Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The gathering was held under the Divine Wood Sky-Covering Banyan, near the Sleeping Hidden Realm.

When Jiang Ding arrived, he glanced from top to bottom at this divine tree, whose roots spread across the entire planet, its branches breaking through the atmosphere and extending into the starry sky.

In the past, when he was young, he believed it to be just a giant tree, a rare and ancient species encountered by the predecessors of the Xianmen Sect.

Now, he understood that this was not a tree at all, not a living thing, but a colossal bionic robot, an artificial plant-like robot created by countless elites of Xianmen Sect using numerous Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, serving as the main host for the Central Array Spirit Computer.

Every leaf and every branch of this cosmic tree was a treasure-like item crafted personally by the sect’s predecessors; beneath the appearance of the bark, trunk, and leaves lay circuits of spiritual energy components, and array runes and patterns.

If one could slice open a leaf, these mysteries would be revealed, showing the intricacies of the spiritual energy circuits.

This was no rare ancient species!

It was a monumental project designed by countless brilliant minds and wise ancestors of Xianmen Sect, who poured their heart’s blood into creating something that would benefit future generations.

The reason this super bionic robot was designed in the form of a tree was because this shape was most suitable for absorbing Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi, transforming the void and chaos, and drawing in the cosmic starlight.

Jiang Ding was lost in thought, pondering many things.

An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng, unsurprised, each grabbed one of his arms and pulled him toward the crowd.

”Hey, you’re here!”

Gu Lin True Lord greeted them with a smile and a teasing look.

Around them, Ouyang Hui, Liu Xiong, and many other contemporary Peak Nascent Soul Cultivators looked over, feeling nostalgic upon seeing the green-clothed youth who looked the same as he did a thousand years ago.

Their lives were nearing an end.

While his life seemed to have just begun, still in its youth as a Domain Overlord.

”Hello, Teacher Gu Lin.”

”Teacher Ouyang... Mr. Liu...”

Jiang Ding quickly came to himself.

He greeted each of these former teachers one by one; although the age difference was not significant on the scale of a thousand years, a teacher was always a teacher.

”Jiang Ding, it’s been a long time,” Ouyang Hui sighed.

Today, they spoke not of philosophical Tao, but shared their experiences over the years, recollecting past times and their expectations for the future.

With peers gradually passing away, the few remaining confidants were just the people around them.

”How is the situation in the Horned Ming Realm war?”

Jiang Ding asked casually.

The conflict in the Horned Ming Realm concerned the life or death of the Nine Spirits Realm, and he had been keeping track through the Xianmen Sect’s military intelligence updates. However, detailed as these were, they were not as vivid as the accounts from these Peak Nascent Soul Cultivators, who had just withdrawn from the battlefield.

”It’s the same old, covert and hidden.”

Gu Lin True Lord reminisced for a moment and said, ”Strategic planning is a matter for our seniors. Our military service has been quite mundane; we just lurk deep in the starry sky of the Flame Stone Star Domain, always in concealed combat readiness, without interfering with the Minor Thousand Worlds of the Flame Stone Star Domain.”

”The Shadow Demon Abyss cultivators and Immortal Sect Practitioners perform the most tasks, as their individual combat abilities far exceed ours. They often undertake covert operations beyond the Flame Stone Star Domain.”

”Especially Taiyin Swordsman Yu Qianzi. She has begun to demonstrate combat power above the Peak of Divinity Transformation, making rapid progress in various assassinations and concealment operations, earning many merits and accelerating our infiltration beyond the Flame Stone Star Domain.”

”Beyond that, I don’t know much.”

Though she was the daughter of the Divine Mechanism Heavenly Monarch, she was not privy to secrets due to her position, nor did the Heavenly Monarch disclose confidential matters to her.

It wouldn’t be in accordance with the rules, nor was it necessary.

”I see.”

Jiang Ding nodded, not boasting of any secrets to draw attention.

He knew more.

He had access to almost all top-secret information of the Xianmen Sect as he was the strongest individual force within the sect, an emperor-in-waiting, though he didn’t command a large army or hold a real power position. His status within the organization was very prominent, and his clearance extremely high.

Currently, in the Horned Ming Realm battlefield, the Nine Great Immortal Sects were attempting to assassinate several Ancient Emperors and dozens of Great Emperors in one fell swoop, aiming to cripple the defense system of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan completely. Then, the entire army of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, practicing Master of Refining Nothingness, would march forthrightly towards the Medium Thousand World where numerous powerful members of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan gathered, intending to destroy their defenses and eradicate them entirely.

But this was extremely difficult.

Ancient Emperors and Great Emperors were incredibly powerful beings who had emerged from a strong lineage like that of Jiaoming Emperor, having undergone countless life-and-death hardships to reach their current status.

”If it were so easy to be ambushed, they would have died ten thousand times already and could never become Great Emperors.

Body Cultivation powerhouses focus on unlocking the Divine Abilities of the body and possess the terrifying instincts of wild beasts. Many Heavenly Mechanism Techniques hadn’t even touched upon them before they were instantly detected and reverse-located by these powerhouses, reaching irrational extremes.

Often, the difficulty of setting an ambush might even exceed directly defeating a Great Emperor or Ancient Emperor.

To successfully set an ambush, extremely high demands are placed on the Heavenly Mechanism and the Immortal Dao technology of Concealment from the Nine Great Immortal Sects. The slightest mistake, revealing even a tiny flaw, could easily backfire and turn the ambushers into the ambushed.

Of course, this kind of war involving an entire Domain is still quite far removed from Jiang Ding. He is aware of it but does not yet have the standing to comment.

All this is thanks to the many forebears of Xianmen and those eight Great Experts.

”I hope our slumber goes smoothly.”

Gu Lin True Lord expressed hope: ”If something unexpected happens and we have to awaken from our slumber, we might be able to meet sooner and fight side by side.”

”Hopefully so.”

Jiang Ding nodded.

A millennium-long slumber is important for him too; it’s best not disrupted, as it affects the cultivation of the Power of Order in the Sword Realm.

Many Peak Nascent Soul Cultivators chatted for a long time, from childhood, to all sorts of embarrassing incidents while learning, ongoing wars, and discussing their descendants, children, and many mischievous students.

Over the years, many friends got married, like instructor Liu Xiong, who had a daughter late in life, with a woman cultivator at the Early Stage of Nascent Soul; their little one, now a Foundation-building cultivator, is here as well.

Others remained alone, pursuing the Dao on their own.

The cultivators were split half-and-half between these two paths, each walking the path they chose.

Everyone chatted casually without any wine or joyous singing and dancing; everything was plain, much like these Peak Nascent Soul Cultivators who, after countless spectacular experiences, returned to a peaceful life.

Unnoticed, several days passed, and the gathering reached its conclusion.

”Ha ha!”

”My fellow cultivators, there’s no need to be somber.”

Gu Lin True Lord stood up, drank the Spiritual Tea in his cup in one go, and without any attachment walked towards the Sleeping Hidden Realm within the Heaven-Covering Banyan. He waved his hand and said, ”Farewell, my Fellow Daoists! See you after Divinity Transformation!”

”May we meet again in a thousand years and drink another cup of Spiritual Tea together.”

”And, farewell father.”

She glanced in one direction.

There, Divine Mechanism Heavenly Monarch nodded slightly.

”Gu Lin, Fellow Daoist, see you after Divinity Transformation!”

Jiang Ding and other Immortals raised their cups in farewell.

Afterward, one by one, either alone or in pairs, the Peak Nascent Soul Cultivators walked towards the Sleeping Hidden Realm; their figures gradually disappeared into the trunk of the Heaven-Covering Banyan, temporarily isolating everything from Xianmen, quietly awaiting the sequencing and emergence of the opportunity to Transform into a Deity, and then emerging to breakthrough to Divinity Transformation.

Only three people remained.

”An Siyan, Jin Lingfeng.”

Jiang Ding looked at the two women, recalling the first time they met.

It was during the Xianmen Cold Weapons College Entrance Exam - they competed against each other for the top rank, then the wars in the Small Huangtong World, and the college days… All moments shared and the life together, each and every memory cherishing.

Yet, all this was about to meet a separation of a millennium.

”Wishing you both, a smooth slumber, and successful promotion to Divinity Transformation.”

Jiang Ding said no more and raised his cup in farewell.

”Jiang Ding, goodbye.”

Jin Lingfeng felt somewhat disappointed.

”My Jiang Ding, the future Master of Refining Nothingness, Harmonization God Monarch, True Immortal youngling, goodbye.”

An Siyan said gently, smiling.

”Hmm.”

Jiang Ding nodded lightly.

He quietly watched the two women’s disappearing figures into the trunk of the Heaven-Covering Banyan, standing stupefied in place for a long period.

Then, he left alone.”