Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 359 - 359 358 Chirping

359: Chapter 358 Chirping 359: Chapter 358 Chirping Hou Niao, just as Lao Cai had guessed, didn’t want to spend a single penny here.

What he needed was such an environment, a state of mind that allowed him to pass through this journey at ease.

Although the female Cultivators weren’t cheering out loud, their increased pace exposed their true desires;

The sea was a treasure trove, not only with the dripping emerald here but also the Night Light Pearl from Mingzhu Island, the Sea Conch from Cow Horn Island, the Rouge Bamboo from Bamboo Island… They had already visited Mingzhu Island, and that was before Hou Niao had joined them.

For these women, one of the hardest problems was how to balance their finances, to prevent ending up penniless after making their rounds.

As the female Cultivators sought their joy, the few male Cultivators also leisurely strolled in, and one could tell from their unhurried pace that their attitude was indifferent—they would buy if something caught their eye, and if not, they’d let it be.

The only one who hadn’t budged was Hou Niao, not because he lacked Spirit Stones or Spiritual Pearls, but rather because he felt indifferent towards these shiny objects—who was there to give them to anyway?

Daoist Yan was devoted to cultivation and did not care for items that were more decorative in nature; if he couldn’t find something that genuinely pleased the recipient, it was better not to give anything at all.

Maybe Bai Qingqian could be considered?

But she owned a business that dealt with these very items, so what would be the point in giving them to her?

As for himself, maybe he could pick a piece for a coffin?

No rush for that now.

Only two people did not join the throng of treasure hunters—Lao Cai, who was used to it, and Hou Niao, who was enjoying relaxation.

They chatted in a pavilion just outside the mine, but their conversation definitely did not include the secrets of their guests’ identities; it was the rule of the trade.

“This line of work isn’t bad, with guaranteed income whether it rains or shines, and it’s also safe…” Hou Niao sighed in admiration,

Lao Cai shook his head, not at all surprised that a Sword Cultivator did not participate in the gamble of stone bidding.

It would have been surprising if he had.

“Daoist friend might not know, guiding is not as easy as it appears to outsiders; there’s no such thing as an easy job in this world.

Others might see it as comfortable, but let me tell you just two things, and you might not be able to handle it.”

Hou Niao was intrigued, “Oh?

Please do tell, Lao Cai, and let’s see if I have the potential for this line of work?”

Lao Cai chuckled, “First, you will no longer have time for yourself.

As long as travelers have demands, you must respond immediately; that’s the basic requirement for a professional guide.

Cultivation comes second.

No matter whether you need to retreat for closed-door cultivation, have a new insight, or even need to attend to your morning, noon, or evening practices, you must always pay close attention to your surroundings in case of emergencies.

Your time no longer belongs to you, but to your members.

Can you do that?”

Hou Niao shook his head awkwardly; it seemed he couldn’t?

Lao Cai smiled proudly, “Second, you can’t have a temper.

If someone slaps your left cheek, the only thing you can do is turn your right cheek to them.

You can’t have enemies, or else your group will face endless troubles.

If pirates harass you on the road, and merchants do not welcome you when you land, can you still continue?”

After some thought, Hou Niao continued to shake his head.

Lao Cai sighed, “That’s why working in this trade not only means losing your future, but also losing yourself; any Cultivator with a sense of ambition for their future would not choose it.”

I knew almost all the guides of Lizhi Sea, and we shared several common characteristics, we were of age, our futures were uncertain, we were not chasing our own prospects, but rather the prospects of our descendants.

“If you, Daoist friend, have understood these things, would you still envy me?”

Hou Niao expressed some regret, “You have already crossed the Tongxuan barrier, in the eyes of most cultivators, you are among the very few successes, not to dare speak of Golden Core, but the latter two realms of the Tongtian Three Realms are still hopeful, I just feel it’s a pity.”

Old Cai, however, was philosophical, “Every barrier is about survival of the fittest, whether you succeed or fail, you have to accept it; just as during Tongxuan I was the one in the limelight, basking in the envious gazes of those who failed, now, it’s my turn to do the same.

There will always come such a day, it’s just a matter of sooner or later, a question of time, that’s all.

Having lived several decades longer than most, I have already surpassed the vast majority of people, what’s there to be dissatisfied about?”

Since he was idling anyway, and since he had already opened the floodgates of conversation, Old Cai found it a bit hard to come to a stop,

“The Tongtian Three Realms, in fact, are just one realm, there is no fundamental difference in essence, at least no fundamental difference in cultivation.

The second realm, God Sensing, tests whether a cultivator can open the Upper Dantian in the Sea of Consciousness, thereby having the potential to control the Inner Secret with spiritual will, allowing the cultivator to enter a true micro-controlling realm of mana, and laying the foundation for external spiritual power beyond Golden Core.

Unfortunately, my Upper Dantian has always remained closed, my spirit unable to condense will…”

Hou Niao kindly reminded, “But God Sensing is also one of the realms in the cultivation process that doesn’t emphasize age or physical vitality, and there are many examples in the Cultivation World of those who have succeeded in sensing god later in life, but the prerequisite is, one must not lose faith.”

Old Cai smiled indifferently, “You are speaking of those successful examples, right?

Why not mention the many more who failed?

Once God Sensing fails, it may lead to being stupefied or foolish, and in severe cases, loss of control in mana backflow…

”

Hou Niao smiled lightly, stopping there, not insisting any further.

Ahead lay an indistinct haziness, where some saw eternal brightness while others saw an abyss; there was no use in persuasion.

He himself was beginning to feel the pressure of approaching the God Sensing Realm, which was gradually manifesting in his cultivation.

According to the cultivation structure of Jinxiu Continent, it makes sense to collectively refer to Tongxuan, God Sensing, and the Natural Three Realms as the Tongtian Three Realms, just as Old Cai said, there is no essential distinction in mana cultivation; there’s no high realm suppressing the low realm, which is completely due to the uniqueness of God Sensing and Natural Realm.

The God Sensing Realm is an elevation within the domain of spiritual will, unrelated to visible and tangible elements such as cultivation, age, strength; there’s no special method or pathway to cultivate, because spirit is whimsical and uncontrollable.

It is also the most dangerous minor realm within the cultivation journey as any variation involving the spirit is not a minor change, which might awaken the Sea of Consciousness or instead turn it into a muddled mess.

The Natural Realm refers to the interaction and reflection between the Purple Mansion, a small world within a cultivator, and the external natural world; in plain terms, it’s the ability of humans to influence the natural forces of heaven and earth.

Both of these realms are the beginnings of laying down a foundation: the God Sensing Realm lays down the foundation for spiritual power, while the Natural Realm lays down the foundation for mobilizing the forces of nature, only truly manifesting their power after the cultivator achieves Core Formation.

Therefore, Golden Core Cultivators are the beings who can truly be called Immortals, they can materialize spirit, and also mobilize the forces of nature.

Their abilities are on an entirely different level compared to those of the Tongtian Three Realms.

That’s why he was having such difficulty in cultivating the Thunderbolt Path, unable to mobilize the natural forces of heaven and earth, unable to form the accumulation of thunderclouds, what would he use to unleash the thunderbolts?

Luckily, the Primordial Magnetic Force gave him assistance from another direction.