Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Jiang Ding looked around.

Above the third-grade superior spiritual vein, vines of the melted gold fruit, thick as an arm and blackish-brown as if cast from metal, sprawled across the area. The leaves were the fiery red color of magma.

Within the leaves, a golden fruit would occasionally grow, roughly the size of a fist and covered in cracks, with deep red magma-fire bubbling inside.

”Melted gold fruits, located on the third-grade superior spiritual vein, maturing once every ten years, can be used to temper flying swords, generating the third-grade level of sharpness-enhancing gang qi...”

Jiang Ding muttered to himself, looking at these things he had personally planted fifteen years ago, which had already matured and been harvested in batches.

”Forget it, this gang qi is only so-so. It will become obsolete once one advances to a golden pill.”

”I’ll save it up for later, to cultivate my life treasure.”

Life treasure.

A golden pill monk can refine their own life treasure. For cultivators who already possess a magic tool embryo, they can directly refine the embryo into a real treasure, with power surpassing those of the same rank by far.

In addition, the growth of a treasure requires constant nurturing within the elixir field, or the integration of new materials and continuous refining, allowing the treasure to grow over time.

”The refining inheritance of flying swords at the Great Sun Sword Pavilion hasn’t been lost.”

Jiang Ding recalled, ”It just requires pairing with some elixirs, continuously refining with metallic heavenly material and earthly treasure, infusing them into it, and the choices, combinations, and methods of refining material all affect the flying sword’s growth speed and power, or what attributes it gains. It’s quite complex.”

”However, one thing is particularly suitable—No. 21 Synthetic Geng Metal, extremely sharp and fine. The melted gold fruit serves as an auxiliary elixir for nurturing... If possible, I should specifically develop a set of suitable refinement techniques for swordsmanship.”

”But that will have to wait until after core formation. Right now, the core formation secret technique is more important.”

His thoughts gradually drifted away, and it took a while before they came to a stop.

Jiang Ding got up and flew towards a grand hall in the distance, constructed entirely of second-order spiritual material, green gold stone. The bold brilliance of green gold shone, clearly visible tens of kilometers away, a sacred place in the eyes of many loose cultivators.

The Tushan Dojo’s council hall.

Some cultivators privately referred to this place as the sect’s grand hall.

The grey-blue escaping light landed in the middle of the hall, at the central main seat.

”Greetings, Little Uncle!”

Li Qingyun, Monk Fa Zheng, Gong Caiyu, and other foundation-building cultivators bowed together, with somber expressions and voices echoing and resonating in the grand hall, creating a humming sound.

”Please be seated.”

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

In this world, people take hierarchy very seriously. To get them to do things, aside from adequate rewards, this aspect of things also needs some consideration.

Divine Sense swept through the green gold hall, counting forty-one foundation-building cultivators.

These accounted for a large part of Tushan Dojo’s foundation-building cultivators. The rest held positions at various spiritual veins, mines, spiritual lakes, etc., a total of sixty-seven people, which was the force that allowed Tushan Dojo to maintain order in its governed territories.

They were broadly divided into two groups.

One group, led by Li Qingyun with more than twenty people, came from Qiyu Sect for better benefits to serve their Little Uncle.

The other, led by Liu Hongshao, a late-stage foundation-building cultivator, also consisted of more than twenty people. They were loose cultivators from Yue Country and Chu Country, drawn by spiritual veins and various elixirs, and were employed by Tushan Dojo.

These divisions were based on origins. If sorting by power, they could also be divided into Law Enforcement Hall, Tax Hall, Agriculture Hall, Wealth Hall, and so on. An intricately complex system, no less than that of a nation.

Essentially, except for inheriting and nurturing disciples, the Tushan Dojo had everything a sect should have, built personally by the acting head of Qiyu Sect and others.

Within a nation, there were many complicated affairs.

Every one to two years, he would convene a meeting of this level, spending some time to deal with various miscellaneous affairs.

”Little Uncle.”

Li Qingyun sat and then stood again, saying,

”At the location of the second-order spiritual vein, the mountain lord of White Jade Mountain, an early stage foundation building cultivator, Xia Baoling, has been killed by a group of bandit cultivators from the Northern Plains. They have occupied White Jade Mountain and sent ten thousand spirit stones here, promising to double the taxes for the next ten years.”

”This is the first time such an incident has occurred in over a decade.”

Previously, the second-order spiritual veins in Demon Country were mostly unclaimed, and there were more veins than foundation-building cultivators. As long as taxes were paid, they could be occupied without any conflict arising.

Now, as time has passed, they are beginning to reach saturation.

”What do you think,”

Li Qingyun asked, ”should we accept them, or take some other action?”

It could be seen that he leaned toward acceptance.

It was not bribery, but purely a consideration of governance costs.

If they retaliated for the death of every Foundation-building cultivator who rented a Spiritual Vein, the governance cost would be too high.

If they allowed acceptance unchecked, it would naturally filter out the stronger ones.

Anyone occupying a Spiritual Vein had to accept an unconditional summons from Tushan Dojo when necessary, having more strong underlings was also beneficial for the dojo.

As for the drift and disloyalty of Foundation-building cultivators?

These Loose Cultivators were here for profit and could never be truly loyal; no matter how well they were treated, it would be the same.

The moment authority lost its martial suppression, an uprising would erupt instantly.

Liu Hongshao and other Foundation-building cultivators were watching nervously, as they had Spiritual Veins in various locations; Tushan Dojo’s decision would directly affect the future security of their homes.

”The Law Enforcement Hall is to send out people, summon all nearby Foundation-building cultivators, and execute them,”

Jiang Ding said indifferently.

Ever since the Foundation-building Demon Beasts within Tushan Nation’s borders were virtually wiped out seven or eight years ago, he seldom went out, mostly it was the various forces under his command taking action.

He detested chaos and disorder.

Liu Hongshao and other Loose Cultivators breathed a sigh of relief.

”Yes!”

Li Qingyun didn’t ask further and made an additional suggestion, ”I recommend that the homes on the Second Order Spiritual Veins be re-auctioned every ten years. The highest bidder wins, and if the expected minimum price isn’t met, it’s better to leave it vacant than to rent it out.”

This was to ensure liquidity of the Spiritual Veins and to filter out the weaker as much as possible, reducing the chance of such incidents and preventing the costs of enforcement from rising limitlessly.

’Damn it.’

Liu Hongshao and other Loose Cultivators clenched their teeth secretly, dissatisfaction growing in their hearts, yet they dared not voice a single word.

”Agreed.”

”Recently, due to the Lingbao Commerce Association’s spirit boat transport trade, they collect high fees to escort people through the Spiritless Gobi. More Foundation-building cultivators from the Northern Plains have come, and although this has increased our tax revenue and manpower considerably, it has also had negative consequences.”

”In recent years, Bandit Cultivators have been prowling, and the security near Tushan Immortal City has deteriorated.”

”Especially during the Lingbao Commerce Association’s quintennial auction, the number of Bandit Cultivators increases significantly, and after striking it rich, they shed their disguises and turn back into benevolent Cultivators, making it extremely difficult to find their traces,” Li Qingyun reported on another matter, ”I suggest increasing the staff of Head Liu’s Law Enforcement team by fifty percent to deter the increasing number of Loose Cultivators around, patrol for illegal activities, and continue to make Tushan Immortal City the most flourishing place for commerce in the Three Kingdoms.”

”Increase the Law Enforcement team by fifty percent?”

Jiang Ding frowned.

The Law Enforcement Hall was currently headed by Liu Hongshao, a Foundation Building Cultivator in the Latter Stage of Foundation Building, under whom were twenty-three Sect and Loose Cultivator Foundation-building Cultivators skilled in battling, incorporating more than three hundred cultivators in the Late Stage of Qi Practicing.

The expenses were already significant.

After a brief recollection, he accessed the data on commercial tax revenues of Tushan Immortal City over the recent years.

’...Over the span of five years, with Cultivators from the Three Kingdoms converging and trading, the annual commercial tax has increased from three million to five million Low-grade Spirit Stones, and continues to rapidly grow... from the Lingbao Commerce Association alone, the tax amount reached one hundred and twenty-seven million Low-grade Spirit Stones...’

”Agreed.”

”Yes.”

Li Qingyun then continued with the next item on the agenda, ”The fish population in East Mountain Spiritual Lake is dwindling, and this year’s catch is expected to decrease by ten percent...”

”...The Bai Gui and Du Jiang branches of the Xuetu Hall in Chu Country have perished, with all their disciples dead, they have officially renamed it Hua Xue Palace, and they have made a trade request, hoping to obtain many Elixirs and Demon Beast blood, which can be exchanged for Spirit Stones and Spirit Mines...”

”...Three months ago, a Demon Beast invaded human cities...”

”...There’s a master of a Second Order Spiritual Vein resisting tax...”

One by one, the affairs of Tushan Dojo were swiftly dealt with, involving the Law Enforcement Hall, Agriculture Hall, Tax Hall, and so on, as each Foundation-building Cultivator came forward to report and then received their respective tasks.

The meeting continued for three days before it concluded.

The Foundation-building cultivators flew out in succession.

”Junior Uncle,”

Li Qingyun brought up a serious matter, ”A few days ago, a Golden Pill senior sent a greeting card to Tushan Dojo, possibly a Golden Pill Monk who escaped from the Northern Plains.”