Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

While the Tushan Incarnation was busy in the Northern Plains, Jiang Ding had already left the Great Sun Heavenly Pond, broken through the atmosphere, entered the inner parts of the planet, and arrived at his home in Rongcheng City.

Jiang Ding walked through the middle of the residential area, surrounded as always by many curious gazes.

He paused slightly.

This again, another time like this.

It seemed like decades, perhaps even a century since he last visited home. Back then, he even met a neighbor, a young couple.

But this time, they were nowhere to be seen; he didn’t even see their aged selves.

In this entire residential area, where he grew up from an infant, there wasn’t a single familiar face in sight.

Even if he got to know someone now, they wouldn’t be there the next time.

Jiang Ding lost the desire to greet or get to know new neighbors.

He walked straight to his house, took out the key, and opened the front door.

The house, unseen for decades, had gathered a thick layer of dust. Utilizing the Great Sun Destroying Sword Domain took some time to clean and refurbish.

Jiang Ding carefully imbued Immortal Sword Intent all around, maintaining the existence of the television, the tables and chairs, the quilts, and the pots and pans, keeping them as they were over four hundred years ago.

”Almost done…”

Jiang Ding used his Divine Sense Scanning over the surroundings, ensuring that everything was imbued with Immortal Sword Intent, and nodded in satisfaction.

As long as he didn’t die and the house wasn’t subject to external attacks from a God-transforming Level or prolonged attacks at a Nascent Soul level, these furnishings would not be damaged and would maintain their current state until his mother and sister woke up from their long slumber.

By that time, many familiar people in this world would be gone as their lifespans ended, but at least the house would remain exactly the same.

Jiang Ding stayed at home for several days.

After waking up one morning, he locked the door again and went to the Rong City Public Cemetery to pay homage to his grandparents, Zhang Dingjun, Mr. Guo Kui, and others, cleaning their graves and sharing recent interesting happenings from the Xianmen Sect.

Lastly, he arrived in Qianyang City and stopped in front of a cloud-enveloped Cave Mansion in the city center, waiting quietly.

Soon, accompanied by hurried footsteps, a middle-aged Taoist with an ethereal demeanor approached briskly, laughing as he walked: ”Jiang Ding, what wind blew you here today, actually willing to visit my humble abode?”

This person was Lin Yuanwang.

Hundreds of years had passed, and he had changed a lot; his demeanor had matured significantly, looking like a true cultivator at the Golden Core Late Stage Realm.

”That three-tier, top-quality Cave Mansion in the city center can hardly be called a humble abode.”

Jiang Ding pursed his lips, looking toward the six young people nervously following behind Lin Yuanwang.

They appeared to be in their twenties or thirties. The men were handsome and dashing, the women youthful and beautiful, inheriting the fine appearances of their grandparents and Lin Wanqiu.

Just like him.

”Gr... Grand Ancestor, hello!”

The six young people stammered.

Grand Ancestor?

Jiang Ding’s expression fell.

But he couldn’t say anything; he wouldn’t lose his temper at the youngsters.

”Hahaha!”

Lin Yuanwang burst out laughing.

Jiang Ding glared at him and then showed a gracious smile, complimenting, ”Hello, you are all so young and already at the Late-stage Qi Practicing stage. Truly talented, leagues beyond us at your age.”

”If your grandparents knew, they’d undoubtedly be grinning from ear to ear.”

”You flatter us, we are far from matching Grand Ancestor.”

A young man with a well-defined face spoke bashfully.

They knew that their grandparents were this Grand Ancestor’s grandparents, their own great-great-grandparents. It seemed like something from a few days ago, but in reality, it had been four or five hundred years.

Back then, their father’s father’s... father hadn’t even been born.

”I speak the truth.”

Jiang Ding chuckled.

Indeed, it was a fact that his and Lin Yuanwang’s initial cultivation rates were not very fast, coming from poor backgrounds, nothing compared to the young people now.

”Jiang Ding, you ought to give a meeting gift now.”

Seeing him not moving, Lin Yuanwang urged, ”It’s customary when an elder meets their juniors for the first time to give a gift; that’s basic etiquette.”

”Nothing too expensive, just something small will do.”

He knew his cousin was not stingy, but simply had no experience with such events.

”Eh?”

Jiang Ding was taken aback, finding it a bit novel.

Ever since his cultivation journey began, he had always been the youngster, whether before Immortal Dinghai, Immortal Luling, Zhang Junsheng, Sun Extinguisher Heavenly Monarch, Divine Mechanism Heavenly Monarch, or others.

Otherwise, he was either dominating the Northern Plains or confronting enemies, never having given a meeting gift as an elder before.

But today seemed to be an experience of its own.

These young people were the rising stars of the family. Unlike Jiang Ding, Lin Yuanwang felt more attachment to his bloodline and family, and as he grew older, he became very keen on discovering and nurturing the family’s talented individuals.

Jiang Ding does not have such partiality.

He likes all outstanding individuals from the Xianmen Sect and does not favor anyone based on bloodline factors.

To this day, Professor Jiang’s incarnation still teaches in the Adult Sword Dao Department, just like Immortal Dinghai did back in the day.

This job has been ongoing for hundreds of years and is expected to continue for hundreds, even thousands of years, until the Immortal Gate Sword Cultivator system matures.

However, Jiang Ding naturally would not disappoint the last relative in the world.

”Gift for the first meeting... you guys wait, let me find something,”

Jiang Ding flipped through his Storage Jade Pendant, with Divine Sense Scanning to and fro.

Nothing.

Indeed, there was nothing.

He had stopped storing items for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment many years ago, as they were almost never needed.

But that’s alright.

The green-clothed youth in front of these young talents is the ruler of Northern Plains Tushan Central Court, the famous Tushan Heavenly Monarch in the Northern Plains, and the master of the Three Great Armies.

Even without proficiency in the art of Alchemy, he could effortlessly produce top-grade Elixirs for Qi Practitioners instinctively.

A flicker of Nascent Flame passed between Jiang Ding’s fingers.

Six brilliantly golden Elixirs were refined using some extremely rare First-Order Spiritual Medicines.

”Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t prepare much, these are for you as a meeting gift.”

Jiang Ding said with a gentle smile: ”First-Grade Top-Quality Ascension Pills, they can enhance the Spiritual Root quality, probably to almost reach the Sky Spiritual Root level. I don’t have many of these in hand either, so consider yourselves lucky.”

It was the truth.

Refining Ascension Pills might only need First-Order Spiritual Medicine, but the required medicines are extremely precious and rare. Jiang Ding had to scour his Storage Jade Pendant to find just a few.

Keep in mind, he is often involved with the production of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures.

You can imagine, changing the quality of Spiritual Roots after birth is difficult, even for a Son of Destiny it requires overcoming many hardships.

However, for a Nascent Soul Cultivator, it is just a minor matter that needs a bit of attention, not too difficult.

”Thank you!”

”Thank you, Ancestor!”

The six youths joyously received the Elixirs with both hands, shouting loudly.

One was like in a dream, bewildered.

These were Elixirs that defy heavens by altering Spiritual Roots after birth!

And so easily obtained.

”It’s nothing.”

Jiang Ding waved his hand: ”It just speeds up the absorption of Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi and saves some time. You still have to rely on your own efforts. Otherwise, if you become complacent, you will still encounter the same bottlenecks, don’t be careless.”

”Thank you, Ancestor, for the guidance!”

The six youths expressed their gratitude again.

”You guys go have fun.”

Lin Yuanwang said with a smile.

Sending off the younger generation, the two walked by the river and exchanged stories of their past, quickly dissipating any slight estrangement between them.

After all, the other person was the last living relative in this world.

”How are your preparations for Nascent Soul coming along?”

Jiang Ding looked at his cousin standing before him, asking softly.

Lin Yuanwang’s Divine Soul and his body were both very aged, with probably just over a hundred years of life remaining.

This period wasn’t long.

Nowadays, whether Jiang Ding was in secluded cultivation or busy with various matters, decades or even a hundred years could easily pass by.

He was a bit worried, wondering if when he had free time and thought of it, Lin Yuanwang might no longer be alive.

”Not very well.”

Lin Yuanwang spoke candidly: ”My aptitude and comprehension aren’t that great, I’m only here because of your continuous support, each breakthrough empowered by excessive resources.”

”Now facing the Nascent Soul, it seems to be an impasse.”

”Nascent Soul is a qualitative change, a sublimation of Divine Soul and experiences, and the role of external forces is diminishing.”

”I think, I might have reached my end.”

”These years, I have continuously unearthed the youth in our family, nurturing them, hoping to leave some mark in the world, to make life better for some of our kin, and to pave the way for the little ones.”

”I am fond of our family.”

”Because it represents the bloodline of my father, my mother, my grandparents, and my descendants, the bloodline of my kin.”

”Their existence marks my last imprint on this world, signifying that someone like me existed once, an ordinary person like me.”

”Perhaps, this has its meaning.”