Tales of Herding Gods

Chapter 49: An Elixir Heart

Translator: Ninetales Editor: Fish Creek

Qin Mu pondered over it. Li River Sect’s sect master, Mu Beifeng was a lower second-ranking official while this Gu Linuan was a lower first ranking official so he definitely must be more powerful!

“What this senior said is true.” He told Hu Ling’er.

Hu Ling’er was puzzled, “How do you know what he said is true?”

“The fog is produced by the dragon’s soul.”

Qin Mu pointed at the soul of the mother dragon swimming around. Wherever the soul of the dragon passed by, the fog would grow thicker and the dry corpses would stand up once again and float towards Qin Mu as if they could smell him.

“This kind of fog could make these dry corpses enter a not dead nor alive state. It’s a method used to protect her son and also to protect this great hall.” Qin Mu analyzed.

Hu Ling’er had also noticed this point. Once the fog that the dragon’s soul had spat out was dispelled, the dry corpses would stop moving and drop back to the ground. When the fog shrouded the bodies once again, the dry corpses would come alive again and try to attack anyone that was near.

The dry corpses were like the guardians of this great hall, to prevent people from stealing the dragon bead and disturbing the “healing” of the young dragon.

And the source of these dry corpses would probably be like what the elder had said and was the doings of the dragon bead, absorbing every last drop of blood and essence from the practitioners that had trespassed into the dragon palace to extend the life of the young dragon.

Qin Mu was troubled, “Senior Gu, even though I may have the heart to help you but with junior’s measly powers, I’m afraid there’s no way I can do so.”

Gu Linuan chuckled, “Of course you don’t have the power to dissolve the mysterious ice of the dragon bead, however, I do. As long as you listen to my command, you can set me free! When I’m free, you can get whatever you want!”

His voice carried a hint of arrogance which showed that the tutor of the crown prince was an extremely high position.

“I may have been trapped in this mysterious ice but my cultivation is still here, thus it still can’t freeze me to death yet.”

Gu Linuan continued, “I shall use the last of my cultivation to move my sword out of the ice. With the sword, you shall slay the soul of the mother dragon! Once the soul is slain, the dragon bead will no longer be able to trap me! When I’m free, I can even reward you with this dragon bead!”

Qin Mu jumped in shock and cried out, “Slay the soul of the mother dragon? Senior, junior has just cultivated to the Spirit Embryo Realm and is a puny practitioner. How am I able to slay the soul of the mother dragon?”

Gu Linuan laughed coldly, “You naturally can’t, but with my sword, you can! My sword is not an ordinary weapon nor is it that junk that you are carrying on your back. This sword is a first ranking sword from the Imperial Family! It was forged by the best treasures and blacksmiths that the Eternal Peace Empire had gathered! There are a total of sixteen first ranking officials and so there are a total of sixteen such swords. Each of the swords has their own name and my sword is called Junior Protector Sword!”

Qin Mu hesitated, “How’s the sword compared to the monk staff in my hand?”

Gu Linuan sneered, “The old monk’s khakkhara monk staff is indeed decent and the Great Thunderclap Monastery is also one of the huge well-known sects that are scarce in this world. However, how can a treasure forged by the power of a sect be compared to a treasure forged by the power of an empire? In the Eternal Peace Empire, there are even two to three huge sects like the Great Thunderclap Monastery.”

Qin Mu’s heart shook. He was also slightly puzzled and asked, “Since senior has this kind of treasure, why didn’t you slay the mother dragon’s soul?”

Gu Linuan was speechless and finally said after a while, “Originally I didn’t think of the crucial point and only thought about eliminating the hidden danger of the dragon bead for our future generations, however in my carelessness I had fallen into this trap and before I discovered I couldn’t break free from the ice. It was too late!”

“After being sealed, I could only cling to my vital qi to prevent myself from being freeze to death by the mysterious ice, even if I want to control my sword, I can’t do it in my weakened state anymore. Do you know how much I have been sealed here?”

Gu Linuan sighed, “An entire two hundred years! For two hundred years, I have been sealed here. It was exceptionally difficult for me to extend my life until now!”

Qin Mu sympathized his plight and said, “Being sealed in ice for two hundred years, I’d have gone crazy if it was me. It’s pretty outstanding for senior to hold out until now.”

Gu Linuan sighed again, “Luckily you have come. I shall use my remaining vital qi to send my Imperial Tutor Sword out of the mysterious ice. Slay the soul of the mother dragon for me and free me!”

Qin Mu nodded his head and respectfully said, “Junior will do my best!”

Gu Linuan gathered his remaining vital qi and the sword at his waist started to move, however, it was very slow. After two hours, the hilt of the sword was barely revealed.

After quite some time, the entire hilt of the sword was revealed, however, the sword’s sheath was still frozen by the mysterious ice.

Gu Linuan seemed tired and his voice croaked, “My vital qi is almost depleted. Quickly slay the mother dragon!”

Qin Mu acknowledged and his vital qi thread which was as thick as an arm flew out and swept up the sword’s hilt. With a scraping sound, the Imperial Tutor Sword was out from its sheath and instantly shone brightly.

Qin Mu and Hu Ling’er’s eyes felt pain as if the sword light had injured their eyes. Only after some time did their eyes recover and was able to see clearly again.

“What are you doing?”

Gu Linuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw Qin Mu’s extremely thick vital qi thread sweeping up his Imperial Tutor Sword to chase after the mother dragon yet was unable to land a hit, “What are you doing? Who manipulates sword like you do? Who taught you your sword control techniques? Who taught you sword skills?”

Qin Mu stopped and replied truthfully, “I don’t know sword control technique nor do I know any sword skills.”

Gu Linuan almost died from anger and his head started to ache. He then asked angrily, “Why do you carry around a sword pouch if you don’t know sword technique or sword skills?”

Qin Mu replied embarrassedly, “This sword pouch is very heavy so I carry it around as a type of training…”

Gu Linuan almost puked out blood. This kind of crude sword skill made him want to jump out of the mysterious ice more than anything.

“Alright, I shall impart to you sword control techniques by using qi to manipulate sword and sword skills.”

He suppressed his anger and continued, “Once you have learned them, you’ll be able to slay the mother dragon.”

Qin Mu shook his head, “I’m not learning.”

Gu Linuan flew into a rage. If he wasn’t sealed by the mysterious ice, he would have jumped out and beaten this rascal to a pulp.

“Granny said that there would be someone to teach me better sword arts and if I learn someone else’s sword arts, the person wouldn’t teach me anymore.”

Gu Linuan calmed himself down and laughed loudly, “Better sword arts? Do you know that the best sword skills in the world are the Eternal Peace Empire’s sword skills? Imperial Preceptor had brought together all sword skills in the world and summoned all the grandmasters of sword skills in the world to found the Eternal Peace Empire’s sword skills. Isn’t it the best sword skill if it’s founded on the wisdom of all the grandmasters of sword skill? Won’t it surpass the sword skills founded by the patriarchs of those so-called sword sects? These so-called sword sects mainly just follow the footsteps of their ancestors and remain stuck in the old ways, thinking that they are invincible, not knowing they were already left far behind!”

Qin Mu stared blankly. He felt Gu Linuan’s words were very logical and he had no way to deny it.

Because of the incident with the Li River Sect, he didn’t have any favorable impression of the Imperial Preceptor but he was still impressed with the Imperial Preceptor’s magnanimity.

To have such magnanimity to ignore the sectarian bias and difference between the sects, allowing the grandmasters of sword skills throughout the world to put their minds together to create a new sword skill entirely. It’s hard not to be impressed by this kind person.

“Not learning.” Qin Mu shook his head.

Gu Linuan had the urge to break the ice himself and ruthlessly whack Qin Mu’s ass. After all that he had said, he really deserved a beating for not wanting to learn.

After a while, Gu Linuan suddenly smiled, “Alright, I shan’t teach you sword skills. I shall teach you sword control techniques. Sword control techniques aren’t sword skills so it won’t interfere with you learn the other person’s sword skills.”

Qin Mu’s heart wavered and nodded reluctantly.

“It seems like you aren’t a completely stubborn mule and know what’s good for you. This sword control technique is called Secrets Of Elixir Heart. It teaches you how to control a sword and doesn’t teach you sword skills.

Gu Linuan’s spirit vibrated and said, “What is elixir heart? Elixir is pure, a flawless jade, a Nine Transformation Spirit Pill, a flawless and exquisite heart so pure without any impurity. This sword control technique requires a pure and innocent heart to control the sword. When your heart is there, your sword would be there and it would be disadvantageous to not follow the directions! The incompetence of sword control techniques in this world stems from sticking to the old tradition! The first step to cultivate an elixir heart: Heart as fire, furnace in dantian, using the heart fire to cultivate true vitality. With the furnace as a field and the fire as seeds! Daring the Sun God for ten suns to rise, using the sacred fire of the blazing suns to burn gloriously…”

Qin Mu immediately put his mind down to memorize. The sword control technique of the Secrets Of Elixir Heart was profound and righteous, even when there was a mnemonic chant, if there was no one to explain the profound meaning of it, he wouldn’t have known how to cultivate.

Gu Linuan repeated the entire Secrets Of Elixir Heart once more and explained the profound of cultivation word by word. As he listened, Qin Mu’s heart was jumping up and down like a spirit monkey tweaking its ears and scratching its cheeks.

After some time, Gu Linuan finished explaining the Secrets Of Elixir Heart once more, “Go cultivate first before controlling the sword. If you are slow it would take ten days and two if you are fast before you can use qi to manipulate the Imperial Tutor Sword to slay the soul of the mother dragon! The little fox in your chest has also benefited from you and had the chance to learn the best sword control technique in the world.”