Hou Niao stood silent and motionless, inwardly putting himself on guard. Two years of smooth sailing had given him the illusion that he was invincible among those at his cultivation level, but only today had he understood that beyond every expert stood another, and beyond every heaven lay another sky.
When he truly encountered an elite disciple of a major Daoist sect, his repertoire proved meager. He possessed a full array of sword techniques but had no opportunity to use them. And a very practical question in the cultivation world was this: in a real fight, why should anyone face him head-on, pitting their weakness against his strength?
This Daoist A-Meng was certainly not the finest low-level disciple of the Wu Sect. Even in the Quanzhen Sect, the true elites were largely concentrated in the Jade Capital, and he had never had the chance to encounter them. Just because he ruled the roost and summoned wind and rain in a little place like Yinling, he could not go thinking he was the greatest under heaven.
This Daoist not only possessed formidable spells, but also judged the situation accurately, made decisive choices, and advanced or retreated with ease. He would not be the only opponent of this kind. As Hou Niao ventured deeper into the cultivation world, such opponents would become the norm. What he currently relied upon was still far from enough. He could only say that he had reached a certain height in close combat. Close combat was not everything; as everyone's cultivation rose, medium and long range would become the key ground to contest.
Constant self-examination was fundamental to a cultivator's continued progress.
That night had been quite eventful.
Hou Niao did not hurry on his way. Instead, he found a secluded spot nearby to reflect in silence.