Chapter 331: Peeping

Qin Mu's gaze fell on the dewdrop on his fingertip, leaving him somewhat bewildered. Could swordsmanship truly reach such a level?

The swordsmanship the Village Chief displayed this time was different from what he had used when teaching Qin Mu previously. Before, when he taught "Sword Treading Rivers and Mountains," he meticulously demonstrated every detail of its execution, showing Qin Mu exactly how to perform the technique.

This time, though the Village Chief still performed "Sword Treading Rivers and Mountains"—the very move he had taught Qin Mu—it contained something profoundly different.

It was as if he were performing an act of creation, shaping all things in heaven and earth.

The Dao Sword of the Dao Sect uses exhaustive calculations to analyze natural phenomena. The Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword recreate natural phenomena through numerical arts, possessing immense power.

The Village Chief's swordsmanship, however, seemed to take an opposite path. He was creating all things in heaven and earth, using his swordsmanship to elucidate them.

It's hard to say which method is superior. However, from the perspective of their underlying philosophy, the Dao Sword explains the way of nature, while the Village Chief's sword diagram creates nature. Thus, the sword diagram's philosophy seems more profound.

Explaining nature is a form of learning, a process of learning from nature. Creation, on the other hand, is conjuring something from nothing. Even according to the Daoist principle of "Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things," the Village Chief's sword diagram has grasped the Dao—the Dao that gives birth to all things. The Dao Sword of the Dao Sect, meanwhile, exhausts every possibility to elucidate all things.

Qin Mu gazed at the dewdrop. It was crystalline, transparent, and incredibly smooth. From its surface, he could astonishingly see a reflected grand world, with every minute detail clearly visible.

"Jade Sky Eye, open!"

Layers of formation patterns rotated in Qin Mu's pupils. Using his Jade Sky Eye, he tried to discern the tiniest sword light forming the dewdrop. To his disappointment, the Jade Sky Eye could not detect it.

However, he noticed another remarkable aspect: the dewdrop refracted external objects. Upon closer inspection, he could see even more details from the refracted surface.

He used the dewdrop's refraction to observe the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace. The Imperial Preceptor had entered a marvelous state; his eyes seemed vacant. But looking through the dewdrop, Qin Mu saw countless shifting array patterns within the Imperial Preceptor's eyes.

As he looked more closely, he saw that within these shifting array patterns, a world seemed to be forming.

Qin Mu invigorated his spirit, maintaining the operation of his Jade Sky Eye. He scrutinized, seeing even more clearly. The internal shifting array patterns in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes were as if creating heaven and earth, demonstrating the wonders of creation!

He felt as if he were physically present, seemingly within the world being born in the Imperial Preceptor's eyes. He was experiencing the Imperial Preceptor's process of enlightenment.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was comprehending the Way of the Sword. This person was indeed exceptionally talented. No wonder Heavenly Devil Patriarch, Old Dao Master, and Old Rulai felt a desire to nurture his talent the moment they saw him, unreservedly imparting the unique skills of their respective sacred lands.

Qin Mu acknowledged that he was inferior to the Imperial Preceptor in both comprehension and aptitude. The Imperial Preceptor, upon first seeing the Village Chief's Way of the Sword, immediately drew parallels and comprehended his own Way of the Sword. Qin Mu admitted he couldn't hold a candle to such heaven-defying aptitude and talent.

Yet now, Qin Mu was using this dewdrop to enter the Imperial Preceptor's state of enlightenment, leveraging his comprehension to improve himself.

"How truly marvelous!"

Seeing this, the Village Chief remarked to the Cripple, "Although Mu'er's aptitude and comprehension aren't on par with a saint born once every five centuries, his cleverness and resourcefulness are something no saint could ever match."

The Cripple, smugly: "I taught him!"

The Village Chief added, "We taught him!"

The Cripple asked, "What do you think of the Imperial Preceptor? Can he become the Human Emperor?"

The Village Chief was silent for a moment, then softly said, "He is no worse than I am; perhaps in the future, he will be even more outstanding."

The Cripple looked at him quizzically. "I know you never finish what you say. Why don't you just say everything you want to say all at once?"

The Village Chief sighed. "I am already very strong; I have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship. But look at how my hands and feet were severed. They were cut off by a sword."

The Cripple fell silent. The Village Chief continued, "My hands and feet were severed by a sword. The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, this saint born once every five centuries, might be stronger than me in the future. However, if he doesn't have other opportunities, he will also be trapped at the Divine Bridge realm, just like me. Unable to connect with the Divine Bridge, he won't be able to reach the next realm and will face the same end as I did."

The Cripple's body trembled slightly. He looked at the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, then his gaze fell upon Qin Mu, a questioning look on his face. He whispered, "After you and I pass away, if the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace also dies, what about Mu'er?"

The Village Chief said distractedly, "I originally hoped he would live a normal, ordinary life. However, he has repeatedly exceeded my expectations, breaking them time and again. I can't be certain about his future. I initially thought he was an ordinary person, but searching for Carefree Village showed me that he might possess extraordinary qualities."

The Cripple grinned. "Ordinary? Village Chief, you're getting senile. Is there such a thing as an ordinary Overlord Body? Mu'er is an Overlord Body; how is he ordinary?"

The Village Chief's expression froze. He gave two dry chuckles and continued, "That's right, I forgot he's an Overlord Body, so it's natural he'd do unusual things. This time also exceeded my expectations. I thought he wouldn't be able to comprehend anything profound from my Way of the Sword, but he saw the Imperial Preceptor's enlightenment process through that dewdrop. This is too... too..."

He didn't know how to phrase it. The Cripple laughed, "Too incredible!"

The Village Chief nodded, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face. "It truly is incredible! I thought this little fellow, Mu'er, wouldn't awaken his Spirit Embryo, but he did. I thought his cultivation would stagnate at the Spirit Embryo realm, but he found the Overlord Body... *ahem*, the subsequent cultivation methods for the Overlord Body Three Pills Art. I thought he would fade into obscurity, but he went and defeated all 360 hall masters of the Heavenly Saint Cult to become the Young Cult Master. I thought he wouldn't be able to learn what we taught him, but he learned it remarkably well, showing great potential to surpass us."

He gave a wry smile. "I thought I wouldn't acknowledge him, wouldn't pass on my legacy to him. Yet, I did accept him, not only passing on my legacy but also my burdens and responsibilities."

Recalling the past, he felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. "I initially didn't trust him, didn't believe he could achieve anything extraordinary. But in the end, he repeatedly set higher expectations for me, and I ultimately found that he was the one I trusted most. It's true; we raised him, but as he grew, we also grew in the process of raising him."

The Cripple asked with a smile, "What do you mean?"

The wrinkles on the Village Chief's face gathered, revealing a genuinely happy smile. "My meaning is, compared to the Imperial Preceptor, I have more faith in Mu'er, the boy we raised. That child, left adrift on the Surging River in the darkness of the Great Ruins fifteen years ago, was born extraordinary! His aptitude isn't as dazzling as the Imperial Preceptor's, nor is his comprehension as heaven-defying, but there's something about him I can't quite see through..."

"It's the Overlord Body!" the Cripple exclaimed excitedly.

The smile on the Village Chief's face froze. With a myriad of emotions in his heart, he murmured, "Perhaps it is because of the Overlord Body. For an ordinary person to achieve one miracle might be coincidence, two miracles might be luck, but for three or four miracles to happen to him—that's no longer luck or coincidence. It means he is truly exceptional; he is indeed a well-deserved Overlord Body. Our Mu'er has inherited the strengths of us failures hiding in the Great Ruins and has learned from our lessons. He will surely go farther than any of us!"

As the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace continued his enlightenment, his comprehension of the Way of the Sword deepened. Qin Mu, who was secretly observing his enlightenment through the dewdrop, also witnessed the entire process.

The higher the realm of swordsmanship the Imperial Preceptor comprehended, the greater the benefits for Qin Mu.

Although Qin Mu was still in the initial stage of the "Law" phase within the three stages of spells, Dao, and Law, by leveraging the Imperial Preceptor's enlightenment, he was able to glimpse the advanced stages of the Way of the Sword. The impact this had on him was immense, and the benefits were unimaginable!

Compared to a giant like the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, Qin Mu was just a child. However, this child was standing on the giant's shoulders, gaining a higher and broader perspective from then on.

Although others at Qingmen Pass were also comprehending the Village Chief's "Sword Treading Rivers and Mountains," very few were able to grasp its ultimate mysteries. Most only comprehended one or two sword techniques, gaining insights that were extraordinary enough to benefit them for life. However, someone who received benefits like Qin Mu's was absolutely unique!

He had, in essence, simultaneously received the ultimate comprehension of the sword from two great sword gods: the Village Chief and the Imperial Preceptor!

After a long while, the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace awoke from his enlightenment, imbued with an inexplicable aura.

Reaching the summit, all other mountains seemed small.

Now that he had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, looking upon all sword techniques and divine arts in the world, he was suddenly filled with a sense of melancholy. There was nothing left among all the world's sword arts and divine abilities that could truly impress him.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace showed a melancholic expression, but then immediately sensed something different. He actually felt someone secretly observing him, prying into his Dao heart, prying into his enlightenment!

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was surprised. Following that sensation, his gaze fell on Qin Mu's fingertip.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace was stunned, then chuckled, shaking his head. "So that's it. The Heavenly Saint Cult Master is too resourceful."

Qin Mu immediately felt a stinging sensation in his eyes when the Imperial Preceptor's gaze turned towards him, and he quickly averted his eyes. When their gazes met, Qin Mu displayed a bright, sunny smile. "Heavenly King, sorry to have bothered you."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace gestured with a smile, "Not at all."

Suddenly, the rivers and mountains dissipated, and all sword light vanished. The Village Chief withdrew his sword light and said to the Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace, "You have attained the Dao."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace bowed in thanks, saying, "Had it not been for your guidance, Dao brother, I don't know when I would have entered the Dao realm."

The vital qi forming the Village Chief's arms and legs also dissipated. He said, "Come closer and look at where my arms and legs were severed. I've always kept these sword marks; they've never faded. You might encounter the gods who left these wounds on me in the future."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace became solemn. He stepped forward, crouched down, and meticulously examined the wounds.

These were sword marks. The sword wounds on the old Human Emperor were left by an even stronger sword; a master of the sword is injured by the sword. In his view, the Village Chief's swordsmanship had already reached the Dao realm, and his Way of the Sword was currently still above his own, though the Village Chief's vital qi was depleted compared to his vigorous qi. Yet, from these wounds, he saw an even stronger swordsmanship, an even stronger Way of the Sword!

"Do you have the confidence to defeat him?" the Village Chief asked.

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's expression was grave. "Not at present. Perhaps in the future! You imparted to me the Way of the Sword and initiated my swordsmanship; therefore, you are my teacher. May I take on the heavy burden you carry?"

The Village Chief shook his head and smiled. "No need to give it to you. I've already given it to someone else."

The Imperial Preceptor of Eternal Peace's heart jolted. He suddenly realized, looking towards Qin Mu, and whispered, "The new Human Emperor?"