Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

”It is quite urgent,”

Huangmao rolled his eyes.

”Originally, I was thinking of waiting another few decades or a century at most, and the Desolate Bronze Small World would descend, and I would have completed my opportunity for God-Transforming cultivation.”

”But a mishap has occurred, and if we wait any longer, we’ll lose this Small World.”

”What went wrong?”

Jiang Ding’s expression became serious.

He knew very well the importance of the Desolate Bronze Small World to Xianmen Sect—it related to Melted Magnetic Crystal Stone, a strategic mineral resource that could influence the God-transforming battled fields of Xianmen Sect.

In addition, Xianmen Sect’s education vastly outpaced the level of their own resources.

Many Golden Pill Monks with talent, effort, and luck were not lacking; it was just too insular, missing an opportunity while facing the danger of lifespans ending, just waiting for this chance to breakthrough.

This delay was truly disheartening.

”Do you remember Xia Houding, the Xuanwu Substitute Daoist from Xuanwu Heavenly Palace?”

Huangmao asked.

”I remember,”

Jiang Ding’s eyes gleamed with a hint of blue: ”When I was weak, he suppressed me to death with a flick of his finger, using the power of a Golden Pill.”

”He has made a breakthrough.”

Huangmao sighed, ”Xianmen Sect is indeed slightly weaker in terms of individual combat power. After his breakthrough, along with the other two Xuanwu Substitute Daoists from the Desolate Bronze Small World’s East Sea, they joined forces, posing a huge threat to our ground troops.”

”Originally, Xianmen Sect had taken control of the majority of the Desolate Bronze Small World, and we were just short of the East Sea to fully occupy this Small World, which would increase the number of directly governed Small Worlds to thirteen, benefitting many Xianmen cultivators and no longer leaving them in such dire states.”

”However, after Xia Houding’s breakthrough, more than ten days ago, he led a large number of Foundation-building cultivators as reinforcements from Xuanwu Heavenly Palace to breach Xianmen Sect’s Magnetic Element Boundary Array in the southern part of Desolate Bronze.

Third-order tactical nukes were simply unable to track his movements, and a new Black Tortoise Boundary Array base was re-laid out in the Southern Border area, weakening the Outer Realm Army Formation of Xianmen Sect as a result.”

”More importantly, this trend is still expanding. He is likely to continue breaking through the North and West Boundary Formation bases of Xianmen Sect, causing Xianmen Sect to completely lose their amplification anchors in the Outer Realm, reducing the overall power by about ten percent.”

”By then, the Xianmen Sect military might consider abandoning the Desolate Bronze Small World due to casualties, battle damage ratios, and other reasons, and send reinforcements to other battlefields.”

”It’s uncertain when we might be able to capture another Small World.”

”What about Xianmen Sect’s Foundation Building troops?”

Jiang Ding frowned.

Xianmen Sect did have the power to contend; it wasn’t as if the appearance of Substitute Daoist Xuanwu rendered them invincible, or else Xianmen would already have been pushed to their doorstep.

”Outside the realm, both sides fought for their Army Formations for decades, with Array Patterns entangled with one another, intermingling, eventually leading to this situation.”

”They have more Nascent Soul Cultivators, not lacking in leadership, and have the advantage of deploying a large number of Foundation-building cultivators. We lose one move, and we can only deploy a small number of Foundation-builders. The rest are all soldiers of the Qi Practicing stage,”

Huangmao explained, ”Warfare for cultivators is divided into combat outside and landing operations inside the realm. Because Nascent Soul Monks give birth to ’Domains,’ they naturally fit within a particular world but face multiple restrictions when switching worlds, requiring at least tens of years to adapt.”

”Therefore, the main force for landing operations inside the realm is Golden Pellet Realm and below. This time, in the Outer Realm battles over Desolate Bronze Small World, Xianmen Sect made a slight miscalculation – the ground troops are at a significant disadvantage and cannot deploy a large number of Air-Space warplanes.

But they can still fight and win relying on third-order tactical nukes.”

”However, when the opposing Xuanwu Substitute Daoist made a breakthrough and the gods of Belief in Incense established by them in the East Sea also achieved breakthroughs, it ceased to work.

Now there’s a sense of being progressively pushed back on the battlefield, barely holding on and stalling for time relying on third-order tactical nukes and Boundary Formations.”

”In short, I need you right now,”

”My Life Energy really can’t hold out any longer!”

Huangmao grabbed Jiang Ding’s hand earnestly.

”Senior, I need time to think,”

After much thought, Jiang Ding still shook his head: ”It won’t be until the Latter Stage of Foundation Building, about fourteen years or so, that I will truly consider this matter.”

He wasn’t being cold-hearted, passively watching the old senior’s Life Energy slip away.

The battlefield beyond the realm was extremely perilous; a Mid-stage Foundation Building Cultivator joining the fray was irresponsible to both himself and the future of Xianmen Sect.

Because one’s true body enters, any mistake means death.

The virtual consciousness projection technology of the Xianmen Sect has not developed to the Foundation Building Period; even the resources consumed by the Qi Practicing Phase are exceptionally vast, and it is only persisted in due to the nature of the polity.

Had it been any other Immortal Sect, high-level cultivators would have long since conscripted massive numbers of Qi Practitioners for this purpose. What would it matter if tens of thousands died? In twenty years or so, more would have grown back—it’s but the blink of an eye.

”...All right, I’ll think of a solution myself.”

Huang Mao looked at him, said nothing more, and disappeared from sight.

”...”

Jiang Ding felt somewhat conflicted and didn’t know what to say.

For a cultivator on the verge of their life’s end, any form of consolation is pale and powerless. Their experiences have been extremely rich, and they possess an exceptionally resilient spirit, never giving up until the very last moment.

Suppressing his emotions, he flew towards the sky.

Many streams of Escape Light converged in the heavens.

”Long time no see!”

An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng called out from afar, and through Divine Sense, they transferred two sets of class handouts; the three of them united their Escape Light.

”You exaggerate, it’s been only half a year.”

”Thank you very much.”

Jiang Ding accepted their handouts and quickly understood them within his mind, noting any questions to later ask the various teachers.

These past few months, he had been busy dealing with the affairs of Yue Country.

The wars in the Cultivation realm could be very prolonged, often involving sneaking and waiting for a month at a time, spending months searching for the right moment to strike, and traveling long distances, which caused him to miss many of the regular classes for the entire class.

”Uh, Jiang Ding.”

Jin Lingfeng hesitated before asking, ”Do you know about the Huangtong Small World?”

It concerned the thirteenth Small World of the Xianmen Sect, which was closely monitored by all, especially the Nascent Soul Monks and their families.

For ordinary people, it was just news, but it could have a huge impact on their cultivation.

”I know.”

Jiang Ding nodded, not saying much.

He would not change his plans for anyone.

”Okay then.”

Jin Lingfeng was somewhat discouraged.

In fact, she thought that the Jiang Ding of today was already strong enough—many Mid-stage Golden Pill Monks were no match for him.

More than two hundred streams of Escape Light arrived, all emanating the aura of elite mana; their cultivation levels ranged from Mid-stage Foundation Building to the Peak of Foundation Building, representing an important part of the Sect’s elite accumulations over the last hundred years.

Many people, for the same reasons as Jin Lingfeng, kept their eyes on Jiang Ding for a long time before finally looking away.

They waited in silence, communicating with Divine Sense.

Thud!

Amid the bell signaling the start of class, the one-eyed Immortal Luling appeared in the sky.

”Greetings, Teacher Yu Chi.”

The students bowed in salute.

”Good day, students.”

”Last time, we talked about how warships cooperate in battle.”

Immortal Luling gestured for them to sit and slowly said, ”Today, we will discuss how, when you are incorporated into an Air-Space Army under a Nascent Soul Monk of the Xianmen Sect, to coordinate an Air-Space Warplane with an Air-Space Mothership in an Army Formation within the domain of a Nascent Soul Monk.”

”What is the domain of a Nascent Soul Monk?”