287: Chapter 286: Insights into Skill 287: Chapter 286: Insights into Skill Hou Niao had finally become a bona fide Sword Cultivator.
When the Flying Sword slashed through the air, the satisfaction he felt was beyond the imagination of others.
Combining other Tongxuan abilities, he imagined himself soaring through the sky, Divine Sense reaching out hundreds to thousands of miles, with everything his eyes could see and the sword could reach feeling exhilarating!
The future was bright, yet the path was winding; at least in the short term, he could not achieve that scene he imagined.
He could not soar either, for soaring referred to a thousand feet high, and he currently managed to climb to a hundred feet, often negotiating crosswinds, flying askew, and moving in a flamboyant manner.
Neither could he release his sword; all his energy was focused on flying.
How could he possibly manage to control the Flying Sword simultaneously?
Besides, with both him and the sword flighty, the positioning shifting between them, focusing mentally was nothing like standing on the ground and striking a stationary target.
His Divine Sense also could not reach that far.
Currently, he could not extend it beyond ten feet; any further, and it blurred, disrupted by countless noise and echoes.
If he flew higher, forget about perceiving a thousand miles, he couldn’t even sense the ground below and had to rely on his eyes.
Yet, all this was possible.
As his mana accumulated deeper, the reach of the Divine Sense would naturally extend; when flying became an instinct, like birds flapping their wings; when the Flying Sword became an extension of his limbs…
Nothing was impossible.
When the Lonely Sword could be used as a Flying Sword, the right type of swordsmanship system for him became obvious naturally; guessing and imagining were futile—it only became clear when the Flying Sword took shape and vibrated intensely what suited him best.
He was somewhat surprised and incredulous, so he decided to continue experimenting with the Flying Sword to truly understand it!
Unsheathe the sword, sheathe the sword…
Unsheathe the sword, sheathe the sword.
He wasn’t chasing the speed, power, accuracy, or control of the Flying Sword; the only thing he cared about was its harmony with nature.
For this, he scoured the surroundings of Jin City within three days, exploring various terrains—high mountains, great rivers, plains, and even cities—before he finally figured something out.
Three days later, he returned to the city for a good meal and a relaxing bathhouse visit.
He spent a night focusing on Breathing Control to recover his mental state from tension, then he returned to the quarry and opened the insights gifted by the three elders of his sect.
This was his character, respecting the experiences of the elders, but always prioritizing his own insights, using others’ experiences merely as references.
The insights of You Sunzhi, after initially mastering Tongxuan, involved primarily mastering the Pure Yang True Solution and supplementing with Yin Deficiency Beads, clearly aiming for the Yin Yang Great Dao in the future, with a clear purpose.
In supplementary skills, the Escape Skill was the Azure Void Technique, the Outer Path comprised mainly the Mysterious Yellow Scripture focusing on the Alchemy Dao, and the Body Skill was the Yin Yang Dao Body, alongside a few other minor techniques.
In swordsmanship, it included Nine Curves Flowing Light, Floating Life Illusion Sword, and Inner Scene Sword Replacement Skill.
This information, being the core secrets of a cultivator, should not be lightly revealed, not even to close followers and disciples.
However, time is a sieve, and through hundreds of years of cultivation and numerous battles, these secrets could no longer be kept; these insights were just Mu Shuai’s experiences when first entering the Upper Realm.
What skills and secret techniques he learned in the following hundred years were another matter, not included in these insights.
It was evident, even not considering the choice of swordsmanship, that You Sunzhi’s other choices characterized him as a Daoist Sect expert.
The main supplements, Body Skill, and Escape Technique all pointed to the ultimate Yin Yang Dao Realm, appearing ordinary but reflecting his deep cultivation potential through steadfast perseverance over a century.
That’s why Li Chuping once said that Mu Shuai had chosen the wrong profession; he should have been a Daoist.
In stark contrast to You Sunzhi’s choice was the selection made by Gao Jianli, which was to repair the Golden Sharp Inner Mirror and primarily cultivate the Pure Yang One Qi Heaven; his techniques included Sword Control, with no Outer Path, and an Eight-foot Golden Body skill.
His swordsmanship specialized in the Golden Sharp Punishment Sword, Soul-shocking Stab, and Soul-attached Machine Pulling.
It is evident that Gao Jianli’s entire system was centered around the Golden Sharp aspect, resulting in his swordsmanship being incomparably sharp and invincible; his purpose was solely combat, killing, with all else being secondary.
It is difficult to say which of the two choices was superior.
With different objectives, how could one compare?
You Sunzhi sought to live longer, naturally emerging as the ultimate victor; Gao Jianli’s philosophy was, what does it matter how long you live when I can end you with one sword strike?
Both had their strengths and their weaknesses.
Hou Niao couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but he felt dissatisfied with both; he wanted both to live long and to kill exhilaratingly, which was a tough requirement to meet.
The last to be reviewed was the insights of Li Chuping, which revealed yet another path.
The main cultivation technique was the Profound Spirit North Star True Scripture, supplemented by the Cave Profound Water Scroll; techniques included Sword Control, Daoist Formation, and a Purple Star Body skill; his swordsmanship was also specialized in Sirius Killing, Sky Jumping Killing Sword, and Invisible Sword.
Merely from the skill choices of Capital Commandant Li, one could vividly depict a person: someone born with stellar talent, who enjoyed hiding in the shadows to unleash hidden strikes, perfectly matching his current position.
Character determines one’s career, as well as one’s path in cultivation.
So, where lay my path?
What truly is my character inclination?
Hou Niao pondered this question for a long time, finally realizing that although he inherited his family’s strict tradition, whether he truly lived for it was another matter.
If he had to choose a direction, it would be to survive.
To persist on this hopeless and low-profile journey, waiting for an order that might never come.
This was a very contradictory mindset.
On one hand, he was well aware that his life’s cultivation was inseparably linked with the sword and the Quanzhen Sect, and so he was quietly pleased that he could finally stop being an undercover agent; on the other hand, because of the Daoist from Chong Ling, he wanted to do something for this guide, which left him in a difficult position.
One morning, seven days after his return to Jin City, dressed in a new robe, he once again stood before the Sword Storage Tower.
The elderly man Eight Full greeted him with a flattering smile, “Elder Hou, congratulations on breaking the Quanzhen Sect’s Tongxuan Upper Cultivator’s patience record.
I always say, those who undertake great tasks must possess great patience; how can they be hasty?”
Hou Niao smiled, “What record is this?
I have never heard of it before.”
Eight Full’s face crinkled up again, “You held on the longest after achieving success in the Upper Realm without taking a cultivation technique; others might disregard swordsmanship support, but this particular technique is something no one would want to waste even a day on; the previous record was three days, but you extended it straight to seven days, such patience is truly admirable.”
Hou Niao laughed heartily and walked inside, “Thank you for your auspicious words, but it might also be that I lack experience or confidence?”
Indeed, in terms of cultivation perspective and breadth of study, he was incomparable to those well-rooted disciples who already had a premonition of their path and were truly prepared, while he had just thought about it for seven days, truly a case of last-minute cramming.
It’s time to enhance the learning of my cultivation knowledge system, not to regard ignorance as character or to flaunt my untamed growth as a badge of honor.
This was a critical condition that urgently needed to change.