Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Beneath the Sun God Wood.

While Jiang Ding practiced cultivation, he simultaneously used a large amount of Sun Flame Crystals and the high temperature generated by concentrated sunlight to melt the #10 Synthetic Geng Metal. Using the liquid form of the #10 Synthetic Geng Metal and a large amount of purified uranium as ink, he painstakingly outlined the second Heavenly Gang Ban within the Taiqing Flying Sword.

After nearly ten years of refining,

the second Heavenly Gang Ban was still indistinct and hazy, exhibiting only minuscule substantial changes that could only be discerned with Divine Sense.

This is the difficulty of refining a Nascent Soul’s treasure.

Typically, even if a Nascent Soul Monk possesses exceptional talent, creativity, and ample resources, it often requires over a thousand years to complete the eighteen inherently spiritual Heavenly Gang Bans and elevate their Life Treasure to the pinnacle of a Nascent Treasure.

At Jiang Ding’s current rate, it would take over five hundred years to refine the Taiqing Flying Sword to the limits of a Nascent Treasure.

In less than ten years,

for a Nascent Soul Monk refining Nascent Treasures, it’s merely a flick of the fingers, hardly worth mentioning.

In the eighteen years before Heavenly Monarch Wanji’s Xianmen Sect version of the Scorching Sun Spirit Iron was available, this was the only speed he could achieve.

Although it was slow, it was not a reason to stop.

As long as Jiang Ding had free time, he would not stop, no matter what, no matter the excuse.

This is his Sword of Dao Foundation, only death could make him cease refining.

After cultivating for several months, his figure disappeared from sight.

...

Tushan Immortal City.

A young man dressed in green robes opened his eyes, with Divine Sense sweeping in all directions once again, supervising his city.

”Trade has declined quite a bit...”

Jiang Ding muttered to himself.

Several years have passed since the defeat of the Blood King Army in the Northern Plains, and the situation has impacted this place. The once bustling trade routes are now sparse; it takes several months just to see one flying ship arrive.

As a result, the large number of Refining Masters, Alchemists, Talisman Makers, and Array Masters who used to fill Tushan Immortal City suddenly found themselves idle.

Many gathered in cheap tea houses to gather news and continuously grumbled. People loitered everywhere on the streets, yet none seemed to be making purchases.

A restless atmosphere pervaded the Immortal City.

Without livelihoods, they could only deplete their savings. Possessing power and faced with high cultivation expenses, the situation rapidly deteriorated.

The Tushan maiden group was busy suppressing conflicts all over.

”...an economic crisis...”

”Damn!”

With one sweep of his Divine Sense, Jiang Ding immediately knew what had happened and could not help but curse softly.

Over the past decades, Tushan Immortal City had implemented extremely aggressive economic policies in an attempt to create an economic and trade center in the Northern Plains.

Talent from various fields, industrial layouts, and economic policies all revolved around this goal, attracting large numbers of skilled cultivators.

Now, orders from the outside world disappeared overnight.

This highly specialized economy showed signs of implosion.

Gatherings of powerful, organized cultivators without income or jobs were like tinder soaked in oil, ready to ignite and explode at the smallest spark.

”It won’t happen...”

Thinking of this possibility, Jiang Ding shook his head.

If anyone dared to create chaos, they would die.

Tushan Immortal City had absolute confidence it could suppress any uprising from the likes of Golden Pill or Foundation-building cultivators, ensuring no issues would arise.

However, a drastic drop in tax revenue was inevitable.

Commercial Tax was expected to decrease by over ninety percent, with room to fall further, and even the prospect of a tax inversion was possible.

```

That means the commercial tax will turn negative, and we’ll need to use the agricultural tax revenue to offset the losses in the business sector.

With the economy deteriorating rapidly, it’s estimated that public security will follow suit. Tushan Immortal City is still manageable with the maiden group suppressing unrest, but the vast lands of the Three Kingdoms are struggling.

Severe suppression has its limits.

People are simply too poor, and without Spirit Stones for their next cultivation session, they have to find a way no matter what.

As for legality, it’s not within their considerations.

”Summon someone.”

Jiang Ding raised his voice.

”Young master.”

Outside, a maidservant in a blue dress at the latter stage of Foundation Building revealed her concealed form and walked into the palace, kneeling in salute.

In recent years, maidens at the peak of Foundation Building rarely appeared in Tushan Immortal City; they had gone to the Northern Plains to participate in the war of the King’s Court, striving for their own Golden Pill path.

”The recent deterioration in public safety?”

Jiang Ding massaged his temples and asked.

”Young master,”

The maid in the blue dress kneeled once more in salute.

”In the past few years, trade thrived, and the incomes of Cultivators like Alchemists, Refining Masters, and Talisman Makers increased significantly, along with the surrounding restaurants, shops, entertainers, and even the farmworkers. Everyone gained many benefits, which made cultivation and life much easier.”

”Due to the lucrative income, many Cultivators borrowed money from the banks to advance their cultivation further. As their cultivation base improved, they could take on more orders, make more money, and have a bigger chance of advancing to Foundation Building and Golden Pill.”

”One step ahead leads to steps ahead.”

”Even the more cautious Cultivators who didn’t borrow money often invested all their Spirit Stones into cultivation, buying magic tools, and elixirs.”

Cultivators are naturally akin to spendthrifts—ones that save money and Spirit Stones without spending are indeed a rare species.

”So are you saying they have no money now, not even a single Spirit Stone?”

Jiang Ding sighed.

”Young master, it’s an exaggeration. Qi Practitioners still have three or four Spirit Stones.”

The maid in the blue dress said, bowing: ”Basically, many Cultivators are finding cultivation very difficult now, without elixirs, without Spirit Stones to rent cave dwellings. They can only sit and cultivate on the streets, not caring about disturbances or deviating into madness.”

”This is the reason for the rapid decline in public order. There’s less random violence, but theft, swindling, and dine-and-dashes are persistent and happen all the time. For this reason, the Law Enforcement Hall is discussing expelling repeat offenders to set an example and deter others.”

Jiang Ding fell silent.

The desire for cultivation runs deep in the bones of Cultivators, and it can be said to be no less intense than a commoner’s craving for a full meal.

This kind of instinctual desire is so frightening, so deeply ingrained.

Controlled by the twenty-eight families of the Northern Plains for tens of thousands of years, owning all channels of propaganda, absolute dominance in public opinion, and millennia of brainwashing hasn’t resigned the vast number of loose Cultivators to their fate, to believe that they are destined to remain at that level for life without making any progress or change.

Blocking it is impossible, no matter what, you simply can’t block it.

”Firstly, for those who repeatedly steal and pickpocket, the worst of the Cultivators, more severe punishment is needed. They must not be expelled beyond the boundaries of the Immortal City, to leave the trouble for the outside world, which is also our territory.”

Jiang Ding said, setting the tone.

Criminals must be punished severely; the economic crisis isn’t their own doing, and there can be no compromise on this.

”Secondly,”

”All loans, whether from the Immortal City or private individuals, shall have their interest suspended, until a new decree is issued.”

Jiang Ding continued: ”Additionally, open up all Spiritual Veins, with the first-order, second-order, and third-order veins to be used freely by Qi Practitioners, Foundation-building Cultivators, and Golden Pill Monks, respectively. Those who disturb the order will be punished severely.”

”Thirdly, allocate thirty million low-grade Spirit Stones each year to subsidize the basic cultivation needs of low-income Cultivators who have paid taxes to Tushan Immortal City in the past. Qi Practitioners, those building their foundation, and Golden Pill Monks will each have their standards. The Governance Hall should come up with a plan, and the relevant technical talent should not be let down, taking care of their livelihood and cultivation.”

”Fourthly, strengthen control. If anyone tries to collude or incite rebellion at this time, their crime shall be escalated by one degree for severe handling.”

”Yes.”

The maid in the blue dress bowed and withdrew.

```