Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Jiang Ding lectured slowly on the platform.

Surrounding foundation-building cultivators of Xianmen Sect listened intently, occasionally casting a magical question mark above their heads, signifying they had a question.

”...with Sword Slashing Heart Demon, you can.”

As Jiang Ding concluded his lecture, he looked towards the one whose question mark appeared first—a middle-aged cultivator with a crew cut, dark skin, a tough demeanor, and a hint of battlefield ferocity, the typical military temperament.

He must have recently retired from active duty, wandering between Xianmen Sect and small worlds, searching for his path to Foundation Establishment.

This was quite common; most cultivators in military service would undergo such a phase in their journey.

”I have seen Elder Jiang.”

The middle-aged cultivator brightened, stood up, and bowed respectfully.

This was the customary etiquette.

When meeting a cultivator of higher cultivation base whom one does not know, it is common to address them as ’elder’.

Jiang Ding’s gaze became distant for a moment.

In Xianmen Sect, being called an elder by a cultivator was apparently a first for him, and it felt very unnatural.

Vaguely, many figures flashed before him: the elderly men in the neighborhood of his childhood, the retired security guards from his high school, teachers from middle and high school, peers, playmates, and the children of those peers and playmates.

It seemed as though, in the blink of an eye, time surged like a torrent, and people of six or seven generations had all become a thing of the past, never to return.

”Elder Jiang, facing an Internal Demon, if I feel I cannot overcome it, can I run away?”

The middle-aged cultivator asked.

This question surprised the surrounding people.

Countless textbooks and experiences from elders clearly told everyone that when facing an Internal Demon, one should be brave and relentless; the more fearful you are, the stronger the Internal Demon becomes.

”Are you a recon soldier?”

”It seems we’re from the same trade.”

Jiang Ding swept his Divine Sense over the man and instantly understood his profession—a high stealth reconnaissance Air-Space Warplane pilot—and suddenly grasped the reason. He smiled and said, ”In my view, naturally, you can. Our combat style involves both fighting and fleeing; as long as your heart knows no fear, the manner in which you act is not important.”

”I understand. Thank you, elder,” the middle-aged cultivator said, relieved as if he had gained some confidence, gratefully.

Jiang Ding then turned to another foundation-building cultivator with a question mark above them.

”Elder Jiang, how to protect oneself if finding the Internal Demon proves difficult...”

This was a foundation-building cultivator who appeared to be a woman in her twenties or thirties.

”I believe...”

Jiang Ding explained one by one.

Of course, he was speaking from his own perspective, offering solutions he believed to be effective.

There were many differences and some similarities to the ways of schools, military, corporations, and other institutions where Golden Pill Monks were, and although not absolute, foundation-building cultivators needed to reference their own paths in light of his advice.

He spent several days responding to each cultivator’s questions.

Afterward, he continued to share his comprehension of the Heavenly Tribulation, followed by more question answering, for over ten days.

Thus, this session of Foundation Establishment experience sharing gradually ended, and the numerous foundation-building cultivators dispersed.

”Jiang Ding!”

True Monarch Luling called out, beckoning him over to join the circle of Nascent Soul Immortals. Pointing towards a gallant middle-aged man wearing a golden crown, he said, ”This bastard is Cave Gold True Monarch. He serves in the Geomagnetic Space Army at the border between Xianmen Sect and Xuanwu Heavenly Palace. He has also worked in the Desolate Bronze Space Army. Just call him Old Liu.”

”Greetings, Mr. Liu.”

Jiang Ding said earnestly.

”Jiang Ding, it’s true that meeting someone in person surpasses hearing of their reputation.”

Cave Gold True Monarch greeted him warmly with a smile, eagerly shaking hands, moving his hands up and down several times without letting go: ”I’ve heard about what you did at the Great Sun Heavenly Pond; you did a great job. These cultivators from the Immortal Sects are like dogs, remembering only the food but not the beating.”

”If you had made concessions to them, not only would they not be grateful, but they would also believe that Xianmen Sect has weakened and needs to compromise, which would instead invite more hostility and more enemies.”

”What you did was perfect!”

”If they dare to bare their teeth and show hostility, we must strike them dead immediately, scattering both Divine Soul and ashes.”

”That way, we can instead gain peace and respect.”

Jiang Ding understood in his heart.

If True Monarch Bo Ming and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were the compromise faction,

they wanted to maintain the status quo, improve the relationship between Xianmen Sect and the neutral Immortal Sects as much as possible under the existing conditions, and strive for more development time. For this, many interests could be temporarily conceded.

Then, Cave Gold True Monarch, along with a considerable number of other Immortals, represented another extreme.

Just one word.

Fight!

They urgently wanted to change the status quo, the reality, to become Divinity Transformation; to die was nothing to make a fuss about.

Not a step back!

Not only should they not concede, but they also intended to make powers like Xuanwu Heavenly Palace and Wanshou Immortal Sect gradually spit out the spoils of war that rightfully belonged to Xianmen Sect after defeating Great Sun Sword Pavilion. Only then would it be reasonable.

”Mr. Liu is overly exaggerating.”

Jiang Ding, on the contrary, felt it was a bit extreme.

”Not at all exaggerated.”

”For outer realm cultivators, the strong are revered; this is their way of interacting, something our seniors took a long time to figure out.”

Cave Gold True Monarch said solemnly.

In a roundabout way, he came to the point.

”Jiang Ding, have you ever heard of the Geomagnetic Realm?”

Cave Gold True Monarch asked, not waiting for an answer before he continued.

”More than three thousand years ago, at the pre-war military council of the Nine Immortal Sects, just before the annihilation of Great Sun Sword Pavilion, over twenty Small Worlds, including the Geomagnetic Realm, were explicitly allocated to Xianmen Sect.”

”Unfortunately,”

he scoffed.

”After the destruction of Great Sun Sword Pavilion, the Eight Great Immortal Sects denied everything, paying the price of heavy injuries to eight Masters of Refining Nothingness in order to break free from the covenant. Five Elements Heavenly Sect and others stood by, while Xuanwu Heavenly Palace and others turned against Xianmen Sect with a strike.”

”Fortunately, we had anticipated this and had not entirely trusted what seemed to be a flawless covenant, which appeared as if it could make any Master of Refining Nothingness who breached it perish along with their paths.”

”Although our strength was greatly damaged, we successfully retreated to the Mother Realm.”

”The eight Masters of Refining Nothingness, wary of each other, didn’t dare risk the death of even one or two to attack us, thus we were preserved.”

”A thousand years later, a massive and bloody war erupted again among the Eight Great Immortal Sects, greatly reducing the pressure of the blockade surrounding the outer realm, allowing us to gradually extend our influence back into the outer rim. That’s how we’ve gotten to where we are today.”

”The Geomagnetic Realm is situated on the border between the Small Worlds controlled by Xuanwu Heavenly Palace and Xianmen Sect. It has always been a case of fighting and halting; peace for a few hundred years, then war for a few hundred years, with large armies of both sides confronting each other and clashing within the realm.”

”The Geomagnetic Realm was something that Xianmen Sect went to great lengths to claim during the pre-war military counsel within the Nine Immortal Sects.”

”There’s a special produce there, known as the Geomagnetic Iron Mother, a fifth-order material.”

Cave Gold True Monarch’s voice was filled with temptation and eagerness. ”This is something that can be infused into the Electromagnetic Floating City Fortress’s Main Cannon to significantly enhance the strength of the cannon barrel, and increase both the speed and power of the Electromagnetic shells.”

”When I first heard about it, I felt it was just the thing to snatch for ourselves, for future refining into the main cannon of an Electromagnetic Fortress, to be mounted on the super Air-Space Mothership of future Dari Swordsmen.”

”Jiang Ding, what do you think, does it make sense?”

Cave Gold True Monarch looked expectantly at the young man before him.

”It makes no sense.”

”We can’t just take what belongs to others.”

”Ah?”

After a long speech, Cave Gold True Monarch was stunned, feeling that something was off, not in line with what he had expected.

”It’s a fact.”

Jiang Ding reflected for a long while.

”Perhaps, when I’m at least in the late stage of Golden Pill, Xuanwu Heavenly Palace might have an epiphany, repent and return my Electromagnetic Fortress’s main cannon, voluntarily leave the Geomagnetic Realm.”

He said tactfully.

”Yes!”

”That’s right!”

Cave Gold True Monarch’s eyes lit up, overjoyed.