Chapter 799: Eyes

The withered mountain is deep, quiet, and serene.

Sunlight pierces through the dense forest, cutting into fragmented shadows that are scattered across the ground, bright and cool.

On the mountain path above, fallen leaves accumulate, soft and fluffy to step on.

Human traces are rare in the mountains, revealing a unique and quiet charm.

Mo Ting steps on the fallen leaves of the mountain path and arrives at the ruined temple again.

Inside the ruined temple, it is as dilapidated as before.

The roof still leaks rain, the four walls still leak wind, and there is nothing on the offering table, not even a spoiled steamed bun. Only old rainwater sits at the bottom of the bowl, dirty and murky.

The mud statue of Lord Huang Shan has a bitter expression.

People are poor, and their days are difficult to pass.

Mountain gods are poor, and their days are equally hard to endure.

The moment Mo Ting enters the door, the smoke-like Lord Huang Shan slowly floats out from the mud sculpture, bows with folded hands to Mo Ting, and forces a smile onto his face:

“Good day, little friend……”

Mo Ting also has a happy expression and waves to him:

“Mountain Lord, long time no see, did you miss me?”

I missed your big head ghost.

Didn’t miss you at all……

When you don’t come, I’m rarely quiet.

Lord Huang Shan thinks to himself, but his smile widens, and he happily says:

“Naturally, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen little friend, I miss you very much, very much……”

Mo Ting nods, very satisfied.

Lord Huang Shan sighs silently in his heart.

No wonder he has been feeling uneasy for the past few days, it turns out this “little plague god” is coming again.

But there’s no helping it, the temple is here, and he can’t run away. He can only accept his fate.

Mo Ting’s gaze sweeps across the ruined temple, feeling some sympathy for Lord Huang Shan’s difficult days. Then he places the offerings he prepared, such as chicken, duck, fish, and meat, onto the offering table.

Although Lord Huang Shan doesn’t like Mo Ting coming, he cannot refuse these chicken and duck offerings.

The withered mountain has sparse human presence, and no one offers sacrifices. He is so hungry that only a virtual shadow remains.

Even knowing that Mo Ting “comes with ill intent,” he is helpless.

Mo Ting places the offerings and then asks: “Right, does the mountain god have to eat incense and fire?”

“Yes……” Lord Huang Shan says gratefully.

“That’s just right,” Mo Ting says, “I also brought you a stick of incense, wait for me to light it for you.”

Lord Huang Shan’s incense burner is already broken beyond recognition, its original copper color covered in a layer of black mud and dirt.

Mo Ting washes the incense burner, then puts some grains at the bottom, sprinkles a layer of incense ash, lights a stick of incense, and inserts it into the incense burner.

But just as Mo Ting personally inserts the incense and fire into the incense burner.

Lord Huang Shan only feels as if his chest has been hit hard by a large iron hammer, his heart about to jump out of his throat.

He immediately loses his voice and cries out:

“Don’t!”

Mo Ting’s action of offering incense stops, he turns his head, and looks at Lord Huang Shan with some surprise, “You don’t want incense and fire?”

Lord Huang Shan’s heart is still trembling endlessly, and his eyes remain panic-stricken.

Just at that moment, he was so scared that his soul was about to scatter.

It was as if this wisp of incense and fire was as heavy as Mount Tai, pressing him so that he couldn’t breathe, and he fundamentally couldn’t bear it.

What does this mean……

This little friend’s incense and fire…… he can’t afford to eat it?!

Lord Huang Shan looks deeply at Mo Ting, then pulls the corner of his mouth, and says with a forced smile:

“Little friend’s good intention, this little god appreciates it, but let’s forget about the incense and fire for now. I’ve been hungry for too long, it’s fine to eat some offerings, I can’t eat the incense and fire, otherwise I’ll burst……”

“Burst?” Mo Ting doesn’t understand and mutters, “Gods can also burst?”

But if you don’t eat it, then forget it.

Perhaps he is accustomed to being poor, and suddenly eating a full meal makes it difficult to eat too well.

Mo Ting nods.

“Then eat the offerings.”

Lord Huang Shan bows with folded hands and says: “Many thanks, little friend.”

Thus, within the ruined temple, above the mud sculpture, Lord Huang Shan slowly floats out, descends to the offering table, and begins to enjoy the offerings placed by Mo Ting.

While he eats, Mo Ting cannot just watch.

He also takes out the “snacks” he prepared for himself from his storage bag, jumps onto the offering table, sits side by side with Lord Huang Shan, and eats together.

Lord Huang Shan eats the offerings while secretly sizing up Mo Ting.

He then discovers that Mo Ting is different from before.

His aura is introverted, his divine sense is complete, making his heart feel close to him, but faintly revealing a sense of “majesty,” which makes him feel fear.

Lord Huang Shan is secretly alarmed.

He didn’t remember wrong, it’s only been a year……

Not seeing him for a year, this young man seems to have undergone a metamorphic change again.

What’s more ridiculous is that Mo Ting’s divine sense is obviously stronger.

Exactly how strong…… Lord Huang Shan is momentarily unsure.

Most people’s divine sense is sealed within the sea of consciousness, and only a small part is released externally.

A Foundation Building cultivator cannot leave their body with their primordial spirit. If they want to peek into the true form of their divine sense, they either lead them into a dream or invade their sea of consciousness.

Lord Huang Shan quietly glances at Mo Ting.

“Lead him into a dream, or invade his sea of consciousness?”

As soon as this thought appears, he immediately suppresses it.

Once a person courts death, they must die without a doubt.

Gods are the same.

“To be a good person, to be a good god, I am no longer like before, I want to be more ‘law-abiding’……”

Lord Huang Shan silently recites in his heart.

Then his heart calms down and he begins to eat the offerings.

Mo Ting eats quickly, wolfing it down, while Lord Huang Shan is a mountain god, wanting to maintain his dignity, so he eats slowly, slowly and methodically.

After Mo Ting finishes eating, regardless of what he is doing, he begins to ask Lord Huang Shan:

“Mountain Lord, can I ask you about matters related to divine sense turning into a sword?”

Lord Huang Shan gracefully eats a chicken leg and is somewhat surprised to hear the words, “Didn’t you ask before?”

Mo Ting nods, “I did ask before, but I’ve recently thought of some other problems.”

Before, he didn’t know how to turn divine sense into a sword at all, he was purely an outsider.

But now it is different, he knows a bit about the art of turning divine sense into a sword, barely stepping into the threshold, having a basic understanding, and naturally asking things differently.

Lord Huang Shan doesn’t want to answer.

Especially about the matter of “divine sense turning into a sword,” this is the pain of his lifetime.

But having eaten someone’s food, he cannot refuse.

Moreover, the sense of majesty on Mo Ting’s body is heavier, and he dares not not answer.

“Little friend, please ask, this little god will speak without reservation.”

“Okay.” Mo Ting nods, and then asks Lord Huang Shan about some problems he has pondered over early on:

“Mountain Lord, divine sense turning into a sword, must it use a sword?”

“Naturally, otherwise how can it be called divine sense turning into a ‘sword’?”

“What I mean is, after turning divine sense into ‘sword intent,’ must it be attached to sword energy or a spirit sword to be displayed? Can it be used directly?”

“This……” Lord Huang Shan hesitates, saying with some difficulty:

“I haven’t learned it, so I don’t know that clearly, but that sword cultivator I fought with indeed carried sword intent with his sword.”

“Moreover, displaying sword intent without relying on sword energy or a spirit sword, even if it is feasible, would still require cultivating the method of divine sense turning into a sword to a very profound level……”

“If you are just starting out, learning everything, and your sword art is not yet pure, then considering urging divine sense and sword intent directly without relying on sword methods, isn’t that like wanting to learn to run before learning to crawl?”

Mo Ting suddenly realizes, “This is also reasonable……”

Sword energy and spirit swords are like crutches.

With crutches, it is easy to control sword intent and urge the method of divine sense turning into a sword.

Cultivating to a profound level, achieving perfection in the sword dao, then one can consider throwing away the crutches and purely rely on divine sense and sword intent to kill.

Moreover, even so, when truly encountering a strong enemy, one cannot purely rely on sword intent.

One still needs to integrate the spirit sword, sword energy, and sword intent into one to display the maximum power of Taixu’s divine sense turning into a sword true art.

“Taixu’s divine sense turning into a sword, it needs to use ‘sword’ as a medium……”

Mo Ting mutters in a low voice, then asks again:

“Then what is it like not using a sword as a medium, divine sense turning into a sword? Is it like this?”

Mo Ting points his fingers and makes a handsome gesture in the air.

“…… Pointing a finger, with a ‘whoosh,’ the divine sense turns into a sword and flies past, like controlling a sword?”

Lord Huang Shan strokes his chin, “It shouldn’t be…… but I don’t remember clearly.”

“Think carefully,” Mo Ting says, “Recall again, what was the scene exactly when you were chopped by divine sense turning into a sword.”

Lord Huang Shan: “……”

This child always likes to sprinkle salt on others’ wounds.

Thus, he endures the pain in his heart, tries his best to recall, and flips out that unwilling to recall death battle from his almost sealed memory.

Bits and pieces of past events arise in his heart.

Lord Huang Shan’s momentum changes, seemingly no longer a fallen little mountain god, with a few points of immeasurable majesty added between his eyebrows.

Lord Huang Shan slowly says:

“In that battle, I was polluted by evil thoughts, my divine sense was lost, and I fought a death battle with that sword cultivator senior, almost relying on instinct.”

“And that sword cultivator that year, with his entire skill, indeed relied on a life-accompanying ancient treasure sword.”

“His sword intent was vast and mighty, as if Taixu, fused within the ancient sword, reaching the extreme of sharpness. Relying on a mortal flesh body, using the sword dao method of a cultivator, he could injure this god of mine.”

“I am not familiar with this sword art, but judging from my experience fighting it, the true art of divine sense turning into a sword itself is still a kind of special sword art. It is only on the sword that divine sense generates ‘sword intent,’ and when displayed, it still must be related to ‘sword.’”

“Even from the outside, it just looks like an ordinary sword cultivator using sword methods.”

“Only gods, or cultivators proficient in the divine sense dao, can see the ferocity within……”

Mo Ting sighs, somewhat disappointed, “Saying it all, it still can’t leave sword methods……”

This is considered a weakness among his weaknesses.

Although his control of the sword is very powerful, Mo Ting also knows in his heart that his “control of the sword” only has form but no essence. It is not essentially a sword method, but a kind of “divine sense control object” method, it just looks like controlling a sword.

“It’s not entirely like that either……”

Lord Huang Shan says with a frown.

Mo Ting is startled, “What do you mean?”

Lord Huang Shan tries his best to recall again, his gaze solemn, and then says in surprise:

“I remember now, when I fought with that sword cultivator that year, my fierce nature erupted, and I once used a palm to swat away his ancient sword.”

“That sword cultivator’s ancient sword left his hand, without a sword to rely on, he immediately fell into a disadvantage. I wanted to take the opportunity to wipe him out, and pounced towards him to kill, just at this time, that sword cultivator’s pupils brightened……”

Mo Ting is shocked, “Pupils?”

“Yes,” Lord Huang Shan nods, “……His pupils brightened, and in the center of his pupils, it seemed as if sword light condensed, extremely sharp. I only looked at it once, and felt a stabbing pain in both eyes, my entire body’s divine sense felt like being Lingchi by ten thousand swords……”

“And taking advantage of this gap, that sword cultivator used divine sense to control the sword, summoned the ancient sword back into his hand, reorganized the situation, and fought with me again.”

“But this move of condensing sword light in the center of his pupils, he only used it once at this critical moment. After that, I fought a death battle with him until both were exhausted and their oil lamps were dry, and he did not display it again.”

“That is to say……” Mo Ting’s eyes brighten, “The true art of divine sense turning into a sword, even without using a sword, can also use ‘eyes’ to display the sword intent of killing?”

Lord Huang Shan shakes his head, “I don’t know, I only saw that person use this one move, and only this once.”

“Even if this is not a move of the true art of divine sense turning into a sword, I am not clear……”

But Mo Ting doesn’t care what Lord Huang Shan says, he has already followed this line of thought and is considering it.

Pupils, sword light, killing……

But he is still somewhat unclear, so he asks Lord Huang Shan:

“Why is it the eyes? Not the mouth, nose, or ears? Is it because the pupils are the window of divine sense?”

Lord Huang Shan nods and says: “Not bad, a cultivator’s divine sense is called ‘divine sense,’ besides that, all thought power in the world is called ‘divine thought,’ and among all kinds of divine thought, gods are especially respected.”

“Gods’ divine thought can only ‘Daoize,’ so it is called ‘divine thought Daoization,’ a cultivator’s divine sense cannot.”

Mo Ting quietly asks: “No exception?”

Lord Huang Shan firmly shakes his head, “People are people, gods are gods, if there were exceptions, wouldn’t people and gods be indistinguishable? This does not conform to the laws of the Dao……”

After he finishes speaking, he looks at Mo Ting and is suddenly startled.

All sorts of strange signs on Mo Ting’s body gradually float up into his heart……

Lord Huang Shan’s heart suddenly jumps, “You won’t be……”

Mo Ting has an innocent expression, “What am I?”

Lord Huang Shan is startled.

What is he?

He is a mortal, and his divine thought is Daoized?

No…… this should be impossible. He has lived so long and has never heard of such a shocking matter.

Tracing back to the source, how exactly can a mortal cultivator undergo the metamorphosis of divine thought and complete “Daoization”?

This not only requires massive divine sense, but also a change in the quality of divine thought, comprehension of the “Dao,” and extremely rare “god essence”……

Even for gods, wanting to further “Daoize” is extremely difficult.

Let alone a small cultivator.

Lord Huang Shan calms down and sighs: “Nothing.”

He was thinking too much……

Mo Ting blinks his eyes, not daring to ask more, afraid that asking again would expose himself.

Don’t look at Lord Huang Shan being so fallen, but he has lived a long time, and his experience is still extremely rich. If he says more, it is uncertain if he can guess.

“Divine sense Daoization” is something Mo Ting doesn’t know the pros and cons of.

What if it is some extremely bad, cannot be leaked, cannot let anyone, even any god know, a terrible taboo.

Once it is leaked, it will cause huge disaster and death.

And Lord Huang Shan guesses it again……

Then there is no way, he can only silence him!

Mo Ting sighs.

He doesn’t have many gods as friends either.

If not as a last resort, he really doesn’t want to lose this “good friend.”

Lord Huang Shan suddenly feels a cold wind blowing over, his neck chilling with a whoosh.

He involuntarily looks at Mo Ting with some unease and says:

“Little friend, are you not……”

“Nothing.” Mo Ting smiles and reassures him, then raises his head to look at the sky and says again: “It’s getting late, I have to go, I still have things to do next……”

Lord Huang Shan only feels as if a heavy burden has been lifted.

It is as if the dripping guillotine hanging over him just now was withdrawn like this.

“Little friend, walk slowly!” Lord Huang Shan says with a smile.

Mo Ting nods, then walks towards the outside, but as he steps one foot out the door, he suddenly turns his head again and looks at Lord Huang Shan.

Lord Huang Shan’s heart tightens, and he smiles awkwardly: “Little friend, still have something?”

Mo Ting looks left and right once and asks: “Mountain Lord, this temple of yours is too broken, do you want me to find someone to repair it?”

Lord Huang Shan’s expression is slightly stern, and he hurriedly says: “Little friend’s good intention, this mountain lord appreciates it, but although this temple is broken, leaking wind and leaking rain, I am used to living here.”

“As the saying goes, a big temple supplies a big god, a small temple supplies a small god, this broken temple is just right for supplying this fallen little mountain god of mine.”

“Oh……” Mo Ting nods, his gaze towards Lord Huang Shan suddenly solidifies, and he slowly says:

“Mountain Lord, you…… are you hiding from something?”

As these words are spoken, Lord Huang Shan’s face instantly changes color.