Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

The final stroke descended.

Boom!

The Taiqing Flying Sword exploded like a ring of scorching flames, spreading far and wide, lacerating yet another layer from the already battered Silver Sky Island, as globs of molten metal and soil dripped from the sky.

Within a radius of thirty kilometers, life was once again extinguished, including any Spirit Grass and Spirit Trees that had originally adapted to the high temperatures—now, all were destroyed in an instant.

”It’s not damaged!”

”Success, it worked on the first try, buddy is really strong, a true genius!”

Jiang Ding, dancing with joy, exclaimed.

His face smeared with ashes and dirt, hair curled, clothes tattered, even the third-tier Electromagnetic Stealth Robe couldn’t withstand the impact and was partially burnt, with the Array Patterns shattered.

Divine Sense carefully inspected the Taiqing Flying Sword.

Adjacent to the first Heavenly Gang Ban, thousands of lines interconnected, and the second ban unfolded, exceedingly intricate but seeming quite transparent and hazy, its spiritual nature and ability to absorb the Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi from the outside world significantly weaker than the first.

”A Restriction Shadow...”

Jiang Ding was not surprised, closely examining the transparent, hazy Heavenly Gang Ban.

The Heavenly Gang Ban was overly complex and inherently spirited, such that not even a Nascent Soul Monk could inscribe it in one go but rather through multiple engravings and fixations.

”One Refining Ritual, three years’ time.”

”Roughly nine times, that is, nearly thirty years to complete a single Heavenly Gang Ban!”

”Thirty years!”

Jiang Ding quickly did some calculations and inhaled sharply in shock.

”That’s too long, it can’t be like this, I must learn to both Refine the Flying Sword and cultivate simultaneously, multitasking, or else my path will be delayed.”

”One Heavenly Gang Ban in thirty years, and for a Nascent Treasure at its peak, eighteen bans are needed—that’s...”

Soon, a daunting number sprang up in Jiang Ding’s Sea of Consciousness.

”Five hundred and forty years!”

”My God!”

Jiang Ding was taken aback.

”Could there be some mistake?”

However, upon reflection, it made sense.

This was a Nascent Treasure of a Nascent Soul Monk after all!

A treasure that would accompany a Nascent Soul Monk for a lifetime, refining it to its peak in five hundred years vwas still less than half of their lifespan. Placed upon any Nascent Soul Monk, it would make them smile from ear to ear.

In individual terms,

To complete a Heavenly Gang Ban in thirty years, his efficiency was over six times that of the Divine Crow Immortal!

He had already surpassed the efficiency of most Immortals of Nascent Soul.

”But,”

”This isn’t right!”

Jiang Ding’s face took on a sullen look, unwilling to accept: ”The Dari Swordsman didn’t spend over five hundred years Refining the Nascent Treasure. For example, Zhong Guangzi didn’t even have enough life span... There’s a lack... it’s related to missing legacies.”

He remembered the time when he first entered Qingfeng University and Immortal Dinghai’s advice about incomplete legacies being fraught with difficulties.

He did not take it seriously at the time, thinking it was too far off.

Now, in retrospect, every word was worth its weight in gold; the elder had foreseen many things years ago.

But of course, regret was not an option.

Without the Taiqing Flying Sword, he wouldn’t even have the luxury of regret and would have long since become a pile of bones.

”The Great Sun Sword Sect... the investigation must be accelerated.”

Some time later, Jiang Ding calmed down: ”With the sixth-tier Eradicate Karma Symbol on Jin-92, his Concealment is somewhat insured. He isn’t doing much in the Northern Plains anyway, send him to investigate the Great Sun Sword Sect—better to have things wait for people than have people wait for things, get the preparations done in advance.”

”When my realm and strength are sufficient, it doesn’t matter what changes the war or the greater situation in the Northern Plains undergo; just block the information flow over hundreds of kilometers in an instant, break through the Great Sun Sword Sect’s Formation Method defenses, suppress both internal and external Sword Cultivators, kill all the traitors.”

”Then, retrieve the legacy that belongs to me.”

”As for now...”

”Yu Qianzi!”

Jiang Ding’s eyes flashed: ”This guy possesses part of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion’s legacy; he might know something.”

No sooner thought than done.

Jiang Ding, regardless of his filthy appearance, too lazy to tidy his ragged clothes, stowed away the Taiqing Flying Sword, and with a swish, he ripped through the fabric of space, leaving behind the Silver Sky Island with its flows of magma and molten metal.

As for Yu Qianzi’s principles?

Regarding the Cultivators of Immortal Sects, he was gradually getting a clearer picture.

The principle of an Immortal Sect’s Cultivator is that there are no principles!

...

Guanghan Immortal Palace.

In the night sky, the hazy moonlight danced, not a full moon above but a palace like white jade, from which endless majesty radiated.

Much more humble than the Great Sun Heavenly Pond.

Jiang Ding silently added in his mind, not envious in the slightest.

”How come you thought to seek me out?”

Inside the palace, Yu Qianzi sat cross-legged under a laurel tree that was five to six hundred meters tall, cultivating. Now, she opened her eyes and looked at the young man in front of her—his clothes tattered, covered in dust and dirt, hair curly and disheveled—and frowned slightly, ”Also, can you clean yourself up a bit before dropping by someone’s home like this?”

”True freedom, true nature, why bother with adornment?”

Jiang Ding said expressionlessly.

”Eh?”

Yu Qianzi gave him a surprised glance.

At this moment, the person before her seemed to possess some of the indifferent and ruthless character of a sword cultivator who held the world in disregard.

”Talk, what brings you to me?”

Yu Qianzi brushed the hair beside her ear, speaking indifferently.

”How can I speed up the refining of the Nascent Treasure Flying Sword?”

Jiang Ding asked, ”The efficiency is too low. Although I’m faster than others, it’s still too slow. How can I increase the efficiency?”

His words were obscure, without a clear thread; most would be filled with question marks upon hearing them.

”Won’t say.”

Yu Qianzi said crisply.

Clearly, she understood the meaning behind his words in an instant—there were many similarities in their respective cultivation paths.

”The reason?”

Jiang Ding asked again.

”Sect secrets, strictly confidential, no comment,”

Yu Qianzi appeared staunchly loyal and unwavering to her sect. ”Don’t expect to extract anything useful from me!”

Jiang Ding instantly understood.

”Tell me, what do I have that you need?”

”Would I be that kind of person?”

Yu Qianzi said unhappily, clearly looking to send him away.

”Right, the Taiyin Swordman, what a true fairy,”

Jiang Ding nodded, bowed deeply, and respectfully said, ”I have long admired a fairy, unparalleled in beauty, unsurpassed through the ages, with a sword Dao that shakes heaven and earth. Yet I do not know what gift would be appropriate to offer upon meeting her?”

”Would the Taiyin Fairy, in her great compassion, be willing to provide some guidance?”

”You’re not bad.”

”I am not a stingy person,”

Yu Qianzi’s lips curled into a brief smile before disappearing. After pondering for a moment, she said, ”As a sword cultivator, and furthermore a fairy, she must appreciate things like Geng Metal—at least it would not be unwelcome.”

”Geng Metal…”

Jiang Ding fell into thought.

What’s natural isn’t necessarily the best.

Take Geng Metal for example; the synthetic Geng Metal made by Xianmen Sect far surpasses the naturally occurring Geng Metal regardless of impurity content or purity, affecting the sword-refining results similarly.

The fact that he finished the seventy-two Earth Evil Prohibitions so quickly had much to do with the constant supply of Type 21 synthetic Geng Metal from Xianmen Sect.

The problem was, there were purchase restrictions.

Non-Xianmen citizens were not allowed to buy it, as exports were forbidden. It was too cheap, available for low-grade spirit stones, which was part of the strategic advantage of Xianmen, unattainable by the outside world.

”Wait a moment…”

Several hours later, Jiang Ding ended his contemplation and disappeared into the torn space.

He soon returned, holding an authorization document in his hand.

”Please Taiyin Fairy, pass this on to that fairy,”

Yu Qianzi took the document and swept her divine sense over it.

”Xianmen citizen Jiang Ding’s sponsorship application… Qingfeng University exchange student, visa holder, Yu Qianzi, visa number 5324…764, granted Yu Qianzi the qualification to purchase Type 21 synthetic Geng Metal until her Flying Sword advances to Nascent Treasure… granted Yu Qianzi the qualification to purchase Type 10 synthetic Geng Metal ten times…”

”I’ll pass it on.”

Yu Qianzi, without asking who the fairy was, stored the document away as if nothing was out of the ordinary.