Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The dark clouds gradually dispersed, revealing the silver-haired girl within.

Her body was scorched black, her robe tattered and torn.

Her once silver hair had turned to char at some point, no longer existing, and her life treasure of forty-nine seven-colored plume feathers was dim of any spiritual light and had fallen to the ground.

Jiang Ding’s heart suddenly throbbed, then returned to normal.

There was still breath.

The person within had a breath that was extremely weak.

But she was alive and seemed to have used some secret technique to draw in beams of light from the starry sky, restoring herself at an incredibly slow but steady pace.

After confirming the situation, Jiang Ding became unruffled, regaining his composure.

All around, there was a hushed silence.

Everyone held their breath, not growing impatient even for a moment.

A figure in a pale moon-colored silhouette drifted to his side.

”Did you just experience a major emotional change?”

Yu Qianzi asked curiously, ”That doesn’t seem like a sword cultivator who is burdened by too many attachments, too many emotional entanglements; such sword cultivators do not go far.”

”I am me, not a sword cultivator.”

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly.

”...”

Yu Qianzi paused in her speech.

From a young age, she was taught by her master, senior sisters, and senior uncles that a sword cultivator should be courteous, should minimize attachments, as sharp and resilient as a sword...

No one had ever told her that she was herself.

”Rules are both constraints and protections, as well as stepping stones.”

Yu Qianzi gathered her thoughts and stated.

”That’s the reason your swordsmanship is so poor.”

”Perhaps.”

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly, not arguing with anyone, and changed the subject: ”Are you very close with Immortal Yueling? It seems you’ve become quite familiar with each other in just a few years.”

”Just some transactions,” Yu Qianzi said nonchalantly. ”The spirit grass and spiritual plants of the moon series in our sect, and the materials of the moon series from the Eastern Devil School have a lot of complementarity—earn some spirit stones, exchange for sword refining materials, and benefit our senior brothers and sisters in the process.”

”Oh.”

Jiang Ding nodded, not inquiring about sensitive matters like relatives.

Perhaps, tens of thousands of years ago, her relatives have already met their end, turning into a pile of bones, disappearing without a trace.

Although they must have received the generous care of the Green Wood Immortal Sect at that time, they were undoubtedly no longer present.

As for senior brothers and sisters.

In any large sect poised for prosperity and growth, not only is there coldness and cruelty, attacks in the dark, often facing life and death, but internally there’s also warmth and trust—especially within small, tight-knit groups, the smaller the circle, the greater the cohesion.

After a moment,

Jiang Ding’s figure flashed and vanished without a trace.

After several flickers, he arrived where An Siyan was undergoing her tribulation and looked up at the sky.

Winds stirred and clouds gathered, with spiritual energy from heaven and earth converging, as the dark clouds rapidly expanded to thirty kilometers, fifty kilometers... ninety kilometers.

Then, thunder roared down.

Jiang Ding silently observed.

After a long while, a slight smile appeared on his face.

Amidst the char, a tenacious breath emerged and continued to grow bit by bit.

”They really go all out,” Yu Qianzi followed and commented with a curl of her lip, ”It’s just for the chance of successful infant formation; there will be opportunities to make up for it later, no need to be so resolute.”

She talked quite a lot.

It seemed as if she usually couldn’t find someone to talk to; once someone appeared, it was non-stop chatter.

”Xianmen Sect is different.”

”Very poor.”

Jiang Ding let out a slight sigh and explained, ”The higher the level, the scarcer the heavenly materials and earthly treasures, to the point they are nearly non-existent. If one wants to achieve infant formation in the future, or even harbor a slim hope of divinity transformation, the foundation of the Golden Pill has to be as solid as possible.”

”Otherwise, there’s no talk of making up for it later.”

”It does seem to be the case.”

Yu Qianzi seemed to have an epiphany.

If it weren’t for their cultivation method, the chances of advancement for the Eastern Devil School would plummet dramatically. At present, at least they retained the opportunity to advance without relying on any elixir, still possessing a small chance of success.

They waited for three months.

During this time, they were naturally not idle.

Jiang Ding and Yu Qianzi discussed swordsmanship, as well as some aspects of cultivation methods, especially the latter. It wasn’t a one-sided consultation, as both gained insights.

”Jiang Ding!”

In the distance, there came joyful cheers, and a streak of light like a shooting star flew towards them, seemingly unskilled in control, veering wildly from side to side before rushing over here fiercely.

It was a silver-haired girl, extremely excited, who came to a stop in front of them with a look on her face that seemed to say ’hurry, hurry, be envious of me.’

”Greetings, Ancestor Jin.”

Jiang Ding adjusted his expression, straightened his clothes, and bowed respectfully with great ceremony.

Yu Qianzi showed a look of disgust and stepped several paces away.

”Not bad, not bad.”

Jin Lingfeng, with her vanity greatly satisfied, waved her small hand in an exaggerated fashion. ”Young friend Jiang is very understanding. I, Old Ancestor... ahem, this old Ancestor is greatly comforted.”

Her aura had unmistakably reached the initial stage of Golden Pill.

The aura was somewhat unstable, probably because she had just stabilized her Golden Pill and left seclusion to meet family and friends.

”As long as Ancestor is happy.”

Jiang Ding responded offhandedly.

After waiting for a moment, a black and white escape light rose from the Golden Platform. After visiting family, it hurried over here.

”What about me, young friend Jiang?”

An Siyan adjusted her black-framed glasses and chuckled.

She had cultivated the ”Canon of Tai Yin and Tai Yang” to advance to an exceptional Golden Pill, extending her lifespan by six hundred years, and securing at least a twenty percent chance of reaching Nascent Soul in the future.

For a moment, her heart relaxed considerably, and her cheerful laughter suggested a return to childlike innocence.

”Greetings, Ancestor An!”

Jiang Ding also did not waste words and bowed respectfully in greeting.

”I hope for your continued guidance in the future.”

These were sincere words.

They’d been good friends for over a hundred years, and losing someone like that would be an inconceivable loss, as finding someone of the same generation to confide in and chat with would be nearly impossible.

”...Hahahaha...”

An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng laughed boisterously, completely lacking in ladylike demeanor, releasing the concerns they had before achieving the Golden Pill.

After chatting and playing around for a while, the two women each returned to pay respects to their elders and relatives and to accept congratulations from foundation-building cultivators. They then began to share their insights on the Golden Pill and answer questions from the cultivators.

There were those who still didn’t understand after multiple explanations and would ask again and again, yet the speakers showed no impatience whatsoever.

Both sides were accustomed to this.

The speakers were patient, and the questioners were not anxious or fearful.

Jiang Ding watched silently, his heart full of revelations.

The inheritance of the Xianmen Sect,

lay in these small, incremental moments.

When I was of low rank, I received guidance and assistance from my seniors. Now that I am a high-level cultivator, I similarly look after the lower-ranking cultivators, just as I was helped years ago.

What begins must have an end; there is an exchange for every interaction.

”Eastern Devil School...”

Yu Qianzi watched this scene and couldn’t help but feel apprehensive.

Seeing all this made her start to think about how, if this Demon School began to grow affluent in resources, they would unleash such vitality, and how the Green Wood Immortal Sect would position itself.

Jiang Ding also noticed some of her thoughts.

After years of practicing swordsmanship and companionship, they were very familiar with each other, but he said nothing. After An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng had finished lecturing, they returned together.

Why worry so much about the future?

If they were to become enemies,

out of respect for the camaraderie they had shared over the years, he too would make his stance clear.

He would undoubtedly exert his full strength, and with the shortest amount of time and the quickest speed, he would end their lives painlessly. Then he would gather their remains to mourn and honor their memory.