Chapter 1785: Chapter 908_3

“In recent years, the Immortal Gate has been cutting back financial allocations to our various schools to prepare for the impending war, resulting in the sword artifacts within the Sword Tower growing dim.”

“Though the Supreme Grade Spirit Stone Sword Box of the Sea-settling Sword has been mostly absorbed, if dispersed, it could support our Mountain and Sea Academy through the most challenging twenty years.”

“We are indeed financially strained, please forgive us, Senior!”

After Hao Cao said this, his old face flushed a bit red, clearly embarrassed by the situation.

“I understand, I should have considered more thoroughly.”

Chen Mobai, upon hearing this, seemed to realize this as well and then apologized. He took out the Supreme Grade Spirit Stone Sword Box and handed it to Hao Cao.

Previously, during a meeting of Nascent Soul cultivators, Ying Guanghua had mentioned that each person could select one Rank-5 Magic Artifact, but the resources for Spirit Stone Vital Energy would need to be sourced personally, indicating prior consideration of this issue.

Since the war is imminent, the Three Great Halls of the Immortal Gate are now focused primarily on stockpiling war materials and resource allocations like Spirit Stones to various Daoist Academies and Scholarly Mansions have been repeatedly reduced since ten years ago.

The Four Great Daoist Sects are still alright, given their strong foundations and having Fifth Rank Spirit Veins.

But the Ten Great Academies are struggling.

That’s why Hao Cao asked to retain the Sword Box with some embarrassment facing Chen Mobai.

Receiving the Sword Box, Hao Cao breathed a sigh of relief, being the first to know of Bai Guang Ancestor’s reincarnation body and clearly aware of the profound background of the person before him.

“I have some good tea brought by Cui, why don’t you join me for a cup, Senior?”

Hao Cao invited Chen Mobai downstairs for tea as a gesture of apology after sending the Sword Box back into the Sword Tower and dispersing the Spiritual Energy therein through a special Formation among the numerous sword instruments.

“Alright, alright, I do enjoy drinking tea.”

Chen Mobai graciously accepted Hao Cao’s gesture, and the two came to a pavilion atop the hilt of a massive stone sword by the seaside, offering a panoramic view of the sea’s turbulence and beauty.

“These stone swords are quite extraordinary!”

At this time, Chen Mobai discovered that the thirteen stone swords of the Mountain and Sea Academy harbored terrifying energies that even he, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, found astonishing.

“These thirteen stone swords are said to have been forged by the most ancient deity of the Earth Element Star to suppress the Sea Demon God that often stirred boundless waves to submerge lands. The Antiquity Daoist System noticed the arcane within and established this place as a sword-forging site. After the Immortal Gate secured the realm, they also recognized this.”

“Ancestor Yun Ya’s artifact refining technique is unparalleled through ages, and he barely managed to extract the essence from one stone sword to craft the Sea-settling Sword.”

“After Yun Ya Ancestor, as the number of Rank-5 Magic Artifacts within the Immortal Gate far exceeded those required by Deity Transformation True Monarchs, naturally, no one was willing to expend effort to melt down these thirteen stone swords.”

Hao Cao shared this secret unknown to Chen Mobai.

“Our Immortal Gate indeed has deep foundations, it’s just unfortunate we’re lacking in resources…”

Chen Mobai couldn’t help but sigh after hearing this.

Within the Immortal Gate, if all the foundations were activated, each Nascent Soul cultivator could probably possess two or three Magic Artifacts.

However, more is not necessarily better. A Magic Artifact in complete harmony, capable of exerting its full power, surpasses an opponent clad in an entire suit of Magic Artifacts that they can’t refine and use.

“Within the Immortal Sect Sword Art, there’s a depiction of the method of self-sacrifice for a sword. If someday I fail to form a Nascent Soul, before sitting in meditation, I will merge my entire essence into these stone swords.”

At this moment, Hao Cao mentioned something else.

The Immortal Sect Sword Art!

As the origin of all Sword Cultivation Techniques, Chen Mobai, who is reputed to have talents akin to Bai Guang Ancestor, had yet to see it.

“Why do this?”

Chen Mobai habitually asked when he didn’t understand.

“A sword needs a spirit, these stone swords only possess energy, but lack a Sword Spirit. If my Sword Intent is pure enough, I can become the Sword Spirit of these stone swords this way. In the future, when the stone swords emerge, they can immediately become Rank-5.”

Upon hearing Hao Cao’s words, Chen Mobai was somewhat puzzled.

This seemed somewhat akin to the ideas of the Antiquity Daoist System, as within the Immortal Gate, the self is considered paramount. Even if this life’s cultivation fails, one could potentially reincarnate and rejoin the path of “Nascent Soul Formation” and Divinity Transformation.

Yet if one merges into the stone swords, there is no next life.

“How many predecessors and sages in the Mountain and Sea Academy have walked this path?”

Chen Mobai inquired, as it was evident from Hao Cao’s earlier words that he wasn’t the first with this intent.

“In the Mountain and Sea Academy, all three Nascent Soul cultivators took this path, along with six exceptionally talented Sword Dao geniuses. Although they did not form a Nascent Soul, they condensed their pure Sword Intent into the stone swords.”

In response to Chen Mobai’s inquiry, Hao Cao did not hide anything.

This matter was known to successive generations of Deity Transformations within the Immortal Gate.

“Has anyone succeeded?”

Chen Mobai inquired again, to which Hao Cao, with a sigh, shook his head.

“We do not know whether it has succeeded; only when the stone sword essence is extracted and refined into a Flying Sword will we know.”

After hearing this, Chen Mobai sipped his tea and walked to the edge of the stone sword, using Echoes in the Void to feel the vibrations of the stone sword.