Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

After a period of teleportation, reversing the sun, moon, stars, spatial orientation, and cause and time, the nine Taoist disciples appeared in a neutral zone belonging to the Nine Great Immortal Sects in the Nine Spirits Realm.

Indeed, even the Nine Great Daoists could not know the exact location of the Realm’s Domain passage; it was the utmost secret.

In this neutral starry sky, each of the Nine Great Immortal Sects had set up their own teleportation formations, each guarded by their respective forces. The Immortal Sect’s defensive force was commanded by Canghai Heavenly Monarch, leading the Starry Sky Legion Fleet, while other Immortal Sects stationed Refining Void Dao Soldiers here, considered as the second tier of defensive lines in the Nine Spirits Realm, preparing for the worst.

Jiang Ding’s Divine Sense scanned in all directions, flying towards Canghai Heavenly Monarch.

”Jiang Dingzi,”

From behind, a voice emanated.

It was Qingmu’s Taoist disciple, Ji Liuyue, her voice soft and ethereal, imbued with the essence of Taiyi Green Wood, instinctively eliciting much fondness in people’s hearts.

It is the natural pursuit of humans towards life and vitality.

”Speak.”

Jiang Ding responded without turning his head.

A moment of silence followed behind.

”I hope,”

”That a thousand years later, I can still see you, that you haven’t died.”

Ji Liuyue spoke softly.

The other eight Daoists were about to enter a thousand-year hibernation, quietly waiting for time to pass, allowing their internal miniature Immortal Tao ecosystems to grow.

As for Sword Cultivators, it was undecided.

For example, Yu Qianzi, who would not hibernate. She would remain active on any battlefield blooming with blood and death, continuously for a thousand years, even if feeble and aged, she would still draw her sword to slay enemies, as a sacrifice to the sword in her heart.

Swordsmen of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion, some choose to hibernate, others choose to fight, it’s not certain.

Based on what Ji Liuyue and others knew about Jiang Dingzi, they believed that he would not hibernate and would continue to fight for a thousand years, paving his path to Divinity Transformation with the blood of endless beings.

This might be a bias.

Each time they saw Jiang Dingzi, it was on the battlefield, every time witnessing his madness, which led to a generalized, stereotyped impression.

”A thousand years later?”

”I will.”

Jiang Ding waved his hand and left.

...

”Jiang Ding, long time no see!”

”Boy, you’ve gotten thinner, huh? Did someone bully you in the Horned Ming Realm?”

”Tell me who it was; I’ll help you take revenge when the opportunity arises.”

Canghai Heavenly Monarch laughed heartily, running over and giving the green-clothed youth a big hug.

After centuries of not seeing each other, Canghai Heavenly Monarch still looked the same – chubby and always wearing a smile that made him look very amiable and easy to bully, without any intense, iron-blooded aura typical of a fleet commander.

”Elder Canghai, long time no see.”

Jiang Ding smiled.

To this day, only these Celestial Lord elders could evoke familiar and warm feelings in him. Golden Pill Monks, Foundation-building cultivators, secluded for a period, going out for hundreds of years, an entire generation gone, vanished in the years.

Their lives were too short to hold deep friendships or love.

”Don’t change the subject, tell me who bullied you.”

Canghai Heavenly Monarch insisted discontentedly, ”Buddy, I’ve always been loyal, don’t be formal with me.”

”Haha!”

”Really, nobody has.”

Jiang Ding thought carefully: ”Well, there was an Ancient Imperial Son from Cangyan, let me see…”

He pulled out a little notebook from his Storage Jade Pendant, flipped it open, skimmed through the list of dimly flickering names, and eventually reached the end.

”Yes, just one Cangyan Ancient Emperor’s Son.”

”He sent a subordinate, a person named King Spider Star, to attack me, and his avatar fought with my avatar, even wounding my avatar… I cannot let this vengeance slide.”

Jiang Ding closed the little notebook, put it away, and chuckled: ”But for such a petty junior, there’s no need for Elder Canghai to take action personally; it would be beneath you.”

”When I find the time, I’ll just take him out myself.”

”You rascal!”

Elder Canghai unhappily said, ”Since there is a Cangyan Ancient Emperor’s Son, there must be a Cangyan Ancient Emperor. If he raised such a reckless Imperial Son, doesn’t he bear any responsibility?”

”No, no, no!”

”Elder, he truly doesn’t.”

Jiang Ding repeatedly waved his hands and said, ”As members of the Immortal Sect, how can we be so nitpicky?”

”The Cangyan Ancient Emperor’s Son is the Cangyan Ancient Emperor’s Son, the Cangyan Ancient Emperor is the Cangyan Ancient Emperor, these two should not be confused.”

”We, should be magnanimous.”

Jiang Ding earnestly said, ”We should not charge the father for the son’s crimes and engage in guilt by association. That’s something from the feudal era, which modern society has long since abandoned. We cannot reverse the wheels of history.”

”We, are civilized people.”

”It seems so, we are civilized people.”

Canghai Heavenly Monarch reluctantly accepted but still skeptically asked, ”Are you sure it’s not because you really can’t defeat him, so you dare not provoke him?”

”That’s... nonsense...”

”Your humble servant always draws his sword against the strong... fighting for the realm, fighting for the billions of sentient beings... even if I face ten million people, I shall go forth...”

Jiang Ding was evasive and circumlocutory.

The two exchanged glances.

”Hahaha...”

Canghai Heavenly Monarch laughed uproariously, unable to straighten his back.

Who said that the swordsmen of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion would go mad at the sight of blood, losing all reason?

He was not sure before, but now he was absolutely certain that it was a distortion circulated within the realm, not a fact.

The Great Sun Swordsman is still quite adaptable.

”Elder Canghai, stop teasing.”

Realizing he was being mocked, Jiang Ding said helplessly.

”Haha, come on, I have prepared a welcome feast for you. There are many Heavenly Monarchies and Immortals here, get to know everyone.”

Canghai Heavenly Monarch, pulling Jiang Ding, headed towards the city of the Immortal Sect practicing in the starry sky, while saying, ”Due to military duties, everyone here is an avatar, don’t mind it.”

”You’re too kind, Elder.”

Jiang Ding was somewhat dissatisfied.

”Haha, well, that’s true; can’t blame me, not seen each other for hundreds of years, there has to be a bit of unfamiliarity...”

Following Canghai Heavenly Monarch, Jiang Ding met many new friends at the center of the Star Sky City of the Immortal Sect, particularly many newly awakened Celestial Lords of Immortal Gate who attained opportunities for the Divinity Transformation Stage.

All these were venerable old cultivators of the Immortal Sect, all greatly delighted upon achieving their heart’s desire.

Besides, there were also newly emerged Immortals of Nascent Soul.

What moved Jiang Ding was that these Immortals of Nascent Soul, upon seeing him, behaved respectfully, calling him ”Elder” repeatedly, their eyes filled with a naive and expectant look, as if they were seeing an antique from a history book.

He felt bitter inside.

Me, I’m still just a baby.

In his subconscious, Immortals of Nascent Soul were always elders, like Immortal Luling, Zhang Junsheng, Immortal Dinghai... these many old seniors were Immortals of Nascent Soul.

Now, the Immortal Gate’s Immortals of Nascent Soul instead started calling him an old senior.

It truly was bizarre.

”Jiang Ding, has your Great Sun Divinity Transformation Strategy been finalized?”

Amid the banquet, Canghai Heavenly Monarch asked.

Many Celestial Lords and True Monarchs of the Immortal Gate looked over, highly attentive to this matter.

”Yes, it’s more or less finalized.”

Jiang Ding nodded.

He wasn’t surprised that Canghai Heavenly Monarch and others knew about it, because he had published a simple article in the Immortal Gate Daily a few years ago, introducing his ideas.

Everything was open and aboveboard, with no shady tricks or secret schemes involved.

It wasn’t like plotting a coup.

Letting the most people know, persuading the most citizens of the Immortal Sect, garnering the most support from the citizens of the Immortal Sect, inviting more participation from the citizens of the Immortal Sect to refine, supplement the Great Sun Divinity Transformation Strategy, this was the Righteous Dao.

His thoughts were all clear and upright, without any secrets that couldn’t be shared.