Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

”Is that so?”

Jiang Ding felt somewhat disappointed.

Such a driving force couldn’t achieve much.

It wasn’t true that just because one was born into the Panda Clan, one could certainly become a strong warrior.

Most of them were spirit beasts without spiritual intelligence; the rest, even those with awakened spiritual intelligence, if they had poor talent or comprehension, would only become ordinary people or Qi Practitioners who could build their foundations—just citizens, that’s all.

”Then, Xiaohua, you must work hard.”

”Perhaps, in the future, Xiaohua will become a famous swordsman renowned throughout the world?”

Jiang Ding encouraged.

”Yeah!”

Xiaohua shouted loudly.

A gust of wind came, lifting the fluffy black and white ball into the air, carrying it to the side of the high-rise building’s windows and then falling downward.

”Ah! Help me!”

Xiaohua screamed, flailing about desperately like someone drowning, frantically reaching out for anything to grab, extremely frightened.

She caught a calf.

Both hands and feet held on tightly.

Jiang Ding felt one of his feet sinking and looked down in confusion, asking, ”Xiaohua, haven’t you flown in the sky with your elders before?”

”...Yes”

The panda cub curled into a ball, holding on to the leg tightly, head down, emitting an extremely faint milky voice mixed with the sound of the wind, inaudible without Divine Sense.

”Oh.”

Jiang Ding understood.

Born timid and afraid of heights.

Flew into the middle of the building, where the floor-to-ceiling window opened, and then flew inside.

”Greetings, Elder Jiang!”

A circle of people bowed uniformly in greeting, men and women alike, ranging from their sixties and seventies to their twenties and thirties, over sixty individuals.

”Hello, everyone.”

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

These were the members of the 13th Golden Pill Sword Dao Training Class.

Among them, eighty percent were Cold Weapon Masters who taught well within Xianmen Sect and were beloved by students, coming from public schools, private schools, civilian training classes, the military, and various other backgrounds—no distinction as to origin.

They didn’t charge a fee or anything; it was only required to sign an agreement that obliged them to teach a certain number of students qualified in swordsmanship over the next twenty years, or else they would owe a significant breach-of-contract fee.

Such a fee, based on the remedial teaching rates of a Golden Pill Monk, was something Qi Practitioners dared not even contemplate facing the consequences of breaching.

Despite this, the number of applicants each year was endless, with nearly every Cold Weapon Master within Xianmen Sect having applied at one time or another, year after year.

Some who originally weren’t in the teaching industry heard the news and immediately switched careers, diligently trying to teach students and hone their teaching skills.

Not for any other reason,

but six months of guidance from a Golden Pill Monk!

The value of this, to a Qi Practitioner, was a tremendous opportunity, requiring very little compensation—how could one not be tempted?

The remaining twenty percent of the spots were reserved for Sword Dao teachers who over the past year had taught the most and the best students, as a reward and cultivation for them.

”So cute!”

The eyes of over sixty students were drawn to Jiang Ding’s left foot, with many of the women showing little stars in their eyes.

After landing for a while, the black and white ball cautiously stretched out its paws, testing the firmness of the ground several times before slowly letting go of the trouser leg and standing up cautiously.

The clear black and white eyes looked around, occasionally sniffing.

”This is... Xiaohua,” Jiang Ding said, ”who will be cultivating with everyone from now on.”

”Hello brothers and sisters, I am Xiaohua.”

Xiaohua bowed, her cute big eyes looking at the many fellow students as she said in a milky voice, ”We will be classmates from now on. Please take good care of me.”

It was obvious that she had been well taught by her family and was very polite.

”No problem!”

”Welcome, Xiaohua!”

Many students blurted out, their rationality taken by cuteness.

Many people couldn’t help but gather around, taking out their phones and snapping away, taking a bunch of selfies with the panda cub, posting to their Moments in a single breath.

”Ahem!”

Jiang Ding coughed.

Pay attention, it’s class time now.

The surrounding students snapped to attention, quickly returning to formation, standing tall and proud, neatly arrayed.

Only Xiaohua was left standing there, looking around blankly, as her black-rimmed eyes moved back and forth, taking a step to the left, then a step to the right.

”The last position in the first row.”

Jiang Ding said softly.

”Yes, Elder Jiang!”

Xiaohua vigorously nodded her panda head and quickly walked to her spot, standing tall and proud, hands on hips.

”Today, we’re still going over Basic Sword Skills and Basic Sword Control Skills.”

Jiang Ding slowly said, ”Basic Sword Skills are the foundation of all swordsmanship. Once you master basic skills, learning other sword arts will become much easier. Let’s start now.”

”Yes!”

Soon, everyone spread out, and the sword-light flashed, fanning out layers of Sword Qi like a peacock’s tail.

Jiang Ding’s Divine Sense split into dozens of strands, targeting each student’s body and meridians, pointing out mistakes, and instantaneously devising a set of solutions, patiently instructing.

With the Divine Sense of a Golden Pill Peak cultivator, the progress could often be astonishing. In just half a year, almost every student would greatly improve in their swordsmanship, capable of taking on two of their previous selves.

Jiang Ding nodded from time to time.

Compared to six years ago, everyone’s swordsmanship had undoubtedly improved a lot, with more than ten people reaching the level of an amateur third-stage swordsman, which was quite good.

Although their skills couldn’t be considered outstanding now, the term ’a sore sight for the eyes’ could no longer be applied to them.

His gaze shifted to the last corner of the first row.

A black and white blob about a meter tall, with a longsword almost as tall as itself clumsily held in its right paw, swung left and right, chopping down, occasionally stumbling, inciting worry that it might fall and hurt itself.

”Haven’t you learned this before?”

A strand of Jiang Ding’s Divine Sense focused on her as he asked softly.

”Elder Jiang, no.”

Xiaohua’s eyes dodged, not daring to look at anyone, feeling the gap between herself and her fellow older students was enormous.

”Just take your time learning.”

Jiang Ding comforted, ”In fact, they were even clumsier than you when they first started. Over time, with practice, they’ve improved to where they are now.”

”I’ll work hard!”

Xiaohua indeed drew inspiration and declared resolutely.

”Mmm, the palms of bear species aren’t suited for holding swords, but that’s not a big deal.”

Jiang Ding remarked casually, ”Don’t we have True Qi in our bodies? Use the True Qi as your palms, extending strands of it to coalesce at the tips of your claws, and then you’ll be able to hold a sword...”

Pandas can also cultivate the ”Eagle Taking Off Technique,” and there are versions tailored for them. The subsequent cultivation methods are designed for them as well, which are part of the achievements of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and part of the business layout of Elder Hua.

Xiaohua is currently at the Chuying Inner Qi Grand Achievement level.

She lags far behind her sister, Xiaoye, who as a Qi Practitioner has already reached the Late-stage Qi Practicing level or has become a Demon Cultivator.

”I know that, ’Thousand Threads Guide’ is just for this!”

Xiaohua perked up, her right paw shifting and suddenly releasing strands and threads of Sword Qi, firmly gripping the sword’s hilt. As she executed the sword moves again, it indeed became more stable, no longer wobbling.

Once more she practiced a set of Basic Sword Skills.

Jiang Ding showed a trace of surprise and didn’t ask her to stop but watched a few more times.

Not quite sure, he searched online and found a video of a panda at the Internal Qi Realm using a cold weapon, carefully comparing it.

”Huh, was this video sped up?”

Jiang Ding wondered, looking back and forth.

Xiaohua and the panda in the video were both wielding weapons, with the panda in the video using a big hammer, yet moving through the motions much faster than Xiaohua.

She looked as if she was doing Tai Chi, her bear paw wielding the sword lazily, with delayed reactions.

”Elder Jiang, how did I do?”

After several sets of Basic Sword Skills, Xiaohua felt she had made tremendous progress, excitedly asking, ”Have I become much stronger?”

”You have become much stronger.”

Jiang Ding’s expression was troubled, but he nodded.