Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The Taiqing Flying Sword buzzed and vibrated.

”Where is it, where is my Sword Intent...”

Jiang Ding hummed a song, closed his eyes to feel for a moment, then looked westward, ”It’s still in the direction of Tieloushan Mountain, diminished by a little bit, but he can’t clear my Sword Intent of Destruction, let alone directly injure the Divine Soul, elimination is impossible.”

Whoosh!

His entire being flew in the sky, his trajectory darting up and down, occasionally turning a corner, like an overjoyed little bee.

But he always maintained complete concealment, never letting his guard down.

Several hours later,

he crossed the Southern Spirit Medicine Garden and arrived near the Soul-Lost River once again. After wandering for half a circle, he finally found an ancient and simple stone bridge and flew over it.

”Closer and closer.”

”I can already feel the cold and resentful aura of Vital Souls on this person, not knowing how many humans he has killed over hundreds of years, turning them into fierce ghosts, and collecting them into the Long Banner.”

Jiang Ding subdued his joy, expressing respect for the innocent victims who had died unjustly.

His tone grew slightly colder.

”Such Diabolism Cultivators who use humans as raw materials are inherently sinful, they all deserve to die. If I could ever reign over a realm, I will annihilate them all without exception, and destroy their legacies!”

Boom!

Far away, intense fluctuations of Spiritual Energy erupted, and brilliant Spiritual Light exploded.

Jiang Ding stood still, looking into the distance.

A mountain-like jade staircase stood erect on the horizon, piercing upward into the Nine Heavens, surrounded by thunder and storms, its terrifying pressure transmitting through heaven and earth, visible to all who were in the Nine Heavens Secret Realm.

Above it, a frail figure struggled to stand firm.

An ancient and heavy voice came through.

”Disciple Li Qingyun, twenty-six years old, ascended the Nine Heavens Inheritance Steps, and passed four steps.”

”Qualified to become an inner disciple of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Sect!”

”Granted the subchapters of ’Zi Lei Classics’ and ’Qing Divine Method,’ if diligent in Cultivation and serving the Sect, the full ’Zi Lei Classics’ may be conveyed, and the Nascent Soul is hopeful.”

Nascent Soul is hopeful!

These few words deeply impressed themselves into the Divine Souls of all Cultivators, involuntarily stirring excitement and shivers, intuitively flying towards the location of the divine staircase.

Beneath the staircase, the Foundation-building descendants of the Qiyu Sect who had received the news in advance had already begun their ascent.

Yet upon taking just the first step,

the Spiritual Light of the staircase trembled, and they were sent flying far away, not even qualifying for the trivial role of servitude. Forced ascension resulted in coughing blood and retreating with severe injuries, bones nearly broken.

”The Nine Heavens Staircase!”

Other contenders refused to give up, their eyes shining with fervor, continuing their attempts to climb.

No matter who it was, each was repelled with a single step, including the seven major transmissions of the Sect, not captured in the eyes of the Nine Heavens Staircase.

”Inheritance?”

Jiang Ding glanced at it and continued on his way.

He wasn’t interested in inheritances.

”...Above the Nine Heavens...”

”...The Stairway to Ascension... the eternal chance for becoming an immortal...”

Whispered voices sounded next to his ear, like the sound of Dao, full of temptation, inciting endless greed in people’s hearts, fantasizing about transforming into an immortal and ascending to the celestial realm.

Jiang Ding’s expression became stern.

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword clanged crisply, spreading the Sword Intent of Destruction in all directions, severing all those elusive voices bringing forth illusions.

Invisible Escape Light traversed the land of Tieloushan Mountain.

Compared to other places, no vegetation grew here; everywhere one looked was stony, sharp-tornadoes swept across constantly, leaving deep trenches in the ground, with yellow sand filling the sky.

This place produced many Spirit Mines!

Legend had it that Ancestor Zhongxing obtained a great deal of Empty Mysterious Crystal Copper here, which led to the rise of his power, eventually enabling him to save the Zhongxing Sect.

Boom!

In the distance,

the Inheritance Steps once again emitted a bright light, celestial music played to celebrate the Sect’s gaining of a new disciple.

”Disciple Mu Tiansnow, two hundred and thirty-seven years old, ascended the Nine Heavens Staircase, and passed five steps!”

”Qualified to become an inner disciple of the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Sect!”

”Granted ’Heavenly Water and Wood Classics,’ if diligent in Cultivation and serving the Sect, the Nascent Soul is hopeful.”

Two hundred and thirty-seven years old!

Jiang Ding’s expression changed, and he turned to look toward the ladder in the sky.

A woman in white stood quietly on the fifth step of the Nine Heavens Staircase, with snow-white skin, hair black as ink, and within her phoenix eyes, faint streaks of blood could be seen flashing by.

”Patriarch Hua Xue!”

Beneath the Inheritance Steps, someone shouted in horror, frantically fleeing in all directions.

”How could it be?”

”She’s already advanced in years; how could the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Sect possibly choose her as a disciple?!”

Many disciples of the Qiyu Sect shivered uncontrollably as they scattered and fled.

”Why did it have to be this time?”

Li Qingyun said in fear, yet he dared not take a step away from the Nine Heavens Steps, firmly standing his ground.

Inwardly, he was feeling lucky.

If he hadn’t approached his junior uncle immediately, his head would have likely fallen by now.

”She is not old.”

”Quite young.”

Jiang Ding muttered to himself.

”Two hundred thirty-seven years old, in the late Golden Pill phase, the Qi Practicing Avatar of Patriarch Hua Xue from the Xuetu Hall.”

”Having such an old thing around, even if it’s only an avatar, is still troublesome.”

His Escape Light suddenly accelerated, sacrificing some of his concealment capabilities to be detectable by the scan of Foundation-building Cultivators’ Divine Sense.

With the utmost speed, he headed towards a corner of Tieloushan Mountain and killed his way through.

...

”What is this thing?!”

Deep in a valley, an old man in a black robe looked troubled.

Within his Divine Soul, a strand of deep blue Sword Intent lingered like an incurable disease.

For days on end, no matter how he tried to purify, clear, or even sever a small part of his Divine Soul with his powerful control over the Golden Pill, it would still reappear at the original spot again.

Humming!

The deep blue Sword Qi suddenly vibrated and became increasingly violent, resonating with a distant breath at an ever-faster rate!

He couldn’t help but look up.

A streak of deep blue Sword-light descended.

”Just a Qi Practicing lowlife, not thinking of fleeing, and you even dare to come here.”

Patriarch Bai Gui trembled with rage.

”Good, good!”

”Since you’re courting death, don’t blame this old patriarch!”

Boom!

In the time of just one breath,

within the huge blast of air,

a sword-light, enforced to its limit with electromagnetic interwoven patterns, disappeared from Divine Sense detection at utmost speed and landed on his head.

Bang!

The old man in the black robe split into pieces, dissipating into fragments of Spiritual Light.

”Short-distance space displacement? Formation Method?”

Seven to eight hundred meters away,

Jiang Ding emerged, speaking indifferently.

Destruction Sword Intent Lockdown honed in on the Divine Soul; he wouldn’t believe he was mistaken—it struck a puppet.

It must be the true body without a doubt.

Hum!

On the ground, dark Yin Energy patterns rose, quickly connecting and forming a terrifying Formation Method that covered the heavens and the earth, with the wailing of ghosts and howling sounds everywhere.

Countless fierce ghosts drilled out of the ground, swarming endlessly.

One hundred, one thousand!

Ten thousand!

Ten thousand ghosts!

Reaching a horrifying number of ten thousand ghosts, the weakest were the ghosts at the First Level of Qi Practicing, and several hundred peak Qi Practicing fierce ghosts!

There were nine ghosts with the aura of Foundation-building Ghost Generals!

”Ignorant junior!”

”Even if we are both in the Qi Practicing Phase, this ancestor is not an existence that you can insult!”

In the sky,

the old man in the black robe revealed himself, looking down from on high, and said coldly.

”Flatter, I do not agree with your words,”

Jiang Ding laughed and said ominously.

”You are the flatter!”

”Today, you’re in charge of the celebratory props, and it would be the same even if the King of Heaven himself were here!”

Boom!

A round of deep blue sun emerged, bringing endless light and heat, and it slashed towards the sky where myriad ghosts surrounded the figure.