Chapter 331: Peeping
Qin Mu’s gaze fell upon the dewdrop on his fingertip. This dewdrop left him somewhat bewildered. Could sword techniques really reach such a level?
The sword technique the Village Chief had displayed this time was different from the one he had taught Qin Mu before. Back then, when the Village Chief taught him Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers, he had demonstrated the entire process of executing the technique in meticulous detail, showing him exactly how to perform it.
But this time, although the Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers the Village Chief performed was the same move he had taught, there was something different within it.
It was as if he had wielded the very forces of creation, bringing forth all things.
The Daoist sect’s Dao Sword used exhaustive mathematical methods to analyze all things in nature. The Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword employed mathematics to recreate natural phenomena, possessing immense power.
Yet the Village Chief’s sword technique seemed to follow an opposite path. He was creating heaven and earth, using his own sword technique to interpret all things.
It was hard to say which method was superior, but from the perspective of intent, the Dao Sword sought to explain that the Dao emulated nature, while the Village Chief’s sword diagram created nature. The intent of the sword diagram should be loftier.
Because explaining nature was also a form of learning, learning from nature. But creation was bringing something from nothing. Even considering the Daoist sect’s overarching doctrine—the Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives birth to all things—the Village Chief’s sword diagram had grasped the Dao, and the Dao gave birth to all things. The Daoist sect’s Dao Sword, on the other hand, exhausted every possibility in explaining all things.
Qin Mu stared at this dewdrop. The dewdrop was crystal clear, perfectly smooth. From its surface, he could actually see the vast world refracted by the dewdrop, every detail vividly clear.
“Azure Sky Celestial Eye, open!”
Layers of formation patterns rotated within Qin Mu’s pupils. Using the Azure Sky Celestial Eye to observe, he tried to see the tiniest sword lights that made up the dewdrop. But to his disappointment, the Azure Sky Celestial Eye couldn’t discern them.
However, he did notice another wondrous aspect. The dewdrop refracted external objects. Looking closely, he could see even more details from the refractive surface.
Through the refraction of this dewdrop, he looked at Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor. The Imperial Preceptor had entered a marvelous state. His eyes appeared unfocused, but when Qin Mu looked at his eyes through the dewdrop, he saw countless arrays shifting within them.
Looking even more closely, he saw that within these array transformations, a world seemed to be forming.
Qin Mu roused his spirits, maintaining the operation of the Azure Sky Celestial Eye. Looking more carefully, he saw it even more clearly. Within the array transformations in the Imperial Preceptor’s eyes, it was as if heaven and earth were being created, demonstrating the wonders of creation!
He felt as if he were personally present, as if he were within the world born from the Imperial Preceptor’s eyes, experiencing the Imperial Preceptor’s process of enlightenment.
The Imperial Preceptor was comprehending the Dao of the sword. This man was indeed exceptionally talented. No wonder Heavenly Demon Patriarch, Old Dao Master, and Old Tathagata had taken a liking to him at first sight, imparting the ultimate techniques of their respective sacred lands to him without reservation.
In terms of both innate talent and comprehension, Qin Mu was inferior to him. The moment the Imperial Preceptor saw the Village Chief’s sword Dao, he had drawn parallels and understood his own sword Dao. Such heaven-defying talent and brilliance, Qin Mu admitted he couldn’t match even if he chased after him.
But now, Qin Mu had used this dewdrop to enter the Imperial Preceptor’s state of enlightenment, using his enlightenment to elevate himself.
“Truly marvelous…”
Seeing this, the Village Chief remarked to Cripple with emotion, “Although Mu’er’s talent and comprehension aren’t as good as a sage born once every five hundred years, this cleverness and resourcefulness of his are something even a sage can’t match.”
Cripple said smugly, “I taught him that!”
The Village Chief added, “We taught him!”
Cripple asked, “What do you think of the Imperial Preceptor? Can he become the Human Sovereign?”
The Village Chief was silent for a moment, then said softly, “He’s no worse than me. In the future, he might even surpass me.”
Cripple looked at him doubtfully. “I know you never say everything you want to say. Why not say it all at once?”
The Village Chief sighed. “I’m already very strong. I’ve reached the pinnacle of sword technique. But look at how my hands and feet were severed. Cut off by a sword.”
Cripple said nothing. The Village Chief continued, “My hands and feet were severed, cut off by someone’s sword. Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor, this sage born once every five hundred years, might become stronger than me in the future. But if he has no other opportunities, he will also be trapped at the Divine Bridge realm like me. If he can’t connect the Divine Bridge, he won’t reach the next realm. He will face the same end as me.”
Cripple’s body trembled slightly. He looked at the Imperial Preceptor, then his gaze fell on Qin Mu, showing a questioning expression. He lowered his voice and asked, “After you and I pass away, if the Imperial Preceptor also dies, what about Mu’er?”
The Village Chief was dazed. “I originally hoped he would just be an ordinary person, a common man, living an ordinary life. But time and again, he has exceeded my expectations, shattering my assumptions again and again. I can’t be certain about his future. I originally thought he was ordinary, but going to search for Carefree Village made me see that he might have something extraordinary about him.”
Cripple grinned. “Ordinary? Village Chief, you’re getting senile. Is there such a thing as an ordinary Overlord Body? Mu’er is the Overlord Body. How could he be ordinary?”
The Village Chief’s expression froze. He gave a dry laugh and continued, “Yes, I forgot he’s the Overlord Body. Naturally, he would do extraordinary things. This time also caught me off guard. I thought he wouldn’t be able to comprehend anything profound from my sword Dao, but he saw the Imperial Preceptor’s enlightenment process through that dewdrop. This is too… too…”
He didn’t know how to describe it. Cripple laughed. “Too incredible!”
The Village Chief nodded, somewhat amused and exasperated. “Indeed, too incredible! This little fellow Mu’er—I thought he wouldn’t awaken his spirit embryo, but he did. I thought his cultivation would stagnate at the Spirit Embryo realm, but he found the Overlord Body… well, the subsequent techniques of the Overlord Body Three Dan Art. I thought he would become mediocre, but he went ahead and defeated all three hundred and sixty hall masters of the Heavenly Saint Cult to become the Young Cult Master. I thought he wouldn’t learn what we taught him, but he learned it very well, showing signs of surpassing his teachers.”
He smiled bitterly. “I thought I would never acknowledge him, never pass on my legacy to him. But I did acknowledge him and passed on my legacy. Not only that, but I also passed on my burdens and responsibilities to him.”
Recalling the past, he felt a mix of emotions, almost laughing at himself. “I didn’t trust him at first. I didn’t think he could achieve anything extraordinary. But in the end, he raised my expectations again and again, and I eventually realized that he was the one I trusted most. Yes, we raised him. But he grew, and we grew in the process of raising him.”
Cripple asked with a smile, “What are you trying to say?”
The wrinkles on the Village Chief’s face gathered together, revealing a genuinely happy smile. “What I mean is, compared to the Imperial Preceptor, I have more faith in the child we raised. Fifteen years ago, in the darkness of the Great Ruins, the child who drifted down along the Yong River was born extraordinary! His talent isn’t as dazzling as the Imperial Preceptor’s, and his comprehension isn’t as heaven-defying, but there’s something about him that I can’t see through…”
“It’s the Overlord Body!” Cripple said excitedly.
The smile on the Village Chief’s face froze. His heart was filled with myriad emotions, and he murmured, “Perhaps it’s because of the Overlord Body. An ordinary person performing a miracle once might be coincidence, twice might be luck. But if miracles happen three or four times, it’s no longer luck or coincidence. It means he is truly different, truly worthy of being the Overlord Body. Our Mu’er has inherited the strengths of us failures hiding in the Great Ruins, learned from our mistakes. He will surely go further than we ever did!”
The Yan Kang Imperial Preceptor was comprehending the Dao, delving deeper and deeper into the sword Dao. And Qin Mu, peeping at his enlightenment through that dewdrop, witnessed the entire process.
The higher the Imperial Preceptor’s realm of sword Dao comprehension, the greater the benefit to Qin Mu.
Although Qin Mu was still in the early stage of the three stages of technique, method, and Dao—the method stage—by borrowing the Imperial Preceptor’s enlightenment, he could glimpse the Dao stage of the sword. The impact this had on him was immense, and the benefits it brought were unimaginable!
Compared to a giant like the Imperial Preceptor, Qin Mu was just a child. But this child stood on the giant’s shoulders, gaining a higher and broader perspective from then on.
Although others in Qing Pass City were also comprehending the Village Chief’s Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers, very few could grasp its supreme mysteries. Most only understood one or two sword techniques. While their insights were extraordinary and would benefit them for life, no one gained as much as Qin Mu!
He had essentially received the supreme sword Dao insights from both the Village Chief and the Imperial Preceptor, two sword gods!
After a long time, the Imperial Preceptor awoke from his enlightenment, now bearing an indescribable aura.
He stood at the summit, looking down upon all others.
Now that he had reached the pinnacle of sword technique, looking at all sword techniques and divine abilities in the world, he felt a sense of melancholy. There was nothing left in the world’s sword techniques or divine abilities that could impress him.
The Imperial Preceptor showed a look of dejection, but then he sensed something unusual. He felt someone peeping at him, peeping into his Dao heart, peeping into his enlightenment!
The Imperial Preceptor was surprised. Following that sensation, his gaze fell upon Qin Mu’s finger.
The Imperial Preceptor was stunned, then laughed softly, shaking his head. “I see. The Heavenly Saint Cult Master is too opportunistic.”
Qin Mu immediately felt a sting in his eyes when the Imperial Preceptor’s gaze met his. He quickly averted his eyes. When their eyes met, Qin Mu showed a bright, sunny smile. “Your Majesty, sorry for the intrusion.”
The Imperial Preceptor smiled and nodded. “It’s no intrusion.”
Suddenly, the mountains and rivers dispersed, and all sword light vanished. The Village Chief withdrew his sword light and said to the Imperial Preceptor, “You have attained the Dao.”
The Imperial Preceptor bowed in thanks. “If not for your guidance, Brother Dao, I wouldn’t know when I would have entered the Dao realm.”
The primal energy forming the Village Chief’s legs and arms also dissipated. He said, “Come closer and look at my severed arms and legs. I have kept these sword scars, never letting them fade. In the future, you might encounter the god who left these wounds on me.”
The Imperial Preceptor became solemn. He stepped forward, crouched down, and examined them carefully.
These were sword scars. The wounds on the old Human Sovereign’s body were left by an even stronger sword. Those skilled with swords are wounded by swords. In his view, the Village Chief’s sword technique had already reached the Dao realm. The Village Chief’s sword Dao was still above his own, but his qi and blood were depleted, not as vigorous as the Imperial Preceptor’s. However, from these wounds, the Imperial Preceptor saw an even stronger sword technique, an even stronger sword Dao!
“Do you have the confidence to defeat him?” the Village Chief asked.
The Imperial Preceptor’s expression was grave. “Not now. Perhaps in the future! You have passed on your sword Dao to me, and you were my first teacher in sword technique. You are my master. Can you give me your burden?”
The Village Chief shook his head with a smile. “No need to give it to you. I’ve already given it to someone else.”
The Imperial Preceptor’s heart shook violently. He suddenly understood and looked toward Qin Mu, lowering his voice. “The new Human Sovereign?”