Although Daniel Davis's goal was to obtain Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique from Dao Run, it wasn't just about making a deal with him. Despite not having much interaction with Dao Run, Daniel Davis could roughly guess his personality. Even though Dao Run had left Shu Mountain Sect, he would never betray it, and thus would never casually teach Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique to others.
Trying to make a deal with someone like Dao Run was like trying to negotiate with Yun Tianhe, Murong Ziying, or Huaishuo—it would inevitably end in failure. Even if Daniel Davis threatened Dao Run with his wife and child, it wouldn't work. Of course, while Daniel Davis's moral standards weren't particularly high, he wasn't despicable enough to resort to such methods.
Daniel Davis's approach was simple: directly attack Dao Run, use the Double Complete Hands to extract his memories, and then erase all traces afterward. Everything would be perfect. While this was undoubtedly the behavior of a villain, Daniel Davis couldn't afford to care too much if it meant obtaining Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique.
"Don't worry, I'll come back with them to visit you in a while. If you run out of Lixiang Grass, let me know." After briefly touring Juchao Country, Daniel Davis bid farewell to Huaimi and the other four brothers, promising to return with Han Lingsha and Yun Tianhe. This was genuine, as Huaimi and the others were also friends of Yun Tianhe and Han Lingsha.
"Finally got you. Sorry, Brother Dao Run." Looking at the unconscious Dao Run in front of him, Daniel Davis thought that his time spent ambushing outside Juchao Country in Bailingzhou hadn't been wasted.
For Daniel Davis, capturing Dao Run couldn't be done inside Juchao Country. If he were discovered, it would be troublesome. Fortunately, Dao Run needed to support his family and occasionally left Juchao Country, giving Daniel Davis the opportunity.
Even demons needed food, let alone a human like Dao Run, who hadn't reached the level of Inedia. Living in Juchao Country also required money.
"It seems I wasn't wrong. He really is a core disciple of Shu Mountain."
Daniel Davis had chosen Dao Run for a reason. From his previous encounter with Dao Zhen, he knew that their master held a high position in Shu Mountain. If their master's status had been low, they wouldn't have had access to treasures like the Red Snow Flowing Pearl Pill. Additionally, Murong Ziying had once mentioned the ranking system of Shu Mountain disciples.
Shu Mountain's inner disciples were divided into four levels, distinguished by the color of the Sword Guard Talisman they wore at their waist. From highest to lowest, the colors were purple, blue, green, and white. Dao Zhen wore the highest-level purple talisman, equivalent to Murong Ziying's status in Qiong Hua Sect.
As for Dao Run, perhaps because he had betrayed Shu Mountain Sect, he didn't wear a Sword Guard Talisman. Initially, Daniel Davis didn't know his rank, but now he knew it was blue—one level below his brother. Although lower, it still placed him among Shu Mountain's elite, indicating considerable talent.
However, despite his talent, Dao Run's dedication to cultivation paled in comparison to his elder brother Dao Zhen. This wasn't surprising, as Dao Zhen's relentless cultivation was likely driven by hatred and the desire to protect his younger brother. In contrast, Dao Run lacked such motivation. When their parents were killed by demons, Dao Zhen had witnessed it firsthand.
"So this is the Ten Thousand Swords Technique. It's somewhat similar to Qiong Hua Sect's Thousand Lights Sword Technique. The Heavenly Sword and Supreme Cloud-Piercing Sword are also quite alike."
Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique and Qiong Hua Sect's Sword Control Technique both revolved around the concept of "control." The differences lay in their focus and the strength of the practitioners.
For example, the Ten Thousand Swords Technique could vary greatly depending on the user's strength. Some could only produce a few sword lights, while others could unleash a sky full of sword rays. The so-called Sword God could be seen as an enhanced version of the Ten Thousand Swords Technique.
By comparing Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique with Qiong Hua Sect's, Daniel Davis understood the strengths and weaknesses of both. Given time, he could merge their advantages to take Sword Control Technique to the next level.
"Shu Mountain Sect truly lives up to being the favored child of the Sword and Fairy world."
In addition to the Sword Control Technique, Daniel Davis also learned a lot about Shu Mountain Sect through Dao Run's memories, gaining insight into the sect's true power.
Although Shu Mountain Sect was frequently mentioned in the original game, it was never explored in detail. The perspective was always limited to the protagonists of each generation, making it impossible to grasp the full picture of Shu Mountain Sect.
"Thankfully, Qiong Hua Sect has Yun Tianhe. Otherwise, it would be completely overshadowed by Shu Mountain Sect."
In the Sword and Fairy series, apart from Yun Tianhe being a disciple of Qiong Hua Sect, most other protagonists were either Shu Mountain disciples or had some connection to Shu Mountain. Even Jing Tian, the reincarnation of Fei Peng, could be considered a Shu Mountain disciple in a way.
However, this wasn't particularly significant. Strictly speaking, among the many Shu Mountain disciples, only Jing Tian could compare to Yun Tianhe. The others were no match for him.
This wasn't just about personal strength but also their respective endings. In terms of strength, Yun Tianhe was second only to Jing Tian among the protagonists of the Sword and Fairy series. Even Li Xiaoyao couldn't compare. Not only had Yun Tianhe lived hundreds of years longer than Li Xiaoyao, but he also possessed the Houyi's Sun-Shooting Bow, a divine artifact that Li Xiaoyao couldn't match. As for the other protagonists, they were even less noteworthy.
Then there were their endings. Yun Tianhe and Jing Tian had the best endings among all the protagonists, especially when compared to Li Xiaoyao's tragic fate.
If you compared Yun Tianhe and Jing Tian's later lives, you'd find that Yun Tianhe had it much better. Jing Tian was famously henpecked, as a certain red-haired man had said, while Yun Tianhe wasn't. Both Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli doted on Yun Tianhe.
To be precise, during Li Xiaoyao's era, both Yun Tianhe and Jing Tian should still have been alive. This shows how narrow Baiyue's perspective was. The Water Demon Beast might have seemed powerful, but it didn't even attract the attention of the immortals in the Heavenly Realm, let alone the human world's top figures.
"The Demon Locking Pagoda, the Three Divine Artifacts... but it seems he doesn't know about the Heart of Pangu."
Although Dao Run was considered an elite disciple in Shu Mountain Sect and knew a lot about the sect, he was unaware of its deepest secrets. However, Daniel Davis wasn't particularly interested in the Heart of Pangu. His main goal in capturing Dao Run was to obtain Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique, but the intelligence about Shu Mountain Sect was his true objective.
With Daniel Davis's strength, obtaining Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique wasn't difficult. After all, Shu Mountain Sect had many disciples traveling outside, and capturing one of them wouldn't be hard for Daniel Davis. However, they might not know as much as Dao Run.
In fact, if Daniel Davis hadn't met Yun Tianhe and Han Lingsha when he first arrived in this world, he might have used this method to infiltrate Qiong Hua Sect—capturing a disciple who had left the sect. But since he had met Yun Tianhe and the others, there was no need for such measures.
The relationship between Dao Run and Yin Fuluo had developed to this point largely because of Shu Mountain Sect's Demon Locking Pagoda. Initially, Dao Run had intended to take Yin Fuluo back to Shu Mountain and imprison her in the Demon Locking Pagoda.
Shu Mountain disciples traveling outside would typically do this if given the chance. Murong Ziying's comment that Shu Mountain Sect treated demons more harshly than Qiong Hua Sect wasn't without reason.
However, this rule was also the root cause of several upheavals in Shu Mountain Sect. For example, if Dao Run had been a Qiong Hua Sect disciple, without the Demon Locking Pagoda, he would have simply killed Yin Fuluo. Then, he wouldn't have developed feelings for her over time and betrayed Shu Mountain Sect.
Later, Shu Mountain disciples like Wei Jing, Jiang Qing, and Xi Huan all ended up forming relationships with demons or demonesses due to similar circumstances.
As for whether Shu Mountain's higher-ups were aware of this issue, there was no doubt they knew. Daniel Davis never thought these people were fools. The reason they didn't change anything was, of course, due to the benefits involved.
Killing demons outright was simple, but it offered no advantage to Shu Mountain Sect. Imprisoning demons in the Demon Locking Pagoda, however, was different. The pagoda could convert the demons' magical power into spiritual energy, supplying Shu Mountain. This way, Shu Mountain could become a cultivation holy land.
In fact, even without the Heart of Pangu, Shu Mountain would still be a cultivation holy land as long as it had the Demon Locking Pagoda. The combination of the two made it even more exceptional.
Qiong Hua Sect's spiritual energy environment was already among the best in the various blessed lands, but it still paled in comparison to Shu Mountain. Strictly speaking, even the Illusory Realm, which produced Purple Crystals, might not be able to match Shu Mountain.
If Qiong Hua Sect had Shu Mountain's spiritual energy environment, there would have been no need to bind the Illusory Realm and plunder Purple Crystals. They could have used the two swords to ascend directly. If Shu Mountain had something like the Kunlun Heavenly Light above it, perhaps Shu Mountain Sect would have attempted a mass ascension as well.
Speaking of the Kunlun Heavenly Light, it was interesting that after Qiong Hua Sect disappeared, the Kunlun Heavenly Light also vanished. It was unclear if Nuwa had something to do with it.
With such immense benefits at stake, why would Shu Mountain's higher-ups be willing to give it up? As for the claim that Shu Mountain Sect only sought to slay demons and had no interest in immortality, Daniel Davis saw it as a joke. Every cultivator desired immortality, including Daniel Davis himself. The only reason he didn't want to become an immortal in this world was that he knew the drawbacks of the immortals here. Others, however, didn't know this.
If Shu Mountain Sect truly had no interest in immortality, the Five Elders wouldn't have created the Evil Sword Immortal later. The reason the Evil Sword Immortal appeared was precisely because the Five Elders wanted to become immortals.
As for why Shu Mountain Sect, with its excellent environment and many talented disciples, had so few disciples achieve immortality, Daniel Davis might not have been able to answer this question before. However, after hearing Nuwa's words from Murong Ziying, he had some guesses.
The reason Shu Mountain Sect had so few disciples achieve immortality over the years was precisely because of the Demon Locking Pagoda—both its success and its downfall.
"Pangu has decreed that all things in the six realms follow the law of karma. Mortals gaze at the heavens, unaware of the sun and moon's hidden movements, the cycle of the seasons, and the cause and effect that governs all things. From this day forward, the Houyi's Sun-Shooting Bow acknowledges you as its master. The extent of its power depends on you. Use it wisely. If you die, the bow will return to the Sealing God Mausoleum."
Nuwa had said this, and Jumang had also said it. However, Nuwa had also said something else:
"Good and evil are not divided by the human and demon realms. If demons do no evil, why kill them? Qiong Hua Sect, driven by greed, slaughtered the Illusory Realm. How is that different from evil demons?"
This was what Nuwa had said to Su Yao of Qiong Hua Sect, but it also applied to Shu Mountain Sect.
Although Daniel Davis didn't like Fuxi and the Heavenly Realm of this world, he had to admit that, under normal circumstances, the Heavenly Realm's actions were quite fair. After all, the Heavenly Emperor Fuxi wasn't a shortsighted fool like Kurozumi Orochi.
As for his targeting of Nuwa and Shennong, if viewed without bias, the three were simply competing for control of the six realms. Fuxi just happened to win.
Of course, as a human, Daniel Davis naturally couldn't side with Fuxi. This was why he planned to deal with Fuxi once he became strong enough, changing the fate of Nuwa's descendants. However, he had no intention of destroying the Heavenly Realm or making humans the rulers of the six realms. That was too much trouble.
After all, Daniel Davis wasn't some freedom-loving revolutionary. He had always been indifferent to such ideals. These people might talk a good game, but when faced with the power of immortals and gods, they would kneel faster than anyone else. Just look at the various religions that sprouted like mushrooms after Asgard appeared in the Marvel world.
Daniel Davis had no interest in the miscellaneous affairs of the Marvel world. As long as they didn't affect him, he wouldn't interfere.
It must be said that the Heavenly Emperor Fuxi was indeed the Heavenly Emperor Fuxi. From Nuwa's words, it was clear that while the Heavenly Realm held great authority, it still had to act in accordance with the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao was constant, and even gods had to follow its decrees.
However, this decree could be exploited. Just like Shu Mountain's Demon Locking Pagoda, the pagoda's ability to convert demons' magical power into spiritual energy was something Shu Mountain Sect couldn't achieve on its own. It was a gift from the Heavenly Realm. For Shu Mountain Sect, this gift was a source of great excitement, but they didn't realize it was part of Fuxi's scheme.
With the Demon Locking Pagoda, Shu Mountain Sect naturally had greater motivation to slay demons. However, the more they slayed demons, the less chance they had of achieving immortality.
Of course, alternative paths to immortality were exceptions, such as the later Mingwang of the Prison.
"If the Demon Locking Pagoda is such a place, then that Dugu Jian Sheng locking Ling'er inside is truly despicable. If I ever meet him, I'll make sure he regrets it."
After learning the true nature of the Demon Locking Pagoda from Dao Run, Daniel Davis immediately felt disdain for Dugu Jian Sheng. No wonder he couldn't achieve immortality—he deserved it.
"Sorry, Dao Run."
After extracting all the information Dao Run knew, Daniel Davis silently apologized to him, then released him and flew away on his sword.
"The Three Divine Artifacts... I should go to Shu Mountain and take a look. Maybe there's a chance."
After leaving Dao Run, Daniel Davis spent a few days in seclusion in Shouyang County, diligently practicing Shu Mountain's Sword Control Technique. With his foundation in Qiong Hua Sect's Sword Control Technique, his progress was rapid. After emerging from seclusion, Daniel Davis considered his options and ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of the Three Divine Artifacts. He flew on his sword toward Shu Mountain.
From Dao Run, Daniel Davis learned that Shu Mountain had set up the Three Emperors Illusion to protect the Three Divine Artifacts. Combined with the artifacts' own power and Shu Mountain Sect's protective formations, stealing the artifacts would be incredibly difficult.
Shu Mountain Sect wasn't like Qiong Hua Sect, which had suffered heavy losses after the battle with the Illusory Realm. Shu Mountain's current elders were numerous, and some of them were as powerful as the later Seven Sages of Shu Mountain.
Not to mention the Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords Formation.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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