for me, and that's equivalent to repaying one hundred merit points. I'll provide the materials.”

Mo Hua was giving the general market price.

The sect's rewards for refining general second-grade spirit tools, because they take a considerable amount of time and the refining process is complicated, are between fifty and eighty merit points, with occasional fluctuations.

Spirit swords are a bit more expensive.

One hundred merit points is considered a normal price.

Of course, this is for ordinary spirit swords.

Those with sword arrays engraved, the true “sword tools” with proper inheritance, are much more expensive, but these are not something general disciples can refine.

Ouyang Mu is only in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and is still studying in the sect, so he certainly doesn't know this sword forging technique.

It's also impossible for the Tai Ah Gate to teach them “sword arrays” now.

Mo Hua doesn't need him to know. He doesn't need an “inherited” spirit sword.

It's fine if Ouyang Mu can forge ordinary spirit swords.

Ouyang Mu heard this and still shook his head.

“Is the price low?” Mo Hua asked.

“No, no,” Ouyang Mu hurriedly said, “I refine tools for people daily for only forty merit points, and forging swords is only sixty. One hundred merit points is too much, my experience is shallow, and my skills are not proficient. It's not worth that much.”

Ouyang Mu looked at Mo Hua and said a little embarrassed:

“Senior Brother Mo, I'll also charge you sixty, and refine eight… nine spirit tools for you to offset the debt.”

Mo Hua was stunned for a moment.

He had haggled with people before, but this was the first time he had encountered this kind of reverse bargaining, and for a moment, he was a little unaccustomed.

“That's just eight spirit swords then!”

Mo Hua said with a squinted smile.

He took the Fire Demon Wolf spine bone and stuffed it into Ouyang Mu's arms, not allowing him to refuse, saying:

“Then it's settled. Take this spine bone first. Come find me in the mountains during the next ten-day break, and I'll tell you what kind of sword I want to refine.”

After saying that, Mo Hua waved his hand and left.

Ouyang Mu was left in place, holding the fresh, still warm, Fire Demon Wolf spine bone in his hand, his heart also as if warmed by a scorching flame.

This Senior Brother Mo is really a great person!

Ouyang Mu looked at Mo Hua's gradually disappearing back and said gratefully in his heart.

Soon, another ten days passed.

In the blink of an eye, it was the ten-day break again, and Mo Hua went to the Refine Demon Mountain.

And Ouyang Mu was indeed waiting for him as promised.

He now carried a "debt" of five hundred merit points and felt a great deal of pressure on his shoulders. He did not want to disappoint Mo Hua's favor of giving him the Fire Demon Wolf spine bone, so he was eager to do something for Mo Hua.

“Senior Brother Mo, what kind of sword do you want to forge?”

Mo Hua handed Ouyang Mu the sword forging diagram he had prepared beforehand.

Ouyang Mu took it, just glanced at it, and then said:

“Senior Brother Mo, this sword is so strange… it's not the form of a normal spirit sword…”

Mo Hua thought in his heart that he was indeed from the Tai Ah Gate and could see it at a glance.

“This sword is indeed a little different,” Mo Hua nodded.

Ouyang Mu said while looking and muttering:

“The outer shape is similar, but the structure is different…”

“The materials are a bit cheap, not very sturdy.”

“There is space left inside for arrays, but this seems… not the strengthening or sharpening arrays used in general spirit swords?”

Ouyang Mu gestured at the sword diagram for a while and said in surprise:

“…It's a sword array!”

“The sword array isn't sealed inside, the sword is open-source…”

Ouyang Mu muttered, his expression then collapsing, and he said dejectedly: “Senior Brother Mo, I can't refine this kind of spirit sword…”

“Why?”

Ouyang Mu said: “This isn't a standard spirit sword. It doesn't use general arrays, it's a sword array.”

“I haven't learned sword arrays yet. I have to wait until I enter the inner sect and sign a death contract. The sect will teach it then.”

“What the elders and instructors are teaching now is the ‘Tai Ah Sword Forging Technique,’ which is purely a refining tool level technique, excluding sword arrays.”

“It doesn't matter,” Mo Hua said, “You don't need to worry about the sword array, just refine the sword.”

“Oh.”

Ouyang Mu nodded.

He didn't know how Senior Brother Mo was going to solve the sword array problem.

In his impression, the Tai Xu Gate didn't seem to have any special sword array inheritance.

Even if they did, it would be impossible to teach it now.

But Ouyang Mu politely did not ask any more questions.

Purely forging a sword, without involving the sword array, even if the form is a bit special, it's not difficult to refine.

Ouyang Mu looked at the sword forging diagram Mo Hua gave him several times again.

Mo Hua observed his expression from the side and suddenly asked: “Little Mu, what do you think of the design of this sword forging diagram?”

Ouyang Mu was startled, “What do you mean 'how'?”

“Just,” Mo Hua thought for a while and said, “How standard is it? Are there any places that need improvement…”

Ouyang Mu was about to speak, but the words reached the tip of his tongue, and he still cautiously asked:

“Senior Brother Mo, who designed this sword forging diagram?”

Mo Hua blinked, and said vaguely:

“I asked a junior brother in the sect… who is in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and has some research into refining tools, to design it…”

Ouyang Mu put his heart at ease and commented:

“It's a complete mess.”

Mo Hua's heart twitched a little.

This sword forging diagram was one he had “carefully” designed by referencing many spirit sword diagrams and combining them with sword arrays.

As a result, Little Mu said it was a “complete mess”…

Ouyang Mu didn't notice Mo Hua's expression and continued: “It should be an outsider… no, not an outsider, it's a half-outsider, the kind with half a bucket of water…”

Mo Hua's eyelid twitched, and he took a deep breath, “Then tell me, how should it be changed?”

Once Ouyang Mu started talking about sword forging, his whole mind was immersed in it. He immediately took out paper and pen and drew for Mo Hua on the spot.

“First, the spirit sword materials are not good.”

“Spirit swords belong to metal, so using metal-element demon beast materials is generally correct, but the fusion of these materials is very poor, and the conduction of spiritual power is also not good.”

“Also, the Five Elements mutually generate and restrain each other. There is 'restraint,' and there is also 'generation.'”

“Metal-element spirit swords sometimes don't necessarily have to use only metal-element materials. Among the Five Elements, earth generates metal, so appropriately using some earth-element demon beast materials will have a finishing touch effect…”

“This is the material problem, next is the form.”

“The form of this spirit sword is a bit contradictory.”

“Generally, if a spirit sword is heavy and close-combat oriented, then the materials should be sturdy, and the blade should be sharp, striving to cut hair and iron like mud…”

“If it focuses on sword qi, the sword body should be lighter and thinner, and the conduction of spiritual power should be good…”

“This sword, the sword body is very heavy, but the materials are not, not sturdy enough, and the spiritual power penetration is also not good…”

“Also the sword array part, although it is open source, judging from the array medium layer left, this sword array has no fit with this spirit sword.”

“The sword is the sword, the sword array is the sword array, the two are unrelated.”

“This won't do. Only a sword tool that fits the sword array can maximize the power of the sword method…”

The usually quiet Ouyang Mu, once he started talking about sword forging, suddenly became talkative.

Moreover, everything he said was something Mo Hua had never noticed before.

Indeed, different trades are like different mountains.

Even within the same field of refining tools, sword forging and other refining tool categories are vastly different, and there are extremely deep mysteries within them.

Mo Hua looked at Ouyang Mu, his gaze appreciative.

This is a "professional"!

He was indeed a direct disciple of the Ouyang family from the Tai Ah Gate.

As Ouyang Mu talked, he suddenly became shy again when Mo Hua looked at him with such a bright gaze, “I… I just said it casually. If I said something wrong, Senior Brother Mo, please don't mind.”

“It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. You said it very well.”

Mo Hua smiled and nodded, but in his heart, he thought, even if you said it wrong, I wouldn't be able to tell…

Mo Hua sized up Ouyang Mu again and asked:

“In the future, do you want to be a master sword forger?”

Ouyang Mu heard this, and his expression was a little complicated, and finally, he sighed, “My dad doesn't allow it…”

Mo Hua was very surprised and asked strangely:

“Why doesn't your dad allow it?”

Ouyang Mu said: “My dad, he thinks that the reason the Tai Ah Gate's reputation wasn't prominent before was precisely because it emphasized 'sword forging technique' too much.”

“Those who stood out all used swords, not forged swords.”

“The Tai Ah Gate is improving now precisely because the elders decided to vigorously promote the Tai Ah Gate's Tai Ah Sword Method, with sword forging technique as the foundation, and develop step by step.”

“And within the sect, all disciples with aptitude are taught sword method.”

“If you can't cultivate sword method, then you will learn sword forging.”

“I am a direct descendant of the Ouyang family, watched by many people. I must cultivate sword method like my brother and be a model for the sect's disciples.”

“If I learn sword forging, my dad will be unhappy…”

Speaking of this, Ouyang Mu's expression was a little desolate, “It's just… I'm too far behind my brother. Whether it's spiritual root, cultivation, comprehension, demeanor, sect prestige, or dealing with people, I'm far inferior to big brother…”

The more Ouyang Mu spoke, the smaller his voice became.

Mo Hua sighed.

Having an elder brother who is too outstanding, Little Mu's pressure is imaginable.

The two brothers, true to their names, Senior Brother Feng is like a tall, steady, eye-catching and warm maple tree.

While Ouyang Mu is thin and hesitant, like a "little wood" that hasn't grown up yet.

The gap between the two brothers is really too great.

“Then do you want to be a master sword forger?” Mo Hua asked.

Ouyang Mu nodded, “I don't know anything else. I'm not good at talking daily, my sword cultivation is also average, and I'm clumsy at hunting demons. Only when forging swords, I feel a little happy.”

Mo Hua said encouragingly: “Then just don't worry about it and learn what you want to learn.”

Ouyang Mu was obviously very troubled, “But, my dad…”

Mo Hua asked: “You cultivate sword method now, is your dad happy?”

Ouyang Mu shook his head, “My dad dislikes that I'm poor at sword method and isn't happy either.”

“That's just right,” Mo Hua said, “You learn sword forging, your dad isn't happy, you learn sword method, your dad still isn't happy. Since he's not happy either way, what does it matter?”

“Since that's the case, why not learn something that makes you a little happier.”

Ouyang Mu was stunned.

His small head worked hard to turn several circles, and he suddenly realized that Senior Brother Mo's words seemed… very reasonable.

Whether he learned sword method or sword forging, his dad wasn't happy.

No matter how he chose, the result was the same.

So why bother?

Although that was the case, he was still a little uneasy and hesitant in his heart.

Mo Hua also didn't expect him to understand everything at once, but comforted him, saying:

“Don't think too much, let's first refine the spirit swords you owe me.”

Although it was said that Little Mu wanted to cultivate sword method, before cultivating sword method, he also had to earn merit points.

His sword method was not enough to support him in earning merit points.

So he could still only earn merit points through forging swords.

As long as he gradually led him onto the "right path" of sword forging, it would be fine.

Mo Hua thought silently in his heart:

“What's so good about cultivating sword method…”

“In this Qian Xue State, there are plenty of disciples who cultivate swords. They don't lack Little Mu.”

“Moreover, Little Mu himself doesn't have much sword Dao talent, and his nature is not good at killing. Forcing him to cultivate sword method is misleading people?”

“Such a good sword forging seedling, the Tai Ah Gate also doesn't know how to cherish…”

Mo Hua shook his head.

Ouyang Mu came back to his senses and nodded, saying: “Okay.”

No matter what, he wanted to first refine the eight spirit swords for Senior Brother Mo.

“Right,” Mo Hua pointed to the sword forging diagram in Ouyang Mu's hand and said, “You… the junior brother in the Tai Xu Gate whose refining tool technology is average, help me change this sword forging diagram a bit, just change it according to what you just said…”

Ouyang Mu was still not too confident in the end and said hesitantly:

“Is that okay? It's not appropriate for me to change someone else's sword diagram…”

Mo Hua nodded, “It's very appropriate, feel free to change it!”

Under Mo Hua's strong request, Ouyang Mu was indeed careful and meticulous, changing the spirit sword array diagram for Mo Hua.

After Mo Hua looked at it, he was greatly shocked.

It was fine not to compare, but once he compared, he suddenly felt that what he had drawn before was simply a pile of dog poop.

Mo Hua quietly rubbed the sword diagram he had drawn before and threw it into his storage bag.

“Just refine it according to this!”

Mo Hua said to Ouyang Mu.

“Okay, Senior Brother Mo!”

Seeing that although he didn't know why, the Senior Brother Mo who looked very powerful recognized him, Ouyang Mu's confidence greatly increased.

After returning to the Tai Ah Gate, he temporarily put other things out of his mind and concentrated on forging swords for Mo Hua.

Another eight days passed, and it was the ten-day break.

Inside the Refine Demon Mountain forest.

Ouyang Mu handed a refined golden spirit sword to Mo Hua with both hands.

Because this was the first time he had refined this kind of spirit sword, he was a little unsure of its specific effect, so he only refined one and asked Mo Hua to take a look.

Mo Hua took the spirit sword, feeling a slight shock in his heart.

This sword was not heavy, its luster was restrained, its internal structure was precise, its shape was sharp, and its refining craftsmanship was also much more exquisite.

When drawing the sword array, one could feel threads of sword qi.

Compared to the flying swords he had used before, it was clearly not on the same level.

Mo Hua was overjoyed in his heart and decided to try the sword.

He quickly drew the Break Gold Sword Array on the spirit sword. Because his speed was too fast and the array pattern was special, Ouyang Mu couldn't even see clearly what Mo Hua had drawn.

After drawing the sword array, Mo Hua came to an open space, looked up at the sky, released his divine sense, and searched for prey.

Not long after, a fierce eagle falcon soared in the clear sky.

Mo Hua sat cross-legged in place, placing the golden spirit sword in front of him.

Then he held his breath, concentrated, operated the Break Gold Sword Control Formula, controlled the sword with divine thought, and sought out the enemy with divine sense.

Above the golden spirit sword, light suddenly burst forth.

Golden light suddenly appeared, then flashed away.

Then a golden line rushed towards the sky, directly going towards the fierce eagle falcon demon beast in the sky.

In just an instant, the dazzling golden light exploded.

The sword qi, which was sharper than before, bloomed in a short time, as if a golden lotus had bloomed, completely enveloping the eagle demon, then twisting its feathers, blood, and flesh into pieces.

The eagle demon was completely twisted and killed by the Break Gold Sword Qi.

It died on the spot before it even had a chance to fall to the ground!

Such a strong sword control!

Mo Hua had a shocked expression, turned his head to look at the even more shocked Ouyang Mu beside him, reached out and patted his shoulder, and said domineeringly:

“From now on, just follow me!”

(End of this chapter)