Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 490 - 490 489 One Husband Holds the Pass 5

490: Chapter 489 One Husband Holds the Pass 5 490: Chapter 489 One Husband Holds the Pass 5 Hou Niao stood suspended in the air, his hands clasped behind him as he faced the wind, a grace that made everyone present feel inferior.

The Chasing Wind Bandits suddenly realized their expectations had been off, for if the battle continued this way, the reputation of their leader would be thoroughly established over the Lizhi Sea.

Contempt for all heroes, who dares to lightly seize their edge?

The Dugu sisters were mixed among the Cang Pirates.

The wind blew, the flags fluttered, and with a longsword and magic artifact at each of their waists, even those long accustomed to staying behind the scenes couldn’t help but feel their spirits sway with lofty ambition.

This was the true life of a cultivator, far superior to the meager existence in grand cities and noble houses, scrabbling for resources and seeking guidance; it also explained why when faced with challenges, some could only beseech others for help, while some commanded the power to call upon the storm and turn the skies.

The disparity, in fact, had existed since Yinling, yet they laughed at themselves for their ignorance, fretting daily over which family had produced a genius, whose sons held enormous potential.

But could they walk the path Brother Hou had taken?

Most people were merely clinging to the coattails of superiors, and they feared they might not even qualify to do that now.

How many years had it been?

“He’s already taken out seven opponents!

I’m afraid Brother Hou’s mana is…

Brother Zhang, can’t another brother take his place?”

Xiao Qiang was worried, and he wasn’t alone—all of the Cang Sea Pirate Group were.

Zhang sighed once more, “I’ve contacted the junior brother several times with my divine sense, but he has his own plans…

The sisters might not know, but in the Cang Pirates, our junior brother’s word is law.

No one dares question his word, it’s become a habit.

We can only persuade, not make decisions for him.”

Xiao Qiang was still not convinced, “But anyone with eyes can see that the Chasing Wind Bandits’ initial goal was to wear us down, and I’m afraid they’re getting ready to strike hard!”

Zhang smiled deeply, “Strike hard?

That might not require much mana…”

…Hou Niao was quite composed in his heart.

He did have an issue with mana depletion, but it wasn’t as serious as feared.

Tongtian Realm cultivators would all practice Double Dantian, but for him, the Double Dantian was a topic he had started experimenting with during the Energy Induction phase, nearly forty years ago—not like other cultivators who were just starting out.

Moreover, his Dantian was the growth type, different from average cultivators, its capacity filled with limitless possibilities; even though he could never fully utilize it, it was still much more profound compared to other cultivators.

His disadvantage lay in how recently he had entered the Natural Realm, lacking in consolidation, but if one considered the hidden cards he still hadn’t played, he was very much equipped for battle.

Under his hand, seven Chasing Wind Bandits had fallen.

Some had left their lives behind, some had quick legs, some were tough to handle, while others were relatively easy.

However, of the seven battles, what satisfied him most was that he had not resorted to using his Body Sword Skill or Thunderbolt Power, maintaining his ground with merely the Flying Sword State and Sword Holding State up till now, which was quite remarkable.

This was the effect he had deliberately sought—not to hide his capabilities but to refine his hard-to-describe Flying Sword Skill.

Previously, he had no opportunity to practice his Flying Sword Skill openly because his trump cards were limited, and there was an all-too-real risk that he might accidentally gamble away his life, something that had happened several times before, and he had no desire to repeat those mistakes.

But now was different.

With two trump cards in hand, he felt reassured—unfazed by the challenges, which allowed for an extremely smooth display of his Flying Sword Skill.

With several bold ideas springing to mind and executed on the whim, he appeared audacious to others.

The truth was, he possessed the means to turn the tables.

To regard life and death as nothing, at his current realm, who would dare to boast so shamelessly?

Life is precious; after cultivating for so many years, who doesn’t cherish the cultivation they have attained through endless hard work?

To say you would give it up just like that?

In the face of life and death, he was no different from anyone else, but having a contingency plan added a layer of security for himself, emboldening him to try things he previously would not have dared.

It was only in such a state of combat that he managed to push his potential in Flying Sword Skill to its limits.

The more he fought, the more unrestrained he became, wielding his sword as he pleased, driven by his passion—the blade following his heart’s desire.

He was very satisfied with this feeling.

He hoped to maintain this state of combat because he now felt that his Flying Sword Skill was not lacking either, it was just different in application from the Body Sword Skill and should not be compared horizontally.

There were five opponents left, and the one now floating into view was none other than Bao Wen, who had discussed combat methods with him before the battle.

He felt a bit excited, yet his gaze grew even colder.

Bao Wen puffed his cheeks, wanting to say something but then held back, not wasting a moment to allow the bandit leader to recover his mana was their principle and the key to victory.

As the initiator of the entire plan, his current situation was a bit like lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet; he had originally thought that probably three or four people could exhaust the bandit leader’s mana, so he had positioned himself fifth from last—typically the vantage point for easy pickings.

However, seven had gone up by now, and although the bandit leader’s mana indeed had dropped, his combat strength did not seem to weaken in the slightest.

They had agreed early on that when it was their turn, they absolutely could not make half-hearted attempts like those before them; they were not there to engage in attrition—they were there to decide life or death.

And thus, he became the first among them to exert himself completely.

How cruel fate can be—it seems that man’s plans are no match for those of heaven.

Even outside the range of the flying sword, he unleashed his best skill.

They had long realized that this Sword Cultivator’s sensing abilities were extremely strong.

You want to test your opponent first to see how substantial or insubstantial they are?

By the time the outcome is decided, this Sword Cultivator will have seen you even more clearly.

Moreover, after seven battles, they had watched the Sword Cultivator’s techniques and habits closely enough; there was no need for further testing.

Now, with the first move, he knew the Sword Cultivator, but the Sword Cultivator did not know him.

Therefore, it was time to reveal his trump card.

With a light pat on the Purple Mansion, a Sang Si soared into the sky.

This was not a Spiritual Beast but rather a particularly radical direction of combat within the Zhou Sect Daoist Methods—the cultivation of embodiments within the Purple Mansion.

An embodiment could be the soul of any kind of Spiritual Object: birds, beasts, members of the Sea Clan, and the like each forming its own system; but generally, those who cultivate this Skill would choose the same sequence of embodiments, like beasts, then only other beasts, for the sake of continuity, allowing endless superimposition in the sequence of embodiments.

Bao Wen cultivated a set called the Seven Birds Battle Map, a top-tier technique among such Skills in the Zhou Sect, made from precious materials and difficult to cultivate.

But once perfected, the combat strength was considerable.

The Seven Birds referred to the seven avian embodiments that could be summoned by this battle map, each stronger than the last.

He had already cultivated up to six of them and was only one step away from completing the set.

Sang Si, Xing Wei, Duan Tou Miao, Tie Qu, Hu Ti, Yin Yi…and finally, a Rebel Rooster yet to be perfected.

In combat, he himself would not step forward but instead control these embodied birds to charge into the fray.

According to their order of strength, they could also possess a portion of his power, each an Undying Body, omnipotent in their assault.

With the emergence of the Sang Si, Bao Wen did not stop; he was well aware that a single embodied bird was not enough to deal with this Sword Cultivator.

His hands thus continued to pat in succession, and from the Purple Mansion, Xing Wei and Duan Tou Miao joined the fray.

Three embodied birds spread their wings, casting an ominous light over Hou Niao as they swooped down together.