Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The eastern forest.

The forest was deep with dense underbrush, and the mountain winds howled.

Qian Tongyi and ten other Liyun Sect cultivators, spaced fifty meters apart in pairs, advanced stealthily in a crescent formation, leaving no trace as they moved.

Wild boars, elks, and ferocious tigers ran through the woods from time to time, grazing and hunting as usual, undisturbed in the slightest.

”Senior Qian, please slow down to a quarter of our current speed.”

A jade pendant on Qian Tongyi’s waist flickered, transforming into a covert wave of Divine Sense that transmitted into his sea of consciousness.

He was slightly stunned.

This was the normal speed they adopted to accommodate the brothers at the Fifth Level of Qi Practicing; how could they go any slower?

But he quickly realized the average person wouldn’t be able to keep up with them.

”Reduce the speed to a quarter and be more cautious,” Qian Tongyi said in a deep voice.

The tacit understanding formed from years of cultivation together made the others instinctively comply, slowing down as they did so, only then pondering the significance of the order, with a hint of doubt in their eyes.

Xianmen Sect,

Even as a revered Immortal Sect, using a mere mortal to command us is too humiliating!

Four kilometers later, behind the crescent formation of Liyun Sect cultivators, Jiang Ding, carrying an anti-materiel sniper rifle, moved through the woods as well, silent and invisible, leaving no trace.

On the interface of his tactical helmet, images of the mountains and terrain flashed by, and he was in control of seven drones flying in the sky at a height of three thousand meters.

This was no shooting range; even military drones could easily be shot down.

In addition, on another interface, ten dots were moving – they were Qian Tongyi and his group.

Jiang Ding was responsible for reconnaissance in the east, and there were others in different directions rapidly sketching out the topography and creating coordinates for fire strikes.

Since receiving the reconnaissance order, he had been moving through these woods for seven to eight hours, covering more than one hundred and fifty kilometers, while the seven drones had spread out over an area of more than fifty kilometers in the sky, with no findings so far.

The battlefield was vast, and it was possible that the reconnaissance troops from No.1 High School had passed not far from them.

Suddenly, the screen of one drone went black.

The enemy!

Jiang Ding’s expression intensified as, from the perspective of another drone ten kilometers away, the drone suddenly exploded into pieces, many of which shattered for a second time.

It was heavy machine gun bullets, rapid-fire, or possibly multiple snipers shooting simultaneously.

The likelihood was slim as the reconnaissance infantry course was very difficult, and No.1 High School couldn’t have produced several reconnaissance infantry by now; as top-grade special magic tools, Xianmen would only issue them to corresponding professionals.

”Enemy spotted, position unknown.”

Jiang Ding sounded the alarm, directing the other drones to move away from the downed drone, trying to find a cloud to hide.

The expressions of Qian Tongyi and the other Liyun Sect cultivators turned serious as they paid even more attention to the operation of their Concealment Spells.

Though they might encounter fellow sect members, none would hold back against those not of their lineage; only by eliminating all disciples of other lineages could they end this inner sect disciple trial and ascend to the status of an inner sect disciple!

Another drone’s screen went black.

Jiang Ding finally spotted a drone hidden within a white cloud five to six kilometers away.

Raising the anti-materiel sniper rifle, which had been charged and ready, he aimed, predicted its trajectory, channeled one-sixth of his Inner Energy to reinforce it, and waited for it to reappear.

Bang!

After a moment, a very faint gunshot sounded, and the drone that had just revealed a small part of its body shattered on cue.

Jiang Ding put down his rifle, continuously channeling Inner Energy into it; it would take about six minutes to fully recharge.

Meanwhile, within the microcomputer in his tactical helmet, various lines and diagrams were listed, quickly calculating based on the two downed drones.

Starting with the points of the drone crashes as the origin and 3,247 meters in altitude as the vertical coordinate, circles with a radius representing the effective range of five kilometers for a heavy machine gun were drawn on the forest floor, demarcating a region.

”Go and investigate this area,” Jiang Ding ordered.

Those who came out for reconnaissance were most likely Inner Qi Realm individuals from No.7 High School paired with Liyun Sect Taoist Soldiers.

Xianmen Qi Practitioners’ combat strength would significantly decrease outside of tanks, and they were also easily detectable by Divine Sense, not much stronger than Inner Qi Realm Martial Artists.

You certainly can’t drive a tank through the forest to carve out a long path for reconnaissance.

Unless they were a kind of super elite.

Cultivators who could maintain their own cultivation, learn to drive tanks, cast spells, study various formation methods and cultural subjects, and still find time to cultivate Concealment and reconnaissance magic that goes beyond common sense of Xianmen.

Such cultivators didn’t exist in No.1 High School.

Aside from Li Tie at Qi Practicing Level 8 with Dual Spiritual Roots, the other Qi Practitioners from No.7 High School were just mediocre, a notch below those from No.1 High School.

As for the Liyun Sect cultivators,

their Taoist Soldiers were heavily restricted in the use of many unique magic tools of the Xianmen, limiting their scouting range severely.

”Yes!”

Qian Tongyi and the others had bitter expressions on their faces, but they dared not disobey the order. They headed straight for the coordinates Jiang Ding had designated, carefully using their Divine Sense to probe every part of the jungle.

A Qi Practitioner at the Seventh Level, with Divine Sense covering a radius of seventy meters, this area was not small.

They were constantly on the move, circling irregularly and very fast. Although the designated area was vast, it would still take only about fifteen minutes to go through it roughly.

”Nothing.”

”No discovery, Senior Brother Qian.”

The reports from the cultivators below kept coming, the same as their own findings.

”Good, continue moving forward, don’t be careless. Although that person is also a mortal, we can’t find him...” Qian Tongyi let out a sigh of relief, just as he was about to encourage everyone, two semi-transparent, sneaky figures appeared on the edge of his Divine Sense.

They were merely semi-transparent, and the gap between them and their superiors was huge. It was clear to see some clues just with the naked eye, let alone with Divine Sense scanning; they could even see how many hairs the other party had.

They did not dare to move swiftly, creeping stealthily while crouching, any trace left in the trees or bushes would make them be discovered even faster.

Qian Tongyi fell silent for a moment.

”Kill!”

He uttered coldly, his icy Divine Sense transmitted into each of the disciple’s minds.

Whoosh!

In an instant, ten Yunse Flying Swords flew out, reaching the two transparent figures in just an instant.

”We’ve been discovered!”

Jiang Jinxian and Wu Jinqian’s expressions changed drastically, as the flying swords approached, the cold intent to kill chilled to the bone, and only then did they truly realize the gap between them.

What a joke to confront these Flying Swords with Inner Energy Large Circle of Vital Energy from No.7 High School martial leader!

”Save me!”

The two instinctively shouted out loud.

The gaunt cultivator, protecting within a range of several tens of meters, was somewhat fed up. As a Qi Practitioning Level 8 cultivator, tasked with guarding two mortals as insignificant as ants, with his hands tied.

But he could not afford not to save them.

As a fellow Liyun Sect cultivator, ten Flying Swords also flew out, instantly blocking the opposing swords. The swords clashed fiercely with each other, sword qi bursting forth, and large trees as thick as waists toppled at their touch.

Seizing this opportunity, Jiang Jinxian and the other did not hold back anymore, bursting out with all their speed in a desperate escape backward.

”Black Cloud Peak’s people.”

Qian Tongyi’s face turned cold. Even risking his Flying Swords being slashed by the gaunt Qi Practitioner at Level 8, in an instant, the Yunse Flying Sword turned, bypassed the heads of Jiang Jinxian and the other, and with an explosion of sword qi, their bodies were sliced into countless thin pieces.

Mortals were too fragile, completely unable to protect themselves.

”Seeking death!”

The gaunt cultivator was furious.

How dared a mere cultivator at the Seventh Level of Qi Practicing be distracted during their fight, he clearly didn’t know how to write the word ’death’!

The Middle-grade Yunse Flying Sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, its speed greatly increased, and in the blink of an eye, it reached Qian Tongyi, slashing fiercely down.

With just one slash,

Qian Tongyi’s shield magic tool dimmed in spiritual light, wobbling on the verge of collapse, while the Flying Sword was still on its way back, unable to resist in time.

The gaunt cultivator’s Flying Sword retained its spiritual light without any damage, growing even more radiant with each strike. After one slash, it easily cut through the already dimmed shield and drew towards his neck.

”Spare me, we are both disciples of the Liyun Sect...”

Qian Tongyi’s face showed fear, regretting that he had followed that mortal’s order to kill.

”Ridiculous!”

The gaunt cultivator’s face grew more ferocious, but suddenly he felt unbearable pain, his body went weak.

Looking down, he did not know when a fist-sized hole appeared in his waist; his body stiffened, even his Flying Sword turned dim and lightless.

Boom!

From within the hole, searing flames erupted, turning him into a pile of ashes.

Over four thousand meters away,

Jiang Ding hoisted his gun, quickly moving away from his original sniping spot. With all his inner energy burst forth, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

”Escape! This coordinate is no longer safe!”