When Jiang Hou broke through, Ye Chen and others had not encountered the Golden-eyed Horse yet, they would encounter it five days later. Of course, Jiang Hou didn't know. He didn't send anyone to monitor them. He was more concerned about improving his personal strength as soon as possible.
What that figure said would always ring in his mind, "Guide him closely. Don't let anything happen to him. He must be ready in 5 years. You know the consequences otherwise". That is an 'Absolute Death Sword' hanging over his head.
So, he couldn't put energy into other things. When a hunter encounters a fruit tree in the wild, he will clear its surrounding, cut down all the parasitic plants on it, so that in the fruiting season, he can quench his thirst and have his fill when he needs it.
Also, to an elephant, an ant would remain an ant.Whatever grudges Jiang Hou has now, it is not the time to repay. He still needs to become stronger, his King Realm Cultivation base is definitely not enough in this world.
From the Red Armored Jiang Hou's memories, Jiang Hou knows that there are several dozens of Realms beyond the known Tribulation Transcendence Realm and the Ascension Realm which is the ceiling of Cultivation in the Azure Cloud World.
So, for Jiang Hou now, he wants to put all his energy into Cultivation. And when he reveals himself again, his achievement would astonish, stun and daze all who have calculated against him.
…
In the Secret Chamber two days later, Jiang Hou's Realm has stabilised. He observed his Body, Soul, Purple Mansion, and Sea of Consciousness, seeing that there is no new threat, he began to make plans, with a resolution,
"My mind is clear. My heart is firm. I am Free, and My Freedom is Perfect", he said, softly at first, and then,
"MY MIND IS CLEAR. MY HEART IS FIRM. I AM FREE, AND MY FREEDOM IS PERFECT!"
"MY MIND IS CLEAR. MY HEART IS FIRM. I AM FREE, AND MY FREEDOM IS PERFECT!"
"MY MIND IS CLEAR. MY HEART IS FIRM. I AM FREE, AND MY FREEDOM IS PERFECT!"
He said out loud, strongly, and firmly. This would be his motivation, this would be his resolution. This would be his goal: to have a clear mind, to be firm, to be free! Free from all manipulating hands, and having his fate and destiny in his own hands.
When Jiang Hou said this, his temperament transformed. A will, his Spiritual Will/Sense, is slowly transforming, and condensing in the Sea of Consciousness.
When Spiritual Will takes form, it would represent the cultivator's innermost person and truest desire. This form will later be the source of their path, in essence, it the embryonic form of their Dao, which is essential in the higher cultivation Realms.
Jiang Hou could also feel the changes in his Spiritual Will, and knew exactly what it transpired. He was surprised, but more excited. Although it has not taken the embryonic form of his Dao yet because of his limited cultivation base, it has formed an intent.
And this intent, when used well, can intimidate, control/tame, attack others, and even defend against others.
Intent is something that is usually condensed from Arts and Spells such as Sword Arts, Saber Arts, Fist Movement Spells, and so on. When a cultivator practices an Art or a Spell to a perfection and goes beyond, he would condense the Art's or Spell's intent.
At that level, he does not need to shout out the name of the Spell or take a stance or make seals, to perform an Art or a Spell, just a simple move from him, and he's already taken the enemy's life.
However, the intent is not the end. It has levels, and needs to be sharpened until a Dao embryo is condensed.
These are things that Jiang Hou would slowly experience himself. For now though, his Cultivation Realm needs to be hidden. So he looked into RAJH's memories and found a Dao Level Secret Art.
The one he found is called "Hidden in plain sight". This requires him to adjust his breath, and with this, control the circulation of spiritual energy and the blood and qi in his body, so that the spiritual energy forms the inner layer, while the blood and qi forms the outer layer.
When this is run at a very fast speed for the first Great Cycle, it will form a thin layer of qi called 'Shielding Qi' over these two energy layers, then block all the pores in the meridians, veins, flesh, and skin, greatly lowering the amount of aura leaked out by the cultivator.
The higher the mastery of the Secret Art, the higher the amount of energy is concealed underneath the Shielding Qi.: Initial Mastery, Minor Success, Great Success, Perfection, Intent Level,... Dao Embryo]
With RAJH's memory and experiences, Jiang Hou gained the initial mastery over the technique, and he is able to lower his cultivation back to the Peak stage of Integrated Union Realm. But he was not satisfied.
His cultivation is still too high. He needs to make it return to the Half-Step Integrated Union Realm at least. This is enough proof that his over one month of practising in Seclusion was not in vain.
So, Jiang Hou kept practising the Hidden in Plain Sight Secret Art, over and over again. From morning till dusk.
Just when the Golden Star had dyed the world red, Jiang Hou who had completed a Great Cycle of the Secret Art in countless number of times, said in relief,
"Great Success at last!", with a slight smile. With this result, he can conceal his cultivation realm by 4 Great Realms. That means, with his level of Mastery now, Jiang Hou can pretend to be Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, and nobody would detect it, not just because of his level of Mastery, but because of the level of the Secret Art, it is a Dao level Secret Art.
The Shielding Qi is not just any form of energy. It also has other uses, which would be unravelled later.
Jiang Hou quickly concealed his cultivation until only the aura of Half-step Integrated Union Realm was permitted to escape the Shielding Qi and leak to the outside world. He also made sure his Sea of Consciousness was made to look like what it was before, desolate, without form, with the 'Devil Seed' occupying the centre.
After everything was done, Jiang Hou left the Secret Chamber. The moment he appeared outside the door of his room, he met two Inner Sect disciples standing by.
"We congratulate the Holy Son for his successful Practise in Seclusion", they said.
"Thank you. Thank you!", in a good mood, Jiang Hou smiled and said.
The two were humbled and excited that the Holy Son talked to them again. It has been a while since the last time the Holy Son spoke this gently to them. 'It is a good thing', they thought, as they watched Jiang Hou move out.
Out of nowhere, two bottles of Medicinal Pills flew in the direction of each of them, followed by a voice, "You guys should practise hard too. In this world, only Personal Strength is real. Any other thing is an illusion", it was Jiang Hou's voice.
They were stunned for a moment, then shouted in a loud voice, "We thank the Holy Son for his grace. We will not disappoint the Holy Son".
When they opened the bottles, one contained the familiar Lingyuan Pills, while the second one also contained the familiar Marrow Cleansing Pill, only this bottle contained Rank 8 top grade Marrow Cleansing Pills.
But that is enough for the two disciples to shed tears of excitement and make the Dao Oath, just like the Zhao brothers, "With the Dao as the witness, we swear loyalty to the Holy Son, Jiang Hou today. We … may the Dao annihilate us, spirit and body".
Jiang Hou who was in the distance felt the connection again this time, then he reacted with a helpless sigh, saying, "It was a mistake. I should have warned them not to be rash like those two idiots. Now, it cannot be reversed. At least not yet".
He was really stunned by how easily these people would swear the Dao Oath. The Dao is not something that can be taken lightly. It is an entity greater than the World's rules. One mistake, and the cultivator would encounter a mishap.
Even the mortals who cannot cultivate cannot escape the hand of the Dao. However, the Dao did not impose as severe a bind on mortals as it did cultivators.
"I might as well stop giving out Medicinal Pills. Otherwise, the whole Holy Land would swear allegiance to me", he said to himself. Then,
"That may not be a bad thing though", he continued in a mutter, with an evil smirk at the corner of his lips.
He was going in the direction of the Main Hall.
What Jiang Hou didn't know was that the reactions of the disciples who had been blessed by him were normal. Most of the disciples who took on Missions to guard the Holy Son's Peak come from ordinary cultivation forces, some even came from mortal families.
Being able to serve the Holy Son alone would earn them more resources from the Holy Land than any other Holy Land's mission.
The things he handed over to them may look like common resources in his eyes because of his background and status, but in their eyes, they are rare resources, even once in a lifetime opportunities that would change their life's trajectory forever.