The villagers of the Village of Broken Elders came out to offer their congratulations, celebrating that the Village Chief, nearing the end of his life, finally had a successor to pass on his mantle. They also celebrated Qin Mu inheriting the Village Chief's legacy and becoming the current Human Emperor. However, the Village Chief did not look kindly upon the Mute, and Qin Mu himself was somewhat reluctant about the identity of Human Emperor.
After the festivities, Qin Mu continued to learn sword techniques from the Village Chief.
The Sword Diagram was a sword art created by the Village Chief, not a technique from the Human Emperor's Hall. The first form, Tread Mountains and Rivers, was already the most complex sword art Qin Mu had ever seen—even more intricate than the first form of the Daoist school's Dao Sword, the Two Principles and Alternating Yin-Yang.
Yet Tread Mountains and Rivers was the simplest technique in the Sword Diagram. The second form, Sword of the Founding Emperor, was several times more complex and extremely difficult to learn.
When Qin Mu had first learned Tread Mountains and Rivers, it had taken him over ten days.
During his travels in the State of Yankang, his horizons and knowledge had expanded immeasurably. He had received the transmitted teachings from the Woodcutter's Stone, comprehended the Grand Unification Technique, and integrated the Hegemon Body Three Elixir Art. His own aptitude and insight had improved significantly.
Yet learning the Sword of the Founding Emperor still took him more than twenty days.
Only then did he realize the Village Chief's good intentions. If the Village Chief had not sparred with him using the Tread Mountains and Rivers form, learning the Sword of the Founding Emperor might have taken him even longer—perhaps a year or more.
It was precisely because the Village Chief had pushed and squeezed out his talents that Qin Mu could learn the Sword of the Founding Emperor in just over twenty days. He now stood at a height that was half sword art and half sword technique. Although comprehension was arduous, he could still learn it.
However, the third form of the Sword Diagram, Imperial Tribulation, reached the ultimate limit of sword art in terms of skill and variation. This was beyond Qin Mu's ability to master. He could only memorize the sword movements, but to execute them, he needed to comprehend the mysteries within the forms. Even with concentrated effort, he could not fully unravel the secrets of Imperial Tribulation.
This was due to the limitations of his horizons and knowledge. Without sufficient vision and understanding, his foundation would be lacking. Even if taught, he would not be able to learn or use it.
Qin Mu had no choice but to set it aside and focus on mastering the Sword of the Founding Emperor.
One sword opens the Founding Emperor's bloodlike ocean.
Qin Mu had heard the young Village Chief, walking out from the Deaf One's painting, recite these lines in a small village in the State of Yankang. A unique sentiment was hidden within the sword art.
The Tread Mountains and Rivers form taught by the Village Chief also carried a particular flavor and emotion—the sentiment of gathering heroes and battling gods and demons. The Sword of the Founding Emperor, however, was a sentiment of mourning the martyrs.
The two sentiments were different, and the artistic conceptions within the sword arts were vastly distinct. Although Qin Mu had learned both forms, he still could not fully appreciate the artistic conception and emotions concealed within the sword arts.
The Sword of the Founding Emperor required astonishing vital energy. A single move consumed nearly half of his cultivation. Without immense vital energy, executing this move was impossible.
"Village Chief, how many forms does the Sword Diagram have?" Qin Mu asked.
The Village Chief replied with an air of mystery, "Only eight."
Qin Mu was surprised. "Eight? So few?"
"One form per realm."
The Village Chief squinted and said, "Therefore, there are only eight forms."
Qin Mu counted on his fingers: Spirit Womb, Five Planets, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Celestial Being, Life and Death, Divine Bridge—no matter how he counted, there were seven realms. So why were there eight forms?
"Beyond the Divine Bridge realm lies the divine! Could the Village Chief's eighth form be a move of the gods?" His heart pounded wildly.
During these days, apart from contemplating the sword arts, he had been sparring with the Village Chief, using the pressure the Village Chief applied to force himself forward.
He was attempting to integrate the State Preceptor's three basic sword forms into the Sword of the Founding Emperor. With someone like the Village Chief guiding him, his progress was naturally rapid.
The Village Chief's sword art approached the Dao. For him, whether the basic sword forms numbered fourteen or seventeen was irrelevant. But for Qin Mu, adding the State Preceptor's three sword forms significantly increased the power of this technique.
During these days, his sword art proficiency had improved rapidly.
Qin Mu felt as though he had returned to the past, training daily in boxing with Old Ma, clashing in blade work with the Butcher, playing cat-and-mouse games with the Cripple, learning smithing from the Mute, cultivating the divine eye with the Blind One, refining medicine with the Herbalist, painting with the Deaf, and cutting clothes with Grandma Si.
Though he collapsed into bed exhausted each day, life was fulfilling.
This time back in the village, the things Old Ma, the Butcher, and the others taught him were far more profound. Before, they had only taught him the basics. Now, with his expanded horizons, he could learn their more advanced skills, which greatly gratified the elders of the Village of Broken Elders.
"Grandma Si's inner demon has flared up again!"
The village suddenly fell into chaos. The Cripple shouted, "Blind One, come quickly! Old Grandma Si has revealed her true form. I can't bring myself to act. You can't see her, so you come and suppress this little vixen!"
Qin Mu was sparring with the Butcher in blade work. Hearing this, he quickly looked over. From Grandma Si's room, a woman emerged. Qin Mu's heart pounded violently as if pierced by an invisible arrow.
Grandma Si must have revealed her true appearance, clearly having dressed up carefully. Her clothes were no longer worn and tattered but tailored from exquisite silk, fitting perfectly and showcasing her figure beautifully.
Her makeup was also carefully applied—bright eyes, white teeth, light powder that did not conceal her stunning beauty.
On her left wrist she wore a bracelet of emerald-green jade, and teardrop-shaped earrings hung from her ears. As she stepped out, her radiance made it seem as though it was not the dead of winter but the transition from spring to summer. Although the air was still freezing, everyone in the village felt the warmth of spring in full bloom, vibrant and fragrant.
Her emergence was like a goddess stepping from the beyond into the mortal world, stunning everyone in the village.
The Herbalist felt ashamed of his own inadequacy and fled covering his face. The Deaf One's brush dropped onto the table, and he hurriedly took out a bronze mirror to primp. The Mute rushed to the water vat to wash his face. Old Ma chanted Buddhist chants to suppress his inner demon. The Butcher used his pig-slaughtering knife to shave off his beloved beard. The Cripple shut his eyes and shouted for the Blind One to come.
The Village Chief was also somewhat flustered, turning his head away. "Blind One, Blind One!"
The Blind One walked toward Grandma Si, leaning on his bamboo staff, unhurried. "Is it the Cult Master Li or Old Grandma Si?"
The Cripple said angrily, "Of course it's the perverted Cult Master Li! Old Grandma Si can't suppress him anymore! You can't see her appearance—come and suppress the Cult Master Li!"
From Grandma Si's mouth came a rough, weathered voice, speaking with a seductive laugh. "Madam was no match for me and has been suppressed by me. Look, am I not beautiful?"
She laughed happily, enamored with her own beauty. Her breath was like fragrant orchids. Though her voice was coarse, her tone was gentle. "Before I married Madam, I realized I was unworthy of such a beauty. Not only was I unworthy—no stinking man in this world was worthy of her! But I was determined to marry her. I knew she was unwilling to marry me, after all, I was her master, but she could not resist. I also knew she planned to kill me on our wedding night, and I was willing to let her kill me. Because..."
She raised her wrist, admiring her flawless, snow-white skin—whiter and finer than mutton-fat jade. Even the translucent, flawless jade bracelet became a mere foil, unable to match this wrist.
The Cult Master Li covered her mouth and giggled. "Because I envied her so much. I did not want to marry her—I wanted to become her. If she killed me and I became her, wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
The Blind One approached with his staff. Though she was extraordinarily beautiful, she had little effect on him. He said leisurely, "Cult Master Li, this has gone too far. Have you forgotten you were once a man?"
"What's so memorable about a stinking man?"
The Cult Master Li struck a seductive pose and shot him a glance. "Dead Blind One, you're blind in both eyes and heart. You don't understand the pleasures of being a woman. Don't try to stop me—you can't. I'm leaving. I want to live another lifetime as a woman!"
Qin Mu kept his eyes tightly shut but couldn't help opening them. "Cult Master Li, you're being perverse! We are both the Holy Master and Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Cult. I despise your conduct!"
The Blind One stood firm, leaning on his bamboo staff, and smiled. "Well said, Mu'er."
The Cult Master Li glanced at Qin Mu, and his mind went blank. All thought vanished, replaced only by the sense of overwhelming beauty.
"If you keep chattering, this lady will kill you and reclaim the title of Holy Master." The Cult Master Li smiled, pinching her fingers into an orchid gesture.
Qin Mu's heart pounded wildly. He felt that if such a beautiful woman wanted his life, he would willingly surrender it.
"No, no! She is Grandma Si...pfft, that's Li Tianxing, the Cult Master Li—an old geezer!pfft, even if it were Grandma Si, that wouldn't be right—she's the one who raised me!"
Cold sweat poured from Qin Mu's forehead. He had nearly succumbed to an inner demon and hurriedly shut his eyes again.
The Cult Master Li walked toward the village outskirts, the demonic energy around her growing heavier, her malevolence intensifying. Blocking her path stood a blind man and a bamboo staff.
The two moved almost simultaneously. In a flash of lightning, the outcome was decided in an instant.
Surging vital energy surged outward. The Village of Broken Elders was filled with treasures. Various artifacts were instantly triggered by the terrifying aftermath of their clash, radiating brilliant light. Waves of terrifying tremors erupted, scattering the white clouds in the sky!
The Cult Master Li clutched her chest and slowly collapsed. "Blind One, Madam's cultivation is too weak. Otherwise, I would not be inferior to you—I would be even stronger..."
The Blind One leaned on his bamboo staff and said calmly, "We have never fought before. How do you know you are stronger than me?"
Qin Mu dashed into Grandma Si's room, retrieved a human skin mask and worn clothes, and threw them over the Cult Master Li. The Cult Master Li turned back into a small, old woman. She shouted fiercely, "I don't want to be like this! I am the most beautiful woman in the world. I don't want to become this ugly! I want to wear the most beautiful clothes and be the most beautiful woman!"
Old Ma strode over, chanting Buddhist chants to suppress her demonic nature, and pinned down Li Tianxing. After a moment, Grandma Si slowly came to, her voice restored. She thanked Old Ma.
The Herbalist hurried forward, examined her injuries, and treated her. "Blind One, you were a bit too harsh. Mu'er, you refine pills faster than I do. You go and refine some spirit pills."
Qin Mu agreed and quickly began refining pills.
The Blind One sighed. "I had to be harsh. Grandma Si's cultivation has advanced too rapidly—she is nearing the Life and Death realm. This must be because the Cult Master Li's primordial spirit has merged with her too much.Moreover, the Cult Master Li's Grand Unification Technique is truly formidable. I had no choice but to strike hard."
Grandma Si rose and took the spirit pills Qin Mu had brought. "I'm fine. Much better."
The Village Chief drifted over, shaking his head. "Grandma Si, it's a good thing you're in the village. If you were outside and the Cult Master Li took over your body, it would be the scourge of the nation and the people. His demonic nature is too heavy—wreaking havoc on the world would be nothing unusual. Even the emperor would not be able to resist you, and within a few years, even the State of Yankang could fall into the Cult Master Li's hands."
Old Ma said, "Your inner demon is growing stronger. This cannot go on. My Buddhist teachings are not as profound as the Old Buddha's. Perhaps the Old Buddha can help you suppress the Cult Master Li. You should make a trip to the Great Thunderclap Monastery."
The Butcher touched his face and found his hand covered in blood. Earlier, he had been shaving his beard too hastily, and the pig-slaughtering knife had cut his face. But he had been so intoxicated by Grandma Si's beauty that he felt nothing. Now, with Grandma Si wearing the old woman's skin, he finally noticed. Horrified, he said, "There's no time to lose! Grandma Si should leave immediately! The longer you wait, the more dangerous it is for all of us!"
The Village Chief coughed and said, "The trip to the Great Thunderclap Monastery is to ask the Old Buddha to suppress Grandma Si's demonic nature—not to annihilate the sect. We don't need too many people. Old Ma is familiar with the way and must go. The Blind One can ignore Grandma Si's appearance and should also come along. Mu'er is clever, has cultivated the Creation Heavenly Demon Art, and can assist. He is also skilled in medicine. The three of you will accompany Grandma Si to the Great Thunderclap Monastery."
His expression grave, he said in a deep voice, "Remember, you must not let the Cult Master Li escape. If he does, the world will be thrown into chaos!"