Chapter 845: Chapter 844: Wearing Out Iron Shoes [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Hou Niao followed his plan, searching through each island one by one. At first, it was within the range he had judged, but after searching all five islands in this range, he began to expand the scope.
He found it odd. With the nature of the Unihorn Clan, sending someone to prison would definitely be a direct matter, with no room for sightseeing or explanations of local customs; if the Prison Guards were human, there might be such possibilities, like taking beauties for a scenic drive or something, but different races have different aesthetics. How could Unihorn people appreciate the human notion of beauty when they judge beauty by the horn?
Among the five islands, he encountered three envoys from the Upper Realm and fought three battles with Gu Zai, Wei Yi, and Lu Su, the latter an embodiment of a puppet. It basically ended up in a situation where no one could actually gain the upper hand, and he was even slightly at a disadvantage; his sharp and unmatched swordsmanship from Jinxiu was difficult to unleash against these outstanding disciples who were the strength bearers in their respective Boundary Domains.
He was not despondent. Jian Ling of Jinxiu and the Sword Swinging Universe were vastly different, and the fact that he didn’t fail already proved something; there was nothing to feel guilty about.
On the other two islands, no one challenged him, but he was not sure if any envoys from the Upper Realm existed there. Perhaps among these people, some had good tempers and did not wish to bother him?
No one responded to his sword whistle, which left him somewhat disappointed. He searched around wishfully, yet others might not actually take him seriously.
With things having come to this point, he had no choice but to continue searching. Fortunately, searching in this way was also a kind of cultivation. Through inhaling and exhaling spirit, through enduring the Thunder Whip, he made his Golden Core stronger and more lustrous.
Five islands took up four months of his time, which was equivalent to a year in the outside world; there were still fourteen islands. Besides continuing, he couldn’t think of any other method.
A very practical problem was that he didn’t have time to connect with local cultivators on each island. People need time to build friendships, be it mortals or cultivators. That kind of instant friendship is rare; in most cases, he had to contribute something to gain their information and practical help, and more precise information.
When no one jumped out to fight him on an island, he couldn’t determine whether there were any envoys from the Upper Realm there, and if so, which one.
Moreover, another exasperating problem was, why would others wait in one place just because he was out searching for Yue Duo? These people’s abilities were strong and on a different level than those rebellious cultivators from before, fully capable of enduring the Thunder Whip just like him. So, were they the type to stay in place?
Those who could cross boundaries to the Jinxiu heavens certainly weren’t people content with the ordinary.
If everyone was running around, colliding in the vast area of nineteen islands would depend on luck. Spending four months or even four years or ten years here might not secure a meeting.
He realized he was thinking too simplistically and felt a bit guilty, but he couldn’t devise a workable method. Compared to waiting foolishly on Shiqi Land, at least coming out allowed him to experience the diverse Daoist Methods across the Universe.
Or perhaps he should think of a way to leave his mark on the islands he passed through? Ideally, leaving someone who could relay messages?
With this thought, he continued searching within the expanded range, still with no results. Sometimes he ran into an envoy from the Upper Realm, while others were empty, and the most difficult task was finding someone reliable to entrust with information.
In fact, there were no decent people among those sent here, each as cunning as a fox, and compared to them, the first Wang Wang he met was simply the epitome of purity, and he never met anyone else as dedicated as him afterward.
After several months of such struggles, he exhausted himself to the point of understanding what his issue truly was one day…
It was demanding too much, with too broad a heart, always thinking of solving all problems in one trip, which was just greediness.
His primary task was to find Yue Duo, and secondly, to use this journey as a means to train himself, experiencing the various Daoist lineages of the Universe. Completing both at once would be ideal, but if not, he needed to focus on the main goal instead of pursuing everything and ending up with nothing.
Since he couldn’t achieve the first goal of finding Yue Duo, he might as well put full effort into completing the second goal. With the right mindset, who knew, he might just stumble upon a solution during this process?
He began adjusting his mindset, reminding himself that even without those so-called superior skills, he was still able to face off-front against those so-called Upper Realm geniuses in Jinxiu Continent. It was just hard battle, something not to be ashamed of. Why suddenly was there a need to empty his heart out?
What he could achieve during Foundation Establishment, he could still accomplish post-Golden Core, though with additional effort and consideration.
When one’s Heart Realm opens up, one also becomes more enlightened. On this journey, he sought out eleven envoys from the Upper Realm and sought combat masters from each island, using martial engagements as a pretense to act arrogantly to witness divine skills from various Daoist lineages. Consequently, he also made some friends.
Indeed, in prison, fighting is healthier.
Months later, he arrived at Yi Island, ranked first among the islands of Hell Star. By this time, he had fully adapted to this challenge routine. Out of the nineteen islands, he had explored eleven. He had not found his senior sister, but he had encountered countless strange and wonderful Daoist lineages, broadening his horizons tremendously.
In the end, which island it was no longer mattered to him; he would go through them all anyway, so it was of no concern.
The first thing upon reaching the island was to endure the Thunder Whip. Having taken the whip so many times, he’d become numb to it — a day without it made him itch all over and it had become a part of his daily cultivation.
This time, the distance was far, so he endured a thousand whippings. Just as he had withstood several hundred lashes, a Daoist appeared silently nearby, looking at him with a calm expression.
His heart stirred. He recognized this Daoist: it was Zhi Xuan Daoist, one of the envoys from the Upper Realm and the first to speak.
He did not worry about being attacked while being whipped, as such a result would mean both would be whipped together, with no leniency offered by the Unihorn Clan.
The real danger was after the whipping. The Unihorn Clan would no longer offer protection after punishment. If you made a mistake and wandered off, then the risks after punishment were yours to bear, without any complaints.
Such situations had occurred before, where others, rebellious cultivators, tried sneaking an attack, hoping for easy pickings at opportune moments. Sadly, their strength was inadequate, and he killed them in return without any penalties being imposed, indicating a tacit consent from the Unihorn Clan.
With many cultivators around, there would always be some unscrupulous individuals. But would a seemingly righteous Upper Realm Daoist play the same trick?
Unease rose in Hou Niao’s heart, yet he remained calm on the surface, acting indifferent, seeing and hearing nothing; if it came to it, he could run since he had no obsession with a noble death.
After the thousand whips ended, he stood up, about to speak, but to his surprise, Zhi Xuan Daoist spoke first.
“Rest for a few days, gather your energy, and we need to resolve things between us.”