Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

”It’s a bit troublesome… this is my property,” Jiang Ding frowned, feeling displeased.

The Court’s Blessed Land, scuffling through secret realms for a couple trifling opportunities, was suffused with pettiness.

His plan was to, after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, directly pull the Court’s Blessed Land out of the void and transform it into something like a Spiritual Medicine Garden.

Now, the Great Sun Dharma Sect and the Great Sun Sword Sect intended to shatter and destroy it?!!

”Really, that’s enough, day after day,” Jiang Ding complained incessantly, continuing to examine the next piece of intelligence.

”… Scorching Sun Swordsman and the Six Dao Saint engaged in a battle on the Black Snow Prairie, without determining a victor…”

”They are here?” Jiang Ding was somewhat surprised.

The Wei Family’s intelligence system was too incompetent, lacking any higher-level information; this was the first time he had been made aware of this event.

”Scorching Sun Swordsman, a swordsman of the Great Sun Sword Sect... Isn’t he called Dari Swordsman?” Jiang Ding thought dispassionately.

As for why they fought, that was not hard to comprehend.

The growth of a Sword Cultivator required enemies and one’s own blood, the dwindling of lives, to nourish the Sword Intent and foster its growth.

Once assured of preliminary safety with Dragon Qi protecting them, such individuals would often start seeking opponents, hunting them, and many risks could be ignored.

Even without the protection of Dragon Qi, a regular Nascent Soul from the righteous or demonic alliances might not dare to hunt such a person.

After enduring over two hundred years of warfare, all the major families were exhausted and scared, not daring to speak lightly of war again.

Should anyone deliberately provoke disputes, their entire family might just be abandoned, left to be exterminated by their opponents in exchange for continued peace.

Perhaps, at a critical moment, a Nascent Soul of the righteous or demonic alliances might even protect the Scorching Sun Swordsman.

This was why he dared to roam around, searching for his next ”meal” for his sword; in most scenarios, the risk wasn’t lethal enough.

If it was lethal and luck was against him, then he would die.

”This aspect truly reflects the madness typical of the Great Sun Sword Cultivation… Fortunately, I am not such a person, just pure and kind, reasonable and law-abiding,” Jiang Ding shook his head slightly.

His Sword Intent grew without relying on slaughter; it was just the natural practice of swordsmanship, studying Swordsmanship, reading Sword Dao Cultivation Methods, and so on. Though his progress was slower, as long as there was improvement, there was no need for reckless advancement.

After putting away the Jade Slip, he turned and left.

”Fellow Daoist, welcome to visit the Lingbao Commerce Association again,” Shang Sanwu bowed deeply as Jiang Ding left, his overly apologetic face nearly touching the ground. For a cultivator at the Middle Jindan Stage to do so was almost the epitome of etiquette.

The surrounding Golden Pill Monks immediately cast sidelong glances, looking at the man in the black robe with sympathetic eyes as if seeing a pitiable fool.

”I will,” Jiang Ding smiled, showing no anger.

”My thanks, Fellow Daoist,” Shang Sanwu bowed again deeply.

He believed those words.

The Lingbao Commerce Association was the largest commerce association in both the Beast Spirit Immortal City and its surroundings, offering many high-grade Heavenly Materials and special items not available elsewhere.

Perhaps there used to be commerce associations of equal standing, but they had long since vanished without a trace.

In matters involving commercial rivalry, the Lingbao Commerce Association was not as polite and amiable as they appeared on the surface.

...

An invisible Escape Light, escaping everyone’s notice in strict accordance with combat regulations, meticulously scoured the surrounding hundred kilometers to ensure there were no ambushes before heading towards an ordinary, withered yellow prairie.

”Not bad, your caution is commendable,” Jiang Ding looked over and nodded slightly, transmitting his voice.

On the ground lay a young man with an ordinary appearance, covered by a withered yellow sackcloth, its origins unknown.

Although his own Concealment Spell was subpar, with the help of a special treasure, he had a decent ability to conceal himself, which most Golden Pill Monks would likely find hard to detect.

”I’ve embarrassed myself in front of young uncle-master,” said Han Lin with a wry smile, as he put away the withered yellow cloth bag and got up. He dusted off the dirt on his clothes but still maintained the Concealment Spell.

With such a decrease in the ability of the Concealment, it was far less effective, yet it could still deceive the most numerous among cultivators—the Foundation-building cultivators and Qi Practitioners, so it wasn’t entirely useless.

”This is for you,” Jiang Ding said, tossing him a jade sword the size of his palm. Clinging to it was a wisp of the Sword Intent of Destruction, more useful than any positioning magic.

”It will also work within your storage space, but it must not be sealed.”

Actually, even if it were sealed, most sealing spells would never block the perception of the Sword Intent of Destruction, but it was worth mentioning.

Seeing Han Lin’s eyes flicker with consideration, Jiang Ding added, ”Don’t worry, it will dissipate on its own once our journey to the Luoxu Clan is over.”

Just as he did not fully trust Han Lin, Han Lin would not fully trust him.

The idea of having his whereabouts known by someone else at all times made him very uneasy.

This has nothing to do with morals or friendship, nor is it about harboring ulterior motives.

Many cultivators are naturally like this; they don’t completely trust anyone in the world.

”Thank you, young uncle-master,” Han Lin said, secretly heaving a sigh of relief, though he spoke courteously.

”It’s my blessing to have uncle-master aware of my whereabouts at all times.”

In his heart, however, he was already thinking about how to completely bury and destroy the sword once their time with the Luoxu Clan ended—after all, the other party had said it would dissipate on its own, so handling it this way wouldn’t harm their feelings.

He had no choice, as he had too many secrets, and any potential danger had to be guarded against in advance.

”Hmm,” Jiang Ding responded noncommittally, closing his eyes.

The place grew quiet for a moment.

Seeing this, Han Lin opened his mouth, intending to say something to break the silence, but he couldn’t think of anything. So, he simply closed his mouth, draped the soil-colored cloth bag over himself, and continued to squat in the earth using Concealment to hide his form, lest his lack of skill burden others.

The sound of the wind, whooshing by.

From time to time, wild buffalo, sheep, and flying birds passed by, but none detected anything unusual.

After more than three months.

Jiang Ding opened his eyes and took out a token from his Storage Jade Pendant.

The light on it flickered with increasing frequency.

Suddenly, the flickers merged, the character ’Falling Void’ shone with a green light, and the surrounding space became hazy. A pulling force appeared, seeming to transport someone to another place.

”Take care,” Jiang Ding said quietly.

He knew that Han Lin would not accompany him.

Although it was safer this way, it also meant that Han Lin would miss out on all the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures they might encounter on their journey, which was unacceptable to him, who desperately needed these treasures to advance his cultivation due to his poor natural endowments.

If safety was the only concern, it would be safer not to come at all.

This kind of secret realm is involved with too many things; for an early Golden Pill Monk to die at any time wouldn’t be strange, and this might be their last meeting.

”Young uncle-master, you also take care,” Han Lin said sincerely, bowing deeply, his heart touched.

Although the concern shown was somewhat placid and not intense—if he were to die, it wouldn’t be deeply mournful—it was genuine.

In this world, to have someone who simply wished for him not to die, to live without any mixed motives, was exceedingly precious.

Space shattered,

and two figures disappeared from sight.