Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Jiang Ding quietly watched the Tushan Immortal City he had managed for over a hundred years, as the Tushan Demon Palace turned into magma and ash.

Some memories surfaced in his mind.

Over a century ago, this place was the land of the Tushan Monster Country, controlled by a lineage of three fox monsters.

Demon King Bai Hua and Red Flame Demon King were among the strong within the Golden Pill Monks, and even Peacock Demon Kong Que was notable amongst the early-stage Golden Pill cultivators.

Fox monsters, five-colored peacocks, ape demons, fox monsters, bull demons, and various other demon kinds roamed the lands of the Demon Country.

They bred humans for food, treating them like livestock, pigs and dogs, and developed a rich variety of cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, frying, and roasting, with infants, youngsters, women, strong men, and the elderly each having suitable cooking techniques.

This had become a cultural custom of the demon race, where for any birthday celebration, wedding, brotherhood oath, or wartime deployment, slaughtering living humans for sacrifice was customary to pray for peace to the demon gods.

Different rituals demanded different ages, genders, and cooking techniques for the sacrificial victims.

At that time, out of the tens of millions of people in the Demon Country, very few lived past seventeen; aside from a minority of breeders, most were slaughtered at sixteen.

After he arrived in the Monster Country, he killed Demon King Bai Hua and Red Flame Demon King, then mustered a large group of Foundation-building cultivators to slay all man-eating monsters, rescuing the captive humans, training cultivators of all levels, and developing various industries in Tushan Immortal City.

All these efforts, no matter how arduous.

That was how today’s Tushan Immortal City came to be.

With an annual income of more than thirty million low-grade Spirit Stones, Jiang Ding felt perfectly justified in taking it, thinking, ”If not me, then who?”

”Divine Crow Immortal.”

”Divine Crow!”

Jiang Ding’s expression remained calm, displaying no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness.

The Flying Sword, which appeared in his hand at some unknown time, was lightly flicked with his forefinger, producing a clear ringing sound.

”Divine Crow, you did well.”

”Really well.”

”Every year, I rely on these thirty million low-grade Spirit Stones to make a living. I use them to buy No. 21 Synthetic Geng Metal, obtain Gold Copper Stone and other high-priority materials, begin laying out the Sword Dao inheritance, looking forward to the huge profits hundreds or thousands of years from now, accumulating a foundation for the future path, and so on...”

”And you, in one fell swoop, smashed it all.”

”Early Stage of Nascent Soul!”

This was the clear perception given by the residual Sword Intent of Destruction on Armor Piece No. 25 in a life-and-death crisis.

The Sword Intent of Destruction had already reached a minor level of maturity by then, combined with Magic Arts-Breaking Immortal Gold and Taiqing Spirit Iron, even giving birth to a miniature Sword Domain capable of splitting realms, making the likelihood of a misjudgment extremely, extremely small.

”Hunting a Nascent Soul Monk in the early stage...”

”Can’t let him escape, can’t even allow the Nascent Soul to escape, not to mention sending out a distress signal could be impossible?”

Numerous thoughts twinkled in Jiang Ding’s Divine Soul as he plunged into intense calculations.

Not killing would be absolutely unacceptable!

Nascent Soul Monks always have connections, friends, old acquaintances, same sect members—a whole mess of them.

Especially against unaffiliated individuals with no power, they like ganging up for a beating.

”To slay a Nascent Soul.”

”First point, need to solidify space to prevent him from breaking through with instant movement or similar tricks, which are too troublesome and must be strictly forbidden.”

Jiang Ding calculated rapidly.

”This point... the central commanding super warship, along with the initial version of the Dyson Sun Mirror Sword Domain formed by one thousand and twenty-four unmanned sword drones, was designed with a sort of spatial capability from the outset, capable of locking down space.”

”Second point, the Nascent Soul, as a cultivator’s Nascent Soul is already half made of Spiritual Energy and half spatial creation, has terrifying escape capabilities and needs to be confined... Xianmen Sect has such items.”

Jiang Ding searched his Divine Soul and quickly found the relevant information.

”Infant-Forbidding Net, a one-time use Nascent Treasure priced at six hundred million low-grade Spirit Stones, requiring at least twenty percent down payment in the form of a fourth-rank Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, subjected to certain merit scrutiny, and not allowed to be traded with Outer Realm cultivators... That’s not a problem for me.”

”The problem is, I have no money.”

”Any solutions?”

”What could be the solution?”

”A loan!”

Jiang Ding steeled his heart:

”My online loan limit is quite high,” he said. ”Whether it’s official loans from the Xianmen Sect or private institution loans, they won’t refuse me. Let’s borrow some money first and talk later.”

His figure flashed and disappeared.

...

Central Bank of Immortal Sect.

”Loans, sigh...”

”The great Heavenly Monarch Jiang has actually fallen to this, unable to produce the twenty-nine million low-grade spirit stones needed to buy No. 21 Synthetic Geng Metal every year. And I can’t pause the refining of my flying swords, so I can only borrow money to get by.”

Jiang Ding sighed.

”Divine Crow Immortal, you really are a good-for-nothing crow. I’ll remember this.”

Divine Sense went online, accessed the Central Bank of Immortal Sect’s website, and submitted a credit report, personal information, the purpose of the loan... A whole bunch of messy stuff. Fortunately, Divine Sense was quick at dealing with all kinds of affairs.

”Ding!”

”Your credit limit is one hundred billion low-grade spirit stones.”

”Please note that loans from Xianmen can only be used for their specified purpose. It is strictly forbidden to use funds for anything other than the stated purpose. In the event of any violation of the loan agreement, the Central Bank of Immortal Sect has the right to immediately recall the remaining loan and reserves the right to pursue legal responsibility.”

The voice of the Array Spirit from the Central Bank of Immortal Sect resounded.

These words are legally binding.

”Confirmed.”

Jiang Ding sighed and said, ”I’m applying for a loan of ten billion low-grade spirit stones, twenty percent of which needs to be high enough to buy fourth-tier Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, the currency of fourth-tier spirit stones.”

Fourth-tier spirit stone currency.

This is the digital currency of Xianmen that circulates among Nascent Soul and higher level cultivators, which can be used to purchase Nascent Soul level Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures at parity. It is backed by the entire Xianmen Sect, with strict regulations on issuance and redemption.

”Applying for you...”

”Loan amount: eight billion low-grade spirit stones, two billion fourth-tier digital currency.

Loan duration: fifty years.

Loan purpose: cultivation, purchasing Xianmen goods.

Annual interest rate: 4.3%

Activating the privilege of a God-transforming level merit holder: Xianmen Central Bank loan interest rate -80%

Actual annual interest rate: 0.86%”

”Xianmen Central Bank system review passed.”

”Awaiting manual review, this process will take three to five years, please wait...”

”Three to five years...”

Jiang Ding was not surprised.

Ten billion low-grade spirit stones; such a fortune could make any Nascent Soul cultivator green with envy. Naturally, they must be extremely cautious, involving background checks, conversations with bank personnel, repayment plans... None of these steps can be omitted because they are very troublesome.

Three to five years is already considered fast.

This timeframe is the limit of streamlining the manual procedures, basically going through the process once to approve it as a privilege for those meritorious in the Xianmen Sect.

If it was a regular Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be impossible without going through the process for decades, and even after completing the process, there’s a fairly high chance of being rejected.

Because the Xianmen Sect is poor, each loan is carefully considered in regards to the applicant’s ability to repay. They won’t lend money carelessly.

Of course, once lent, don’t think about not repaying it.

If you do it once, you’re basically blacklisted by all banks within the Xianmen Sect, your merits in the sect will decrease significantly, and all sorts of political examinations will come under scrutiny, no longer easily entrusted with important positions.

If you wanted to apply for a loan like today again in the future, just going through the process and getting the loan—it simply wouldn’t happen again.

”The loan will take three to five years,” he said.

”The super warship will still take more than twenty years to build... If necessary, adding on my own ability to produce money, I could complete it within ten years.”

”Divine Crow, just wait... I’m going to collect some interest first.”

Jiang Ding muttered to himself.