Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

After a long while,

the Azure Tree stabilized, absorbing Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi and Great Sun Essence within a ten-thousand-meter radius to restore its slightly dimmed trunk.

”The initial integration is complete.”

Jiang Ding’s face turned pale as he withdrew his Mana and Divine Sense.

A Four-level Fusion Magnetic Crystal Core.

This material suitable for the Nascent Soul Stage was too terrifying. Even after partial processing, a tiny drop nearly crushed his Divine Sense.

If unprocessed, a single drop falling directly would suppress and kill 99% of Foundation-building cultivators, shattering their bodies and shields.

”However, the effect is indeed excellent.”

Jiang Ding’s brows relaxed as a leaf fluttered down from the tree, and he looked at it attentively.

The leaf was azure with a metallic sheen, the outer layer encased in a faint golden aura, the result of years of tempering by the Gold Melt Fruit Sword Tempering Liquid, capable of piercing through the shields of ordinary Foundation-building cultivators.

The veins were originally a pure blue metallic color, but now had fine grey lines, barely visible, nearly undetectable even with Divine Sense.

”It has gained a little electromagnetic affinity.”

Jiang Ding confirmed.

Releasing his finger,

The leaf drifted and began to spin on its own, without any Divine Sense or Mana, influenced by the magnetic field of the world around it.

As it spun faster and faster, it passed cleanly through a piece of bluestone, leaving a smooth, even cut.

The bluestone flew over and landed in front of him.

”Ignoring the leaf’s natural sharpness and the aura, this magnetic force is equivalent to a full-force strike from an Inner Qi Realm Martial Artist.”

Jiang Ding was startled.

This was merely an insignificant half wisp of Fusion Magnetic Crystal Core, distributed through the entire Blue-gold large tree, with an individual leaf getting very little.

Yet it had such an effect.

A full drop of Fusion Magnetic Crystal Core would contain at least ten thousand wisps!

”Worthy indeed of being an object coveted by many Nascent Soul cultivators, an artifact created with the heart’s blood of the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace True Transmission!”

Jiang Ding was elated.

He intended to melt another small half wisp, but his Mana and Divine Sense were greatly depleted, leaving him no strength to spare.

”Taking the cultivation time into account, it would take a day to melt one wisp, ten thousand wisps... ”

He gasped.

”That would require twenty-seven years!”

”This is terrifying. A single cultivation process is nearly the first half of a mortal’s life... This is what it means to use Fourth-Order Nascent Soul Level Materials.”

Jiang Ding sighed.

”However, once I’ve melted a thousand wisps, there should be a first qualitative change, and it should barely be sufficient.”

”That will probably take three years.”

Shaking his head,

Jiang Ding could somewhat understand why many cultivators secluded themselves for decades. There was just too much to do, always busy and bustling.

Closing his eyes, he recovered his injured Divine Sense and Mana, falling into a state of cultivation.

The Azure Tree trembled from time to time, gathering Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi and Great Sun Essence from within ten miles, forming an azure sun shadow beneath its canopy.

Beams of light fell upon the youth in blue clothes, maintaining his high-speed cultivation state at all times.

Days passed by unknowingly.

Ding-ling, ding-ling!

The azure branches of the Taiqing Flying Sword clashed against each other in the wind, producing a clear and pleasant sound like wind chimes.

”Air-Space Combat class time.”

Jiang Ding opened his eyes and transformed into a grey-blue Escaping Light, flying towards the distance.

Compared with the previous pale blue Escaping Light, there were some changes now; the light flickered intermittently and interfered violently with the surrounding electromagnetic waves, increasing drag.

”Minor Magnet Light Escape Art!”

Within three months, he had gained a basic mastery of this Second Order escape technique, which was somewhat slower than the fully mastered ”Magnetic Levitation Flight Technique,” but he insisted on using it whenever possible.

The other Second Order top-tier technique he chose, ”Electromagnetic Light Wave Stealth Technique,” was still being pondered and not yet mastered.

The grey-blue Escaping Light swept across the mountains and the land, not heading toward the classroom but abruptly soaring at a steep angle straight into the sky above.

Only when he was three or four thousand meters high in the air, barely able to see the edge of Qingfeng University’s Floating Island, did he stop.

Various colored lights flew in from all directions.

The Air-Space Combat class is divided into theory and practical parts.

”Jiang Ding, the minor cultivator, where are you off to?”

Whoosh!

A streak of starlight flew from afar and landed next to Jiang Ding. Silver hair flowing, her delicate and cute face full of excitement.

She made no attempt to conceal the pressure of a Foundation-building cultivator as she tried to squash the Dari Swordsman before her, seeking to prove herself once again.

”Hurry and submit to the greatness of a mighty Foundation-building cultivator!”

Jin Lingfeng was smug and triumphant.

”Little Qi cultivator, if you apologize now, I’ll forgive you for chopping me into pieces during the College Entrance Exam.”

”You’ve come out of seclusion?”

Jiang Ding said with a smile.

”Congratulations, Foundation-building powerhouse Jin Lingfeng.”

”Stop changing the subject.”

Behind Jin Lingfeng, forty-nine seven-colored plume feathers clinked sharply, speaking discontentedly, ”If you don’t apologize, I will pressure you daily with my Foundation-building power. Are you finding it hard to breathe now?”

”I can slightly reduce the pressure.”

Foundation-building pressure?

Classmates around cast her pitying glances.

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword, annoyed by the pressure, emitted a light chant, and a faint Sword Intent spread around.

The clinking seven-colored plume feathers faltered.

After a pause, they drew back their Spiritual Light and hid behind Jin Lingfeng, carefully retracting each feather so as not to let them show.

Equal Cultivation Base,

Equal mana of the same grade.

The differences that existed at the time of the College Entrance Exam had been wholly erased.

”You’re also at the Foundation Building stage?”

Jin Lingfeng’s face changed.

”It was just slightly faster by half a year.”

Jiang Ding said modestly.

”I see.”

Jin Lingfeng immediately retracted her forty-nine seven-colored plume feathers, and the oppressive aura dissipated entirely.

Looking left and right,

As if nothing had happened.

Many students gathered, more than seventy, all at the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Taoist of Five Elements, An Tuzi, and two others were there as well, but only as auditors.

Boom!

The class bell rang.

In a corner of the sky, unnoticed until now, an elder had appeared.

A sword scar marked his face, running from the left eyeball to the right jawline, deep enough to show the bone, and his left eyeball had been replaced with a metallic lustrous artifact, his body still bearing the residual battle aura.

”Good morning, Teacher Wei Chi.”

”Greetings to Immortal Luling!”

The crowd bowed in respect.

”Good morning, students.”

Immortal Luling’s voice was hoarse as he spoke slowly, ”Today we’ll continue learning about piloting Air-Space Warplanes.”

”There’s no shortcut; it’s just about studying more, practicing more, improving your Formation Path level, mana intensity, Divine Consciousness strength, and enhancing the control of the warplane’s various attacks, maneuvers, and defensive arrays.”

With a swish of his robe,

Row upon row of pure black Air-Space Warplanes appeared in the sky, neatly lined up.

Educational-645!

With a length of 27.475 meters, a wingspan of about 18.248 meters, a height of 6.257 meters, and seven Hunter-76 missiles, each 4.241 meters long, clearly visible in the warplane’s belly chamber.

”Let’s begin.”

”Yes!”

Jiang Ding and the others promptly responded. Each linked their Divine Consciousness to an Air-Space Warplane, gaining authorization, and turned into streaks of light, flying into the slowly opening cockpits.

The cabin door closed.

Jiang Ding opened his eyes; inside the cockpit, there wasn’t any liquid crystal display or a dazzling array of buttons and lights, but just faintly visible runes shimmering in a subtle black style.

In front of him was a cube-sized Array Core.

Divine Consciousness and mana poured into it.

Jiang Ding felt as if he had entered an incredibly vast world with Quasi-third-order Flying Formation Methods, Quasi-third-order Star Fighting Killing Yin Formations, Quasi-third-order Spirit Element Radar Electromagnetic Interaction Arrays...

Layers upon layers of nearly third-tier Array runes intertwined, with me in you and you in me, complex yet ordered. Without systematic learning, it could make even a Golden Pill Monk dizzy and overwhelmed.

A vast world of Arrays.

”Activate the Star Sea-K54 Spirit Element Engine.”

”Activate the Quasi-third-order Spirit Element Radar Electromagnetic Interaction Array.”

Jiang Ding, familiar with the arrays, connected smoothly.

In an instant, his vision blurred as electromagnetic waves generated by the Quasi-third-order Spirit Element Radar Interaction Array spread outward, instantly covering an area of a hundred kilometers.

In the sky, on the ground, every cloud, every hill’s contour appeared sharply in his Divine Soul, vivid and detailed.

Even if a Cultivator at the Foundation Building Stage concealed themselves, they couldn’t evade the detection, capture, and tracking of the Spirit Element Radar Wave.

A pure black war machine in a corner of the sky emitted visible streams of exhaust from the back.

”Start.”

Jiang Ding touched the Array switch with his Divine Consciousness.

Whoosh!

The sensation of being pushed back came as the Air-Space Warplane left a white trail, disappearing into the distance at a speed faster than a Cultivator at the Peak of Foundation Building.