The Guardians: The Swordsman of the Moon

Star pattern in the octagon.

Mo Xian thought of Bao Yu's offer to him about becoming a private disciple. He was in a state of indecision because he could not leave Wu Jiao Xing, but also wanted to become Bao Yu's disciple. However, Mo Xian and Wu Jiao Xing were always together, so the next day Mo Xian came to Bao Yu regretfully for having to reject Bao Yu's kindness.

Just then Bao Yu was very disappointed by Mo Xian's reply and asked him the reason, Mo Xian replied honestly that he couldn't leave his friend at Bai Lian. However, a rather surprising decision was taken by Bao Yu who seemed desperate to make Mo Xian his disciple, Bao Yu said that he would raise his friend including the two Bai brothers and Zhang Rouruan. 

Mo Xian did not expect to get the good news, and thus Mo Xian accepted Bao Yu's offer to become a disciple. Actually, Mo Xian was only enough with Wu Jiao Xing, but it seemed that in Bao Yu's eyes, Mo Xian was close to the Bai brothers and Zhang Rouruan. So Bao Yu thought of raising all of them to be his disciples so that Mo Xian would not reject him twice.

Mo Xian shared the good news with his friends and asked them to meet Bao Yu in person just like Bao Yu had requested before. 

At first the Bai brothers' reaction was a little strange, both of them raised eyebrows and stared in surprise. However, after getting an explanation from Mo Xian, the two agreed to leave.

On the other hand, Wu Jiao Xing nagged and reminded Mo Xian of Li Huan's orders telling them to stay in Bai Lian's sect until they were picked up again. However, Mo Xian forced for him to meet Bao Yu face to face, after meeting Bao Yu, Wu Jiao Xing suddenly agreed.

And Zhang Rouruan, he looked the happiest, because he could finally leave the sect and would not meet any more geeky girls. However, he also got a great teacher without having to spend any money.

A week after the recruitment of Mo Xian and his friends as students of Bao Yu. Bao Yu asked the sect master for permission. At first Mo Xian thought it would be difficult to get out of Bai Lian's sect, but it turned out to be as easy as peeling an orange peel. Bao Yu even just left a message to one of the disciples and took Mo Xian and his friends away from the sect.

 Bao Yu brought Mo Xian and his friends to a mansion, his residence outside the Bai Lian sect.

Bao Yu explained they would stay there and study there. Bao Yu also said that they had not cut ties with Bai Lian's sect at all and were still a part of them. Bao Yu only wanted the training of his disciples not to be interfered with by Bai Lian's sect so he took her to his home outside of Bai lian's sect. However, it was still in the same area as Bai Lian's sect.

"What you learn in a sect or outside a sect before you enter Bai Lian's sect cannot be considered wrong, it is a common lesson that can be learned by anyone. However, as my student, I will teach you from the beginning in my own way."

Bao Yu said as he looked at the five new disciples seated solemnly in front of him.

"However before that I would like to ask you about the basic elements that you have. And show me how you use it."

Bao Yu then looked at Mo Xian who was sitting in the middle, he understood that as a command and immediately flowed his spiritual energy into his hand and a flame appeared in his palm.

"This disciple has the basic element of fire, Master."

Bao Yu nodded, stroking his beard before looking at the others. 

"Did you do the same thing while using your basic elements?"

Bai Yue and Bai Ruo nodded, while Wu Jiao Xing and Zhang Rouruan did not and replied they could not do it because both of them had the basic element of wood, which means they need an intermediary to channel their spiritual energy.

Bao Yu nodded back.

"This is why I gathered you here to study before we travel to the outside world."

Bao Yu started to explain. "Keep aside the basic elements you have. Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Air and Metal all have their own privileges, but as a basis for a martial practitioner, I will teach you the most important things."

Bao Yu moved her hand, a golden light appeared following the movement of her hand and formed a star pattern in an octagon circle which instantly shocked Mo Xian, the pattern was similar to the pattern the woman had made.

However, not only Mo Xian, but Bao Yu managed to make awe out of all his disciples.

"This technique, can only be done by those of you who have perfected your spiritual energy core. Do you know how I did it?"

Mo Xian blinked, his mouth talking. "When the spiritual energy core has been perfect, one can draw spiritual energy from nature and use it as a weapon and protector."

Mo Xian closed his mouth, what he had just said shocked himself and the others who were there with his knowledge.

Bao Yu looked astonished when she saw Mo Xian's reaction, but she did not bring it up and gave him a smile. "What Xiao Xian said was true. When one's spiritual energy is perfect, one can draw spiritual energy from nature and use it as a weapon and shield. What I made was a spell, a simple spell that could be used to seal evil spirits and demonic beasts. Have you guys learned about evil spirits and demon stars before?"

Mo Xian had also borrowed books explaining about evil spirits and demonic beasts in the library. Reading books made Mo Xian understand his current world even more.

An evil spirit is a soul that has parted with its body, but still has grudges and resentments that gnaw its soul and turn into an evil spirit.

Evil spirits are classified into three groups where there are low-level evil spirits who only need to use a few paper amulets, burn paper money and grant his request then the spirit will be free from the heresy of the mortal world.

The second category of evil spirits are quite troublesome, these spirits usually have difficult requests to grant such as killing people and have the ability to hypnotize living humans which puts them under his control. The way to deal with this spirit is also difficult because someone has to collect the body, bathe it, put it in the coffin in clean and decent clothes, after that, the spirit summoning ritual is performed and the funeral ceremony is done by burning a thousand banknotes before sealing the coffin so that the spirit does not return and leave quietly as time goes by.

However, that manner usually also did not always work and forced cultivators to fight and chase after spirits in order to be sealed. In fact, the second group spirit can enter the third group where the spirit will become a spirit that burns with anger and makes chaos, even to the point of taking over the body of others, this type will usually force the kutivator to fight and exterminate it without being able to save his soul, which means that the spirit will never enter the reincarnation wheel.

Meanwhile, the demonic beast. It was explained that there were many types of demonic beasts in this world, either in the Xin Yue continent or in the Yuan Xing continent. These demon beasts were also ranked based on their strength levels. However, demon beasts were not like evil spirits, they were described as intelligent beings and could disguise themselves as humans, usually cultivators hunted them to make them as contract beasts. Explained, the difference in the mention of demonic beasts in the Xin Yue continent and magical beasts in the Yuan Xing continent, but they were basically the same.

"Since you already understand what a demonic beast and an evil spirit are then I will not discuss it anymore. Now, I'll just focus on the spiritual energy control techniques of nature."

Bao Yu said as he looked at Mo Xian and Bai Yue.

"However, since there are only two of you who have perfected the spiritual energy core, then I will advise the others to go into closed cultivation to perfect the spiritual energy core, then I will advise the others to go into closed cultivation to perfect the spiritual energy core, but before that I'll do a check on you guys first."

Bao Yu then examined the state of everyone and used acupuncture needles to smooth the circulation of everyone's spiritual energy.

"Wu Jiao Xing, you seem to be training well. There is only a little bit of dirt that hinders your cultivation level, but it seems like everything will be clean in a few days." Bao Yu looked at Wu Jiao Xing with a smile. 

Mo Xian who heard it also could not hide his happiness. He knew Wu Jiao Xing was working hard to level up in order to catch up with him, even now Wu Jiao Xing was already at level six of Earth. Just like Bai Ruo who was one level below him, the two were actually competing in training.

"You see little boy, soon I'll leave you." Wu Jiao Xing smiled sinisterly for a moment after being examined, blazing the anger of Bai Ruo who heard it.

"Hmph! Don't be happy just yet, I haven't been checked, who knows I've risen one level above you!" Bai Ruo did not want to lose even in conversation.

Wu Jiao Xing smiled sinisterly. "It will be impossible for you forever!"

"Zhang Rouruan, you seem to be using a lot of drugs to clean up the dirt in your body." 

Zhang Rouruan who was being examined scratched his neck and laughed dryly. "Pardon this disciple, Master, this disciple has always obtained medicines from elder brother, he said it is good to increase spiritual energy. Is there something wrong with that, Master?"

Bao Yu nodded in understanding. "There are times when medicines help someone in cultivating, but you also can't rely on medicines to increase your cultivation level, healthy people shouldn't do it."

Zhang Rouruan could only smile in embarrassment.

"For now, stop taking drugs and increase your exercise. That's the best."

"What are these medicines actually of no benefit, Master?"

Bao Yu nodded her head. "The drugs have benefits, but sometimes people become too trusting of drugs and forget about themselves. Practicing manually is actually better than taking drugs, sometimes the drugs sold on the market are not necessarily of good quality and still have a lot of dirt, he said, that dirt would eventually accumulate at a later date and hinder one's cultivation level."

"For example, when you take medicine, your cultivation increases and you start to enjoy taking more practical drugs than practicing, the time of the day you take the medicine, the time of day, the dirt that the medicine carries will hinder your cultivation in the future and make you unable to level up again after that."

Zhang Rouruan shuddered in horror, he realized maybe because his family trusted magic medicines so much, his family could only enter the Light Level and could never rise again due to the effects of those cheap medicines?

Next to check was Bai Ruo. Bao Yu said that he still had impurities within his body which hindered his cultivation level. Similar to Zhang Rouruan and Wu Jiao Xing, Bao Yu promised them acupuncture therapy to remove impurities from their bodies.

After that the real Mo Xian and Bai Yue training began.