Chapter 992: Rebirth

The Sword Discussion Assembly was imminent, and the atmosphere at Taixu Sect suddenly grew tense. From top to bottom, everyone's hearts were tightly strung. Old Mr. Xun hadn't shown his face for a long time either. Now, all the array methods classes, from preparing lessons, teaching classes, to grading homework, were the sole responsibility of Mo Yuan. Old Mr. Xun had become a hands-off shopkeeper, quietly sitting in the elder's residence, fully absorbed and oblivious to day or night, deducing something.

Even the Taixu Sect Master wasn't so leisurely. On the occasions Mo Yuan went to feed the big white dog, he saw the Sect Master several times and noticed that his expression was somewhat haggard, and his head of thick black hair was finally starting to thin. Furthermore, Mo Yuan saw that the elders were all moving with hurried steps and grave expressions, each busy with various preparations for the Sword Discussion Assembly.

And the most tense were the disciples of Taixu Sect. Because they were the ones participating in the Sword Discussion. The honor of the sect, the interests of their families, and their personal futures all depended on this grand competition. Everyone's hearts felt as if a stone was hanging there, uneasy, and like being pressed down by a stone, unable to breathe.

Amidst the intense cultivation and spell fighting, the disciples' expressions became increasingly grave and solemn. Even when eating, there wasn't much conversation.

At noon, in the disciple residence, Mo Yuan gnawed on a chicken leg, looking left and right. He noticed that the usually lively and laughing dining hall was as if covered with a layer of frost. Everyone was eating with their heads down, not saying a word. He couldn't help but shake his head. This wasn't good. The atmosphere was too stifling, it would cause indigestion.

Mo Yuan turned his head again to look at Cheng Mo beside him. The usually chatty Cheng Mo was now truly "silent", his face also tight, gnawing on a knuckle like chewing wax, without flavor. Mo Yuan passed him a chicken leg. Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment, lifted his head to see it was Mo Yuan, and slowly said, "Thank you, little senior brother."

Mo Yuan then asked him, "How is your practice for the Sword Discussion?"

Cheng Mo nodded, "Still okay..." But his expression wasn't firm, obviously not very confident.

Mo Yuan was a bit puzzled. "Your foundation isn't quite good? You still lack confidence?"

Cheng Mo had suppressed his feelings and originally didn't want to speak, but he couldn't not reply to Mo Yuan's words. After thinking for a moment, he sighed, "Little senior brother, to be honest with you, my cultivation, whether it's my cultivation method, muscles and bones, or Dao methods, has almost no shortcomings. In my Cheng family, if I say I'm second, no one dares to say they're first."

"But this is the Qianxue State boundary, a place where sects like the four great sects and eight great gates gather 'top-notch' disciples. My aptitude is only considered standard, and I only rely on 'tough skin and thick flesh' to be a bit stronger than others."

"When it comes to truly discussing the sword, competing with the prodigies of various sects, I... indeed have no advantage..." Cheng Mo had no confidence in his heart.

Situ Jian and several others beside him also nodded. In their respective families, without a doubt, they were all the number one or two 'outstanding ones'. Placed in other parts of the Nine Provinces, they would all be 'geniuses' rarely seen in a hundred years. Not to mention others, any disciple casually picked from within Taixu Sect and thrown into the Big Black Mountain State boundary, where Mo Yuan originated, would absolutely be a 'sensation across the board' prodigy.

But these prodigies all gathered at the Qianxue State boundary. Since they were all 'outstanding ones' from families, relatively speaking, they were all 'mediocre', without too many outstanding abilities, naturally seeming ordinary among the crowd. It wasn't that Cheng Mo and the others were weak, but truly, the surrounding disciples were all too strong. There was always a sky beyond a sky, and a person beyond a person. Above geniuses, there were always even stronger 'geniuses'. Cheng Mo and the others' 'genius' was only the threshold to stepping into the Qianxue State boundary and seeing stronger geniuses.

Mo Yuan sighed inwardly a little. Fortunately, he had achieved the Dao through divine consciousness, by chance, and had taken a 'back door'. If not for this, with his aptitude, he wouldn't even be able to reach the threshold of stepping into the Qianxue State boundary, let alone join Taixu Sect and become the little senior brother of Cheng Mo and the others.

Mo Yuan counted in his heart and realized that within the current Taixu Sect, the only one who could truly be considered a 'top genius' was the one who had merged over, Xiao Xiao. Linghu Xiao, a disciple of the Chongxu lineage. His sword heart was bright, and his talent in the sword Dao, even placed in the history of the former Chongxu Sect, was considered rare in five hundred years. If not for the merger of the three sects, Taixu Sect wouldn't even have this one 'top genius'.

Mo Yuan was a bit unhappy, but upon reflection, he felt it was also reasonable. Top geniuses would naturally join the top four great sects. Other talents were only divided among the eight great gates. The four great sects obtained top geniuses, won the Sword Discussion, and could naturally always occupy the leading position. Always occupying the leading position, they could naturally always receive a bag of top geniuses. If they didn't receive them, they would only turn to the eight great gates, the twelve streams, and the hundred gates of Qianxue below. In this situation, it was actually very difficult for Taixu Sect, including the eight great gates, to receive several truly top geniuses.

"Not only are spirit stones and inheritances differentiating, but talents are also differentiating..." Mo Yuan sighed inwardly. The only somewhat special case was Tai'a Sect three years ago. At that time, Tai'a Sect ranked first among the eight great gates, its reputation quite prosperous, and it also had two or three top geniuses within the sect. But top geniuses were inevitably arrogant, and they were all youths, full of vigor. Because of the matter of the Rouge Boat, they were all deprived of their 'Sword Discussion' qualifications. After that, they lost in the Sword Discussion, and Tai'a Sect also fell into an irreversible decline.

The current Taixu Sect, on the surface, looked like a merger of three sects, bringing together the talents of the three sects. But because the 'cream' had all been skimmed off, it was instead not much stronger than the initial Tai'a Sect that ranked first among the eight great gates. In some sense, it was even quite a bit weaker. There were just more people.

Mo Yuan furrowed his brow. So, upon careful calculation, the situation of Taixu Sect in the Sword Discussion was truly not optimistic at all. No wonder the Sect Master was starting to lose hair.

"No, it seems it's not just not optimistic..." Mo Yuan's thoughts turned. The initial Tai'a Sect was the protruding 'rafter', the first to bear the firepower of the four great sects. Chongxu Sect was the buffer in the middle, also sharing some pressure. Taixu Sect ranked at the end, with the least pressure. But now, Taixu Sect had 'absorbed' Tai'a Sect and Chongxu Sect, equivalent to leading all the 'firepower' to itself. All the pressures converged into one body, bearing the 'encirclement' of the four great sects alone. The situation was severe to a shocking degree.

Mo Yuan even felt a headache for the Sect Master. "Don't know how much hair the Sect Master will still have left after the Sword Discussion Assembly ends..." Mo Yuan started to feel sorry for the Sect Master's hair.

Seeing Cheng Mo still frowning, Mo Yuan then comforted him, "Do your best, don't feel pressure."

Cheng Mo smiled bitterly, "Little senior brother, I know all the principles, but this pressure, it can't just disappear when you say it will." It was a big matter like the Sword Discussion, how could he possibly not be tense?

Mo Yuan then asked, "You want first place in the Sword Discussion?"

"Everyone wants first place," Cheng Mo said helplessly, "But I don't have the ability. It'll be fine if I can get a good ranking."

"What can you do with a good ranking?"

"There are too many things you can do." Cheng Mo's eyes lit up, as if injected with chicken blood, and he spoke eloquently: "First, with a high ranking, the sect will reward a large amount of merits, which can be used to exchange for resources or inheritances, or to be promoted to the inner sect, all very good..."

"Even if you don't enter the inner sect, getting a ranking and returning home in glory is also very impressive."

"This is the Sword Discussion ranking of the Qianxue State boundary. The family ancestors will definitely look upon me favorably."

"Even if you go out to boast, it's with conviction, everyone will lower their heads to you..."

Mo Yuan was a bit bewildered: "Really that amazing?"

Cheng Mo nodded: "Naturally."

"But..." Mo Yuan furrowed his brow, "I got first place in the array Dao, and it just felt like that, not much amazing..."

Cheng Mo's breath caught in his chest, a bit not wanting to talk to Mo Yuan. Other disciples were also all choked. Little senior brother was good at everything, but sometimes he spoke too infuriatingly. But through Mo Yuan's words, the crowd unconsciously became less tense.

Mo Yuan asked the others again, "Do you want to win in the Sword Discussion and also want to go back to your families to show off?"

"Naturally, people don't show off in vain youth."

"Of course, it's not purely showing off, there are many benefits..."

The atmosphere became a bit livelier, and the disciples spoke more, saying everything: "I want to bring glory to my family. With a good ranking, my parents will also have a lot of face. My dad often says that the most successful thing in his life is having a son like me..."

"I mainly want to earn some merits, my cultivation method is too resource-consuming..."

"My parents said to get a good ranking in the Sword Discussion, get a good reputation, and they'll find a good marriage for me when I go back."

"Did your parents get their priorities straight? Don't you know how difficult the Sword Discussion is? How much effort does it take to find a marriage?"

"That's because you haven't found one. You'll know when you find one..."

There were also some who, although from big clans, had poor original families: "My dad is good at gambling, my mom remarried, I can't rely on anyone, I can only rely on myself. I want to fight for a future for myself!"

Someone next to him also echoed, "Right, I also want to strive, to fight for a piece of heaven in the Qianxue State boundary with my own strength. If I fail..." His expression was unwilling, "I can only go back and listen to my parents' arrangements, marry a well-matched woman, and inherit the position of family head..."

A bunch of people were speechless...

"Thank you, we're breaking off relations," said the disciple who spoke before.

"No, small family, only four grades, why are you angry?"

"Break off relations, don't talk to me..."

As they talked, the atmosphere temporarily became harmonious. Everyone's mood also relaxed a lot, and the pressure also slightly lessened.

Cheng Mo looked at Mo Yuan and then softly asked: "Little senior brother, do you also want to participate in the Sword Discussion Assembly?"

Mo Yuan pondered, "Should also participate."

"Little senior brother, do you also want to get a ranking and go back to your hometown to show off?" Cheng Mo said.

"This..." Mo Yuan fell into thought.

"What nonsense, how can little senior brother be as superficial as you?" Situ Jian said dissatisfied.

"How is it superficial?" Cheng Mo was not convinced, "Wealth not returning home is like wearing brocade clothes at night, this is human common emotion, where is it superficial?"

"Exactly," a disciple echoed.

"That's what you say, but little senior brother must have other deep meaning..."

"Probably wants to enter the inner sect through the Sword Discussion Assembly and later become an elder."

"What are you saying? With little senior brother's status, does he still need to talk about entering the inner sect?"

"Then earn merits?"

"Do you know exactly how many merits little senior brother has now?"

"How many?"

"So many that little senior brother himself doesn't know how many levels of merits he has..."

"I heard that the ancestor has already sealed the display of little senior brother's merits on the Taixu Order, just afraid that we disciples will see it and our Dao hearts will be damaged..."

"It's not that exaggerated, right..."

"Then little senior brother participates in the Sword Discussion also to get a good ranking and later find a good Dao companion."

"Nonsense! Does little senior brother still need to find a Dao companion?" A disciple's face was solemn, "To be honest, I have a younger sister, upper-grade spirit root, young and beautiful, just the right age..." He hadn't finished when someone next to him shouted, "Lu Zhenming! I asked you to introduce your younger sister to me before, didn't you say your younger sister was still small and so you didn't agree?"

"This is my own younger sister, I can't put her in a fire pit..."

"Good, good, good, brothers for a while, today you give me an explanation, what the hell is a 'fire pit'?"

In the midst of the noise, the atmosphere in the dining hall became more active. Mo Yuan, however, was still lost in thought. Although the majority of the words were jokes, what these disciples said was also right.

"What exactly am I participating in the Sword Discussion Assembly for?" This question was worth deep thought and had to be thought through clearly.

Returning to the disciple residence in the evening, Mo Yuan was still considering this question. Other disciples wanted to strive for a good ranking in the Sword Discussion Assembly, some for fame, some for family interests, some for merits, some for a spot as an inner sect disciple, and some for a good marriage... So what was he striving for?

Fame? His fame was already big enough. The protruding rafter rots first, the fat pig is slaughtered first. For him, being too famous wasn't necessarily a good thing. He didn't lack merits, and he wasn't entering the inner sect. He was a loose cultivator and had no family interests to strive for, let alone a 'family head' position to inherit. As for marriage... That matter was still early, no need to consider it now.

Furthermore, with Mo Yuan's understanding of the little senior sister... If he really went to participate in the Sword Discussion, the little senior sister would probably first worry about whether he was injured, and wouldn't care what ranking he got. Whether he got a ranking or not, it wouldn't prevent him from being her junior brother.

Mo Yuan calculated back and forth and found that he actually had no fundamental demands. The only possible demand was the reward for the first place in the Sword Discussion. But these rewards were all already fixed, and Mo Yuan had also looked at them. One was the self-selection of top-grade cultivation method inheritances from the four great sects and eight great gates. The other was the self-selection of top Dao method inheritances from the four sects and eight great gates. Furthermore, there were also some sect supreme treasures, top-grade pills, talismans, and so on.

The things were undoubtedly all top-notch, but these were all prepared for true 'heaven's proud sons'. For Mo Yuan, who had a weak foundation, none of them were very practical. Even those cultivation methods and Dao laws, with his spirit root, were not suitable to learn.

Other than this, the only reason he needed to participate in the Sword Discussion Assembly was probably just to help Old Mr. Xun and Taixu Sect get through this difficulty. After all, he had received too much favor from Old Mr. Xun and Taixu Sect. Of course, also to let the Sect Master lose less hair... But that was all, it wasn't worth that much effort.

Moreover, Mo Yuan had considered it. This matter carried a very big risk. Old Mr. Xun was right before. Once he participated in the Sword Discussion Assembly, under everyone's gaze, his trump cards would all be stripped away one by one. This point was very fatal. After all, many of his trump cards fundamentally couldn't see the light of day. And if he didn't use his trump cards, he fundamentally didn't have the ability to participate in a grand event like this Sword Discussion.

The Sword Discussion Assembly was not child's play. Proud sons gathered, and there were countless strong ones. This was a long and arduous battle. Mo Yuan didn't really naively think that he could get a good ranking without going all out. Even if he went all out, showing all his trump cards, it was still uncertain whether he could go to the end.

The difficulty was high, the risk was big, and the returns were low. Mo Yuan thought deeply and maturely for a long time and only then helplessly discovered that the objective situation was just like this. In the Sword Discussion Assembly, it was best for him to just muddle through. Strive to help Taixu Sect move up some rankings. As for the rest, there was no need to consider. Mo Yuan sighed slightly.

He turned over his thoughts several times, even mobilizing the causality algorithm to slightly calculate a bit, and found that no matter how he considered or deduced, 'muddling through water' was the best choice. Mo Yuan then felt a bit lacking in interest. But the situation was this situation, and causality was this causality. People couldn't do things detached from reality. Mo Yuan saw through it, his mood also became much more peaceful, and he became somewhat indifferent to the matter of the Sword Discussion Assembly.

While the disciples were all preparing with all their might for the Sword Discussion Assembly, Mo Yuan still practiced absolute arrays and researched array principles as always. The days passed by, flat as water, little by little...

And at this time, in Dao State.

Tianji Pavilion.

Clouds and mist were dense, making it impossible to see into the high pavilion. The pavilion elder, with a head full of white hair, was still dozing. Within the dim smoke, the pavilion elder's sleep was peaceful.

He didn't know how long had passed, only that the pavilion elder woke up from his doze, slowly lifted his eyes, and looked at the chessboard in front of him. The chessboard was made of dead wood, nothing special about it, but reflected in the pavilion elder's turbid but abyssal eyes, there was a faint light flowing, as if heavenly secrets were opening and closing, and causality was vertical and horizontal.

The pavilion elder looked at the chessboard and spoke, his voice like an evening drum, slowly chanting: "The chess game... is set, the chess pieces are all in position, but... something is still missing." The chess pieces were all dead, only developing according to the predetermined direction. The chess game was naturally also a dead game, with calm waves. A variable was needed, a 'live piece', to activate the entire situation... Then... who had this capacity to be this 'live piece'?

The pavilion elder's eyes were deep, his divine thought surged, and causality flowed continuously. At the same time, his withered fingers reached into the chess jar, groped for a moment, and pinched out an ordinary black chess piece. The pavilion elder's gaze was slightly surprised, and he himself felt strange.

"Such a big chess game, can there truly be someone who can be this live piece?" The pavilion elder was curious in his heart, pinching the chess piece, his eyes seeing the chess game vertically and horizontally, wanting to calculate the identity of this 'live piece'. But after pinching for a moment, he gave up again. Since it was a live piece, it could not be calculated. Calculating it would make it a 'dead piece'.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter..."

"There is a live piece, there is a fish; there is a fish, a 'bait' is needed to let him move himself..." What 'bait' should be given? The pavilion elder began to calculate again, pondering how to 'fish'. The myriad cultivation methods of Tianji Pavilion, like flowing water, passed through his heart one by one, but there was no slightest fluctuation in causality...

The pavilion elder skipped the cultivation methods and began to calculate Dao methods, calculate pills, calculate talismans, calculate arrays... But calculating back and forth, even using some top-grade inheritances as 'bait', he still couldn't hook this 'fish'. The pavilion elder's expression was calm, not surprised. In this kind of big game, being a 'live piece' as this variable was absolutely not an ordinary person, it was necessarily a 'big fish'. Since it was a big fish, absolutely no ordinary 'bait' could hook it.

The pavilion elder began to raise the level, searching for this 'bait' from the secret transmissions of Tianji Pavilion. This time, there was a fluctuation in causality. But that was all. This 'big fish' seemed to just sniff a bit of the scent, had a little heart movement, but soon guarded his heart again, suppressed his greed, swam back to the bottom of the water, and hibernated.

The pavilion elder was finally somewhat astonished. "This can't even hook it?"

"Truly... quite the 'frame'..."

"Is this fish, or a dragon?" The pavilion elder felt a little heartache, sighing inwardly: "Reluctant to part with the child cannot catch the wolf, ah..."

He gritted his teeth, his fingers pointed directly to break open the void, and began to search among the ancient inheritances sealed by Tianji Pavilion. One by one, extraordinary names flowed past his eyes. The pavilion elder flipped and checked for a moment, and finally found one inheritance that carried golden causality. On the inheritance, causality was brilliant, condensed into gold. This meant that as long as this inheritance was used to fish, this big fish could certainly be hooked out.

The pavilion elder opened this ancient inheritance. The inheritance was an ancient and simple jade slip. On the jade slip, five ancient, clumsy, and strange words were engraved: 《Yin Yang Rebirth Array》. These five words carried an aura of the first judgment of heaven and earth, the flow of yin and yang, and the reversal of life and death chaos, making the room suddenly suffocate.

The pavilion elder's expression slowly solidified, and his gaze also deepened to a terrifying extent.

Yin Yang Rebirth...

Whose 'rebirth'?

Could it be...

Layers of shock rose in his heart, which had been like an ancient well without waves. The pavilion elder's eyes were also deep like an abyss.