Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 795 - 794: Grassland Sword Legend

Several months later, the Northern Territory Grassland.

Deep in the grassland, outside a tent, a group of burly men were entertaining a distant friend. Over the fire, the scent of beef and mutton dripping with juice wafted through the air, made irresistible by the spices.

Among the dozens of people were Shi Le, Shi Bu, Shi Ye, and others, including some without the Shi surname. In the grassland, the Golden Bloodline had already become a symbol representing all clans, for only the swordsmanship of those with the Golden Bloodline could barely contend with the powers of cultivators from the outside world.

The people of the grassland revered the strong, and gradually, the skills of the Shi clan became the only orthodoxy of the vast grassland; although the grassland people did not have a strict sect structure, and were somewhat loose, their extraordinary sense of ethnic identity made them even more united than typical Daoist nations, resembling something between a sect and a family—most suited for their specific situation.

Now, a swordsman even greater than them had appeared.

"Brother Hou, since you do not fit with the Shan Sect Quanzhen, why not come to our grassland? Become our eldest martial brother, and lead us—the men of the grassland—to carve out our own achievements amid the tumultuous future of Jinxiu."

What Shi Le said represented everyone’s thoughts; they were straightforward and did not know how to conceal their feelings, especially with friends where they were utterly open, speaking their mind without reserve.

If during their first meeting Shi Le, as one of the most powerful individuals in the Tongtian Realm of the grassland, was somewhat resistant to Hou Niao, by the second meeting he had been thoroughly convinced. This was their third encounter, and by now, Hou Niao’s status was remarkably different from before.

Anhe Daoist Sect, Constellation True Inheritor, Sky Dog Star.

They didn’t have much feeling toward the Anhe Daoist Sect, considering it merely a temporary expedient; if the grassland had a Nascent Transformation elder, Hou Niao should be the grassland’s dog, not some sect’s dog.

To someone who had already received the recognition of the Heavenly Heart Pavilion and had openly and honorably slain another Constellation True Inheritor in a duel, there was nothing left to prove. Upon his return, the heroes of the grassland rallied around him. Familiar faces, admiring newcomers, and those who were vaguely defiant—all the top experts of the Tongtian Level of the grassland gathered. After several months, no one dared to say otherwise.

Strong, not just ordinarily strong, but very strong; to the point where none of the Golden Core swordsmen of the grassland have so far dared to challenge, for a defeat would deal a fatal blow to the Golden Bloodline system. It was better to conceal one’s skill.

Looking at the eager eyes of these burly men, Hou Niao raised his cup, "I am someone who dislikes failure. Where I fall, is where I will rise again. So, I’m afraid I have to return—not on my own, but they will ask me to return. And when I do, it won’t be to hear their commands, but for them to hear mine!"

While some were disappointed, the people of the grassland greatly respected those who did not forget their roots—it was a matter of character.

"Anhe is my hometown. A child does not scorn a mother’s ugliness, and a dog does not resent its home’s poverty. How Anhe is now does not dictate how it will be in the future. We shall see."

Hometown, of course, is best; the sons and daughters of the grassland hold the strongest authority on this—it’s the original intent that they have steadfastly maintained here for thousands of years, never seduced by the prosperity of the outside world.

Hou Niao shifted the topic, "But this doesn’t mean I am unwilling to be the eldest martial brother of the grassland. In my view, there is still room to improve the swordsmanship of our grassland, and for that, I am willing to integrate deeply what I know with what you currently have. Let’s see what changes will occur?"

At his words, the grassland men were wildly overjoyed; in fact, this was their true intention, just not something easily expressed. While the outside world called them savages of the grassland, they were not a group without intelligence. It is precisely because of their intelligence and perseverance that they have not been infiltrated by the Central Plains culture for thousands of years, retaining their own cultural traditions.

Daoist orthodoxy was no easy thing to inherit; it was a skill for making a living, a guarantee of survival. Who would reveal it lightly? They had been coveting Hou Niao’s swordsmanship for a long time. It seemed quite similar to their own approach, yet somehow wholly different?

They were eager for change, to alter the difficult situation in which they constantly found themselves outmatched in battles against cultivators of the outside world; to be merely physically strong and know only how to wield a sword at close range was at a great disadvantage in the Cultivation World.

They had the body but lacked the Dharma Form that should come with body cultivation; they had swordsmanship, but it was limited to the movement of their arms—an awkward and one-dimensional fighting style, easily exploited and ruthlessly taken advantage of until death.

Shi Le stood up, "By the blue sky above, I, Shi Le, the nine hundred and thirtieth descendant of the Golden Bloodline, pledge to take Hou Niao as my eldest martial brother."

Not just him, but all the others—every grassland swordsman present. By choosing to stay here and drink with Hou Niao, they showed where their hearts lay.

The respect for the eldest martial brother on the grassland is different from the mainstream Daoist nations of the Central Plains. In those nations, the terms senior and junior brothers are mere titles, akin to big and little brothers in the Mortal World—a custom that doesn’t truly signify anything, where one can still stab another in the back while addressing them as ’senior brother’.

But on the grassland, people still follow ancient traditions. To be the eldest martial brother is to acknowledge his control over everyone; his word is binding and can command one’s loyalty even unto death.

The grassland’s system is strange in that regard; they give more credit to heroes of their own generation. So on the great grassland, firstly, they obey the Elder Council composed of Golden Core seniors, and secondly, their own generation’s eldest martial brother.

However, the position of eldest martial brother is not always filled; if one cannot win people over or command respect, it’s better to have none. Until today, the grassland had not had a universally acknowledged eldest martial brother in a hundred years.

This is the contradiction of the grassland people: on one hand, they can resist the mainstream Daoist sects for a thousand years for the sake of tradition; on the other, in preparation for changes on the Continent, they can unhesitatingly accept an outsider as their eldest martial brother.

Is this recklessness? Wisdom? Or a gamble on tribal fate? It is hard to say.

Hou Niao had all the right conditions: overwhelming strength within his realm, belonging to the Sword Sect, and being a Constellation True Inheritor, outside the Quanzhen order... Most importantly, he had the potential to transform the inheritance of the Golden Bloodline swordsmanship.

As the entire Continent found itself in the restless anticipation of change, the people of the grassland felt this inevitability too. They urgently needed transformation, aware that relying on their current strength may not bring a satisfactory outcome for their tribe in the future.

Until now, their ambition had only been to establish a nation within the Northern Territory. What they hadn’t considered was that their actions today might bring them not just a nation, but a universe within their grasp, to take or leave as they wished.