51: Chapter 50: Crowds Gathering 51: Chapter 50: Crowds Gathering Hou Niao carried the sword box on his back, disappearing into the vast crowd.

He had a feeling that this sword was perfect for him.

A nameless person with a Nameless Sword made quite the match!

He had spent all his valuable belongings and wouldn’t have any income if he didn’t earn something extra in the next three months, but for his way of cultivation, he really couldn’t find a place to spend Spirit Stones.

Without Spirit Stones, there was no need to keep fantasizing about various temptations.

Honestly speaking, he wasn’t as indifferent to those temptations as he appeared.

Moreover, being penniless had one advantage: he didn’t have to worry about others asking to borrow money.

Such tendencies existed in the fellow townsmen’s association, like collectively pooling funds to address someone’s big problem and then taking turns to do so; or gathering Spirit Stones to invest in a promising business, something that the people of Anhe were particularly good at.

While others felt light without debt, he felt light without money, which was perfect for confined cultivation in his yard, seizing the time to make up for the years he owed; he had a premonition that he would rarely have such leisurely times in the future.

…

The disciples of the Quanzhen Sect gradually became clear about their respective paths.

This was a grand comparison of one’s family background, wealth, connections, and social interactions.

When cultivation and mundane life mixed, these unscrupulous dealings were inevitable.

Such assignments were essentially managed by the Mu Shuai mansion.

Every time this happened, everyone in the mansion would gorge themselves, especially this time, how could they pass up the ill-gotten wealth accumulated by these Loose Cultivators over the years?

There were astute people like Gong Chengyi, and those who relied on their backgrounds to pick the best positions.

Of course, most were completely clueless and left to fate, only able to wander around the Mu Shuai mansion like headless flies, not even knowing where to spend their money.

There were those who became cocky with success and those who felt lost and lamented.

Of course, there were also those who were indifferent to everything.

Gradually, the commotion stirred by a hundred or so new disciples calmed down.

Dust to dust, earth to earth, no one could escape their destiny.

In the midst of such noise, Hou Niao maintained his rapid progress.

Of course, this was only relative.

The operation of his Double Dantian allowed him to induce energy faster than most, but he still fell short compared to true geniuses.

Even with his extraordinary encounter, he was only somewhat stronger than an average person, revealing that his own talents were indeed mediocre.

But he was not discouraged because he understood that talent doesn’t always follow one; it’s always in stages.

Outstanding talent during the Energy Induction Realm doesn’t necessarily mean one will have exceptional gifts in the Essence Building Realm, and standing out during the Essence Building might not guarantee shining after Fasting.

But his Double Dantian was always there!

Moving forward steadily at a rate slightly faster than normal, compared to the unstable fluctuation of different periods in cultivation, it wasn’t certain who would reach the end first.

He didn’t spend all twelve hours of the day holed up in the yard; he also went out for walks, aiming for the Sword Mansion area.

The Sword Talisman granted him the freedom to move in most areas, which he used to watch others’ sword fights.

As a Demon Sect with the Daoist tradition based on the sword, there would never be a shortage of belligerent members.

So, aside from private duels among friends, there had to be a place for these fighters to expend their energy.

There were two Sword Fighting Arenas in Jin City Quanzhen, one in the central military mansion and one in the Sword Mansion.

The layout of the Jin City Quanzhen branch determined this.

Here, there were four places where Quanzhen disciples usually gathered.

One was the Sword Mansion, which was more like a large residential area.

Most Quanzhen disciples serving in Jin City could get a residence here for free.

Of course, there were minimum realm requirements and duty requirements.

With his current situation, he did not qualify.

The remaining were the three mansions: Mu Shuai Mansion, central military mansion, and Capital Commandant Mansion, where Quanzhen Cultivators would take turns on duty.

Among them, Mu Shuai Mansion was of great importance to a state, representing the authority and face of the Quanzhen Sect, so it was not possible to fight and kill within its premises; Capital Commandant Mansion was involved in unsavory, secretive dealings, far from being upfront and honorable; so, naturally, the military drills and combative nature of the central military mansion made it the highest-level competition field in Jin City.

Unfortunately, he did not qualify to enter.

The battle arena here in the Sword Mansion residential area was much simpler and more casual, less fierce and more friendly for sparring, and did not prohibit a small cultivator like him from watching.

So, he would come here every day to see, sometimes getting an eyeful, other times coming away empty-handed.

Like today, one of the cultivators locked in combat at the Sword Fighting Arena was a brother Zheng from the outer court, whom he recognized.

To tell the truth, his martial prowess was unparalleled, with Qi Gang coursing through his sword as though it were tangible, extending several feet with every inhalation and exhalation.

With such a level of Spiritual Power, any swordsmanship was rendered pointless.

What left him speechless was the swordsmanship of these two individuals, rigid and crude, adhering to old practices.

You couldn’t say that they had learned the sword wrongly, but they truly lacked any Spiritual nature.

The only highlight was the various spells mixed into the sword fight.

Compared to the Sword Souls, Magic Soul Bodies, Wandering Souls, or whatever chaotic Souls in the Soul Realm, it was far inferior, almost as if they were not part of the same Cultivation System, which puzzled him greatly.

Where exactly did his own Soul Realm come from?

Why was it so severely disconnected from reality?

As his mind wandered here and there, Elder Brother Zheng, having just finished a match, took the rare opportunity to come over and greet him,

“Would Younger Brother Hou care to step in and give it a try?”

Hou Niao repeatedly shook his head, “Elder Brother, you must be joking with me.

I dare not go up and make a fool of myself, and dampen everyone’s spirits.”

Elder Brother Zheng did not insist, knowing it was indeed inappropriate.

Considering that this youngster had provided an idea at the outer court that eventually helped him avoid punishment, he didn’t mind offering him some guidance,

“Among the disciples of Jin City Quanzhen, those in active service often practice Fasting and Bridge Connection.

They have full Dantians and long breaths, incomparable to those in the Energy Induction Realm who haven’t even started cultivating their Qi.

Disciples in the Essence Building Realm usually hold positions in various parts of the state to practice and start their journey of conquest and killing.

There’s nothing wrong with liking swordsmanship, but it’s not what you should focus on right now.

What you need to improve most is your Realm.

Only by entering the Essence Building Realm are you qualified to consider your direction in combat.

I see you often come here to watch sword fights, so I remind you that you seem to have confused your priorities.”

Hou Niao bowed his head in acknowledgment.

This was the plain truth, even if he was a bit out of the ordinary?

There was no need for explanations.

He replied with a few words and slowly left, knowing in his heart that he shouldn’t come here to watch sword fights anymore.

The reason was not what Elder Brother Zheng thought, but because he felt that such sword fights were not worth watching, a waste of time.

Everyone has a desire to compare themselves with others, and of course, he was no exception; having learned excellent swordsmanship in the Soul Realm, he yearned to measure up against others in reality, to compare their strengths and weaknesses.

But now it seemed that it simply wasn’t the same thing.

He learned the Killing Sword, while here they competed with ceremonial swords.

Practicing swordsmanship in such an environment would lead him astray.

All swordsmanship that does not aim to kill is nothing but posturing.

The Wandering Souls taught him this through death.

…As a guest, refrain from sword-fighting discussions, and instead, close off in seclusion.