202: Chapter 201: Judgment of Gain and Loss 202: Chapter 201: Judgment of Gain and Loss Hou Niao remained still and silent, inwardly vigilant.
The smooth sailing of the past two years had created the illusion that he was invincible among those of the same realm, but today’s battle had made it clear to him that there’s always someone better, and a higher sky above.
When he truly faced a disciple of the Great Dao Sect’s elite, his methods seemed very poor, with his swordsmanship being useless; and a very realistic problem in the Cultivation World is, why would anyone fight you face-to-face, confronting your strengths with their weaknesses?
This Daoist Amo was certainly not the most outstanding low-rank disciple from Wu Sect, and even in the Quanzhen Sect, the true elites were mostly concentrated in Yujing City, which he had no chance to encounter.
Being complacent as a local kingpin in the small area of Yinling, summoning wind and rain with impunity was a flawed mindset.
Not only were the Daoist’s techniques outstanding, but his situational judgment was also very accurate; he made decisions swiftly and moved with ease, such an opponent would not be the only one.
As he delved deeper into the Cultivation World, such opponents would become the norm.
His current strengths were far from sufficient; he might be adept at close combat, but that’s not everything.
As everyone’s realm increased, mid to long-range confrontation would become the key focus.
Constant self-reflection is fundamental for a cultivator to make continuous progress.
This night was exceedingly fascinating.
Hou Niao did not rush on his way but found a secluded place to quietly reflect, knowing the area he lived in for over twenty years like the back of his hand, so familiar he could navigate it blindfolded.
The realm led to Bridge Connection, and this needed no elaboration.
He entered the gateway to the Purple Mansion and saw the tender shoots of the Sword Orchid, the true mark of the Upper Realm.
The appearance of such a plant did not surprise him, since all cultivators on the Jinxiu Continent initially see a similar orchid grass shape in their Purple Mansion.
However, what each sees in the plant differs; to Daoist Cultivators, it resembles a jade pendant, Buddhist Monks see a stupa, Huncheng Sect sees a bone disk, Blood Transformation Sect sees a blood spirit, Dual Cultivation Sect sees a connection, and so on, the list is endless.
As his realm further ascends, this orchid will grow, and what it becomes is determined by each Daoist lineage.
For Sword Cultivators, the ultimate goal is a sword.
Once the Sword Orchid is established, the Tongxuan is within reach.
This is because the convergence in the Dantian now has a foundation and a direction.
Spiritual Power can be transformed into Mana, which is an important internal step in influencing the Dantian.
More exhilarating than advancing through the realms was the budding recognition between him and Lonely Sword.
Even though it was still very weak, beginning this step was the most difficult.
Once started, what remained was how to deepen this mutual awareness and eventually achieve a Sword Consciousness capable of controlling the sword with ease.
It would open up countless possibilities.
The Sword Consciousness of a Sword Cultivator is specific to a particular Sword, usually the one most frequently used, the one that stayed the longest with the cultivator, that killed the most, and was the most valued; it doesn’t mean recognizing one Sword lets you recognize all Swords.
Of course, once you start, if a Cultivator wishes to recognize other Swords, it becomes much easier, overcoming this threshold makes many vague and mystical things clear.
It still isn’t the case that recognizing more Swords is better.
A person’s energy is finite after all, and recognizing more Swords naturally means less time spent with each one.
For Sword Cultivators who value focus, it’s hardly worth the loss.
They prefer to bring out the full potential of one Sword before considering others.
As for the others, it’s likely not something achievable within the Tongxuan Realm but by a Great Cultivator with a Golden Core or above, who has a relatively longer lifespan to expand their capabilities.
The hallmark of a Sword Cultivator is the Flying Sword.
To use a Flying Sword, two basic conditions must be met: Tongxuan-level Mana and the emergence of Sword Consciousness.
Therefore, Hou Niao now meets only one condition; while it would help his sword skills, the help would be extremely limited.
Holding a sword in hand doesn’t require Sword Consciousness because the cultivator’s intention can express itself through the manipulation of the Sword using their hands; Sword Consciousness becomes meaningful when the Sword leaves the hand, becoming a Flying Sword.
But for now, it’s not that he can do nothing.
Before reaching the Tongxuan Realm, he could deepen and solidify his Sword Consciousness and then, he could refine his sword.
This is a practical hurdle that every true Sword Cultivator must go through; most of their wealth is actually spent here, pondering over how to change the nature of their Sword in conjunction with their Sword’s own consciousness.
This consciousness might not express itself in words, but Sword Cultivators can clearly sense what kind of changes their Sword likes or dislikes.
It reflects the Sword’s own innate inclinations, devoid of any emotional factors.
When the Sword feels discomfort, the Cultivator must not persist in their own views, because the Sword is telling them: You’re on the path to my destruction.
Refining is a basic skill for every true Sword Cultivator.
At the very least, refining swords cannot be underestimated; it will largely determine the quality of the Flying Sword.
It’s always good to start refining early, allowing for gradual exploration while deepening the Sword Consciousness along the way.
It’s a symbiotic process that also consumes resources.
Hou Niao’s fortune would likely be invested in this area, an unavoidable hurdle for him.
There is no having the best of both worlds in the Cultivation World; sword refining demands materials, while advancing to higher realms in Tongxuan requires elixirs and other things, making it hard to attend to both.
This is why the Quanzhen Sect does not encourage disciples to delve into Sword Consciousness before reaching the realm of Tongxuan.
What’s the use of developing Sword Consciousness if you never ascend beyond Tongxuan in your lifetime?
In the end, you can’t escape the category of mortals.
During the two years with the Quanzhen Sect, Hou Niao had mainly followed the sect’s internal curriculum for his cultivation.
This was the most standard and, alas, the most unavoidably helpless approach.
Having someone to guide him was crucial for a Cultivator of his level, whether it was a mentor or regular lectures held in Jin City.
He had neither, and his inability to return to Jin City seemed like a mild sanction, but within the Cultivation System, it was the most insidious and covert strike.
Losing a few years’ progress would mean lagging, always a step behind, eventually doomed to mediocrity and unable to cause any more ripples – a punishment for his repeated interference with others’ interests.
Fortunately, he had received tangible help from two elders.
One was Daoist Chong Ling and the other, Uncle-Master Yu Zhengxing.
They enlightened him on many things and saved him from many detours.
After several days of introspection, clarifying his current situation helped in arranging his subsequent cultivation.
Prioritizing realm advancement, followed by honing Sword Consciousness, and lastly strengthening his combat skills.
This was the best sequence, but before that, there was still one place he needed to go.