Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 476 - 476 475 Ancient Thunder Talisman

476: Chapter 475: Ancient Thunder Talisman 476: Chapter 475: Ancient Thunder Talisman Boom!

The bow was drawn and cleaved downward!

This single character encapsulated the mysteries of thunderbolt formation, the build-up of tension before, and the decisive action upon release.

Hou Niao’s intuition had been correct; his opportunity lay in the character ‘弔,’ but no one could have expected that the Ancient Thunder Talisman would be hidden within the Thunder Force that lasted for half a year.

The profundity of the Great Dao was indescribable.

The opening of the Sea of Consciousness didn’t help his cultivation in the slightest, but it profoundly influenced his understanding of the Heavenly Dao Rules.

From then on, a cultivator’s spiritual power could be involved in cultivation to a certain extent—a qualitative leap.

At this point, both preparations needed for the Golden Core stage in the Upper Realm were complete.

With God Sensing and an open consciousness, naturally comprehending the universe was the foundation for advancing further on the Jinxiu Continent.

Unlocking the Sea of Consciousness also improved the cultivators’ application of their own abilities by a level.

Alchemists could refine elixirs with more spirituality, talisman drawers could create talismans that better fit the techniques, magic cultivators had more spiritual skills, and sword cultivators wielded their flying swords as if they were parts of their own bodies.

Only after entering this state did Hou Niao realize that the situation he encountered in the Yu Family’s Cold Well—where he could not transform into a sword spirit—would never happen again.

In the future, no matter who he faced, if he wished to perform the Body Sword Skill, he could do it with certainty.

That was the power of the spirit.

Even if the spiritual power of a Tongtian third realm cultivator was very limited, it was still a significant improvement.

Since he had stepped into the third realm, his use of the Flying Sword in the Flying Sword State had always been unsatisfactory because it lacked that final touch.

Other God Sensing Sword Cultivators who mastered the Flying Sword were exquisite and precise, while he, as a Second Realm Sword Cultivator, felt quite awkward with the Flying Sword Skill because he had first mastered the Natural Realm.

However, misfortune often brings good fortune—the very dissatisfaction with his Flying Sword State led him to develop his own Body Sword State.

From this perspective, he was lucky.

Isn’t a blessing in disguise often difficult to recognize at first?

Now, his three sword states were truly balanced.

Whether it was the Sword Holding State that he had practiced the longest, the Ancient Body Sword State, or the previously less-effective Flying Sword State, he could freely switch between them according to different situations, eliminating any weaknesses.

He could finally proclaim with pride that, as a Sword Cultivator, he had the strength to fight in any environment!

As for his Thunderbolt Skill, after comprehending the ‘弔’ character, with a bit more practice he might soon be able to use it to kill.

Could there be a sharper combination in the Cultivation World than a Flying Sword paired with a thunderbolt?

Feeling immensely pleased, he solidified his practice in the Thunder Triangle for several months until the Thunder Season ended and it was time to leave.

He was quite curious—would comprehending another of the thunderbolt’s character secrets be possible if he followed the cycle again?

After pondering, he shook his head and chided himself.

People shouldn’t be so greedy; if he were to follow it again, it might still be the character ‘弔,’ or it could just be a random, chaotic path.

And would he then be obliged to find something significant within it?

It would only increase his troubles without any benefit.

Leaving the Thunder Triangle, he searched his way back to the deserted island.

As expected, Fang Yazi was not there.

He had left a secret mark informing that he had gone elsewhere seeking an Upper Realm opportunity, which was anticipated.

Since Yazi was absent, Hou Niao personally patrolled the activity range of the Cang Pirates.

In less than two years, nothing had changed—it was a rare period of tranquility at sea.

I’ve been out for so long, more than ten years since I returned to Mirage City, and I wonder how my family’s garden is doing?

Overgrown with weeds, probably?

Yeah, it needs some trimming.

…

Inside an inn in Mirage City, in a delicately adorned private room, two women sat opposite each other in silence.

Dugu Lan looked out the window, her gaze distant and unfocused, while Xiao Qiang’s eyes were lowered, constantly looking at her hands as if a flower had sprouted from them?

The atmosphere in the room was extremely oppressive, signaling the torment both women felt.

Since stepping into the Tongxuan Realm, thirty years had passed, and even for a Tongxuan Cultivator, that was no short span of time; mortals live less than a century, Tongxuan extends life by a cycle of sixty years, theoretically capping at one hundred and sixty years.

After cutting off the ends, how many more periods of thirty years did they have in their youthful prime?

Time flies, fleeting as a flash, the high spirits and lofty aspirations they held when they first reached the Upper Realm had long been eroded by the cruelty of the Cultivation World.

When a cultivator cannot smoothly sail forth on the Daoist Path, past ideals become laughable, and steadfastness loses its meaning.

Individual futures, family obligations; carrying such pressures, how many could remain true to their original intention?

Ideals are full, but reality is cruel, and this is the path most cultivators tread; to the loners, indulging in life’s pleasures, pursuing self, and living on their own terms is the only way to not waste their life.

Yet, for those burdened with familial ties, the only choice is to attach themselves to a more powerful force, pinning hopes on what they can’t achieve alone.

The two women couldn’t escape this trajectory either.

The first ten years, they persisted, and their family couldn’t say much; if they succeeded in their cultivation, it would certainly be better than marrying well.

But the struggle became evident in the second decade, with various pressures, external perceptions, and internal family gossip making their growth in cultivation increasingly difficult.

In the third decade, criticism from inside and outside the family was overwhelming, coinciding with the family hitting a significant snag, thus all persistence collapsed in an instant.

This was the dilemma most cultivators had to face,

True geniuses are after all a minority, and Qi Fortune cannot grace everyone.

The progression through the three Tongtian Realms sounds so straightforward, yet only when faced with them does one realize how much is involved…

talent, resources, effort, struggle, benefactors, luck…

In the eyes of others, however, their final destinations weren’t too shabby, being able to cling to a higher branch, some might say.

Mortal women’s best years might last a mere decade or so, but for cultivators, they can maintain their youthful bloom until the age of a hundred.

The sisters had joined the same high clan of the Shan Sect, not a rarity in the Cultivation World.

Three wives and four concubines are the prerogatives of the privileged; in cultivation circles, no rule defines the number of Daoist couples.

Regardless of gender, if you have the ability, naturally, there are countless others wanting to climb higher.

Wu Weijiang, one of the nine True Disciples of the Tongtian Realm of the Shan Sect, from the Natural Realm, born directly from the line of King Wucheng’s Prince Manor – this was certainly a thick thigh to cling to.

The only regret was that Wu Weijiang had quite a few Daoist couples, making the competition amongst them fierce.

This was a connection that the Dugu Family had managed to secure with great difficulty, even sacrificing the two most outstanding women in the family, Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang.

Daoist couple is just a euphemism, which could also mean concubine or Guest Elder; to enjoy the power of King Wucheng’s Manor and benefit from the vast network within the manor, they couldn’t possibly spend all day secluded in their rooms, with clothes provided and meals served.

They were expected to go out and strive for King Wucheng’s Manor.

Of course, their tasks wouldn’t be as dangerous as battling on the front lines, but with the manor’s wide array of businesses and endless minor affairs, there was plenty to manage.

The business towards Lizhi Sea was one important part.

The sisters, Dugu Lan and Xiao Qiang, were tasked with such a mission, but the problem was, they had botched it.