Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The mountain peak.

The youth in blue clothes sat cross-legged, his aura fluctuating before finally stabilizing in the late-stage Xiantian realm.

”Too fast.”

Jiang Ding opened his eyes, inwardly marveling.

It had been just over a month since he went from the early-stage Xiantian straight to the late-stage Xiantian. The progression was beyond a mere leap, and most importantly, his foundation was stable, without any discomfort—in fact, one could say it was excessively stable.

”With the talent of a taozi-level of the Nine Great Immortal Sects practicing martial inner power, it truly seems somewhat wasteful.”

Jiang Ding felt a mix of self-pity and self-derision.

But it wasn’t a total waste.

The Inner Energy quality of the ”Eagle Taking Off Sword Technique” was extremely high. In the Internal Qi Realm, it could barely activate Array Flags and other magic tools. Since his elevation to Xiantian and the qualitative transformation that followed, it should be comparable to the mana of the lowest ’Decree’ level cultivation method of the cultivators.

In the future, if he switched to cultivating those methods, he could retain part of his cultivation and not have to start from the very first level of Qi Practicing.

Jiang Ding gestured into the distance.

Whoosh!

Hidden within the second-order Concealment Array and the inner first-order Concealment Array, the blue-gold small tree had already grown to over one meter ninety, its photosynthesis absorbing hundreds of meters of the surrounding Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi and Great Sun Essence. Scorching and dazzling, within its shade, a phantom scene of the Great Sun appeared.

Suddenly, its branches and leaves trembled and contracted, transforming into a blue-gold sword about a foot long, flying into the distance with a speed doubled from before.

In an instant, it reached a distance of a hundred meters, the limit of the Hundred Step Flying Sword.

This was also the limit distance of the Divine Sense for peak of Qi Practicing cultivators, and where they could maximize the power of their magic tools.

There existed a certain iron law that could not be crossed no matter what.

At this moment, the Azure Flying Sword effortlessly crossed the hundred-meter distance, with no reduction in either its agility or speed.

One hundred meters, two hundred meters... eight hundred meters, nine hundred meters, one thousand meters!

Only when it exceeded this distance did the Azure Flying Sword begin to wobble slightly, its Spiritual Light dimming a bit. Once it returned within the thousand-meter range, it restored to its original state.

Whoosh!

A streak of sword-light, too fast for both the naked eye and Divine Sense to fully capture, flew back, landing in his hand.

”Sword Intent, this is the specialized Sword Intent of the Divine Soul!”

Jiang Ding’s eyes still held a trace of shock: ”No wonder those sword lunatics at the Great Sun Sword Pavilion even came up with suicidal techniques like the ”Sword Way of Blood Slaughter”, always itching to pick a fight without distinguishing friend from foe, in order to refine their Sword Intent.”

”The boost in combat power Sword Intent gives to cultivators is just too significant.”

”Speed and power doubled!”

”Sword control distance tenfold!”

”It’s almost like there’s a sword path split soul on the sword, its flexibility, sharpness, and speed are incomparable to the past, facing the former me would be an instant defeat, like facing a rigid robot.”

”Moreover...”

Jiang Ding gently caressed the Azure sword, smooth as jade, a terrifying Sword Qi leaking out, filled with a sense of destroying everything. Within a hundred-meter range, flowers, birds, mosquitoes, and insects fell silent.

”My Sword Intent should not be ordinary like fire, water, wood, and among over ten thousand Sword Intents at the Great Sun Sword Pavilion, it should also be among the very top.”

”Sword Intent matches well with Magic Arts-Breaking Immortal Gold. Together, they produce an amplifying effect, and would not reveal the existence of the Immortal Gold.”

The origin of the Magic Arts-Breaking Immortal Gold was problematic.

It’s best to kill anyone who has seen it.

The Golden Light Jade Pendant flickered faintly, signaling a transmission.

This supreme magic tool from a previous Supreme Elder of the Qiyu Sect had been verified with the rusty sword tip and sent for appraisal at a company without any issues found; it was simply a pure magic tool with the abilities of Gathering Spirits, protection, and communication.

Of course, the Gathering Spirits function was currently not very useful, as the spiritual aura of the second-order top-level Gold Attribute Spiritual Vein already exceeded the absorbing limit of a Xiantian martial artist.

He channeled a strand of True Qi into the pendant.

”Junior Martial Uncle, the disciple of Huomai, Chen Xi, and the disciple of Lei Vein, Gong Caiyu, request an audience.”

Liu SanQi’s respectful voice came through, then silence.

If there was no reply within a certain period, he would politely decline the visitors on behalf of his superior.

”Please, esteemed guests, come up the mountain.”

...

The term ’esteemed guests’ caused Liu SanQi’s expression to become even more respectful as he turned to the two girls in front of him—one tall, the other short—one with a graceful and luxurious demeanor and the other sweet and lovely: ”Esteemed guests, please, the junior martial uncle awaits you up ahead.”

”Thank you, senior,” replied Chen Xi and Gong Caiyu as they quickly returned the salute.

In the past few days, they too had swiftly learned some of the ways of the cultivation world, understanding the importance of maintaining respect towards higher-level cultivators.

Especially since the elder seemed to hail from the family of a Supreme Elder’s retainer, even a foundation-building senior wouldn’t dare to dismiss him easily, let alone them.

The moment they stepped into Jinlingshan Mountain, both showed surprise at the dense Gold Attribute Spiritual Power that nearly pained their Divine Senses.

It was multiple times stronger than that of their master’s cave residence.

Walking forward, they encountered birds and flowers, each spiritual plant shining with a metallic luster, varying in color. Most of the coming and going Spirit Beasts were also the same.

It gave them the illusion of being in a mountain made of iron and gold.

This made the two girls somewhat uncomfortable, as one cultivated a water attribute method and the other a fire attribute method, and the overly dense Gold Attribute Spiritual Aura was not only of no benefit to them but could even be harmful.

”...hehe...don’t be ridiculous, sister...”

”...no, please don’t...”

As they walked past a gleaming field of flowers, Chen Xi showed a wary expression and looked around.

Three voluptuous and even more beautiful girls were playfully frolicking while working, all in the middle-stage of Qi Practicing.

Seeing Liu SanQi’s arrival, they quickly composed themselves, lined up neatly, and bent down to greet him.

”I’ve seen Manager Liu.”

”No horsing around during the shift!”

Liu SanQi furrowed his brow. With a guest present, it was not good to say too much, so he continued to lead the two girls up the mountain: ”They are the Autumn Three Servant Girls under the small almighty ancestor, just having left their clan and unaware of the rules, thus embarrassing us before our guest.”

”Elder, I wouldn’t dare.”

Chen Xi pretended to be unaware as they spoke: ”If there are three ladies who are the Autumn Three Servant Girls, are there also others?”

Liu SanQi smiled faintly: ”Guest, there are, indeed, the Spring Three Servant Girls, Summer Three Servant Girls, and Winter Three Servant Girls as well. They are all the direct daughters of various clans, with the talent of Three Spiritual Roots. They have been taught by renowned teachers since childhood, initially prepared to enter the Sect. Their families used connections to send them here.”

”I see, thank you, elder, for clearing my doubts.”

Chen Xi gave a shallow smile.

Though called a small mountain, it was only in relative terms; the three cultivators took a full quarter of an hour to reach the mountaintop.

”Guest, the small almighty ancestor is atop the mountain.”

Liu SanQi excused himself with a discerning gesture.

With no outsiders present, the two girls quickened their pace and soon saw a youth in blue clothes sitting cross-legged, opening his eyes and rising to greet them.

”Miss Chen, Lady Gong, welcome.”

”Sir!”

”Brother Ding!”

Chen Xi’s face showed delight as she quickened her step, and with a small leap, she aimed to throw herself into the arms of the person before her.

Unsurprisingly,

She was avoided, hugging empty air and nearly stumbling to the ground.

Gong Caiyu’s face flushed with shame at her behavior, and she lowered her small, round face, not daring to meet anyone’s gaze.

”Brother Ding is still so heartless.”

Chen Xi lamented.

In her heart, the suffocating sense of the enormous gap in status relaxed quite a bit.

It was still the same as before.

Though still ignoring her.

Jiang Ding didn’t concern himself with her, with a wave of his hand, the Golden Light Jade Pendant twinkled, and a tea table and zafus (cushions) appeared, with the fragrance of tea gently rising from the table.

The tea table and zafus were not ordinary, at least medium-grade magic tools, equipped with abilities to clear the mind and aid in cultivation.

The tea was first-order superior Tea of Enlightenment, offering a slight enhancement to the understanding of magic and cultivation methods and stabilizing the cultivation base. Each of the Foundation-building peak masters could only retrieve six taels per year.

These were all prepared in advance by Liu SanQi.

The three seated themselves.

Chen Xi gracefully picked up the cup of tea and drank, immediately feeling her cultivation at the First Level of Qi Practicing grow significantly, taking a big step towards the Level 2 of Qi Practicing. Vague thoughts on some doubts she had about her cultivation method and magic spontaneously occurred to her.

She quietly contemplated for a moment.

”Both being of Dual Spiritual Roots, Brother Ding and Li Qingyun are far stronger than Wu Makong and Fa Zheng. One is a disciple of a Supreme Elder, and the other is the junior brother of a Supreme Elder, both far outstripping us.”

Chen Xi sighed.

The Golden Pill elders of the Sect had made some non-soul-damaging modifications to the memories of these disciples to protect those with excellent talents as much as possible.

How effective this was unknown, but at least it would delay the time of exposure.

”Let’s not talk about me; how has everyone been recently?”

Jiang Ding smiled lightly.

The first-order superior Tea of Enlightenment had no effect on him; he barely touched the rim of the cup before setting it down.

As for Chen Xi and the others entering the Qi Practicing phase so swiftly, there were two reasons: one, the inner power they were cultivating was intentionally released by the Qiyu Sect, inherently compatible with the sect’s internal power methods.

Secondly, the cultivation methods they practiced were relatively ordinary.

”All quite well,”

Chen Xi showed some happiness: ”I have attracted the attention of a Foundation-building senior from Huomai, who took me as a named disciple. If I advance to the Late-stage Qi Practicing, there is a possibility of becoming an inducted disciple. Sister Caiyu...”

”Sir, I have been taken as a named disciple by a senior of Thunder Vein!”

Gong Caiyu quickly seized the opportunity to speak, eagerly saying: ”This senior is a disciple from the lineage of Ancestor Zhongxing and takes good care of me.”

The Qixuan School and its vicinity had been the hometown of Ancestor Zhongxing a thousand years ago, where he left his bloodline and legacy.

Chen Xi felt envious.

Although she was a princess of the royal family with some connections, her status was nothing compared to being a descendant of Ancestor Zhongxing.

”That shameless woman, Long Xiuyun, has been accepted as a named disciple by a Foundation-building cultivator of the Water Vein.” Chen Xi forcibly regained control of the conversation: ”Han Lin... er, with Quadruple Spiritual Roots it’s a bit lacking, still in Dizifeng Peak.”

”Besides that, ’Vajra’ Fa Zheng went to Earth Pulse and was taken as an inducted disciple by the Earth Pulse Master, a Mid-stage Foundation Building Cultivator. ’Half Ghost’ Wu Makong was taken as an inducted disciple by the Elder Zhou Kunlong, a Peak of Foundation Building Cultivator of the Fire Vein.”

”The other Dual Spiritual Roots disciples also mostly found places.”

”So many?”

A flicker of light crossed Jiang Ding’s eyes.

Seeing the situation, almost all the Foundation-building cultivators had taken fairly capable named disciples. Such uniform behavior was hard to view as a coincidence.

”It is a bit more this year.”

Chen Xi was somewhat puzzled: ”I heard from an elder in my family that, in previous years, at most three or five Foundation-building seniors would take disciples. Other disciples could practice ardently to the Peak of Qi Practicing without even capturing the attention of an elder. We must have gotten lucky this time.”

”Indeed so.”

Jiang Ding nodded.

Without the guidance of Foundation-building cultivators and the provision of initial resources, cultivators would have a much harder start. Relying solely on elucidation of doubts by Qi Practicing late-stage inner disciples every fifteen days from Dizifeng Peak was simply not enough.