Chapter 820: Water Prison Technique

"'Three, six, nine, and so on, upper overcomes lower?'" Mo Hua's expression was doubtful. "Why haven't I heard of these rules within the Tai Xu Gate?"

"Tai Xu Gate?" Yu Cang Hai was startled, a bit surprised. "You are actually a disciple of the Tai Xu Gate?"

Mo Hua nodded.

Yu Cang Hai sighed and said, "No wonder..."

He was actually a disciple of one of the eight major gates.

He often heard that the Tai Xu Gate was in decline, and each generation of disciples was worse than the last.

Yet, he didn't expect to casually meet a Tai Xu Gate disciple outside who possessed such unfathomable strength.

It seemed that the rumors of this world were mostly untrue.

The Tai Xu Gate was a branch of an ancient sect, with continuous blessings and an truly immeasurably deep foundation...

Yu Cang Hai also couldn't help but look at the Tai Xu Gate with high regard.

He sighed again, and slowly said:

"The inheritance of the Tai Xu Gate is somewhat different from my Water Prison Gate. You walk the path of righteousness, preaching and teaching. The inheritance within your gate might be divided into three, six, nine, and so on, but it won't have such an obvious distinction of 'upper overcoming lower'."

Mo Hua curiously said, "You also know about our Tai Xu Gate's inheritance?"

Yu Cang Hai nodded slightly. "That is natural. Although the Water Prison Gate has declined, it still has some sect classics that record the prosperous state of each sect a thousand years ago."

"A thousand years ago..."

Mo Hua's eyes brightened, and he became interested.

Yu Cang Hai pondered for a moment and continued:

"According to the records in my Water Prison Gate's classics, the Tai Xu Gate back then, among the hundreds and thousands of sects in the Qian Xue State boundary, although its strength wasn't considered top-tier, it was still enough to make everyone dread. The fundamental reason was precisely the inheritance of sword intent."

"Sword intent?"

"Correct." Yu Cang Hai nodded. "Tai A forges divine swords, Chong Xu derives sword qi, Tai Xu transforms sword intent. This is recorded in my Water Prison Gate's records as the three most ancient branches of sword dao inheritance within the five grades of the Qian Xue State boundary."

Tai A forges divine swords, Chong Xu derives sword qi, Tai Xu transforms sword intent...

Upon hearing this, Mo Hua remembered and then asked:

"Elder Yu, I heard that the ancestors of the Tai A Gate, Chong Xu Gate, and Tai Xu Gate were from one sect. What was this sect called?"

Yu Cang Hai's expression was regretful as he said:

"This I also do not know. It is not recorded in the Water Prison Gate's classics either. I only know that this seemed to be a very ancient sect, but since it was divided into three sects, the name of this ancient sect was also buried with it. From then on, no one mentioned it again, nor could it be recorded in any books or jade slips."

Mo Hua frowned, his expression somewhat serious. Then he asked again:

"How exactly is the Tai Xu method of cultivating sword intent cultivated?"

Yu Cang Hai looked at Mo Hua with a subtle expression.

You, a disciple of the Tai Xu Gate, are asking me, an elder of the Water Prison Gate, how to cultivate sword intent?

Mo Hua had to say, "We don't teach it now."

Indeed, the disciples within the Tai Xu Gate now are not taught much about sword intent.

He himself was a spirit cultivator, usually relying on spells to make a living. He was not proficient in sword arts. Strictly speaking, his sword controlling technique didn't even count as sword arts.

For the daily sword arts courses, he only went to sit in and get a general understanding of the sword cultivator's methods.

Up to now, he had already cultivated within the Tai Xu Gate for five years. During these five years, he had basically not seen any elders teach disciples the methods of sword intent.

Even mentioning it was very rare.

Even a sword cultivator like Si Tu Jian, in the Tai Xu Gate, learned everything except the sword.

His sword dao inheritance was still his family's Li Huo Sword Art, and not the Tai Xu Gate's sword dao methods.

Yu Cang Hai was also a bit surprised. "Not teach?"

He furrowed his brow and couldn't help but mutter, "...That's not right. How can they not teach?"

What kind of sect opens its doors to accept disciples but doesn't pass down its own dao lineage?

Yu Cang Hai pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Perhaps it's because sword intent is too difficult to pass down..."

"Practice qi to nurture the sword, build foundation to learn methods, grind the sword dao day and night, comprehend sword intent. It is possible that only at the Jindan and even late Jindan stages can one initially see results, and only at the Yu Hua stage can one show their edge and break through the nine heavens with their sword."

"This process is too slow. In this world now, it seems a bit unsuitable..."

"Now sects stand in great numbers, and the competition is fierce. Sword intent, this thing, cannot be learned at the foundation building stage. Even if it is learned, it takes a long time and the effects are slow, which is very disadvantageous. It is possible that disciples of other sects are already relying on sharp sword arts to kill in all directions, while you are still slowly grinding your foundation and nurturing your sword intent. Although when you finally learn it, your sword dao will be a great success, and you will have a unique aura, before that, you don't know how much hardship and loneliness you will endure, how many years you will suppress yourself..."

Speaking to here, Yu Cang Hai was a bit emotional.

The methods of cultivation had changed and were indeed much more advanced compared to the past.

But cultivators now were too eager for quick success and were unwilling to calm down and grind.

A great vessel takes time to build.

Some ancient dao methods are powerful precisely because one can endure loneliness, accumulate day by day, month by month, and grind little by little before seeing results.

Mo Hua slowly nodded.

The Tai Xu Gate's sword intent inheritance is something that exerts force in the later stages. It is indeed quite disadvantageous in the foundation building realm.

This was Elder Yu's view.

But Mo Hua knew that it was probably not just that.

Because if the Tai Xu sword intent emphasized accumulation and exertion in the later stages, then the strength of the inner gate of the Tai Xu Gate now should be above the eight major gates.

But the reality was not like that.

The strength of the inner gate disciples of the eight major gates, including the elders, did not seem to be outstanding among the eight major gates.

It's not that Xun Zi You, Xun Zi Xian, and other elders were not strong, but they didn't have that "stand out" strength.

Tracing it back to the source, it was probably still because the later stage sword intent methods were also lost.

Originally hard to learn, and learning was slow.

After learning it successfully, for some unknown reason, the means to execute sword intent were missing.

No wonder the Tai Xu Gate now doesn't teach much about sword intent.

This set of inheritance, or rather the Tai Xu Gate's dao lineage, is restricted everywhere, difficult to pass down, to the extent that the original Tai Xu Gate, famous for its "sword intent" and sharpness, has now become the lukewarm "last in line".

After Yu Cang Hai finished speaking about the Tai Xu Gate, he said emotionally:

"So to speak, your Tai Xu Gate has obtained the most orthodox inheritance from the ancient sect. The difficulty of the inheritance lies in itself. You only need to peacefully transmit it to disciples, while we Water Prison Gate consider too much."

Mo Hua: "......"

"What do you need to consider?" Mo Hua asked.

Yu Cang Hai sighed and said, "Our Water Prison Gate's entire inheritance is related to the Dao Court Si. We are accustomed to scheming and intrigue, so we not only defend against others but also defend against ourselves."

"Even the first generation old ancestor of my Water Prison Gate, the person who created the Water Prison Gate's dao lineage, was also an old ancestor who was extremely cunning and good at scheming."

"The old ancestor did not trust anyone, not even his own clan members and children, let alone sect disciples."

"So he divided the spells within the sect into grades, with strict levels."

"Direct lineage learns upper grade, inner gate learns middle grade, outer gate learns lower grade."

"The cultivation methods of the lower grade are inherently overcome by the cultivation methods of the upper grade."

"The spells of the lower grade are naturally also ineffective against the spells of the upper grade."

Mo Hua frowned and said strangely, "Such obvious inheritance 'discrimination', are there still disciples willing to join your Water Prison Gate to learn?"

"That is natural," Yu Cang Hai said. "Human nature is originally like this. If there are no benefits, they will talk to you about self-respect and personality. Once they can gain benefits, they will throw self-respect and personality behind."

"Merely some inheritance discrimination, what does that count as?"

"Moreover, in terms of water system cultivation methods and dao methods inheritance, my Water Prison Gate is originally top-notch within the Qian Xue State boundary."

"Even divided into three, six, nine, and so on, those lower grade spells can only not 'overcome upper' against cultivators of the same sect, but against other cultivators, their power is still not bad."

Mo Hua nodded.

The Water Prison Technique he learned was just like that.

Up to now, it was only ineffective against Water Yan Luo and this Elder Yu in front of him, but against other cultivators, it was very useful, basically equivalent to a middle-grade technique.

"Such a powerful Water Prison Technique is only a lower grade spell of the Water Prison Gate?" Mo Hua was a bit emotional.

Yu Cang Hai hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, it doesn't quite count."

"Doesn't count?"

Yu Cang Hai said, "Even the Water Prison Technique is divided into 'three, six, nine, and so on'."

Mo Hua didn't understand. "Three, six, nine, and so on? Why don't I know?"

Yu Cang Hai sighed. "You are not a disciple of my Water Prison Gate, and you only obtained some written inheritance. You have only learned a rough outline."

"The wonder of spells lies in their application. These inherent ways are mostly transmitted orally and are not found in written words."

Mo Hua was a bit shocked. "The Water Prison Technique still has other ways?"

He had learned it for so long and used it for so long, yet he hadn't discovered anything.

Yu Cang Hai didn't want to say, but was gazed at by Mo Hua's bright eyes. He also thought that he was saved by Mo Hua and wanted to repay him a little.

Moreover, this small detail about the Water Prison Technique shouldn't have a big impact even if he says it.

Even if he says it, he might not necessarily be able to learn it.

Yu Cang Hai then said, "When you cast the Water Prison Technique, you should notice that the technique style of the Water Prison will condense several chains of water system spirit power, right?"

Mo Hua nodded.

"How many?" Yu Cang Hai asked.

Mo Hua recalled a bit. "It seems to be three."

Yu Cang Hai then said, "These spirit locks are what form the so-called three, six, nine, and so on."

"Each spirit lock is a small threshold. Each time you cross a small threshold, the spirit power consumed will increase, but the 'bind' effect of the Water Prison Technique will also be a little stronger."

"While every three spirit locks is a big threshold. Each time you cross a big threshold, the Water Prison Technique will undergo a qualitative change and will also be raised by one grade."

"Three spirit locks is only entry, six spirit locks is considered small success, and nine spirit locks is only considered great success."

"The Water Prison Technique with three spirit locks can hardly overcome any disciples who cultivate the Water Prison Gate's cultivation methods."

"Six spirit locks is a higher level and has an obvious binding effect on some outer gate disciples."

"And if you can cultivate the Water Prison Technique to the extreme and cultivate out nine spirit locks, it will have a not bad threat even to inner gate cultivators, and even some direct disciples of the Water Prison Gate who are not proficient."

Mo Hua said in surprise, "There are actually so many rules."

"Yes," Yu Cang Hai said emotionally. "The inheritance of the cultivation world is originally complex, and these things are not all recorded in secret books, but are 'transmitted from person to person'. Only those who are truly proficient in such spells know the ways within."

"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded.

The origin of the cultivation world is far-reaching and long. Not only formations, it seems that the inheritance of dao methods is also far from as simple as he thought.

Indeed, as long as a person is willing to learn, they can always learn some new things.

"Then how exactly are the three, six, and nine spirit locks within this Water Prison Technique cultivated?" Mo Hua asked.

"This..." Yu Cang Hai hesitated a bit.

"Can't tell me?"

"It involves specific inheritance, I can only simply say a little," Yu Cang Hai sighed, then said, "When casting the Water Prison Technique, spirit power is mobilized from the Qi Hai, converges into the forearm, flows through the Chi Ze acupoint, Wai Guan acupoint, and above the palm of the right hand, divided through the Bai, Ling Gu, Zhong Bai, Zhong Zhu... and other acupoints. Finally, it condenses into a technique style and flows out from the Shang Yang acupoint of the index finger, forming the technique."

"These few acupoints are the key."

"Spirit power wanders through these few acupoints, forming a small cycle. In the time of a few breaths that the technique style is formed, each additional cycle will generate one additional spirit lock."

"It sounds simple, but it is extremely complex to cast. It requires long years of practice. Not only does it need to be fast, but also precise. Spirit power cannot be disordered, it can only be..."

Yu Cang Hai hadn't finished speaking when he heard Mo Hua say:

"Is it like this?"

He turned his head to look and saw Mo Hua point a finger. In the air, a Water Prison Technique with four spirit locks condensed, one more than before.

Yu Cang Hai was silent.

"Don't you need to be a bit faster?"

Mo Hua asked, then thought for a moment, concentrated, controlled his spirit power, and cast the Water Prison Technique again.

His spirit power flowed faster and more precisely.

Soon, the Water Prison Technique condensed five spirit locks.

Yu Cang Hai was stunned.

Mo Hua was still a bit dissatisfied.

"It should still be a bit faster. The flow direction of the spirit power cycle, and the points it passes through, can also be a bit more precise..."

Mo Hua tried five or six more times.

Several times failed, but finally, he stumbled and condensed six spirit locks.

Currently, it seemed that this was the limit. If he cycled several more times, the time would be too long, and the technique style of the Water Prison Technique would not be stable.

But six spirit locks were still okay, at least stronger than before.

His previous Water Prison Technique still only had three spirit locks.

Thinking of this, Mo Hua was a bit doubtful and asked Yu Cang Hai:

"Are you dividing these three, six, nine, and so on casually? There is no difficulty between three, four, five, and six, is there? Why divide it so finely?"

Yu Cang Hai stood in place expressionless, his body a bit numb, and he didn't say a word.

What could he say?

Say that ordinary Water Prison Gate disciples don't practice like this?

That each additional spirit lock condensed takes several years, or even more than ten years of practice?

How could he say this.

Saying it would make him feel like he was losing face.

Yu Cang Hai said numbly:

"This... The predecessors within the gate might indeed be a bit casual, but after all, it's a low-end spell. The difficulty is not high, and dividing it finely is also for... for letting disciples have confidence in learning spells and encouraging disciples to cultivate..."

Speaking to the end, Yu Cang Hai didn't know what he was saying.

Mo Hua, on the contrary, truly believed him. "I didn't expect that the elders of your Water Prison Gate are quite kind."

Yu Cang Hai smiled bitterly.

How could he know.

He was bluffing.

"Then does your Water Prison Gate have more powerful spells?" Mo Hua said curiously.

Yu Cang Hai's spirit lifted.

This kind of thing, involving the secrets of sect inheritance, he originally didn't want to say.

But as things stood, he couldn't let the Water Prison Gate be looked down upon by this little brother.

Otherwise, where would the face of the Water Prison Gate be?

"That is natural." Yu Cang Hai said with a solemn face and a slight arrogance. "My Water Prison Gate was illustrious for a time, its inheritance is long, and it is proficient in innumerable water system spells."

Mo Hua's eyes brightened. "For example?"

Yu Cang Hai pondered for a moment and said, "Leaving aside others, just this type of control spell like the Water Prison Technique, within my Water Prison Gate, there is a more superior dao method inheritance."

"There are still stronger control spells than the Water Prison Technique?" Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

Yu Cang Hai nodded and said, "The Water Prison Technique can condense at most nine spirit locks..."

"While above the Water Prison Technique, there is still a dao method that starts by condensing eighteen spirit locks."

"This is the superior control class dao method of my Water Prison Gate - the Water Prison Technique!"

Water Prison Technique?!

Mo Hua's heart was slightly shocked.

This name, you could tell it was extraordinary just by hearing it.

Yu Cang Hai saw Mo Hua's surprised expression, felt a bit proud in his heart, and then continued:

"There are quite a few superior attack class dao methods in the cultivation world, but few in the control class."

"This Water Prison Technique is an extremely rare, superior control technique!"

"Moreover, it is still the most superior 'control technique' in the inheritance system of my Water Prison Gate. It can overcome all cultivators who cultivate the Water Prison Gate's cultivation methods and body methods. Only direct disciples of the sect master can learn it!"

"At the same time, the most important thing is that the Water Prison Technique is still a strong control spell that can ignore the immune control effect of golden body techniques, golden body talismans, and other golden body class spells, and carry out forced control of cultivators."

"In front of the Water Prison Technique, a golden body is just a useless piece of paper."

This time Mo Hua was truly shocked.

Superior dao method, strong control spell, ignoring golden body.

He immediately said, "Then if you learn the Water Prison Technique, can you catch Water Yan Luo?"

Yu Cang Hai shook his head.

"No?" Mo Hua said.

"It's not that it can't," Yu Cang Hai said. "Wanting to learn the Water Prison Technique is itself more difficult than catching Water Yan Luo..."

"This is an extremely complex spell, and it's a superior dao method. How can it be so easy to learn? Throughout the generations of the Water Prison Gate, only the sect master and the sect master's direct disciples have the qualification to learn. Even so, not all sect masters can learn it."

Mo Hua said, "Then..."

Yu Cang Hai said, "I naturally cannot. Moreover, I am not the sect master, and it is impossible for me to have the inheritance of the Water Prison Technique in my hand."

Mo Hua was a bit disappointed and asked again, "Besides the Water Prison Technique, are there more powerful spells?"

"The Water Prison Technique is a superior spell. Any higher than that, it might be a forbidden..."

Yu Cang Hai spoke halfway and suddenly closed his mouth.

"Forbidden what?" Mo Hua asked.

"Nothing..." Yu Cang Hai smiled a bit reluctantly and said, "There are also more powerful spells than the Water Prison Technique, but those are not control spells. If we talk about control, they are naturally all not as good as the Water Prison Technique."

"Oh." Mo Hua nodded.

After this, Yu Cang Hai also didn't say anything more.

He was still injured, and it was not convenient for Mo Hua to disturb him too much, so he took his leave.

But this conversation still let Mo Hua know many things.

First, the Water Prison Technique still had more advanced cultivation methods.

After going back, he could practice more and see if he could cultivate the Water Prison Technique to the extreme of nine spirit locks.

The effect of the Water Prison Technique with nine spirit locks is estimated to be on a higher level.

Second, it was the Water Prison Technique.

It was an extremely rare superior control class spell that could almost only be learned by the Water Prison Gate sect master, could overcome the Water Prison Gate cultivation methods, and could ignore golden body techniques.

As for killing class spells, Mo Hua was not greedy.

But these control class spells held an inexplicable attraction for him.

Mo Hua felt anticipation in his heart, and at the same time, some pity.

Elder Yu said that he didn't have the inheritance of the Water Prison Technique in his hand. He didn't know if it was true or false, but even if he did have it, he would definitely not let himself learn it.

After all, this was a town sect spell that only the "sect master" of the Water Prison Gate could learn.

Moreover, this was still a superior dao method, and the spirit power consumed was alarming.

With his meager spirit power, even if he learned it, he might not necessarily be able to use it...

When talking about "spells stronger than the Water Prison Technique", Elder Yu said the word "forbidden". Mo Hua could almost confirm that he wanted to say "forbidden technique".

Did the Water Prison Gate also have forbidden techniques?

This Elder Yu was hiding quite a lot...

Mo Hua sighed in his heart.

But these were all the inheritance of the Water Prison Gate, and it was not good to force it.

He could only restrain his mind and return to the Tai Xu Gate first.

Just as he returned to the sect, stepped into the mountain gate, and looked up at the plaque above the mountain gate that read "Tai Xu Gate", Mo Hua couldn't help but think of what Elder Yu said about the record of the former body of the Tai Xu Gate in the classics of the Water Prison Gate a thousand years ago.

"Tai A forges divine swords, Chong Xu derives sword qi, Tai Xu transforms sword intent..."

"What sect was the ancient sect before the three sects were divided?"

"If the three sects were united, and the divine sword, sword qi, and sword intent were combined into one, what kind of powerful sword dao inheritance would it be?"

Mo Hua looked up at the sky, longing in his heart.

Immediately, his expression was again a bit disappointed.

It was a pity, the three sects had already separated.

Looking at the current situation, it was estimated that they would not unite again. Thinking about this kind of problem was also useless.

"If only the three sects could unite..."

Mo Hua thought silently, then shook his head and stepped into the mountain gate of the Tai Xu Gate.

Above the mountain gate, white smoke was still curling up, soaring up, merging with the clouds in the sky.

A wisp of ancient sword intent wandered within.