Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Two streaks of Escape Light,

one dark and gloomy, the other azure and sharp. They chased each other across the land, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

”Little Martial Uncle... a true Sword Cultivator indeed.”

Li Qingyun couldn’t help but sigh.

He ultimately had to face the frontline himself, against the siege of numerous Xuetu Hall cultivators in the later stages of Qi refining, covered in wounds, yet he ultimately survived, slaying three at the peak of Qi practicing.

But compared to the other, that amounted to nothing.

He had once harbored thoughts of competing, but now he could no longer muster the will.

Unless... he advanced to foundation building!

A glint of fighting spirit appeared in Li Qingyun’s eyes.

Compared to his incomplete Xiantian Sword Body, the only advantage he had was his Sky Spiritual Root—his future was bright, with a clear path ahead and no uncertainties.

”Originally, we didn’t take the sporadic records in the sect classics seriously, but now we’re convinced. The Grand Elder’s vision truly surpasses that of us ordinary cultivators.”

Several True Disciples felt a common sentiment.

”Exactly, with Little Martial Uncle here, it’s truly a blessing for our sect!”

Many disciples had originally harbored complaints against the enforcement by the Fanren Supervision Bureau, but now those grievances had vanished without a trace.

In the world of cultivation, the strong are revered!

Whatever the strong do, there must be logic to their actions, filled with profound mysteries.

As for the loss of family interests in the mortal world... how can the trivial interests of a mortal clan compare with one’s own life, or the hope of building foundation?

”Little Martial Uncle has an order!”

Li Qingyun’s expression changed slightly as he listened carefully for a few moments, then said solemnly, ”Whoever can find Herbal Magical Fruits, Grey Earth Magical Fruits, Bone Marrow Cleansing Spirit Vines, and other such items, and have them verified, will be given three Foundation Building Pills and guaranteed safety!”

As he spoke, he displayed the images of seven or eight types of Spirit Fruits, turning them this way and that, bringing them vividly to life.

All were in the library, treasures that could bestow lesser spiritual bodies to people the day after tomorrow.

”Three Foundation Building Pills!”

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, their hearts racing and eyes burning with fervor.

With those three pills, even those with the poorest aptitudes could succeed in foundation building, right?

More importantly, no adventures or life-and-death struggles were required; just relay the news back.

As for the promise’s authenticity,

having felt that Sword Intent, nobody doubted it.

...

The wind whistled fiercely.

The blue and the grey Escape Light relentlessly pursued one another; at first, the azure light was left behind, but it soon caught up again.

”Burning Essence Blood, Bai Gui Essence Blood, how long can they last?”

Jiang Ding was not in a hurry.

In fact, had he been willing to deplete some of his vital energy, he could have caught up by now.

But it was not worth it.

It didn’t matter when he caught up or even if he couldn’t catch up; his own safety always came first, reserving enough mana to deal with any possible changes.

”Sir!”

”Do you truly wish for both of us to perish?!”

After desperately fleeing for a dozen breaths, Bai Gui Zi revealed a trace of despair and said pitifully.

Jiang Ding remained silent, his speed steady.

Whether the fish dies or the net breaks, that’s not something to be claimed with words alone; it requires strength to back it up.

”You’re pushing me too far!”

Bai Gui Zi’s face twisted with ferocity, burning his last bit of Essence Blood, yet hesitated still.

The sword strike that had slain Hua Xuezi, the one that had even severed the knife embryo in two, was deeply etched in his Divine Soul. He could not forget even the tiniest details to this day.

He was no match!

Every fiber of his being told him he couldn’t stand against his opponent!

”Even so, I must…”

His face showed a look of grim determination.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water came from a distance.

”Heaven has not forsaken me!”

Bai Gui Zi suddenly rejoiced, his Essence Blood turning into mana streaked with traces of blood, accelerating forward. He plunged into a murky river that appeared before him and disappeared from sight.

A few breaths later,

```

An azure escape light arrived beside this murky river that was dozens of meters wide and resembled a jade belt, with no visible beginning or end.

”Soul-Lost River.”

Jiang Ding pondered, recalling the information about this river from the Qiyu Sect.

It was a river that marked the boundary between the Spiritual Medicine Garden in the south of the Nine Heavens Relics and the northern Tieloushan Mountain area, dividing two major regions.

There were no living creatures within it; the river water held immense gravity, and any bird or cultivator that passed over would be pulled into its waters, where their Divine Sense would be devoured and mana eroded.

If a person fell into it and couldn’t get out in time, they would become a soulless flesh puppet.

Magic tools, however, were unaffected.

Divine Sense Scanning approached, and even before making contact, waves of stinging pain assailed him.

”I can’t go there.”

Jiang Ding sensed great danger,

”According to logic, Bai Gui Zi must have a special magic tool to isolate himself from the Soul-Lost River; otherwise, he wouldn’t be courting death... Let’s make one last attempt.”

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword trembled slightly, and an invisible Sword Intent rippled outward, revealing the soul fluctuations of all living beings within a kilometer.

Twenty-odd meters away, within the muddy waters of the river, a crawling figure clad in a shell-like garment was holding its breath, inching toward the opposite bank. With each step taken, they synced with the rhythm of the water’s flow, their concealment exceptional.

”Die, just like the one who turned you into Bai Gui.”

Jiang Ding passed his judgment.

Whoosh!

The Taiqing Flying Sword unsheathed and flew above the bank of the Soul-Lost River. Its blade quivered several times, generating nine deep blue Sword Qi, which formed a Sword Formation and descended.

The power was enough to trouble Foundation-building cultivators, and for Bai Gui Zi at that moment, it was a fatal strike.

”No!”

Bai Gui Zi watched the Sword Qi approach, refusing to give up. Clad in his stone garment, he frantically swam toward the riverbank.

It was useless.

The Sword Qi shredded the stone crust and sliced through the dimly lit gray-white ghost shield magic tool, stabbing toward his head.

”Hmph!”

A cold snort came abruptly.

The Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi fluctuated violently, instantly dispersing the nine deep blue Sword Qi.

Even more overwhelmingly, a tremendous pressure descended from the sky!

It was as heavy as a mountain. His Divine Soul even trembled instinctively, shivering incessantly, as if facing a natural predator.

”Golden Pill Monk!”

Jiang Ding’s face paled dramatically.

Without hesitation, he abandoned his target, unleashed a full burst of twelve times his mana, and transformed into an azure escape light, fleeing at an unprecedented speed into the distance.

”Damn it, how could there be a Golden Pill Monk!”

This sense of pressure was all too familiar!

Although teachers usually restrained themselves, there were times of emotional fluctuation when they would exhibit similar pressure, suffocating those around them.

”Elder!”

Bai Gui Zi was stunned for a moment, crying tears of joy, and suddenly leaped up, collapsing on the riverbank and pointing at the retreating figure of Jiang Ding, venomously saying, ”It’s him, he has already killed Hua Xuezi and Du Jiangzi, he will definitely be a major threat to the clan in the future!”

”You must kill him, flay and dismember him!”

”Worthless thing!”

A gloomy voice scolded coldly, paying no heed to his words: ”A mere Cultivator in the Qi Practicing Level 8 and you...”

”How dare you!”

His voice suddenly roared with extreme fury.

Boom!

Whoosh!

In the midst of the immense explosion!

A deep blue sword-light circled back, moving so fast that it vanished from the range of Divine Sense, a faint Sword Intent of Destruction lingering, then reappearing.

”I remember now!”

”This is the Nine Heavens Relics that restrict the cultivation base of the Qi Practicing Phase.”

An even more furious voice exclaimed.

”You, a mere Golden Pill Monk’s Qi-level avatar, how dare you frighten me!”

”Ah! Who gave you the courage!”