Chapter 1293: Chapter 742: Test Sword (Added for Alliance Hierarch Xuan Chou Boss~) Just practicing for fun... "Alright." Situ Jian looked at Mo Hua’s bright, sparkling eyes and sighed with a hint of resignation. Afterward, Mo Hua began practicing sword manipulation, with Situ Jian providing guidance from the side, also taking on the role of sword retriever for Mo Hua. Although Situ Jian had not yet learned Sword Control, as someone from a Sword Dao family, he had been immersed in it since childhood. Even if he hadn’t formally studied many Sword Dao Skill methods, he had seen most of them and knew far more than Mo Hua. With him monitoring and offering pointed corrections, Mo Hua wouldn’t stray too far off course while learning. Under Situ Jian’s instructions, Mo Hua’s Sword Control progress improved rapidly. This was because he skipped crucial stages: accumulating Sword Qi and merging Sword Qi with Sword Weapon. He was simply attempting "Divine Sense Sword Control," which wasn’t particularly difficult. For Mo Hua, who had proven the Dao with Divine Sense, it was relatively simple. The more Situ Jian observed, the more astonished—yet also regretful—he became. "Junior Brother’s Divine Sense Sword Control is undoubtedly fast, and its range is impressive. But the power... it’s downright pitiful." Well, it wasn’t entirely devoid of power. There was a bit. But the impact he achieved came purely from the "force" of Divine Sense manipulation, much like throwing a projectile by hand with no added sharpness or destructiveness—practically useless in combat. To top it off, he was using a "broken sword." The sword itself was neither sharp nor intact, with rust covering its surface. Situ Jian shook his head. Even so, he dutifully helped Mo Hua practice Sword Control for the entire day until Mo Hua had become thoroughly adept. Only then did the two return to the sect. Upon arriving back at the Sect, Mo Hua invited Situ Jian out for a lavish meal as thanks for his guidance in Sword Dao. In such camaraderie, being treated to a meal by Junior Brother carried a lot of face value. Situ Jian thoroughly enjoyed the meal. After the feast, the two parted ways and returned to their respective Disciple’s Residences. Back at the residence, Mo Hua spent some time sketching Formation arrays to help digest the meal, then began pondering his next moves. First, the Divine Sense Sword Controlling Method—he had already learned it. Though he only studied it for one day, he had grasped its key concepts. From here, it would simply be a matter of practice to enhance his proficiency in Sword Control. There might exist more profound methods for Divine Sense Sword Control, but those were far off and currently unnecessary. For now, the Sever Gold Sect’s "Sword Controlling Technique" was decent enough to use. Next, the most important task was sword forging. As Situ pointed out, his Divine Sense Sword Control—while fast and far-reaching—lacked Sword Qi for offense, rendering it wasteful. But Mo Hua was acutely aware that he would likely never achieve any breakthrough in Sword Qi for the rest of his life. Thus, he could only focus on his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses—utilizing "Sword Arrays" to substitute for "Sword Qi." ... When the monthly break came around, Mo Hua didn’t go to Refining Demon Mountain. Instead, he arranged to meet Master Gu in the Gu Family’s elegantly furnished tea room. The tea room exuded sophistication and refinement and was also equipped with a Sound Isolation Formation. This was one of those unspoken rules among clans—guest reception rooms were always equipped with sound isolation to protect visitors’ secrecy and prevent eavesdropping. Mo Hua chatted with Master Gu in the tea room. He succinctly and clearly conveyed his intentions to Master Gu. Master Gu was momentarily stunned. "You want to forge Spirit Swords?!" "Yes." Mo Hua nodded. "I’m thinking of forging some Spirit Swords first, Golden Series ones particularly—cheaper materials." Due to the special nature of his Sword Control, which relied on the explosive force of Sword Arrays for killing power, each sword was practically disposable. Using expensive materials would bankrupt his family’s wealth in no time. "...Keep the design simple, and like Five Elements Origin Armor, they must be open source. No embedded Formation arrays, and external connection points must remain accessible..." Mo Hua supplemented his requirements one by one. Master Gu furrowed his brows tightly and shook his head, remarking: "To be honest, young master, the Gu Family is not a Sword Dao family. Our Gushan Refining Workshop has never crafted proper Spirit Swords. The occasional commissions we take on are for mass-produced, mundane Sword Weapons that are not of a high standard..." "These so-called Sword Weapons may look like swords but are indistinguishable from knives, spears, and staffs in essence, lacking the core qualities of a true Spirit Sword." "And most importantly, they lack intrinsic Sword Arrays..." "About the Sword Arrays..." Mo Hua began but suddenly felt his heart sink, instantly recognizing the gravity of an issue. The Gold-Cutting Sword Formation could not be disclosed to Master Gu. This formation came from the Sever Gold Sect. No sect would ever permit the leakage of its core formation arrays—especially one as petty and possessive as the Sever Gold Sect. While Mo Hua might privately study it without much concern, since Formation knowledge was obscure and even if explained aloud was often incomprehensible or unbelievable, involving Master Gu in any forging would lead to significant troubles. Should the Sever Gold Sect ever learn of this, Master Gu, a Third Grade Artifact Refiner, along with the entire Gushan Refining Workshop, would likely face severe repercussions. Thus, the sword forging must exclude Master Gu and his workshop. Quickly calculating the risks and weighing his options, Mo Hua responded: "...Sword Arrays are indeed tricky. The sect hasn’t taught me, and I don’t have access to genuine Sword Array legacies..." "For the time being, let’s set Sword Arrays aside, Master Gu. Please forge some simple Spirit Swords for me—craft them as ’formation media,’ using the form of a sword but treating them as a vessel." Not suspecting anything amiss, Master Gu thoughtfully nodded and replied: "Alright, as the young master wishes. I’ll return and give it a try." "Okay," Mo Hua acknowledged. Master Gu returned to his workshop and spent approximately two weeks crafting preliminary Spirit Swords based on Mo Hua’s instructions. These were merely standard Spirit Swords. As Master Gu had described, they looked like "swords," but their essence was no different from other weapons such as rods or staves. Internally, their structure was modified to feature open arrays, making them effectively ordinary formation media. Regardless, they were sufficient to experiment with the effectiveness of "Sword Control."