For 90% of the cultivation arts in the Nine Provinces, there were no short-cuts. If you wanted to grow stronger, there was only one thing you could do – cultivate. Cultivate to the point where you knew that thing by heart.
It was like the ultimate divine art of the Skyraise Academy, the Grand Universe Formless Divine Art. Its difficulty lay in the learner’s understanding of the cultivation art.
However, once they understood, it was enough as long as they cultivated following the prescribed order.
This was the so-called comprehension ability.
And what about this Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody before Sun Mo’s eyes?
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a cultivation art. It was a music tune. However, the great teacher who had created this tune was simply too powerful. This was why it had such a terrifying attacking might.
Music didn’t differentiate between national boundaries.
The most classic example was electronic music from various languages. Not everyone might understand the words, but when the music hit the climax, everyone would be shaking their bodies to the beat.
Why would these songs be so popular that they could spread around the world? It was precisely because of their ‘influence potential’.
After Sun Mo found a direction, along with his 50 accumulated years of experience from using the time emblem, he instantly had a huge epiphany and also knew why Guan Shijie was stuck at the peak of the Longevity Realm for twenty years and unable to move an inch forward.
This cultivation art, or more accurately this music tune, could be used to temper one’s body according to the music rhythm.
To put it simply, that great teacher from ancient times had already reached the realm where he didn’t need any musical instruments. His body alone or the nearby mountains and rivers could all be used as musical instruments.
Hence, the true essence of this cultivation art was for one to use their body to resonate with others and resonate with the world.
“So this is the case!”
Sun Mo’s lips curled into a smile. As for the second step – understanding the Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody – he had already accomplished it. So, the thing he had to do next was to win this match.
“Teacher Guan, I have to apologize in advance for offending you!”
As Sun Mo spoke, he attacked once more. But this time around, the moment he slashed out with his blade, Guan Shijie’s expression drastically changed.
“Eh?”
(Why does this move of his seem a little like the Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody?)
(No!)
(It’s impossible. The number of people in the Nine Provinces that have learned this can be counted on two hands. Moreover, they studied and researched it for over a hundred years before they could obtain their current level of expertise…)
However, this slashing attack by Sun Mo really exuded a very similar ‘smell’.
“Not bad, you have not wasted the three minutes I’ve waited for you!”
Guan Shijie showed excitement on his face. He even licked his lips, doing an action that completely didn’t tally with his age and status.
This was the powerful judgment ability of great teachers. They could suddenly gain enlightenment from a move of their opponents.
In order to better grasp that feeling, Guan Shijie lifted his hand and cast a Gushing Thoughts on himself.
“…”
All the great teachers were stunned.
Why would Great Teacher Guan suddenly cast the same great teacher halo?
Was there something they didn’t understand?
Sun Mo saw an attack, but Guan Shijie saw the concept of that attack. One couldn’t help but be impressed. 6-star great teachers truly deserved their reputations.
Sun Mo immediately changed his move to whet Guan Shijie’s appetite, and he started to act according to his plan.
When Sun Mo was sighing in praise at Guan Shijie’s talent, the system was also sighing in admiration at Sun Mo’s extraordinary aptitude.
Time emblems could raise one’s experience in a skill, but as to how much the amount of experience gained, that would have to depend on the user’s aptitude.
For example, if Sun Mo and Qi Shengjia cultivated the same cultivation art, the amount of experience gained by Sun Mo from using a time emblem would far surpass the amount of experience gained by the honest guy.
The battle continued.
After tens of moves, An Xinhui frowned. Although nothing looked different on the surface, she sharply detected that Guan Shijie seemed different.
At the start, he was still defending normally, wanting to receive Sun Mo’s ultimate skills. But gradually, he took the initiative and began to attack.
However, those attacks he unleashed weren’t powerful enough to defeat Sun Mo directly.
More accurately, it was as though Sun Mo seemed to have known what Guan Shijie’s attacks would do. Hence, he could completely evade them in advance.
“Is Teacher Sun luring Guan Shijie to reveal his moves?”
Wang Su was astonished.
“How can that be possible?”
The great teachers around him subconsciously rebutted.
“Hehe, I’ve misspoken.”
Wang Su revealed a self-mocking smile and shook his head. That was impossible. How could Sun Mo turn this into an educational battle?
In the great teacher world, some great teachers were unwilling to speak too much when they accepted their disciples. They would use a combat method to let the disciples comprehend something for themselves.
To speak in terms of the game of Go, it meant that they were giving a handicap and guiding their opponent on how to play.
However, such guidance was only possible if the realm of the great teacher far surpassed the student. They had to have a very deep understanding of the content they imparted.
But Sun Mo…
Wang Su admitted that Sun Mo was capable enough to guide any student in the Central Province Academy. There was even no problem for Sun Mo to guide people like Fang Yan. But to guide Guan Shijie…
Wasn’t this a little too much of a fantasy?
Gu Xiuxun glanced at Wang Su and mumbled, “If it is Sun Mo, there might actually be such a possibility. After all, he’s a man that always creates miracles.”
Sun Mo wasn’t fighting a guidance battle. What he was doing was to ‘feed’ the moves.
Guan Shijie’s flaws lay in the fact that he didn’t understand the tempo and rhythm of the Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody. Since that was the case, Sun Mo would use moves that emphasized the tempo and rhythm to ‘feed’ the moves to Guan Shijie, allowing him to get a feel of things so that he could comprehend them easily.
Hence, at this moment, Guan Shijie was unknowingly so satisfied that he moved from passively defending to actively taking the initiative to attack.
It felt overwhelmingly satisfying to the extreme!
“This feeling is so strange but also very comfortable!”
Because Sun Mo ‘fed’ moves to Guan Shijie, Guan Shijie experienced the true essence of the Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody.
It truly wasn’t a cultivation art but a melody. It was only because it was too powerful that people treated it as a peerless saint-tier cultivation art.
It was like those banned musics of the various countries, especially for the song ‘black friday’. It even had the name ‘suicide divine melody’.
Because if one was in a bad mood and heard this song, it would be very easy for them to feel like committing suicide.
Guan Shijie couldn’t bear it anymore. It was like he had reached the climax in his life. He suddenly pulled out his sword and started humming to the melody and ending it with a roar.
Ah!
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The various sound waves spread out one after another. However, to the ordinary audience, this sound wasn’t ear-piercing. On the contrary, they felt as though they were on a boat that was sailing amidst the waves of the vast ocean.
Guan Shijie’s state of heart was free and relaxed, completely unrestrained. He felt as though he had a pair of wings and was flying through the azure sky, shuttling through the rainbow with clouds as companions, being extremely carefree.
“Oh, no!”
After roaring, Guan Shijie was shocked. They had agreed earlier not to use spirit qi, yet he actually used it involuntarily due to carelessness. If he accidentally killed Sun Mo…
Wouldn’t that mean he would never be able to enjoy a battle like this from now on?
Guan Shijie hurriedly retracted his move and searched for Sun Mo. Fortunately, Sun Mo had long since stood at a corner of the battle stage, safe and sound.
“…”
Guan Shijie was somewhat surprised. Did Sun Mo know that he was going to use this move and hence evaded in advance?
Forget it, he didn’t want to think about this anymore.
“Teacher Sun, come and fight!”
Guan Shijie urged.
Sun Mo smiled and shook his head.
“Haha, is Teacher Sun going to concede?” Cao Xian laughed. “It’s fine, it’s impossible for you to win against Teacher Guan.”
Back when Cao Xian was still a student, Guan Shijie was already a teacher of the Myriad Daos Academy. Hence, although he was the headmaster now, he still addressed Guan Shijie respectfully as teacher. (laoshi)
“Hehe, but I’ve already persisted for more than three minutes.”
Sun Mo counter-asked.
“Eh!”
Cao Xian’s expression froze, and he looked at Guan Shijie.
“Aiya don’t care about that so much. Teacher Sun, right? Quickly come, let’s fight again!”
Guan Shijie urged and felt extremely impatient.
“Teacher Guan, do you know why you want to continue sparring with me?”
Sun Mo counter-asked.
Guan Shijie started and sank into contemplation.
The other great teachers also started, but after that, they became dumbfounded.
(It can’t be right?)
Sun Mo’s tone sounded a little like he wanted to provide guidance for Guan Shijie?
Sun Mo’s future achievements might not be inferior to Guan Shijie’s. But as of now, and even as of ten years later, he still wouldn’t be comparable. This was because Sun Mo still lacked accumulation of experience and knowledge.
“Sun Mo, you are too arrogant!”
That Bai Qilin couldn’t bear to watch any longer and directly scolded, “This is great disrespect toward Teacher Guan!”
However, before Sun Mo could answer, Guan Shijie turned and scolded.
“Shut up!”
“Eh!”
Bai Qilin immediately felt so sullen like he was a little wife being bullied by her husband’s family. (I was speaking on behalf of you!)
(Why was I reprimanded?)
“Do you know why you are stuck for such a long time at the peak of the Longevity Realm?”
Sun Mo asked again.
As this sentence rang out, the entire dojo exclaimed in shock.
“Haha, you are mistaken. Teacher Guan is at the Legendary Realm!”
Bai Qilin ran on a bank.
“Didn’t you hear I told you to shut up?”
Guan Shijie’s expression turned even more solemn. After he shouted at Bai Qilin, he looked at Sun Mo with a probing look on his face. This was because his cultivation was accurately described by Sun Mo. But how did Sun Mo know about this?
Guan Shijie was still a 6-star great teacher after all. He meticulously pondered over the process of the fight earlier, and he suddenly stiffened in shock. Why did the moves Sun Mo used at the end feel so proficient?
“Listening to the tune to observe a person’s character. Teacher Guan, have you ever listened to the tune of the cultivation art you used before?”
Sun Mo counter-asked.
This sentence was like a bolt of lightning in the dark of the night, directly flashing in Guan Shijie’s mind, causing him to gain some insights. But as to what those insights were, he wasn’t able to grasp them completely.
Sun Mo no longer spoke.
This was his battle strategy. (I cannot win against you, but I can make you call me daddy. You don’t want to admit defeat? Don’t dream about improving then!)
Sun Mo precisely didn’t believe that Guan Shijie, who was stuck in the Longevity Realm for so many years, would be able to endure such a temptation.
Moreover, the Vast Sea Angry Tides Melody should be an inheritance of the Guan Clan that would be passed down to their descendants. If he could perfect this in his generation, it would undoubtedly be hugely beneficial for the latter generations.
Sun Mo jumped off the stage and walked back to where the Central Province Academy’s great teachers were.
“Sun Mo lost!”
The teachers and students of the Myriad Daos Academy started cheering when they saw Sun Mo exiting the stage. Their excited appearances were as though they had just defeated a great demon king.
“We finally won!”
The assistant heaved a sigh of relief.
“Didn’t I say it earlier? If Teacher Guan acts, he alone can suppress their entire great teacher circle.”
Cao Xian laughed. Just when he wanted to shout and ask ‘Who’s next’, he suddenly heard Guan Shijie speaking.
“Teacher Sun, please wait!”
Guan Shijie stepped forward and clasped his fist. “Teacher Sun, please state your meaning clearly!”
For a time, the great teachers on both sides were dumbstruck. W…was this Guan Shijie seeking Sun Mo for guidance?
