Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 837 - 836: New Crisis [Request for Votes at Month End]

"So, your current Foundation Establishment Realm is the happiest period for you here. You don’t have to go to the duel arena, and nothing ties you down, allowing you freedom. But, are you about to reach Core Formation?"

Wang Wang’s insight was quite sharp, instantly detecting Hou Niao’s current physical condition. This was something that could not be hidden.

"Yes, after what you said, I’m almost afraid to proceed to Core Formation."

It’s a taboo for everyone, whether to form a core or not? How to form a core? Others cannot guide you; all that can be said has been said. To talk further would be to reveal deep thoughts in shallow relations, which is not the conduct of a cultivator.

The makeup of offenders in Shiqi State, who’s the little boss? Who’s the big boss? He had no interest.

Being the king here is meaningless, as one still must bow under the Thunder Whip of the Unihorn Clan, enduring humiliation.

Wang Wang, however, was quite decent, possessing both the cunning of a little boss and the straightforwardness of a cultivator. Their day-long discussion finally gave Hou Niao a general understanding of Hell Star, which was most precious to him.

Silently, he took out more than a dozen Treasure Gourds and poured out their contents,

"Brother Dao, your generosity will never be forgotten. I didn’t bring much; who would’ve known one would be relegated here? Feel free to take anything that catches your eye..."

The dazzling array of various cultivation supplies surprised Wang Wang—there were various magic artifacts, materials, Spirit Stones, formation talismans, elixirs, and even numerous daily supplies.

After looking for a long time, he said, "Just by looking at your possessions, it’s unlikely they belong to just one person, right? How much did you rob?"

Hou Niao laughed bitterly, "I’ll strive to be a good person in my next life."

Wang Wang’s unexpected reaction was, "Frankly, Brother Hou, the quality of your items isn’t that high. In Jinxiu World, you..."

It was the first time Hou Niao encountered someone who looked down on his possessions, yet it seemed normal?

"The Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism in Jinxiu has only been revived for two thousand years, and the highest realm a cultivator can reach is just Nascent Transformation, as you know..."

Wang Wang suddenly understood, "I see, there are so many small domains like yours in the universe. Forget about the Nascent Soul; some places only reach Golden Core as their peak. But Brother Hou, mastering such skills in a domain like yours is indeed admirable."

He wasn’t reserved, mostly taking ordinary daily items and very few cultivation materials, which made Hou Niao feel embarrassed. This truly wasn’t anything of value in the eyes of outsiders. Who would hide such junk in a Treasure Gourd?

Wang Wang joked, "With your skills, someday, when you rob an outer realm cultivator here and go through their luggage, you’ll probably understand what I mean."

Hou Niao forced a dry laugh, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Brother Dao, do you have a spatial map of Hell Star? I’m groping around blindly here..."

Wang Wang stopped joking; this sword cultivator piqued his interest more than his possessions now.

He took out a Jade Scroll, "This is for you. Although venturing out without permission earns you a Thunder Whip, countless inmates have risked everything over thousands of years to draw this detailed map. Initially, it was to find an escape route.

But remember one thing, the weight of the Thunder Whip is not trivial. Be cautious when exploring outside, as countless predecessors have sought in vain over thousands of years; no usable path has been found. Relying on one’s strength alone, you shouldn’t harbor too much hope."

Leaving contact information, Wang Wang left on his own, embodying the freedom of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. As long as you’re on the island, no one cares what you do. Their stay was a bit close to the stone tower, so those offenders kept their distance, leaving him, seemingly alone under the vast sky.

Yet he had no time for sentimentality; a pressing issue was at hand.

He was on the brink of Core Formation.

Eighty years of cultivation, starting formally in his twenties, entering the path in his thirties, achieving God Sensing in his forties, reaching the Natural Realm before sixty, then accumulating in the third stage of Tongtian, his Heart Realm, Divine Soul, and mana gradually becoming complete. Ultimately causing trouble in Yujing and escaping to Sui Mo City to reforge his sword level, elevating his realm to the pinnacle of the Natural Realm and having met the basic conditions to challenge Golden Core.

He intentionally suppressed such impulses, not for preparing a profound breakthrough but for the Spiritual Green of Outer Space.

Now that the Spiritual Green of Outer Space had been resolved, nothing could suppress such upper realm desires, which couldn’t be curbed by personal will. He didn’t want to resort to Secret Techniques like Tang Yan and Han Tiangang, preferring instead to follow his instincts.

Now that the feeling had emerged, he was faced with a formidable problem: how to deal with the Thunder Ring?

He was knowledgeable about thunder; among cultivators of the same realm, he was considered outstanding, so he didn’t need Wang Wang’s reminder to know that ascending with such a thing was inappropriate.

Though the impact of the Thunder Ring, according to Wang Wang, would likely occur during the upper realm Nascent Soul stage and not during Core Formation, he remained cautious. Even if there were a chance that taking the Thunder Ring to the upper realm could pose a future issue, the mysteries of the constraints within the Cultivation World were too enigmatic to be easily subjected to others.

Wang Wang saw he was about to form a core, as did Yue Duo, and he himself felt it was imminent, but he needed to act quickly to remove the Thunder Ring first.

He wasn’t sure how long he could suppress it, a month or two? No more than half a year was his limit.

He briefly wandered around the island, found a spot, situated between the central stone tower and where the offenders gathered. For an island spanning thousands of miles, it offered a relatively quiet environment.

Choosing a good spot was crucial for someone unfamiliar with their surroundings.

After some preparation, he calmed his mind, sat cross-legged to adjust his breath, and focused his Divine Soul, to uncover the truth of the Thunder Ring. He didn’t see it as a formidable task, as he had been fascinated by thunder since he entered the path, capable of controlling Ancient Thunder Talismans. Why fear the Thunder Ring restraint of mere Unihorn clan members?

After immersing himself for a few days, he was utterly dumbfounded.

The Unihorn Clan’s Thunder Ring was more ingenious than he imagined. It was an energy ring nestled in his Purple Mansion, elusive and faintly dormant. The problem now was he couldn’t figure out how to dispel it.

He tried using methods through the Soul Realm, using a Flying Sword for an internal cut, and vibrating through the Ancient Thunder Talisman. The first two had no effect; the Ancient Thunder Talisman had some power but was too slow. He estimated it would take a dozen years to remove the Thunder Ring through the Ancient Thunder Talisman, but he didn’t have that kind of time right now.

After several days, having exhausted all methods, he still hadn’t found a shortcut.

This left him nearly driven to the brink of despair.

On this unbothered island, his urge to ascend to the upper realm had led him into a crisis.