Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

In the midst of a teleportation Formation,

Jiang Ding’s figure emerged, silently gazing into the distance.

After ascending to the Golden Pill realm, Armor-25 was already able to maintain contact with him within a range of thirty thousand kilometers, functioning almost like an extension of himself.

Tushan Immortal City, Demon Palace.

A youth clad in green was cultivating, and at this moment, too, he opened his eyes, gazing in the same direction.

...

On a street in Tushan Immortal City.

The shops around were dazzling with an array of goods: Magic Tools, Talismans, Elixirs, rouge, Spirit Beasts... nearly every trade-related to Cultivators was present, flourishing with business.

The Cultivators passing by were numerous, with Foundation-building and Qi Practitioners commonly seen, and even Golden Pill Cultivators could be encountered if one waited for a few days.

Order was well maintained and relaxed, lacking the usual chaos and vigilance found in other Immortal Cities.

”This place is not bad, far surpassing the average Golden Pill Immortal City of the Northern Plains.”

A middle-aged man donning a golden crow feather crown and with a hooked nose casually walked down the street, uttering praise.

Following him was an old man and a beautiful woman, both extremely respectful, showing the presence of Golden Pill Peak Cultivation Base despite appearing to be mere Foundation-builders.

They stood on either side, their actions reflecting adherence to some traditional etiquette; they dared not speak casually, appearing very deferential.

”This Tushan Immortal City, according to the reports you provided, seems to have existed for only about a hundred years, right?”

The crowned middle-aged man glanced around and lost interest in the bustling scene, questioning, ”How did it develop into what it is now?”

”This...”

The old man and the woman exchanged looks, hesitating to speak.

”Chengwu, you speak.”

The crowned middle-aged man carelessly pointed at one of them.

”Father, it’s simply because the City Lord of Tushan Immortal City, the Tushan Sword Cultivator, has unrivaled strength across the neighboring countries.”

The old man named Hei Chengwu said respectfully, ”With strength, coupled with encouragement of commerce, establishment of order, and adherence to it, the Immortal City will develop. There’s nothing mysterious about it.”

”Is that so?”

The crowned middle-aged man seemed somewhat disappointed.

This did not seem to be the answer he was looking for.

”Chengxiu.”

He pointed at the beautiful woman.

”Father, undoubtedly the strength of Tushan Immortal City’s City Lord is one factor, but even with strength, an Immortal City may not necessarily develop well.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the woman named Hei Chengxiu spoke, ”The most important aspect is that Tushan Immortal City, which draws from all sources, assimilates outstanding disciples from various parts of Tushan as well as excellent Loose Cultivators.

He employs a wide array of ways to acquire talents, incorporating capable people into the governance of Tushan Immortal City. Only with this can the foundation stabilize, and produce copious amounts of Spirit Stones year after year.”

”If the City Lord of Tushan only allowed his direct lineage to govern and occupy all critical positions in Tushan Immortal City, it wouldn’t be what it is today.”

She spoke quite pointedly, without any intention to disguise her meaning.

”That would be a foolish act driven by short-term gains!”

Once these words came out, the old man snorted coldly, ”I dare say that even without external forces, if the City Lord of Tushan had no successor, Tushan Immortal City would decline in at most two generations, disappearing without a trace, while the many families would continue to exist, eternal and unchanging.”

”Eternal and unchanging?”

Hei Chengxiu laughed coldly.

”Of the twenty-eight factions of the Righteous and Demonic Alliance, where are Nangong, the Bei Fu family, Qian Tou, and the other seven factions and twenty-one families today?”

”I suspect that in a few hundred years, someone will be asking where the Hei Clan of the Northern Plains went, just as we are discussing this today.”

”Nonsensical talk!”

The old man burst into anger, ”I knew it, you of the Collateral Lineage are nothing but trouble, always hoping for the demise of the Hei Clan, harboring treacherous ambitions. You do not respect our ancestors, you do not understand hierarchies, overturning the seven factions and twenty-one families wasn’t enough for you, now you seek to harm the ancestral foundation of the Hei Clan!”

In the Northern Plains clans, for unknown reasons, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate branches was extremely strict, only producing legitimate heirs if both parents are from the direct lineages of the twenty-eight factions of the Righteous and Demonic Alliance.

If one parent is not, then the offspring are of the Collateral Lineage.

”You are the troublemakers; the ancestral foundation has fallen to this state, weakened to this extent, all because of your faults.”

Hei Chengxiu spoke calmly.

”For an illegitimate to offend the legitimate, Rule Mountain’s Iron Family would never allow such things...”

The old man sneered coldly.

”We’ve arrived.”

The crowned middle-aged man waved his hand.

Instantly, the two of them fell silent.

In front of them, the palace city stretched high and vast, veiled by Formation Methods, guarded by groups of Foundation-building cultivators from the Law Enforcement Hall.

A terrible pressure slowly revealed itself, enveloping the entire Tushan Immortal City.

In an instant, the entire city silenced, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

”This is…”

Tens of thousands of Foundation-building Qi Practitioners felt an icy chill run through their bodies, their breathing became extremely difficult, and an endless fear surged in their hearts, leaving them unable to control their limbs, yet not knowing why.

”Nascent Soul! It’s an Immortal of Nascent Soul,”

”How could that be, in this small place?”

Just like them, more than forty Golden Pill Monks in the city, whether they were in seclusion, cultivating, or walking about, were all startled awake, filled with immense fear, looking towards this direction.

”Paying respects to the honored elder…”

”The junior, Liu Jinshi, pays respects to Divine Crow Immortal!”

Some Golden Pill Monks recognized the comer and were greatly frightened, hastily flying over to pay their respects.

”Paying respects to Divine Crow Immortal!”

Of the more than forty Golden Pill Monks temporarily residing in Tushan Immortal City, thirty-two made the same choice, not daring to entertain any thoughts of escape, clearly knowing the gap between Golden Pill and Nascent Soul.

”Impossible,”

More than ten Golden Pill Monks displayed a look of despair and, burning their Essence Blood, fled madly into the distance.

These were cultivators listed on the wanted list of the Liudao Sect, who had profited greatly amidst the chaos of the struggle between the righteous and devilish alliances and the Great Sun Sect, not believing that the other party would let them go.

”Ignorant ants that don’t know they are dead.”

The Divine Crow Immortal shook his head.

In a snap of the fingers, flames bloomed.

More than ten Golden Crown Black Crows screeched as they flew out, their speed incomparably fast, catching up with the Golden Pill Monks in the blink of an eye, spitting out reddish-gold flames that melted gold and iron. Any Treasure they touched developed a hole, and they burned their targets to cinders.

”Offend my Liudao Sect,”

”Die!”

The Divine Crow Immortal paid no attention to the circle of Golden Pill Monks prostrating around him. With another snap of his fingers, more than ten Golden Crown Black Crows flew out, completely surrounding the Tushan Demon Palace, spewing out raging reddish-gold flames that turned it into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, the tall walls of the Tushan Demon Palace melted and collapsed. The numerous Foundation-building cultivators inside screamed as they turned to ashes, and the mountains covered in Molten Gold Vine turned to dust.

”Divine Crow…”

The young man in green clothes within the flames did not choose to leave. He took one last glance at the Divine Crow Immortal before his body collapsed into a sky full of Spiritual Light, voluntarily embracing destruction.

”You younger generation is quite clever, leaving a Puppet here,”

”Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to escape from the hands of an elder like myself.”

The Divine Crow Immortal smiled faintly.

With a wave of his sleeves, he sent out a ripple of black light, gathering all the scattered spiritual light of the young green-clothed man and the remaining aura within the Demon Palace into his sleeves to carefully discern.

There is a method within the Liudao Sect known as the Blood Soul Chasing Breath Curse!

Its Punishment Hall is renowned for the tracking Treasure called the Blood Soul Tracking Arrow, which is derived from this Curse, known to be able to kill enemies from thousands of miles away, causing their physical bodies and Divine Souls to decay and die.

When a Nascent Soul Monk casts this on a lower-ranked cultivator, it is invariably effective.

”Hmm?”

A moment later, the Divine Crow Immortal was taken aback.

”Gone?”

”This junior has been in Tushan Immortal City for at least a hundred years, how could there not be even a whiff of aura?”

He was utterly baffled.

”Could it be the practice of some formidable Concealment Technique?”

The Divine Crow Immortal refused to believe it and searched several more times, still finding no traces of aura, only to wrinkle his brow and say,

”Enough.”

”This junior has his own fortune, allowing him to escape this calamity.”

The Divine Crow Immortal shook his head, not taking it to heart and sighed, ”The Divine Soul mark of Junior Twenty-nine has disappeared; I thought it was that scourge Blood Cloud who had fled here, assuming the name of Tushan City Lord. Now it seems, this Tushan Sword Cultivator among the Golden Pill juniors also has some redeeming qualities, and is not the one.”

”The arrival of the Great Sun Sect has really thrown the Northern Plains into chaos.”

He shook his head.

”The elder is weary, I shall return first, summon those from Chu Country and Yue Country to surrender,”

Having made a move against some Golden Pill Monks, he was clearly not very interested; since he couldn’t find the main target, he didn’t bother further, and with a flicker, he vanished using a spatial technique.

”Respectfully sending off the elder!”

The old man and the beautiful woman bowed deeply.