Chapter 773 Sword Bone
Ouyang Mu looked at the old demon cultivator again with a sigh on his face.
Calculated in this way, this old evil weapon master trapped in the demon cultivator's lair should be regarded as his own sect and clan, the real... family predecessor?
And it has been hundreds of years, so he is probably much older than me.
Ouyang Mu couldn't help but feel a trace of respect in his heart.
The old demon cultivator glanced at Ouyang Mu with a complicated expression and said melancholy:
"Back then, I was just like you. I had considerable talent for refining weapons, but I was dull and taciturn. I only knew how to forge swords all day long. It was my lifelong wish to forge a sword that was unique in heaven and earth... "
"Immortal sword..."
The old demon cultivator looked dejected, "I was young and frivolous at that time, and I didn't know the heights of the sky and the earth. I didn't know how out of reach these two words were, how... it made people despair."
Then he laughed at himself, "We call ourselves monks, and we cultivate immortality, but no one knows what 'immortal' is."
"Everything that comes with the word 'immortal' is profound, terrifying, and indescribable..."
Ouyang Mu looked solemn and nodded.
Indeed, he regards forging "immortal swords" as his lifelong dream of practicing Taoism.
But the deeper he cultivated and made more swords, the more he felt that the immortal word was unattainable.
I may not be able to get close to the "immortal sword" in this life.
Not to mention being able to cast it with one's own hands, even taking a look at it is probably a huge luxury.
The old demon cultivator glanced at Ouyang Mu silently with his turbid eyes. His thoughts were complicated and difficult to understand. Finally, he sighed and continued:
"Hundreds of years ago, I was a Tai'amen, a disciple of... the Ouyang family."
"At that time, the Ouyang family had already begun planning to change their course. They would no longer major in sword making, but instead focus on sword making as a supplement and focus on swordsmanship. They would embark on the path of developing sword techniques and becoming a true kendo sect."
"But I don't want to practice swordsmanship, I just want to make swords."
"Others put aside their swords to learn sword skills, but I still focused on it, working day and night to study the art of forging swords."
"It doesn't matter if I'm not respected in the sect, as long as I can make swords..."
When the old demon cultivator said this, he couldn't help but hunched over, coughed a few times, and coughed up blood.
But he didn't care, and silently wiped away the blood, and continued: "I originally thought that I would continue to learn to forge weapons and swords in Tai'amen until I grow old, but I didn't expect..."
The old demon cultivator looked bitter, "Once I went into the mountains for hunting, I accidentally entered the dense forest outside the Ten Thousand Demons Valley and lost my direction..."
"Several demon cultivators discovered me, and they started to hunt me down. I was not a match for them because I was not cultivating enough, so I was captured by them."
"They opened their bloody mouths and wanted to eat me, but when they discovered that I had the ability to forge swords, they spared my life and asked me to forge evil swords for them."
"I...have no choice."
The old demon cultivator looked dull, "When I was in the sect, I also thought that I was a righteous monk with a firm heart. I thought that I could uphold the righteous path when facing demons and regard death as home."
"But when I really faced those evil cultivators who were grinning, I realized that I was wrong."
"I know nothing about myself."
"I... am a coward."
When the old demon cultivator said this, his eyes were cold, as if so many years of inhuman suffering had softened his self-esteem and accepted the helpless reality.
Ouyang Mu showed sympathy, "Old... senior, it's not your fault."
The old demon cultivator shook his head, "The matter has come to this, and I am already like this. It is meaningless to talk about right and wrong now..."
Ouyang Mu wanted to comfort him.
But he was clumsy and couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him.
The old demon cultivator sighed and continued: "I compromised, I surrendered. I betrayed my sect, my family, and my sword."
"Since then, I have become a demon cultivator and an evil swordsman."
"I gave up my previous identity and stayed in this dark prison of ten thousand demons, keeping company with demon beasts and demon cultivators. I used human bones, human flesh, and human blood to refine weapons. So far, I have never been able to refine weapons for these demon cultivators. How many evil swords have been made, and I don’t even know how many people have been killed by these evil swords driven by these demon cultivators..."
The old demon cultivator smiled, and there was blood in his mouth. He didn't know whether he was laughing at himself or feeling complacent.
Ouyang Mu felt complicated.
The thing about swordsmiths is that even a righteous swordsmith can't decide whether the sword you forge will be used to ward off demons and do good, or whether it will be used to kill people and do evil.
Not to mention the evil weapon master who forged the evil sword.
"And now, my end is approaching. I have committed a lot of sins in my life, and I finally...have an end..."
When the old demon cultivator said this, he glanced at Ouyang Mu, "But before I die, I still have a wish. I have been trapped in this prison of ten thousand demons almost all my life. I don't know how old I am, I don't know day and night, and I am studying all the time. Weapon refining..."
"These weapon refining techniques are both good and evil. In the end, I couldn't tell them apart."
"However, whether it is good or evil, it is my life's hard work. I must pass it on, otherwise I will die in peace."
The old demon cultivator stared at Ouyang Mu with deep eyes:
"In the entire Ten Thousand Demons Prison, the only person I can pass on to is you."
Ouyang Mu was startled and looked hesitant.
If the sword is made in the right way, he will naturally be grateful.
But this old man is an evil swordsman, and his skills are mostly bloody and evil sword-making methods.
He didn't want to learn at all.
When he didn't know what to do, he habitually lowered his head and glanced at his sleeves, and then he felt confident.
"Thank you for your love, senior..." Ouyang Mu looked "tangled" for a while, then sighed and said, "I will learn..."
The old demon cultivator breathed a long sigh of relief, and his whole body felt relaxed.
Then he looked a little arrogant and said to Ouyang Mu:
"I studied under the Tai'amen Ouyang family, and my sword-making skills are forged step by step through repeated hard work..."
"At least in the category of second-grade weapon refining, I consider myself no worse than any swordsmith."
"I have also put too much effort into the research on the natal magic weapon."
"After learning my skills, you will definitely be the best in the same realm. Even if you can't get out of the Ten Thousand Demons Prison and can only associate with these demon cultivators, you can still prosper."
"No matter how ferocious the demon cultivator is, he would not dare to neglect you..."
"If one day you can form elixirs in this Ten Thousand Demons Prison and become a third-grade evil swordsman..."
The old demon cultivator showed a glimmer of hope and said slowly: "Young master will even let you out and let you become his confidant and work for him outside."
"The days outside are much more carefree..."
Ouyang Mu looked surprised, "Can you still go out?"
The old demon cultivator nodded, "As long as you can form elixirs."
"It's just," he then sighed, "it's not easy to form an elixir. In this Ten Thousand Demon Prison, there are so many demon cultivators, and for hundreds of years, few can form an elixir."
"Although there are insufficient resources, defects in the technique, and the demonic power is easily out of control, it is enough to show that it is difficult to form a pill."
"But, at least it's just a thought..."
Ouyang Mu nodded slowly.
Then he looked at his sleeves with his peripheral vision and asked according to Mo Hua's instructions:
"Old senior, you said you work for the 'Master'... Who is this 'Master'?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as Ouyang Mu mentioned the young master, the old demon cultivator's expression immediately darkened, and he said in a trembling voice: "Don't ask, and it's best not to know. All you need to know is that in this Ten Thousand Demons Prison, everything must be obeyed." My command is, don’t be too curious, otherwise you won’t know how you will die.”
Ouyang Mu's heart trembled, and he nodded: "I understand."
The old demon cultivator's expression softened slightly and he said: "Starting from tomorrow, I will officially begin to teach you what I have learned throughout my life. The first thing to do is..."
"...forge the evil sword of destiny!"
"Yeah." Ouyang Mu looked a little indifferent.
Seeing this, the old demon cultivator sighed, "I know that although you promised to be an evil swordsman, you still can't accept it in your heart."
"Your surname is Ouyang. You come from the same sect and clan as me. I don't want to embarrass you."
"Let's do this. Come over tomorrow and I will teach you the righteous weapon refining methods first. After learning, you will slowly move from righteous to evil, refining evil weapons and forging evil swords..."
"The Valley of Ten Thousand Demons is a dangerous place. I can't help myself, so I can only help you get here. You can only ask for your own blessings for what happens next..."
Ouyang Mu was startled for a moment, then he felt grateful and cupped his hands and said:
"Thank you, old man."
The old demon cultivator waved his hand indifferently, "Stop saying such false words. Let's go and come back tomorrow."
Ouyang Mu bowed and then said goodbye. He was escorted by a demon cultivator back to the prison.
The old demon cultivator was the only one left in the evil weapon room.
"Tai..."
His voice was as hoarse as a crow in an old tree. He muttered these two words silently, and then suddenly, his whole body began to tremble violently.
The old demon cultivator stretched out his hand to cover his mouth, but he took a step too slow and coughed up blood.
He hurriedly took out a large pile of red or white pills from his storage bag and swallowed them whole.
After a while, the coughing subsided.
The old demon repaired his rickety body and slowly sat down, tilting his head and staring at the gloomy fire in the bone refining furnace. There was an inexplicable brilliance in his turbid eyes.
Mo Hua frowned and then slowly left.
He went to the prison.
In the prison, Ouyang Muzheng and Linghuxiao were chatting in a low voice.
Song Jian was eating secretly on the side.
What he ate was the dried meat Mo Hua gave him. Because it was hard to get, he ate it carefully, tearing it off bit by bit, throwing it in his mouth and chewing it.
The guarding demon cultivator was not there, and Mo Hua showed up.
The three people in the prison were already used to strange things.
The ink paintings come and go without a trace, really like "ghosts".
A few people chatted briefly, and Ouyang Mu said with emotion: "That old man is actually from the Ouyang family..."
"I wonder if he can help us escape..."
Mo Hua shook his head, "Don't think about it."
Ouyang Mu doesn't quite understand.
Mo Hua said: "That old guy is an old liar. What he said was a lie to you."
Ouyang Mu was stunned, "Isn't he from the Ouyang family?"
"It's hard to say," Mo Hua said thoughtfully, "that old guy, eighty-nine out of ten sentences are false, and at most only one or two are true."
"He is a disciple of Tai Amen's Ouyang family. This sentence may be true. But the other words, one sentence at a time, are very suspicious." "Think about it..." Mo Hua said:
"Wan Yao The dense forest outside the valley is very dangerous. He is a weapon refiner. What is he doing in the dense forest alone? "
"Moreover, there is a formation in the dense forest, and the spiritual sense cannot tell the direction. This is true for monks, and it is also true for demon cultivators."
"If we simply entered the dense forest, how could we accidentally run into a group of demon cultivators?"
"If the demon cultivator was so hungry and thirsty, he would definitely have eaten his share if he met him. How could he keep him as a swordsmith?"
"Whether he knows how to forge swords, unless he takes the initiative to say so, the demon cultivator most likely won't know about it?"
"Also, he has been trapped in the Ten Thousand Demons Prison for hundreds of years, drinking blood like hair and eating raw flesh and blood. His humanity has been almost wiped out for a long time. How could he care about the friendship between the same sect and the same clan?"
"We come from the same sect and the same clan, so what?"
"So, what the old guy said sounds fine, but when you think about it carefully, there are many flaws..."
Of course, this is just what the ink painting says on the surface.
In fact, when he was listening to the old demon cultivator's words, his spiritual consciousness keenly noticed that there were some unusual fluctuations in the old demon cultivator's spiritual thoughts.
It seems that he has some other thoughts.
Furthermore, it is the intuition that comes from cause and effect.
When the old demon cultivator spoke, the line of cause and effect was somewhat disordered.
Mo Hua almost instinctively sensed that there might be something fishy in his words.
The simple little wood opened his mouth silently, and at the same time couldn't help but feel confused in his heart:
How did my little brother's head grow? How many evil intentions does he have to hide in his heart...
Linghu Xiao on the side frowned when he heard this, "If this old demon cultivator has other agendas, wouldn't Junior Brother Mu be in danger?"
"Yes." Mo Hua nodded, "But speaking of which, you have never been safe. Whether it is Jin Gui, the old demon cultivator, or the young master behind you, they are all trying to plot against you."
So far, the demon cultivators have used many methods overtly and covertly.
Now on the surface, only small pieces of wood are targeted.
But this is probably just the beginning. Linghu Xiao and Song Jian will not be spared either.
Judging from the intelligence eavesdropped on Mo Hua during these days.
Among the three, Linghuxiao's situation was slightly better.
His swordsmanship is clear, and he is a genius rarely seen in Chongxu Sect for five hundred years.
No matter how good or bad he is, he is always a "treasure".
Although the demon cultivator also broke off Linghuxiao's little finger, his attitude was quite respectful and he obviously did not dare to offend easily.
Guesses drawn by ink.
These demonic cultivators most likely want to make Linghuxiao get on the "flower boat" of the young men, and use "sugar-coated bullets" to seduce him, corrupt him, and make him fall, so that they can become monsters together and join in the evil deeds.
As for the flower boat, what sugar-coated bombs are there?
I am still naive and have relatively little experience, so I cannot imagine it for the time being.
But Song Jian...
Mo Hua looked back and saw Song Jian, who was still chewing on the dried meat, feeling a little sympathetic.
Song Jian was a hostage.
These demon cultivators probably don't necessarily want to "assimilate" him.
Maybe one day, I can give it to him directly, it's not impossible.
Song Jian noticed Mo Hua's gaze, snorted coldly, and turned his back. He didn't seem to want to see Mo Hua, but he still chewed the dried meat silently.
Mo Hua sighed in his heart:
"Forget it, this poor kid, I won't tell him, lest he won't even be able to eat the dried meat when he finds out."
On the other side, Ouyang Mu was a little sad.
He also thought that the old demon cultivator really did not forget Tai Amen, cared about his family, and wanted to teach him the sword-making skills he had learned throughout his life.
The human heart is indeed sinister...
"Senior Brother Mo, what should I do? He taught me how to make swords, do I still want to learn?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment, nodded and said, "I have to learn."
"You just pretend you don't know anything and have forgotten what I just said. You still think that old man is an old man of your Ouyang family who has gone astray but is about to die and has a little kindness in his heart."
"You should learn what he teaches you as usual. If you don't learn, it will be in vain."
"When encountering other situations, please act on your own initiative. I will teach you when the time comes..." Mo Hua said.
"Okay, Senior Brother Mo." Ouyang Mu nodded repeatedly.
"However," Ouyang Mu was a little confused, "What is the plan of that old demon cultivator?"
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You'll know when the time comes..."
…
The next day, inside the evil weapon room.
The old demon cultivator was looking at his piece of demon paper again.
Ouyang Mu is refining white bones and melting fine iron.
After the bones were melted, the old demon cultivator put away the demon paper and said in an old voice: "It's almost done. I will teach you how to cast the natal sword bone."
"Yes." Ouyang Mu remembered Mo Hua's instructions and nodded.
The old demon cultivator looked solemn and said slowly: "Every sword must have bones."
"This bone refers to the root bone of the sword, the 'backbone' of the sword, which may not really be the 'skeleton'."
"Depending on the inheritance of the sword, the material of the sword bone can be gold, jade, silver, copper and iron, or wood and stone spiritual objects. Of course, it can also be demon bones, animal bones, or even human bones and other bones..."
"Generally, the sword bones of spiritual swords are not so particular."
"But the natal sword embryo needs to be warmed and cultivated to be fused with spiritual power. The natal magic weapon related to life has extremely strict requirements on the sword bones."
"In fact, the sword bone itself directly determines the final quality of the natal spiritual sword magic weapon."
"Only good bones can make a good sword."
"A sword without a bone is just scrap metal..."
After saying that, the old demon cultivator took out a long spine from the storage bag and said solemnly:
"This is the material used to make sword bones."
Ouyang Mu looked at the blood on the bones and his expression changed slightly, "Is this... human bone?"
The old demon cultivator said indifferently: "So what about human bones, and what about demon bones? Skeletons that can be molded into superior sword bones are good bones..."
"You have to learn to abandon these pedantic ideas about good and evil little by little. Otherwise, how will you gain a foothold in the Ten Thousand Demons Prison in the future?"
Ouyang Mu muttered: "Yes, senior..."
The old demon cultivator's expression turned slightly, "I'll forge it while you watch from the side."
"Um."
Then the old demon cultivator began to take Ouyang Mu to formally learn "sword bone casting".
This set of procedures is very cumbersome and requires extremely high craftsmanship.
I can't quite understand the ink painting.
He only knew some theoretical things about the art of weapon refining, including some knowledge of array design, of course.
When it came to actually refining weapons, he was not good at it.
He could barely swing the second-grade weapon-making hammer.
Therefore, he could only watch from the sidelines as the old demon taught him how to make swords out of wood.
However, although Mo Hua doesn't know much about the art of weapon refining, he is very concerned about another thing: "Whose bone is this human bone used to cast the 'sword bone'?"
"This human bone was treasured and hidden by this old demon cultivator. It was specially kept to refine the natal sword bone. This shows that the origin of this human bone must not be simple..."
Mo Hua stared at the hunched old demon cultivator, and suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
Could this bone just be...
Is this old demon repairing his spine?
He took his own spine and used it to cast his natal sword bone?
Mo Hua took a breath.
What kind of sword-making technique is this?
It's too cruel.
Mo Hua stared at the old demon cultivator's curved figure, as if his bones had been ripped out, and the more he looked at it, the more he looked like it.
Evil cultivators kill people, strip bones to make swords, and are just cruel to others, but this old guy is cruel to himself...
"But does it have any special significance to use your own bones to make a sword?"
I don’t quite understand Mo Hua.
In the evil weapon room, the old demon cultivator tempered blood, melted iron, and forged bones... all in one go. His weapon refining skills were truly superb.
Ouyang Mu watched intently, while also thinking about what methods he could learn.
After casting like this for a while, the old demon cultivator said: "The next sword-making process is a blood sacrifice technique. If you don't want to learn it, you don't have to watch it."
Ouyang Mu hesitated for a moment and nodded slowly.
The old demon cultivator took out a piece of fine iron and handed it to Ouyang Mu, "Take this fine iron and temper it in the blood pool over there. You will need it later."
"Yes, senior."
Ouyang Mu took the fine iron, walked aside, and put it in the blood pool to quench the blood.
The old demon cultivator glanced at Ouyang Mu with cautious eyes, and then slowly took out a pen from the storage bag with his withered hand.
After that, he used this pen to draw something on the sword bone with very obscure movements.
It's just that although he pushed Ouyang Mu away and avoided Ouyang Mu's gaze, he did not avoid Mo Hua.
When Mo Hua took out the pen from him, he was a little shocked.
This evil swordsman uses a pen instead of a hammer?
What does he want to draw?
Mo Hua was very curious, and then he held his breath and tilted his head, staring at it for a while. Suddenly his pupils shrank and his mind was shaken.
This old demon cultivator who is proficient in making swords, what he secretly drew on the sword bone turned out to be...
Shinto formation pattern? !
(End of this chapter)