Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 323 - 323 322 Getting Better and Better

323: Chapter 322: Getting Better and Better 323: Chapter 322: Getting Better and Better The flying sword returned to the Purple Mansion, and Hou Niao inspected it closely.

Fortunately, despite being struck severely by the thunder, the sword itself remained undamaged under such a level of thunderbolt.

It was his Purple Mansion, Dantian, and even his meridians that were disturbed, not the flying sword itself.

Luckily, he was a cautious person who had chosen the weakest Thunder Force, and even then, it was only the residual fragments at the end of the thunder’s energy; this also served as a warning that a practice like this must adhere to a gradual progression, rashly hurrying would only harm the body and delay his own cultivation.

After rotating his cultivation technique three times and examining himself closely, the trembling sensation also slowly settled down under the flow of his cultivation technique.

It was under such an operation of his technique that he felt a slight increase in mana, a growth brought about by the thunderbolt.

The Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism has many manifestations—one of them is existing freely between heaven and earth, the simplest and easiest to absorb; consuming spirit plants is another, equating to a storage vessel for spirits; elixirs are one, but artificially made; and the essence of the Five Elements is one, with attributes, etc.

Of course, thunderbolts are also one of them, naturally carrying the spirit mechanism of heaven and earth with a majestic momentum.

Hou Niao was currently practicing the Three Night Thunder Law, relying on such thunderbolt power for growth in his cultivation, though this process was more intense and perilous than normal absorption of the Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism, less gentle and more fierce.

Compared to normal cultivation techniques, such as the Six Meridians Huangting Decision, this kind of practice required a redistribution of the absorbed thunder power, containing it and suppressing the frenzy; weak control could easily lead to heart demons;

Moreover, such an environment is not always available, like the Thunder Triangle, where thunderstorms rage, which also occur in fixed seasons, and not every day.

But the advantage is that the power of the thunderbolt is tremendously strong without a limit.

Although the thunder power he absorbed this time was very limited, far less than normal cultivation, as his mastery of the thunder power deepened and his endurance improved, he could encounter even stronger thunderbolts.

By then, directly interacting with the core power of the thunderbolt, perhaps one absorption could count for a day or several days of regular cultivation.

And, cultivating Thunder skills does not need to consider the time constraints of morning, noon, or evening classes; as long as there is thunder, he could cultivate.

Laying the foundation now promises a hopeful future.

After adjusting, the flying sword flew out again, still acting only when the sky’s thunder was nearly spent, ensuring maximum safety.

During the early stages of practicing Thunder skills, the environmental requirements were too stringent, like now, even though he was located in the Thunder Triangle known for its thunder, thunder did not occur all the time.

He needed to be patient, avoid overly strong thunder, and find gaps when thunder power was waning; in such conditions, he could interact with it only a dozen times or so a day.

Indeed, the requirements were too many, the conditions too harsh.

Hou Niao stayed in the Purple Coral region according to his plan to cultivate Thunder skills throughout the thunder season of winter and spring and then return to Crab Claw Island when thunder was scarce in spring, right in time for the major shellfish harvest in April and May, where he had to fulfill his own responsibilities.

As for the Sea Clan’s aggression and safeguarding the shipping lanes, those were optional tasks; the sea was limitless—was it something he could manage?

Nor was he a lighthouse, able to stand tall in the sea indefinitely.

This arrangement of time suited him perfectly; he was very satisfied.

For this reason, he adjusted his cultivation plan, canceled the practice of Earth Element Escape, and depended mostly on the sky’s thunder activity: practicing the Three Night Thunder Skill when thunder was frequent, and practicing swordsmanship and flying when thunder abated.

Squeezing the entire day full with this schedule left no time for idleness; the thunder from above would not wait for one to rest.

The Thunder Triangle, truly a perilous area off the outer sea, had a formidable reputation; both cultivators and merchant ships tended to avoid this area.

Half a year later, Hou Niao rooted himself in the Purple Coral Reef Plate without seeing another human figure, making it an excellent quiet place for cultivation.

Not even demons were seen, for most of the Sea Clan held deep reverence for the thunderbolts, daring not to seek trouble in such a place.

On this day, above the Purple Coral Sea, a figure crisscrossed the sky, at times accompanied by seabirds, at times diving into the sea to frolic with schools of fish; a flying sword circled and danced beside him, sometimes striking far, sometimes swirling and hovering, the man and sword seemingly connected in heart and spirit, mutual companions in mystery.

Upon closer inspection, the flying sword seemed a bit smaller than its original form, a three-foot-long sword now only two feet and eight inches, which is a situation bound to occur when a Sword Cultivator successfully nurtures their flying sword.

Only when the flying sword shrunk to about a foot would it signify entering another realm, possessing all sorts of marvelous uses, such as the legendary Sword Light Division.

But that was still a long way off.

In the thunderclouds, the sound of thunder rolled, and lightning flashed fiercely; suddenly, a thunderbolt struck down, illuminating the area of impact on the sea surface as bright as day, making even the corals in the shallow water clearly visible.

The Thunderbolt had not yet retracted, in its final moments, when in the blink of an eye, a sword shadow boldly collided with it, sparking a series of thunder explosions and turning the initially normal thundering into a rapid popping like frying beans.

A few moments later, the Thunder Annihilation Sword disappeared, and the sky returned to calm.

Hou Niao smiled slightly in the air, his cultivation of the Thunder Triangle had been going very smoothly, even smoother than he had imagined.

He didn’t believe it was luck; it was the path he had discovered on his own after nearly three years on his way to enlightenment, which he deserved.

In the past six months of cultivating the Thunder Triangle, his cultivation had grown considerably.

With the combined enhancement of Earth Element Escape and Three Night Thunder Skill, his cultivation speed had increased significantly, and what delighted him most was that the pace of improvement would only grow faster in the future.

There were three improvements in the process.

He was no longer confined to the Purple Coral area; he could now go dozens of miles further into the Thunder Triangle, which meant he had the opportunity to withstand more thunderbolts.

He could fly directly in the air instead of waiting on the corals for the thunderbolts, allowing his flying sword to attract a wider range of lightning and be more efficient; he wouldn’t be disappointed seeing the thunderbolts but unable to reach them with his sword.

Ultimately, he no longer had to wait for broken thunderbolts; with more experience, he could now avoid the peak of the thunder and strike at its tail eventually; one day, he would face the Heavenly Dao Thunderbolt directly, and that would be the moment he achieved a qualitative leap.

He felt somewhat reluctant but noticed the Thunder Triangle’s thunderclouds had clearly thinned over these days, and thunderbolts were diminishing too, with it now being the beginning of April; thus, he knew it was time to take a break and leave.

It was a bit hard to let go, but he knew this was the best arrangement, the arrangement of the Heavenly Dao; it was not only about staying here becoming less efficient but also about leaving time for him to temper the slight trace of wildness in the thunderbolt force.

Thus, alternating six months of attracting thunder and six months of adjustment was the best rhythm.

Impatience won’t help in heating tofu; haste in thunder might turn one into burnt wood.

Gathering his sword, he stood firm, feeling serene.

In a matter of years, he estimated that his Three Night Thunder Skill would achieve a minor success.

Indeed,

…the cold sword qi leaned against the evening sky, a man’s heart fortified by sun and moon.

Let no hidden claws mimic the foolish tiger; better to summon the winds and thunder, awakening the slumbering dragon.