"Itâs useless," Elder Master Xun nodded.
The Taixu Sect Master was taken aback. "Then why do you still want me to get this thing?"
"I donât see much use for it," Elder Master Xun looked a bit puzzled, "but after some divination, the hexagrams show that Mo Hua might actually need it. How exactly? I canât say..."
The Taixu Sect Master had a subtle expression. "Ancestor, didnât you say you canât predict the future?"
"This... itâs not fortune-telling."
"Isnât it?"
"Itâs complicated. Anyway, thatâs how it is... If you havenât studied the Heavenly secret technique, you wonât understand it even if I explain."
"Alright..." said the Taixu Sect Master.
Youâre the Ancestorâwhatever you say, goes.
But there was something else nagging at him. The Taixu Sect Master hesitated, "Is Mo Huaâs own Magical Treasure really that hard to determine? Even with your insight, you canât be sure?"
Elder Master Xun quietly took a sip of tea.
Like he could know for sure...
No one truly knew whose disciple Mo Hua actually was.
That whole cultivation path of his was wild and unpredictable, full of bizarre, scattered thingsâwho knows how much heâs learned, or who he learned it from.
Even as a Heaven Void Ancestor, he really couldnât get a handle on it.
But that was not something to admit out loud.
Elder Master Xun said, "I know what Iâm doing. You donât need to worry, just get the âWood White Gold Jadeâ spell point casting technique for him. This kind of legacyâonly you have the connections."
With Elder Master Xunâs instructions, the Taixu Sect Master naturally wouldnât refuse.
Even though this legacy is no small matter and not easy to obtain, now that heâs Taixu Sect Master, he still has to consider the Sectâs interests.
Plus, the spell point is for Mo Hua.
Mo Huaâs a kid he really likesâeven putting aside any plans to forge "good karma," he genuinely wants to help out.
"Rest assured, Master. Iâve already sent a letter to ask, there should be a reply soon."
Elder Master Xun nodded happily. "Thank you for your trouble."
The Taixu Sect Master saluted. "Donât mention it, Masterâthis is my duty as Sect Master."
After that, the two continued sipping tea, chatting about Sect matters.
The preparations for the Sword Discussion Conference were advancing step by step.
...
A few days later, at Refining Demon Mountain.
Mo Hua was back at Refining Demon Mountain for some Monster Hunting.
Ever since the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons incident, heâd rarely come hereâthis time, it was specially organized by the Sect Elders.
The point was to have Disciples enter the mountain, hunt Monster Beasts, and hone their Taoist Skills.
On top of that, a new item had been added: sparring matches between Disciples.
The Elders didnât spell it out, but Mo Hua could guessâthis was clearly to prepare for the Sword Discussion Conference.
To see which Disciples really had strength, who had a talent or knack for dueling, who was insightfulâwho could be useful, who could shine for the Sect at the Conference.
Since itâs a Sword Discussion, you canât just judge by Cultivation on paper.
Cultivationâs one thingâactual battleâs another.
Some Disciples have only Cultivationâwhen itâs time for real fighting, they get nervous and barely use half their abilities.
Others look mediocre on paper, but theyâre sharp, daring, and when it comes to combat, they perform way above expectations.
You only know once theyâve really fought.
Only by letting the Disciples spar and experience actual combat can promising candidates for the Sword Discussion Conference be chosen.
It wasnât just Mo Hua who understoodâevery other Disciple did too.
The Sword Discussion Conference wasnât just about their personal futureâit was about the reputation of the Sect, about Sect interests.
Besides, after nine years of study, each gets only one shot at the Dao Discussion Conference.
Every Disciple treasured this opportunity like nothing else.
Midway up Refining Demon Mountain, on a spacious hillside.
The Elders were setting up Disciples for one-on-one sparring, testing their martial and spell skills.
Itâs just practiceâthe point isnât really who wins or loses, but to help the Elders get a measure of each Discipleâs strength.
Mo Hua did not participate.
If he did, itâd be pointless.
On paper, his strength was abysmal.
Among the fellow Disciples, besides Cheng Mo, Situ Jian and a handful who really knew Mo Hua and had seen him show off once or twice as Junior Brother, most of them had never even seen Mo Hua fight or duelâ
At best, theyâve seen Mo Hua throw a couple Fireball Techniques.
In their minds, their innocent "Junior Brother" was a freakishly talented Formation expert whose other abilitiesâincluding physical body and Spiritual Powerâwere laughably weak.
Sparring with him is pointless.
And honestly, no one really dared to spar with Mo Hua.
If Junior Brother got hurt, fine, at worst you eat a couple Fireball Techniques and maybe get a little burn.
But if you accidentally injure him, thatâs when things get ugly.
Mo Huaâs always been Junior Brotherâkind, gentle, always helpfulâand has tons of friends in the Sect. Pretty much every Disciple owes him something.
If you hurt him, piss everyone offâgood luck mixing at Taixu Gate after that.
Not to mention, Mo Huaâs pale and delicate, physically fragileâif you hurt him, even just a scrape, thatâs already a crime.
The Elders wouldnât dare let Mo Hua spar either.
This is the Taixu Gateâs Formation Leader, their treasured prodigy. Heâs not the Ancestorâs real grandson, but itâs basically the sameâand if he got hurt during a Formation match, who could bear that blame?
So, in this huge forest, with blades and spells flying everywhere, the Disciples are going at it, lively as can be.
Mo Hua could only sit atop a big tree, watching the show.
The Elders even set up a protective Formation around his tree, afraid that stray spells might fly up and accidentally harm him during the matches below.