Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 765 - 764: The Garden Dream Journey

In the battle with Duan Wuqian, in the final moment as he struck him down, when his Purple Mansion collapsed, Hou Niao glimpsed the truth of his Flying Sword Skill.

That was, at the moment of his death, he did not see the escape of the Flying Sword!

The Flying Sword gone? How was that possible?

If Hou Niao were being slaughtered by someone, the Lonely Sword Nameless would definitely be present, either taken by someone or escaped on its own. There should not be a third possibility, yet Duan Wuqian indeed represented this third case.

There was no physical entity of the Flying Sword, yet there were extremely pure energy fluctuations spreading as if he had not cut down a person but a mass of energy.

An onlooker would think this was a phenomenon of a cultivator’s Great Magic Power losing control, but Hou Niao knew it was not just that; hidden within the dispersing magic power was a strange form of power, and as a Sword Cultivator, his intuition told him it was the Flying Sword inside Duan Wuqian’s Purple Mansion!

Only, his Flying Sword was not a solid entity, but purely a mass of energy, so he could utilize Sword Light Division within the Tongtian Natural Realm, splitting it into five Sword Lights, just like five Flying Swords.

This was the reason for Duan Wuqian’s peerlessly sharp Flying Sword Skill, and also what Li Chuping referred to as "Sword Dao talent."

He acknowledged that Duan Wuqian truly possessed astounding talent, daring to conceive and act where others wouldn’t, elevating mainstream Flying Sword Skill to a new level; while Hou Niao merely picked up a Body Sword Skill that others had disregarded.

He was copying, while Duan Wuqian was creating his own path, the superior and inferior were clear without saying.

Now, the copier had the last laugh, and he decided to continue copying, to further develop and honor the legacy of the late Duan Wuqian. Wouldn’t that be the greatest respect to the deceased?

In the half-year since returning to Sui Mo City, this was what he had been doing every day!

It was a very challenging task, for aside from knowing that Duan Wuqian’s Flying Sword was actually a compressed energy body, he knew nothing else.

What was the nature of this energy body? How was it gathered? How did it take root in the Purple Mansion? What was the mechanism of Sword Emission? How did Sword Light Division work? Was its relationship with the Purple Mansion symbiotic or independent?

He knew nothing, because the person who knew had already been sent to the Underworld by him.

He could only fumble on his own, continuously trying, but after half a year, there were no fruitful results. He tried all known sword refining methods to handle this, but they mostly ended in failure, which was the reason he had often been gloomy lately.

With no physical body, how could he achieve having no physical body?

The traditional methods of sword grinding clearly weren’t accomplishing the objective, but had he ever learned any other methods?

When Duan Wuqian perished, he could distinctly feel that the mass of energy within his Purple Mansion belonged to the essence of Pure Yang, which also indicated that the man’s Cultivation Technique was rooted in Pure Yang. However, he was unfamiliar with Pure Yang and clearly didn’t have time to comprehend Pure Yang and reach Duan Wuqian’s level within a short twenty years.

He believed that the Cultivation Technique wasn’t important; what was important was the method of condensing energy.

Duan Wuqian used Pure Yang, but he should be able to use the Five Elements as a substitute; it wasn’t a matter of the main Cultivation Technique, but how to materialize the Cultivation Technique in the Purple Mansion.

He was utterly clueless.

Now, only the last method remained—the suggestion of the old blind man, the reminder of the White Lady, and moreover, his own intuition.

In this courtyard, he would plant the Spiritual Green while cultivating the Sword Seed in his Purple Mansion, closely linking the two aspects together, complementing each other, becoming cause and effect.

This was a highly feasible method, and the only reason he hadn’t immediately chosen this approach was due to two concerns.

The first was time; how long it would take to grow the Spiritual Green was uncertain without a timeline plan. It might be within twenty years, but it could also take longer, which was not within his control.

If it took more than twenty years, missing the fall of the external Spiritual Green, everything would lose its meaning.

Second was the side effects; the process of growing the Spiritual Green was also a preparation for Core Formation. Having been in the Natural Realm for decades, he was naturally at the juncture of preparing for Core Formation, not as urgently as Tang Yan and Han Tiangang, but it was a stage that he had to go through eventually.

The Cultivation World is indeed so marvelous. Many people dream day and night of Core Formation, while some try everything they can to delay it; talent and potential are fully displayed at this moment. While the majority of cultivators still consider Core Formation a perilous journey, those most outstanding cultivators had already set their sights on higher goals.

So it was with Tang Yan, so it was with Han Tiangang, and so it was with Hou Niao.

If he could cultivate the peculiar Spiritual Green in this courtyard, and consequentially within the Purple Mansion cultivate the Sword Seed, there was a very likely scenario where he would push himself to the brink of Core Formation.

Was it a joke that he, who excelled in helping others, also managed to help himself?

For these two reasons, he had been indecisive, but now he had no choice. Conventional methods had already proved ineffective, and apart from this path, he could find no better way.

He had hoped that the blind elder would appear again to provide guidance, but this old man came and went without a trace, like a dragon seen at neither head nor tail—where could he possibly find him?

"Do you not hate the Sect?" Lady White asked a somewhat odd question.

Hou Niao chuckled, "I am no longer young, not so sensitive or fragile, nor immature enough to believe that the world revolves around me, and that everyone treats me like a treasured possession to be nurtured and protected.

I have like-minded friends in the Shan Sect; I have elders who frequently help me. I should be content.

As for suppression, where is there no suppression? Going to other Sects would be no different! Just because you’re a mortal doesn’t mean no one suppresses you? Even begging on the streets leads to suppression. This is a characteristic of human society—right from birth, one has to start adapting. If you can withstand it, you live; if not, you die."

"You really see it in a broad perspective," she said.

"Once a man reaches maturity, he can see things in perspective. Thunder and rain are all graces from heaven, and adapting is key; why, do you only want rain and dislike thunder?

I have my own thoughts. The Sect has its rules. If I were a real Master in the Sect and encountered such a disruptive disciple, I would be the first to execute him! In this sense, the real Masters of Shan Sect are quite exceptional, almost not like true Sword Cultivators.

One should not forget their roots. I owe everything I have today primarily to the environment provided by backing the Shan Sect. To discuss my own opportunities and efforts apart from this is purely nonsensical!

Therefore, I don’t blame the Sect, and in the future, I will return to make it better.

Because we all share the same dream, the dream of the Sword Dao, which is above the Sect itself."

He paused, then made a decision, "Starting tomorrow, I might have to go into a long period of seclusion to cultivate the orchid; the matters of the Flower Shop will be left to you..."

Lady White asked with concern, "Will it be at the Stone Formation nursery?"

Hou Niao nodded, "Exactly so, from now on, you needn’t worry about my daily meals, bedtime, or morning lessons; unless I produce some results, I fear I won’t be able to spend leisure time with you as today." freewebnoveℓ.com

Lady White smiled, "So, it’s like keeping vigil over an empty bed? I’m already used to it."

Hou Niao raised his head, looking at the sky above, truly unsure of what the outcome of this venture might be?

...Their courtyard was actually composed of three parts; one was the largest area meant for normal flower cultivation, Lady White’s main workplace; one was a greenhouse for special varieties of flowers and plants, the smallest in area.

Both places were in front of their living rooms, but behind their dwelling, there was a messy Stone Formation backyard, spanning dozens of yards with both large and small stones, some piled up, some scattered, with no particular regime—just a state prolonged by time and lack of care.

Spiritual Green, of course, cannot do without stones, which was why Hou Niao liked this place at first sight.

That day, having made up his mind, he came to the Stone Formation area, casually found a spot to sit cross-legged, and carefully placed a juvenile Spiritual Green in front of him.

He would use his own Five Elements Power to maintain the growth of the Spiritual Green, to counteract the terrifying Reincarnation Power under the land, while reflecting the Spiritual Green into the Purple Mansion, fully measuring every tiny change, and providing support for his own Five Elements circulation.

This was not a single process; he was cultivating the Spiritual Green, cultivating the Sword Seed, deepening the Mysterious Light of the Five Elements, and making final preparations for decades of cultivation.

The foundation of everything was his main Cultivation Technique, the Five Elements.