Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

On the dueling platform,

two Golden Pill Monks were locked in a life-and-death struggle, their swordsmanship exquisite, barely surviving one dangerous situation after another. Many cultivators watched, intoxicated by the show, but no one noticed the subtle changes in the middle-aged cultivator’s eyes.

”Him!”

”How could he be here?!”

Heart thundering with shock, the suave middle-aged swordsman, Immortal Fufeng, thought, ”It shouldn’t be like this!”

”He was supposed to come here only after more than a decade, he shouldn’t be here now!”

”Impossible!”

”What has happened? I’ve done nothing significant, everything was unfolding as planned without changes, so why did he appear early?!”

Without realizing it, Immortal Fufeng’s sword path became disordered.

”Kill!”

The eyes of the elder opposite him shone as he seized the chance and aggressively commanded his flying sword, grasping the advantage again and again, forcing the platinum flying sword to retreat continuously, and it started to show signs of faltering.

”Damn it!”

”He’s going to kill me!”

”Although I’ve never provoked him intentionally, he always ends up killing me!”

Immortal Fufeng paid no attention to the elder before him, not caring in the slightest. Anger roared within him, and an indistinct terror swept over his entire body: ”I can’t just sit here and wait for death!”

”Report it! Report it to the Immortal of Nascent Soul of the Great Sun Sword Sect immediately!”

”No, that’s not enough. The Liudao Sect and the Iron Family must be informed at the same time too. It’s best if several dozen Immortals of Nascent Soul show up all at once to encircle and assassinate him. I don’t believe he can escape then!”

”I have evidence, they will believe me!”

Immortal Fufeng resolved fiercely in his heart.

But instead of calming down, he began to have an even worse premonition.

”No good!”

”I don’t know if this one is the main body, whether the encirclement will be of any use.”

Immortal Fufeng cursed inwardly: ”Damn you, are you even a sword cultivator? Shame, a disgrace to all sword cultivators, afraid to even show your real self. How has your sword heart and sword intent not shattered yet!”

”If we end up encircling a clone, he will definitely become suspicious of me. Damn it, I’ve concealed myself so well, my strategy so meticulous, I’ve turned dozens or even hundreds of corners, so how can he find and suspect me every time?”

”And then, within at most a century, he finds my real body and kills me.”

”There was even a time when it took only a decade for him to drag me out and kill me!”

”Oh, no!”

Immortal Fufeng howled in despair within his heart.

”Provoking him means death.”

”But not provoking him and just waiting for a few centuries means he will still seek me out and kill me. And as time goes on, I become less and less able to resist; even if I can fight across a realm, it’s useless!”

”How can such a person exist?”

Immortal Fufeng was on the verge of tears as he recalled his many tragic past experiences.

”Now that I cannot confirm if this is the main body, no, I can’t report it yet, or else I’ll die even earlier.”

”Think long-term, think long-term, confirm whether it’s the main body...”

Having been through so much, Immortal Fufeng gradually calmed down: ”First, pretend not to recognize him; ignore him.”

”Getting chummy will be useless.”

”I’ve tried sending him peerless beauties before, but inexplicably, he didn’t say a word and just killed me the next moment!”

”This madman, it’s best to stay away from him.”

”This person likes to act under the guise of righteousness and justice. I don’t have any flaws at the moment, so he probably won’t come up and kill me.”

”... right?”

Immortal Fufeng hesitated slightly.

That should generally be the principle.

But there were always many exceptions, and he himself had once been among those exceptions.

Whoosh!

”Ahh!”

Immortal Fufeng screamed in agony.

In his moment of panic, the elder seized the opportunity and chopped off his left arm, revealing a look of ecstatic joy.

His Sun Spirit Sword Skill was so masterful that the sky was filled with sword-light. The momentum of his strikes grew stronger, and waves rippled across the long-still Lake of Heart, stirred by the formidable foe and beginning to change.

”You’re seeking death!”

Immortal Fufeng roared furiously, flailing his arm violently.

”Wind of Companions!”

The air was filled with the clang of swords, and a sudden gust of wind arose. It turned out to be invisible sword Qi winds sweeping in, instantly extinguishing the elder’s Sun Spirit Sword-light and repeatedly forcing back his flying sword like a fierce gale that showed no sign of ceasing.

Just a few breaths later, the Inner Sect Elder of the Great Sun Sword Sect, who was at the Golden Pill late stage, was reduced to a bloody froth by the sword wind, leaving only a skeleton behind.

His Life Flying Sword clattered to the ground, no longer imbued with life.

The sudden shift in the situation stunned everyone present.

”Hiss ... another one dead.”

”The face of the Great Sun Sword Sect has been lost; will a core disciple with an understanding of Sword Intent take action? ... If a core disciple also dies, that will be something to watch.”

”There’s nothing exciting about that, as long as someone can kill a core disciple of the Great Sun Sword Sect in a duel at the same realm, no one will seek revenge on them. At most, if they haven’t grasped Sword Intent, they won’t be accepted and will be expelled from the territory of the Great Sun Sword Sect.”

”Too bad, it’s impossible. Sword Intent is too terrifying.”

The surrounding Golden Pill Monks discussed animatedly.

Gradually, everyone’s gaze turned towards a corner of the Dueling Platform, where a sharp-eyed young Swordsman stood.

A core disciple of the Great Sun Sword Sect!

Immortal Blood Bone, who had grasped Sword Intent, was said to be taught by an Immortal of Nascent Soul, possessing combat power that far surpassed other Golden Pill Monks at the same level. He was simply not on the same plane as the rest.

”Fufeng, your magic is not bad.”

Immortal Blood Bone commented indifferently, then turned and left without seeking revenge.

”Magic?”

The surrounding Golden Pill Monks were startled.

...

Jiang Ding glanced at Immortal Fufeng on the Dueling Platform and then turned to leave.

He memorized his appearance, aura, proficiency in magic, and especially that intuitive stench, and sent it to his true self.

Indeed, although this man wielded a sword.

He was a Magic Cultivator.

And a very strong one at that, his mastery of wind spells was sublime, already capable of mimicking sword techniques with his magic, creating a chaotic blend of real and false.

As for Immortal Blood Bone, at the Golden Pill Peak stage, his Sword Intent seemed to be related to the Blood Path.

In the memories of the Scorching Sun Swordsman, this man was a disciple of Immortal Burning Bone, the leader of the Clan Faction of the Great Sun Sword Sect. Inside the sect, he was considered quite strong, one of the seeds for nascent soul, and worthy of attention.

Of course, this mainly referred to his master.

Burning Bone, Blood Bone—neither name sounded like they belonged to good people, hinting they could be potential targets for cleansing in order to acquire the method for refining Scorching Sun Spirit Iron.

No need to rush, just take it slowly. After synthesizing information from various sources, choose the safest one.

Without employing any Concealment Spells that might alert High-Level Cultivators, Jiang Ding wandered through the Great Sun Sword City as a Cultivator at the Middle Jindan Stage.

The development of the Sword Dao in this Immortal City was quite remarkable.

There are Sword Forging Furnaces, Dueling Platforms, and places like Grinding Sword Valley for refining flying swords, scattered all around.

Within the Sword Scripture Pavilion that sold Cultivation Methods, entry required not only Spirit Stones and Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, but also a certain level of achievement in swordsmanship.

As for the Spring Pool Valley, which practiced Dual Cultivation of swordsmanship, one couldn’t enter without a decent level of proficiency in Sword Techniques.

In the Elixir Refinery, showing credentials of swordsmanship from the Dueling Platform could get you a discount ...

This Immortal City was born for the sword. Here, if one has the capability, everything is convenient, one can even act outside the law, reducing the tributes one has to pay, and everything tends to be advantageous.

Conversely, life becomes extremely difficult, plagued with various forms of discrimination.