Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

”The sword Dao of the Xianmen Sect has truly taken root and sprouted...”

Jiang Ding suddenly felt his eyes brimming with hot tears.

It was like carrying a child for ten months, witnessing the birth, hearing the first cry as the baby falls to the ground, a seed breaking through the soil.

In this world, apart from his already silent mother and sister, there was now another person close to his heart.

It was not the panda Hua Xiaohua, nor was it any one person.

It was the sword Dao of the Xianmen Sect!

From this day forth, there would be people walking the same path as him, caring for the growth of the sword Dao, contemplating its development, and dedicating their life’s wisdom.

From now on, countless extraordinary individuals from the Xianmen Sect would tread this path, expanding and smoothing out all the thorns on this road bit by bit with unparalleled passion, their blood and bones, humiliation and glory.

From this day on, research in the sword Dao... might become cheaper and more efficient.

Not to mention anything else, Hua Xiaohua alone had the research capability in the sword Dao that could match a hundred average Foundation-building cultivators.

If there were more Hua Xiaohuas, enough in number and strength, the current phase of sword Dao research time might even be shortened by tenfold, with better quality results.

Which is to say, if there were enough high, middle, and low-level sword cultivators, perhaps the Great Sun Nascent Soul Art could be fully developed within a few hundred years; this was a mutually reinforcing process.

Looking at the panda Hua Xiaohua, Jiang Ding’s eyes were full of affection, as if he were seeing a walking ’-1.5 days’ progress bar for the Great Sun Nascent Soul Art.

”This is a great occasion, and it should be celebrated with a gift.”

After some thought, Jiang Ding took out a piece of Sun Flame Crystal and Moon Creek Crystal, breathed out Elixir Fire, added a few Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures, and crafted a Supreme Magic Tool named the ’Sword Refining Stone’.

This Supreme Magic Tool had no offensive or defensive capabilities.

Its sole purpose was to control the output of the Sword Intent flame and Sword Intent ice fog within, allowing even Foundation-building cultivators to use it to refine their swords and temper their Sword Intent without immolating their Life Flying Swords in an instant, having added many restrictive spells.

This was quite a waste.

It’s known that the Sun Flame Crystal and Moon Creek Crystal are sacred objects from the Great Sun Sword Pavilion’s sacred ground, the Great Sun Heavenly Pond, and rare treasures even for Nascent Soul Monks. With the years of consumption, even Jiang Ding didn’t have many left.

Using them for Foundation-building cultivators to refine swords was indeed a pity.

But well, it’s a joyous day today, so let it be.

A moment later,

A palm-sized, emerald-green colored short sword, resembling a bamboo shoot, appeared in front of Jiang Ding, with the high temperature from the Elixir Fire slowly receding.

”Go.”

With a thought from Jiang Ding, the bamboo shoot short sword flew off into the distance.

...

Whoosh!

An emerald-green bamboo shoot short sword flew down from the sky, hovering in front of the petite panda.

Hua Xiaohua stood there, dumbfounded, without reacting.

She was often in this state, reacting much slower than normal and was now even more deeply immersed in the enormous changes in comprehending Sword Intent.

The bamboo shoot short sword shivered in front of her, yet it couldn’t make her large eyes blink.

”Great Sun Swordsman...”

On the ground, a beautiful woman from the Green Wood Immortal Sect displayed astonishment, struggled to stand up, ignoring the fresh blood on her clothes, and respectfully performed the sword cultivator’s etiquette.

”Greetings, Elder!”

The Great Sun Swordsman!

This was one of the current Domain’s Nine Great Daoists, holding a status equivalent to Qingmu and theoretically even surpassing the Spirit Transformation Heavenly Monarch, just below the Master of Refining Nothingness.

At least, this was how the disciples of the Eight Great Immortal Sects saw it, following ancient tradition.

The bamboo shoot short sword shivered, but the petite panda still had no reaction. It couldn’t wait any longer, it tapped on the panda’s head, making a clear, metallic ’dong dong’ sound as if its soft and cute body was as hard as metal.

”Ah?”

”Bamboo shoot?”

Hua Xiaohua blinked, snapping back to reality, and upon seeing a bamboo shoot swaying in front of her, she instinctively grabbed it and tried to stuff it into her mouth, teeth clamping down.

Ding!

Sparks flew and her teeth ached.

”Ah!”

Hua Xiaohua came to her senses, crying out in pain.

”Bad bamboo shoot!”

”You’re bullying me!”

She huffed angrily.

As she spoke, she was about to toss the disobedient bamboo shoot into the lava below.

”Stop!”

”Stop it!”

Jiang Ding’s voice emerged from the shortsword, helplessly saying, ”Don’t you take notice of the divine soul aura above? What if an enemy deceives you like this?”

”Elder Jiang!”

”Long time no see!”

With her round eyes under teardrop-shaped dark circles, Hua Xiaohua said delightedly, ”If bad people appear, my Sword Heart will react. They can’t defeat me.”

With that, she shook the spiky thorn broadsword in her hands and glared threateningly at the female sword cultivator from Green Wood Immortal Sect not far away.

The other party gave a wry smile and cupped her hands in salute.

”So that’s how it is.”

”Xiaohua is so clever.”

Jiang Ding praised, ”This bamboo shoot is for you. Remember, it’s not for eating. It is for comprehending Sword Intent and refining swords. When using it, you should do this... and that...”

”Have you got that?”

”Mhm!”

Upon hearing its purpose, Xiaohua’s eyes gleamed, and she hugged the bamboo shoot tightly with her claws, nodding vigorously, ”Got it!”

She didn’t decline or ask why.

Since childhood, she had grown accustomed to elders, or many strangers from the Xianmen Sect giving her gifts.

Delicious foods, dolls, and such.

After all, walking in the streets, people would occasionally give her gifts, and they’d feel downcast if she didn’t accept them.

”Xiaohua is truly clever.”

Jiang Ding was also very pleased now and praised her, ”Next, you should study hard.”

”Mhm!”

...

Silver Sky Island.

”In recent years, Green Wood Immortal Sect has increasingly frequent exchanges with Xianmen Sect, trade, industry complementation, and student exchanges.”

Jiang Ding cast a glance at the sword cultivator standing in front of Hua Xiaohua.

This seemed to be a sign that the relations between domains were easing, and it was not necessary for Xianmen Sect to fight to the death with all Immortal Sects—it was entirely possible to co-exist for mutual benefit.

However, changes in domain relations were still a long way off for a Golden Pill Monk and were ignored after a glance.

”Just now,”

”That sudden feeling that pierced through layers of obstructions and causality allowed me to glimpse a newly born sword cultivator...”

Jiang Ding recalled the sensation he had felt moments ago, faintly perceiving something extremely miraculous and powerful.

His gaze turned distant.

Sometimes looking at Hua Xiaohua,

Sometimes at the sword cultivator from Green Wood Immortal Sect,

And sometimes toward the direction of Guanghan Immortal Palace, where, between seeming illusions and reality, he thought he saw a girl in a moon-white fairy skirt frowning, seemingly instinctively uncomfortable and clueless about the source of this sensation.

There were also other swordsmanship exchange students within the Xianmen Sect’s territory, at times their locations appeared clearly in Jiang Ding’s mind, and at other times, this sensation gradually faded away.

As time went by, this sudden feeling slowly faded and then disappeared completely.

”... Causality ...”

”... Golden Causality ... Sword Causality ...”

Jiang Ding murmured to himself, committing this sensation to the deepest recesses of his heart.

He had a premonition that his ability to sense sword cultivators had significantly strengthened.

If it were Great Sun Sword Cultivation, it would be even more terrifying, as he might be able to effortlessly sense the whereabouts of Great Sun Sword Intent cultivators across almost half the world.

This unknown change might be related to Immortal Techniques.