Demon Sword Sect's Undercover

Hou Niao had finally taken a crucial step on his path of cultivation!

From this step on, inducing spirit would no longer involve swallowing, but every hair and empty space on his body could serve as pathways; he would be able to learn the most basic spells, use the simplest talismans, and even wield weapons charged with Qi Gang.

He could swallow elixirs to hasten his cultivation, or hold spirit stones to supplement himself... It could be said that only at this point did he truly become a cultivator.

From here, he would be able to genuinely access all kinds of techniques in cultivation, no longer just a slightly stronger mortal.

This night was destined to be sleepless.

Hou Niao repeatedly practiced the Energy Induction Cultivation Technique, relishing the pleasure of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism flooding into his body from every pore and orifice, even though, after several rotations of the technique, his body reached saturation, he still delighted in the process.

He was using this method to alleviate his excitement and ponder the next direction in his cultivation.

Having wasted so many years, by the standard growth experiences of a Daoist Sect disciple, one would typically feel the pulse and induce Qi between the ages of twelve and fifteen, most people enter the Essence Building Realm before they turn twenty, and the slightly exceptional ones would have already undergone fasting; it could be said that he wasn't just beaten at the starting line, he was already at a loss in the womb.

The time lost was far too extensive, stepping into the Energy Induction Realm was just a start, and the time he needed to catch up was at the very least a decade. If he tried to catch up at a normal pace, it would already be strenuous to reach those cultivators of medium qualifications in the cultivation world, let alone those exceptionally talented demons, especially without the resource support of a sect.

The passage time in the Pulse Realm typically spans between one to three months, while the Energy Induction Realm takes between one year and five years, marking a typical phase of quantitative accumulation, aiming to transform the body, bones, flesh, meridians, and internal organs via massive absorption of Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism.

This is akin to a rebirth for the body, truly wondrous, and if a cultivator wishes, they can even adjust their appearance, height, skin color, and physique during this time...

During this period, the Lower Dantian would not store any spiritual power from the spirit mechanism; instead, it prioritizes supplying the body, which is a rule of cultivation.

The saying goes: 'People climb to higher positions, water flows downwards;' in cultivation, one must also follow natural laws, meaning the spirit mechanism doesn't transform into spiritual power first but imbues various parts of the body to enhance and improve a cultivator's physical endurance, turning the body into a true treasure that can endure massive impacts of spiritual power, thereby providing space for future advancements.

It's like rearranging all the organs of the body, with the Dantian in the highest order, followed by internal organs, meridians, bones, flesh, and skin… The order of spirit mechanism immersion is exactly the opposite, like water flowing downwards, naturally starting with the skin, then flesh, bones, meridians, and internal organs, and finally the Dantian.

When it reaches the step of enriching the Dantian, one naturally enters the Essence Building Realm, beginning to fill up the Dantian.

This is what cultivation is all about, step by step, gradual and orderly; no one can skip any phase because these are fundamental and indispensable processes.

Relatively speaking, the Energy Induction Realm is also the simplest and most straightforward stage in the cultivation phases, focused on persistent effort and has a very high success rate, differing only in duration based on individual's speed of inducing Qi.

Both the Energy Induction Realm and Essence Building Realm require a considerable amount of elixirs, which is an essential method to accelerate progress, but Hou Niao did not immediately take any elixirs. He needed to consolidate his initiation with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism before considering how to secure a long-term source of elixirs; the minimal amount provided by Chong Ling was nowhere near enough.

There were also basic areas of study like spells, Alchemy Dao, Talismanic Dao, Formation Dao, and Artifact Dao, where he had no foundations at all.

Since he could not rely on the Daoist Sect for these matters for the time being, he would have to depend on the Demon Sect; thus, taking actions like resisting - was not only a promise to Chong Ling but also an act of fulfilling his own destiny. To fulfill others was to fulfill oneself, such is cultivation.

With his thoughts clear and emotions stirred, he could not sit still in the cabin and went alone to stand on the deck. For a moment, the surrounding river appeared still in his eyes, yet it seemed full of vitality.

Reality stems from the heart, and scenes emerge from the eyes.

... Someone on the boat had just congratulated him, their accent was not local, their voice clear and resonant with a hint of valor, likely that Daoist woman who had saved him, hmm, Mi Daoist?

In this world, it is custom for female Daoists to have monosyllabic names.

He longed to chat with the female Daoist, his achievements of the day demanding an outlet for his emotions, needing someone by his side to guide him towards the future; he did not know the realm of this Daoist nun, but judging by her effortless grace in slaying the jellyfish, she must be at least in the Essence Building Realm, or possibly even accomplished in Fasting and Bridge Connection.

However, the guest boat was silent, and after her single utterance, there was no further sound. She neither spoke more nor showed herself again, clearly not intending to meet him.

Hou Niao stood at the bow for a long while but ultimately did not initiate conversation. It was deep into the night, with only the two of them around—perhaps it was not quite appropriate?

Speaking of which, it had been just a fleeting interaction, and again, the situation then was chaotic; he now couldn't even recall what the Daoist nun looked like. Reflecting on it, he seemed to remember only her graceful figure, her radiant charm, and her compelling allure...

Alas, well-fed and well-kept thoughts turn to lust, his achievements making him long for the pleasures of the bedroom... He must guard against such thoughts.

The second day at dawn, they set sail. This string of big and small boats no longer maintained their orderly procession but raced towards the endpoint where the Yao waters were navigable.

Yangliu Mack was the final ferry point. Beyond that, navigation by boat was not suitable, and it also was close to entering Shan Country, a border not freely accessible.

The Qi father and son were also very excited. After nearly two months of boat travel, they had earned a year's livelihood, and they were not even tired—after all, the guests themselves were handling the oars. Where else could they find such favorable circumstances?

The covered boat docked at the ferry, and Hou Niao, amidst the father and son's profuse gratitude, disembarked and disappeared into the bustling, lively Yangliu Mack.

First, he found a tavern near the shore to reward his organs with a good meal, at the same time keeping an eye out for the big boat. If there was a chance to see the Daoist nun again, he would like to thank her in person.

Now he was truly a legitimate cultivator—surely he was entitled to do so?

However, even after deliberately delaying his meal until he was both full and satisfied, he saw no sign of the big boat arriving. No choice—the final half day, the Qi father and son were indeed too eager. The end was imminent, and they rowed as if flying, moving too quickly...

A cultivator should not be overeager; it appears there was no fate in this meeting.

Hou Niao no longer waited. He bought a horse, mounted it, and identifying his direction, sped away into the distance; just as he had left, a distant mast shadow surfaced on the river...

Departing Yangliu Mack, heading north all the way was the Tu Men boardwalk. After the walk, comes Liuyang City in Anhe, the formidable border city, and a hundred li further north lies the great Da Feng Plain of Shan Country, his true destination.

As he raced along the way, gleaming lights streaked across the sky tens of meters above, overtaking those who had set off later. On the magic artifact, a lute, someone let out a light laugh, strikingly brilliant.

Hou Niao was ignorant and confused; he currently possessed no such thing as divine sense, barely understanding these highflying beings, only knowing to keep his head down and press on against the wind and dust.

A day later, his horse galloped past the western suburbs of Liuyang City. Without a hint of nostalgia, he sped away; for him, the true future lay on the other side of the border—nothing else sparked his interest.

Indeed,

Leaving Yangliu Mack behind, to distant Tu Men he pressed on.

Should he hear the clear cries of gibbons, likely, more white hair will have grown.

Rainbows invade the boardwalk, and the storm mixes with the sound of the river.

Passing by places of sorrow, what remains is the flourishing Jin City.