Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 763 - 762: Hou Niao Plants Grass

"Still not going smoothly?"

Lady Bai poured him a cup of wine and spoke gently.

Hou Niao picked up the cup and downed the wine in one gulp. He had nothing to hide from this woman—some things felt suffocating when kept inside, and speaking them out loud could offer some relief.

"It’s hard to say, it’s a complex feeling... Let me put it this way, if I want to return to my previous state, with the same Flying Sword, then it might be relatively easy. I’m confident I could do it within five years... But I’m not quite content with that, because I want to try a new way of nurturing my sword, to resolve a weakness that has always troubled me. But this is a new field for me, I don’t know how much time it will take, or even if I can succeed..."

Lady Bai sighed, "You’re already a Constellation True Inheritor; haven’t you said that you fear no other Constellation True Inheritor? So why the change? Was the old way not good?"

Hou Niao poured himself another cup, "In the path of Cultivation, there is no best, only better. If I were someone easily satisfied, I’d still be on the Lizhi Sea sniffing the fishy smell. What does being a Constellation True Inheritor account for? I never set my goal to be simply on par with them. I am..."

"Beyond the heavens?" Lady Bai understood her husband’s temperament all too well. She couldn’t grasp why such men, mere cultivators like them, always set their goals so high, even beyond the limits of this world?

Of course, she was unaware of the Soul Realm, let alone Sword One, Two, and Three. It was these very beings that had constantly imposed immense pressure on Hou Niao, a feeling that intensified as his Realm increased.

"Beyond the heavens!" Hou Niao nodded, "You should know that in the three realms after stepping onto the Daoist Path, the Tongtian Realm is the most important period for laying the foundation. Especially for us Sword Cultivators, it is invaluable because once a Flying Sword is formed, changing it becomes exceedingly difficult. Hence, I seek not perfection, but to be without flaw."

"So, to have a flawless foundation, you simply destroyed your own Flying Sword and started over?"

"It wasn’t entirely voluntary; I reached a bottleneck I couldn’t break through, so I took this gamble. I must also thank the few old folks for giving me some leeway, agreeing to my proposal to destroy my Flying Sword. If they had chosen to deplete my mana and cultivation, then it definitely would have taken more than twenty years to recover."

"Is it worth it?"

"If I can become stronger, then it’s worth it."

In the end, when the Masters were sentencing him, Master Hai contacted him through a very special means and laid his cards on the table.

These Nascent Transformation ancestors did not want to give up the chance to change the selection method for the True Inheritors, so they could only inconvenience him.

Two options, one choice to make, each taking one side.

Either maintain his status as a True Disciple, and then he, Hou Niao, would not be punished. This battle would be treated as a normal duel between sect members, lightly punished, and presumably, there would not be too many complaints. After all, everyone saw the situation as it was—Hou Niao was provoking, but Duan Wuqian was also arrogant.

Such an outcome meant the conservative faction maintained tradition, and the Reform Faction saved a person.

Or Hou Niao would be severely punished, and his True Inheritor status reconsidered.

Master Hai’s intention was for him to put the interests of the Daoist order above his own, to sacrifice the individual for the collective. The only assurance they could give was that he could somewhat choose his punishment.

The crime would not warrant death; either his cultivation would be destroyed, or his Flying Sword... He chose to destroy his Flying Sword.

He didn’t think he was wronged. To achieve one’s goals, a price must be paid. To expect others to protect him at all costs, like a father protecting his son, was not the way of the Cultivation World.

To have slain Duan Wuqian under the watchful eyes of all, he had to bear the consequences. That was the rule.

That the Masters would inform him before making a decision was in itself a form of recognition. Previously, they couldn’t be bothered to meet him, but now they’ve started to form a preliminary impression of him—it was the beginning of everything.

He did not harbor naive hopes of connecting through the familial bond with Hai Xixi, nor was Master Hai so superficial.

Here, there was none of the selfless dedication from elders to juniors found in the Mortal World. Masters sought first to safeguard themselves and protect their Daoist lineage; only then might they spare a thought for him. Such was the so-called favor in the Cultivation World.

To gain recognition, one had to first prove their worth. He had done so, which is why the Masters would ask: "Do you wish to dissolve your cultivation, or do you seek to destroy your sword and start anew?"

That was the harsh reality of the Cultivation World.

He was not strong enough yet!

"Hou Niao, we have less than twenty years left."

What could be done in twenty years? It’s ample time for Mortals to accomplish many things, but for a cultivator in the Tongtian Realm, it is a frustratingly awkward interval; it’s not long enough to arrange a significant directional shift, yet it’s not brief enough to be negligible.

Bai Niangzi looked at him tenderly, "Hou Niao, if you have not mastered anything and only rely on your current capabilities, what sort of status would you have within the Constellation circle?"

Hou Niao gave a bitter smile, "I’d be at the bottom. The difference in strength wouldn’t be too large, but in a battle, I’d fall into a passive stance due to my lack of techniques. It would be hard to pose a threat to anyone; even a struggle would seem feeble and weak.

Others might accept such a situation, but I have more than a few enemies. They are quite eager to remember me."

"What if, Hou Niao, you were to recover your former Flying Sword?"

"In that case, I’d roughly be pacing in place at the current level of strength—in the Constellation True Inheritor circle, I might be ranked in the first tier, but I’d lack overwhelming power. Defeating adversaries would be arduous, and if outnumbered, I’d have to flee. I suppose self-preservation wouldn’t be an issue."

"And what if, Hou Niao, it was the direction you wish to change?"

"In that situation, I probably wouldn’t pay much attention to the figures on the Jinxiu Continent anymore..."

Bai Niangzi understood then; for her man, there was no need to guess which choice to make,

"In fact, you made your choice long ago, when you decided to destroy your Flying Sword. That’s when you made up your mind, didn’t you?

Now the problem is how to race against time. I don’t know exactly how to run this race, but what I do know is that one cannot run with a divided heart."

Hou Niao grasped her hand; of course, he understood this principle. It was just the irritation seeking affirmation from someone else. As the woman had said, he had already made his decision,

"Thank you. Actually, the situation isn’t so bad. There are only two outcomes: either I accomplish my dream, or I fulfill your wish..."

Bai Niangzi smiled tenderly, "In that case, I still hope to achieve my wish. Wouldn’t it be nice to live an ordinary and simple life without engaging in the Continent’s strife?"

Of course, she hoped for this—being unremarkable meant not becoming a focus on the Continent. As time passed, people would gradually forget him, relegating him to a mere footnote in the history of Jinxiu’s cultivation—a life of tranquil simplicity...

But she knew this was not what her man desired, so she still offered the only suggestion she could think of,

"I feel like you might have forgotten something, Hou Niao. The Blind Elder once mentioned that no Rare Orchid has ever been cultivated in this courtyard. What he actually meant was that he wanted you to give it a try.

I don’t know how this relates to you refining your sword anew, but if both involve cultivation, can’t you try planting the sword in the Purple Mansion and cultivating the orchid in the courtyard at the same time?"