Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Flames surged into the sky, forming a sunset glow.

Within Monster City, fire spears shuttled back and forth with precision, piercing the heads of various demon beasts and monsters, regardless of whether they were in the Foundation Establishment Stage or the Qi Practicing Realm.

Wails, screams, and curses filled the air as the demon race army, in a frenzy to assault the Demon Palace, perished in the sky-filling flames.

”What’s happened?”

Members of the Lingbao Commerce Association and the Chuyun Commerce Association, including several Foundation-building cultivators and dozens of Qi Practicing Phase cultivators, flew out, their expressions of shock and terror clear: ”Why is Tushan Monster Country’s big array attacking its own people?”

In the sky, fire spears flew by one after another, landing and then regenerating within the formation, dense and numerous, like flying fish from heaven, orderly descending.

”Quick, let’s go!”

”Otherwise, we’ll undoubtedly die!”

A big-bearded Foundation-building member from the Lingbao Commerce Association, his face pale with terror, burst out with mana, attempting to fly away and escape, only to be forcefully pulled down by the store manager standing beside him, his expression stern.

”Shut up!”

The store manager, a middle-aged scholar at the latter stage of Foundation Building, spoke coldly, ”This formation is utilized so skillfully, without the coarseness typical of demon cultivators, it must surely be a senior from our Human Race, no doubt about it. We haven’t been harmed in the slightest, and not a single person... other civilians, have died, which is clear proof.”

Though his heart was filled with unease, he dared not show the slightest bit of it, standing respectfully on the spot.

”That’s right, a senior with such great virtue wouldn’t tolerate your irreverence!”

The last remaining early-stage Foundation-building cultivator from the Chuyun Commerce Association was now trembling all over, flattering and pandering.

Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!

Dozens of fire spear spells fell from the sky, instantly piercing through everyone from the Chuyun Commerce Association, including the early-stage Foundation-building member, who was obliterated by five or six Foundation-building level fire spears.

Immediately after, the formation of the Chuyun Commerce Association was forcefully shattered, the white jade-like walls of its shops melted and dissolved, and various weapons, magic tools, storage bags, and the like flew up into the sky.

”Senior, spare my life!”

The heart of the middle-aged scholar from the Lingbao Commerce Association trembled, his legs weak. His earlier thoughts overturned in an instant.

But no one paid him any attention.

Nor did any more fire spear spells descend.

He could only stand there trembling, not daring to move an inch.

After more than ten minutes, the city settled down.

In the end, the light from a spell that destroyed both soul and spirit flashed by, erasing all traces of life, and a terrible explosion occurred at the Demon Palace. Inside the high temperatures of flaming fire, the palaces melted into rolling magma; all traces and auras were eradicated, not a single remnant left.

Nobody saw

a streak of invisible Escape Light fly out from the silent city, glance at the numerous enslaved people, then head off into the distance, vanishing from sight.

”We’re not in a position to provide for them now; we lack the necessary conditions, they’ll have to fend for themselves.”

Jiang Ding silently flew through the sky, ”I am the greatest hope of the Human Race on this land; with me, there is hope. If I die, their hope dies. I cannot expose myself for the sake of saving a few.”

After flying for several minutes, he landed atop a seemingly ordinary mountain peak.

Unbeknownst to anyone, deep beneath the ground here lay a teleportation formation that could transport to locations within a three-thousand-kilometer radius.

”This is the obligatory route back to Tushan Monster City from Xuetu Hall or Qiyu Sect unless the Chiyan Fox King has taken a detour.”

Jiang Ding found a large boulder, concealed his form, and sat down cross-legged.

”If the Chiyan Fox King’s condition has been compromised, I’ll immediately control the Air-Space Warplane to finish her off. That would also count as giving an explanation to Qiyu Sect, although it wasn’t caused by me.”

”But who told me to be kind-hearted?”

He spoke indifferently.

If possible, he still didn’t want Qiyu Sect to be wiped out by Tushan Monster Country and Xuetu Hall working together.

Of course, he wouldn’t make a move unless the condition of the Chiyan Fox King was compromised.

At all costs, without fear of exposing the war machines of Xianmen Sect, he could defeat but not kill a true Post-Golden Alchemist.

All members of the Demon Race who had seen him were already dead.

It was not certain that the Chiyan Fox King would take its anger out on the Qiyu Sect, and with the Golden Pill of Xuetu Hall severely injured, perhaps Qiyu Sect could hold out for another decade or so –there was no need to rush.

He closed his eyes, cultivated quietly for several days, and restored his mana and Divine Sense to perfect condition.

”Immortal Yuling from the Liudao Sect has time to deal with now.”

Jiang Ding muttered to himself, controlling the Electromagnetic Stealth Robe to expand the concealment range to a few meters in radius. With a flip of his hand, a jade box appeared in his palm. Upon opening it, a thumb-sized Divine Soul was soundly sleeping on a cracked Golden Pill.

A Third Order High-Quality Soul Search Symbol was attached, and the thumb-sized Divine Soul showed an expression of painful struggle but couldn’t even make a sound.

Moments later, the entire Divine Soul directly collapsed into specks of pale blue light that disappeared without a trace.

The Soul Searching Symbol flew into his hand and was carefully read by Jiang Ding.

”...Liudao Sect is divided into the Heavenly Man Path, Human Path, Asura Path, Hell Road, Hungry Ghost Way, Beast Path; each one is ruled by the Yin’s and other six clans which intermarry among each other, not differentiating between one another. Currently, the Yin’s firmly hold the position of Sect Leader…”

”...Patriarch Nascent Soul, many by name, surnamed Yin as Supreme Elders…”

”...Blood Skull Gu, Spiritual Root Essence Blood Technique, Bone Changing Technique… In the Beiyuan Immortal Cultivation World, the research on techniques and magic that utilize relatives to enhance one’s Spiritual Root aptitude is highly developed…”

Jiang Ding suddenly understood.

He had said that there must be a reason for the low-efficiency family organization to become the mainstream in the Northern Plains Cultivation World, and now it seemed some things were explained.

”Postpone handing over the related magic techniques to avoid benefiting Xu’s Clan.”

”...However, all these measures can only prolong the fate of the family’s decline; what is born naturally is inborn, and what is supplemented later will always remain just that—a supplement, unable to compare with natural creation, at least below the rank of immortal.”

”Indeed, this would stabilize them internally, but should an external threat arise, they would find it difficult to resist.”

”For instance, the Great Sun Sect.”

Jiang Ding’s gaze flashed. ”In Immortal Yuling’s memory, the Great Sun Sect appeared over a thousand years ago, rising rapidly, advocating the principle that ’greatness comes from embracing all streams,’ not confined to surnames in recruiting disciples, and cultivation training unrestricted by lineage, which attracted a large number of minor Clan Cultivators to join at the risk of their clan’s extinction.”

”A thousand years ago?”

”Shouldn’t it be three thousand years ago?”

Jiang Ding’s brows furrowed tightly; another point that did not match with Great Sun Sword Pavilion’s records, prompting him to doubt whether this Great Sun Sect was indeed as he had perceived.

”Forget it, as always, treat it as it is until proven otherwise, even if it turns out to be a false alarm.”

He continued to read.

”...Liudao Sect has suffered a failure on the battlefield, not a minor loss as the disciples have heard, but an unprecedented defeat, with Patriarchs Nascent Soul reported dead... The Sect’s inheritance plan is accelerating…”

”...Senior Brother Tiankuang, in the late Golden Core, has already secretly infiltrated Xuetu Hall…”

”...Xuetu Hall belongs to the Hungry Ghost Dao Wu’s subordinate clan, which fled here to a remote place after a loss in a Dao conflict a thousand years ago; its Cultivation Methods contain hidden aspects, which may be exploitable to take control of the area…”

Jiang Ding’s eyes snapped open suddenly.

After a long while, he heaved a sigh.

”There’s no need to wait for the Chiyan Fox King anymore. The allied forces of Tushan Monster Country and Qiyu Sect might as well be doomed. Post-Golden Alchemists from Liudao Sect are not comparable to those from remote areas.”