Demon Sword Sect's Undercover

Divine City, deep within the Dao Mansion.

Master Xiao Zhen was studying the prayer rewards descended by the heavenly immortals, growing more doubtful and more frustrated as he read on.

The history of prayer on the Jinxiu Continent had been long-standing, almost from the time the continent began to exhibit the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism, such a peculiar phenomenon in cultivation had emerged.

At first, even those at the minor Tongxuan level could seek fortuitous encounters through prayers, but as the layers of human cultivation gradually elevated, it required a Golden Core to pray, until now when the prayer events must be presided over by a Master like him; this was the developmental order.

Prayer did not necessarily guarantee fulfillment; perhaps the immortals in heaven were not at home? Or were in a bad mood and too lazy to bother with the Lower Realm? So, there was an element of luck; much like a beggar soliciting the rich, what one received depended on the rich man's mood.

One might be well-fed, acquire an additional garment against the cold, or maybe a Silver Coin... But one might also receive a harsh slap across the face...

Beggars, too, must have some professional insights; you can't knock on the same door too often nor could you endlessly strip a grand tree bare, otherwise even the rich man's family couldn't withstand such demands; for over a thousand years, the multiple nations of the Jinxiu Continent's cultivation forces gradually reached a consensus, to ask once every hundred years and stagger the timing of their prayers so as not to truly annoy the celestial financiers above.

This time, it wasn't entirely an affair for the Anhe Daoist Sect; other national Daoist Sects had also been notified; it was a kind of tacit understanding between them.

The luck this time wasn't bad; they didn't come back empty-handed, the reward the immortals bestowed upon the Anhe Daoist Sect was a cultivation technique, at least there was some gain; but the luck couldn't be said to be too good either, because this cultivation technique was a bit... too ordinary?

It was like the wealthy landlord distributes a pair of shoes, only for the receiver to find that these shoes were even more worn than the ones on their feet, exposing their toes.

The technique was named Huangting Inner View Scripture, which sounded grand, but the content was rather mundane, something that had already been mastered by various Daoist Sects across the Jinxiu Continent, and had been developed into numerous cultivation schools, belonging to the most basic and commonly practiced.

That's all the divine bestowal is?

Master Xiao Zhen was troubled, for he did not know how to explain to those disciples below him? If he did not clarify, the cultivators below might think he was hoarding divine skills and miracles, unwilling to share them.

The explanation would be a bit inconvenient because the reward from heaven was not always in a tangible form; for instance, if it were a magical treasure, it was merely the methods and mechanisms of forging the magical treasure; if it were elixir pills, it was the process of crafting them; if it were a cultivation technique, it was only an idea transmitted down, guided to the cultivator presiding over the prayer, who then recorded it from the Sea of Consciousness, becoming an inheritance for the Daoist Sect.

This time, the transmitted technique was related to the performance of one's inner Huangting, the concept shaped through a powerful demonstration, within the Sea of Consciousness of Master Xiao Zhen.

It was very profound, yet entirely useless for someone of his Realm, for his own Huangting had long been thorough.

With the sincere hopes of the cultivators below, he had no choice but to strive to find something unique in this cultivation technique, to determine which level of cultivators the Huangting Inner View Scripture best suited.

This highlighted the contradiction between the transmitted and self-created cultivation techniques; the divine cultivation methods from heaven described Realms differently from the systems of the Jinxiu Continent, not out of disrespect to the immortals, but because any practice of cultivation must rely on the actual environment and conditions. Blind adoption was not the proper way to cultivate.

For example, the critical step for a cultivator, the step that enabled flight, was called Tongxuan on the Jinxiu Continent, while the transmitted techniques called it Foundation Establishment; before the Foundation Establishment in the transmitted cultivation techniques, there was only a simple stage of Qi Refinement, but on the Jinxiu Continent, it had been divided into five stages: Pulse, Energy Induction, Essence Building, Fasting, and Bridge Connection.

These were stratifications based on actual conditions; fundamentally the same, but differed under specific circumstances.

Xiao Zhen was now contemplating how to promote the "Huangting Inner View Scripture." By engaging in actual cultivation practice, he sought to slowly uncover its true meaning.

...

Hou Niao's journey became pleasant. With a good mood and a vague view of the road ahead, all the surrounding scenery appeared beautiful.

He could vaguely guess the truth behind the change. Could it be anything other than what happened during the sacrificial ceremony at the Divine City Dao Mansion, when his consciousness momentarily left his body? Was it possible that his rage-fueled blow shattered something that had been suppressing his potential all along? Or was it some other mystery he had yet to understand? His efforts had finally paid off, and significantly at that, possibly with life-changing rewards.

"Sir, there is a trough boat ahead. Should we detour, or shall we wait?" asked Old Qi, the captain of the boat.

Hou Niao smiled, "Wait! Elder, I am on a learning and cultivation trip, with no urgency, so there's no need for you to race against time at the risk of missing out on the beauty along the way.

Let's take it slowly, while I enjoy the view leisurely. When we return, whatever the boat fare is, it will be paid in full without shortchanging you and your crew."

Old Qi beamed with joy, "Alright! You have already given us more than enough silver, sir. I was just worried about delaying your journey. If that's what you say, then I know what I should do."

Hou Niao, in fact, had another option: not to go to Shan Country, not to infiltrate the Demon Sect in the Da Feng Plain. Instead, he could find a peaceful place to focus on his cultivation so that when he reached a higher realm, he would have nothing to worry about.

In his opinion, Chong Ling Daoist would not really count on him for much. Could the struggle between the Daoist Sect and the Demon Sect really come down to someone as insignificant as he was?

But he would not do that. Even without a sworn oath, he would not go back on a promise he had made, avoiding the disdain of the Daoist and the hurdle within his own heart.

He had begun to realize that his hard-earned journey of cultivation would continue with this undercover mission. Whether it was the Demon Sect or the Daoist Sect, he would have the opportunity to immerse himself in the true cultivation world. It made no sense to seek refuge in some remote corner and engage in arduous cultivation after coming this far.

Cultivation is not just about self-cultivation; a day might come for retreat and intensive practice, but that would be after one's Dao has been fully achieved. For now, it was still early days.

His feelings toward the Daoist Sect had undergone continuous change over the past month;

To him, the Daoist Sect had been nothing more than a concept—intangible and ethereal. But as he began to interact with it, he realized it was not as immaterial or detached from the world as he had imagined, nor was it as selfish, overbearing, and cruel as rumors suggested.

The Dao might be transcendent, but the people are real. Before becoming immortals, everyone is mortal, with mortal emotions and desires, private intentions, and public concerns.

He felt quite good about the Daoist Sect, so he was willing to take another shot at earning a chance to join it. Previously, he dared not think about it because his cultivation was a problem. But now that the issue had been resolved, given his age of just over twenty, striving for a few years in Shan Country for a substantial breakthrough was not a fanciful notion, was it?

Old Qi and his son rowed the boat leisurely. Amidst the shimmering water and picturesque mountains, a song could be heard from within the boat's cabin,

...A solitary cloud drifts from the hometown, as autumn geese cry towards Liuyang. Inquiring of Qingdu's former moons and flowers—how would they know of a wanderer standing in the Xiao Xiang region?