Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

A gentle breeze mingled with light rain,

As Jiang Ding stood silently before two graves.

”Dingding, do you have a girlfriend yet?”

”Dingding, grandma wants to eat boiled cabbage.”

”Dingding...”

The voices and smiles of grandpa and grandma kept surfacing in his mind, repeating over and over again.

He had thought that such times would last forever.

Unexpectedly, all of a sudden, they were gone, never to be seen again.

Only two bleak and lonely graves remained.

”Why can’t the universe’s time stand still in those years?”

”I wonder if, at the pinnacle of the Immortal Path, it’s possible to reverse time?”

Jiang Ding contemplated quietly.

Around him, a large group of people, all dressed in black and white clothes.

Two little ones, confused, not knowing what had happened, and no one told them.

Lin Wanqiu and Uncle Lin Yong cried countless times, with red swollen eyes, looking utterly bewildered; their spirits had visibly diminished, aged noticeably in an instant.

”Mom, Uncle,”

Jiang Ding said softly, ”Let’s go back for now. Take care of yourselves. Grandpa and grandma told you to look after yourselves well.”

”Mm.”

Lin Wanqiu replied weakly, leaving slowly with her son’s support.

Lin Yuanwang and Uncle did the same.

...

Regardless, life must go on.

Jiang Ding stayed at home for another year, accompanying Lin Wanqiu until her mental state gradually improved and she was no longer in a daze every day; then he finally decided to return to school.

At home, though cultivation was not delayed, he couldn’t attend classes, taking advantage of teachers’ instructions to learn Formation Methods, Runes, and the principles of Cultivation Methods to enhance his foundation of Immortal Path knowledge.

If he continued to work in isolation, he would eventually hit a bottleneck at some stage in life’s cultivation.

”Mom,”

Jiang Ding looked at Lin Wanqiu, who now had many silver hairs, and said earnestly, ”Can you promise me to never leave me?”

”That’s a bit difficult.”

Lin Wanqiu gave a bitter smile.

With both parents gone, she felt a deep powerlessness of being alone in the world. Fortunately, she had her children and her brother to rely on, which kept her spirit from collapsing.

It’s hard to imagine how high-level cultivators face the departure of their loved ones, even friends, leaving them alone in the universe.

No wonder high-level cultivators are often eccentric and difficult to get along with.

”However, I promise you, at least I will achieve Foundation-building,”

Lin Wanqiu assured, ”The Cultivation Room Array Spirit has made numerous calculations; all being well, there’s a considerable chance of building Foundation, maybe even witnessing you become a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

”That’s good enough.”

Jiang Ding nodded contentedly: ”Then I’m off, I’ll come home every week, it’s a quick trip, just about fifteen minutes, not troublesome at all.”

”Also, try your best to persuade Yuanyuan.”

He sighed softly.

In this life, he really didn’t want to experience the pain of losing loved ones again.

”Don’t worry.”

Lin Wanqiu comforted, ”She has also been practicing cultivation recently. Someone is taking care of the two little ones, so she’s not that busy, it’s just that she’s been too heartbroken lately because of grandpa and grandma’s departure. She’s always been a bit more fragile than others... she’ll recover soon.”

```

”I hope so.”

”Mom, see you in a week.”

Jiang Ding waved his hand as his body levitated into the air and then transformed into a gray-blue sword-shaped escape light soaring towards the sky, merging with an Air-Space Warplane overhead and blending into it.

The tail of the Air-Space Warplane emitted a jet stream and disappeared in a sonic boom.

A moment later, a pure white Air-Space Warplane followed, flying alongside.

”Jiang Ding, are you doing okay?”

Jin Lingfeng’s Divine Sense Scanning came through, closely observing his condition and advised, ”If you think your mental state is not suitable, take more rest before entering Cultivation; otherwise, you might risk deviating.”

”Thank you, I’m fine.”

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

”An Siyan, do your parents have enough Longevity Pills?”

Recalling something, he asked.

After reaching the Foundation Building stage, Cultivators undergo a qualitative transformation of their Divine Souls and can take Longevity Pills to increase their lifespan, though this has a limit. Foundation-building cultivators can only extend their life by a maximum of one hundred years, to around three hundred and fifty years old.

The closer one gets to the three hundred and fifty-year limit, the higher the quality of Longevity Pills required.

”Not yet.”

An Siyan shook her head, ”Longevity Pills are too precious. Even the second-tier ones are more valuable than many third-tier elixirs. I plan to consider it after Foundation Establishment.”

”As for after three hundred years old, only the third-tier Longevity Pills are effective, and that’s beyond my capability.”

”You are now at the mid-stage of Foundation Building, approaching the latter stage... Are you planning to give up on solid foundation and attempt Foundation Establishment early?” Jiang Ding thought for a moment and understood her intentions.

It was understandable, as between choosing the path and their parents living longer, many people found it difficult to decide. There was no right or wrong.

Moreover, it didn’t completely cut off the path to Nascent Soul; it just might make the Infant Formation somewhat smaller.

”Don’t do it like this, let me lend you some Spirit Stones.”

Jiang Ding thought for a moment: ”It’s too much of a pity to attempt Foundation Establishment too early. Pay me back several times the amount when you have the ability, remember, it’s a high-interest loan.”

”Alright then...”

An Siyan hesitated for a moment and agreed.

In fact, she didn’t want to rush for quick success either and had hesitated for a long time before making up her mind.

”There is something else you need to keep in mind.”

Jin Lingfeng interjected, ”Longevity Pills are too rare and not readily available on the market. Many cultivators who obtain them would either consume them directly or save them for their relatives and descendants, rarely allowing them into the market. I’ll ask around for you.”

”Thank you very much!”

After multiple verifications involving the Divine Soul, Mana, and body, the two Air-Space Warplanes briefly bid farewell in the sky and flew back to their respective dormitories.

A figure dropped from the war machine and glanced at the surrounding landscape filled with various ores and rusty engineering equipment.

”Another sixteen years have passed,”

Jiang Ding sighed softly.

”And I, am without my grandparents...”

His heart ached slightly as he struggled to control himself, trying not to think about these things.

Sitting cross-legged, the Blue-gold Large Tree emerged from the ground behind him, unfolding its canopy, gathering Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi and Great Sun Essence which surged into his body, continuously refining his Mana.

The dormitory area in the mine returned to its usual calm.

The following days returned to their regular routine.

Every day was spent attending classes, cultivating, learning Cultivation Method knowledge from Immortal Dinghai, learning Airspace combat from Immortal Luling, studying Formation Method with math teachers... Occasionally going to the Great Sun Relic Laboratory with senior brothers and sisters for research, and going home once a week.

Days went by in such regularity, yet full of substance.

In the blink of an eye, another half year passed.

”Hello, please sign for the delivery.”

One day, an Elite Kingfisher arrived at the dormitory with two large boxes in its beak.