Chapter 1287: Chapter 740 Conspiracy Of course, all of this is still just a hypothesis for now. Mo Hua understood in his heart that this was likely a form of "corner-cutting" and "taking shortcuts," a non-traditional style of "Sword Control" that only suited himself. Learning it in practice would still require significant effort. How should one forge a sword? Should the inherent shape of the Spirit Sword be altered, and if so, how? What is the principle behind orthodox Sword Control? How does it differ from his own method? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages? Then there’s the matter of Sword Arrays. Generally, the "Sword Array" within Spirit Swords serves to "enhance" the transformation of spiritual power, making it sharp as a blade and thereby amplifying the Sword Qi of the Sword Cultivator. If he were to use it, he would have to redesign the form of the Sword Array based on Sword Dao principles. Because he wasn’t a Sword Cultivator, his natural Sword Qi was negligible and wouldn’t be effective even if amplified. Thus, he decided to abandon the "amplification" style of the Sword Array and transform its use of spiritual power into a "burst" type of Sword Array. The essence of the Sword Array remained the same, but its purpose differed. The function of a traditional Spirit Sword’s Sword Array was to "convert and amplify Sword Qi," whereas what he wanted to achieve was "convert and burst Sword Qi." The challenges to overcome in this endeavor, even thinking about them, seemed numerous and daunting. Mo Hua could only tackle them step by step. For now, he still needed to resolve the matter with the Sever Gold Sect. Once he mastered the complete Gold-Cutting Sword Formation, Mo Hua began choosing mutually reactive Formation Patterns based on array principles, continuously combining, testing, and thereby further enhancing the Gold-Cutting Armor. He had been working on this earlier. Additionally, during Cheng Mo and Song Jian’s duel, he gradually tested the functionality of the "Gold-Cutting Armor." In a short time, thanks to his continuous refinement and effort, Mo Hua perfected the true "Gold-Cutting Armor." Master Gu over there began mass-producing it formally. Mo Hua then personally led a squad, wearing "Gold-Cutting Armor" to "clear maps" in Refining Demon Mountain. Even the core disciples of Sever Gold Sect’s direct lineage, who practiced the orthodox Sever Gold Sword Control Jue and condensed their Sword Qi, found that their powers drastically weakened in the face of Mo Hua’s specially tailored Gold-Cutting Armor, based on fundamental Sword Array principles. In actual combat, Sever Gold Sect disciples were defeated one after another. Some disciples, unwilling to accept this, repeatedly regrouped and returned, but since their Sword Qi was suppressed, they became like hyenas without teeth or claws. Each time, they were beaten into a rout. Eventually, Sever Gold Sect realized the problem lay with the armor. They had been aware of this earlier but relied on their high regard for Sever Gold Sect’s Sword technique and did not take the armor seriously. The Sever Gold Sword technique, capable of cutting gold and jade with unparalleled potency, was believed to be unbeatable against any armor. This was the common belief of Sever Gold Sect disciples. But after suffering several setbacks, they were forced to admit that their Sever Gold Sword Jue was thoroughly countered by Taixu Sect’s armor. Afterward, when they caused trouble again, it wasn’t to win, but to steal the Taixu Sect disciples’ armor. Mo Hua also discerned Sever Gold Sect’s intent. Thinking it over, he instructed his fellow disciples in Refining Demon Mountain: "In a fight, we can lose, but the armor mustn’t be lost. If the other side tries to snatch it, it’s better to destroy it than to let them have it." Additionally, for safety’s sake. Mo Hua also implemented purchasing restrictions through Master Gu: "It must be Taixu Sect disciples holding the Taixu Token, along with my signature, to buy ’Gold-Cutting Armor.’ Within the Gold-Cutting Armor, Mo Hua also made certain modifications. Seeking advice from Master Gu and referencing some secrecy methods within Spirit Sword internal Sword Arrays, he added self-destructive Formation Patterns to the armor’s internal array. Once forcibly dismantled, the internal array would destroy itself. This ensured that even if anyone realized the profound mystery inside the armor, they wouldn’t be able to deduce its workings without access to the Formation Patterns. From then on, Sever Gold Sect began stealing the armor, repeatedly launching ambushes. In direct confrontations, they never once gained an upper hand. Still, they persisted. There’s truth in the phrase: the thief has a thousand days to strike, but none can defend against the thief for a thousand days. Through repeated battles and some underhanded schemes, Sever Gold Sect eventually managed to seize several armors. ... Inside an elegant and luxurious cave mansion belonging to Sever Gold Sect. Jin Yicai sat in the foremost seat. To his right was a tall, imposing cultivator dressed in a robe, a face hardened with a hint of malice, seated like a mountain. The two were on equal footing. Standing below them, with a respectful expression, was Jin Gui. Jin Gui retrieved an armor from his Storage Bag, slightly hunched, and presented it. "I coordinated with several fellow disciples at the late Foundation Establishment stage to conceal their aura and blend into the crowd. After considerable effort, we finally managed to seize these three sets of armor..." "The first set of armor was destroyed by Taixu Sect’s people." "When they saw that the armor was about to be taken, they acted decisively. Even at the cost of injuring themselves, they made sure to destroy the armor." "This must have been a directive given to them in secret..." "The second and third sets, however, are complete. Though slightly damaged, it’s not too bad. However..." Jin Gui paused briefly, "When I had a few of the sect’s Artifact Refiners disassemble the armor and reconstruct its array, one of the sets directly self-destructed. Its internal structure and sealed Formation Patterns were utterly obliterated." "The self-destructive Formation Patterns within the armor are just like those used in Spirit Swords. Evidently, the cultivators forging the armor had ulterior motives, wanting to prevent us from uncovering its secrets..." "I quickly ordered them to stop, thereby saving the last set." "With this final piece, I did not dare to proceed recklessly. Utilizing the young lord’s connections, I sought out a Feather Transformation Realm Artifact Refiner Elder from the Jin family." "The Elder, upon hearing about armor equipped with self-destructive Formation Patterns, expressed keen interest and decided to personally intervene."