Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery
Chapter 1176 - 1144: Nascent Soul Peak

Over a decade, this span of time.

In the life of a Nascent Soul Monk, it is relatively short, merely a typical period spent in cultivation.

Jiang Ding usually engages in cultivation, refining flying swords, collaborating with the Xianmen Sect's numerous Heavenly Monarchs on research, and always keeping an eye on the Northern Plains, especially the starry sky beyond the Great Sun World Defining Array.

Also, he monitors the whereabouts of Da'ai, to prevent him from absconding with the funds.

Although Jiang Ding is now wealthy and not too concerned about those funds, he detests being trifled with and has grown accustomed to honoring promises, committed to killing when he says he will, without fail.

On this day, the wind stirred tumultuously at the Great Sun Heavenly Pool Sun Abyss.

The fierce wind blew as the Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi surged from thousands of miles away, the Great Sun's rays illuminated heaven and earth, then converged on the ten-thousand-meter-tall Sun God Wood, gathering continuously until it all flowed into the Elixir Field of the green-clothed youth below the tree.

Finally, everything calmed.

The aura of the green-clothed youth surged, finally reaching the peak, his Cultivation Base at the brink of no further progress.

"Nascent Soul Peak!"

Jiang Ding opened his eyes.

His brilliant golden light flashed and vanished, emitting two streams of golden Sword-light, melting void into two deep, pitch-black holes, which space took a long time to heal.

This was the power accumulated over many years of cultivation dispersing.

"A thousand years in the path of cultivation..."

"No! What is this nonsense, I've been influenced by that cursed sharp-tongued Mingguang Zi."

Jiang Ding abruptly shook his head and declared loudly, "This sovereign has cultivated for over a decade, ascending to the Nascent Soul Peak at the age of sixteen!"

"Sixteen years old, Nascent Soul Peak!"

"I ask, is there anyone in the world stronger than this genius?"

"There is not!"

"Absolutely not!"

"Who in the world can match this sovereign?"

Jiang Ding summoned a mirror, admiring his reflection with satisfaction.

"Yue, don't you agree?"

After a while, he asked again.

"Swordsman, I really can't say it, you really shouldn't be like this..."

Yue covered her face.

She felt ashamed to face the Ancestor Masters of past generations.

"Oh, never mind then, don't say it, I don't want to listen."

"Alright."

Yue closed her mouth in resignation.

Clang!

At this moment, the Taiqing Flying Sword unsheathed, flying out from the Great Sun Sword Domain Space between the eyebrows, radiating boundless light, reflecting over the entire Great Sun Heavenly Pond, reaching every corner of the Heavenly Pond.

On the bluegold blade, a golden brilliant star formed by thirty-six Runes floated, revolving endlessly along a complex three-dimensional orbit, spontaneously absorbing and exhaling endless Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi, Great Sun Essence, as if thirty-six living stars were shining, spreading radiance to the world.

Thirty-Six Sun God Prohibitions!

Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Perfection!

This Great Sun Flying Sword, the Taiqing Flying Sword, has indeed reached the pinnacle of Primordial Spirit Treasures, like its master, becoming one of the top quasi-Imperial Arms, unable to advance even half a step further.

"What kind of vista must Divinity Transformation be..."

Jiang Ding mused to himself.

A longing arose in his heart, from within, a strong desire from the Taiqing Flying Sword eager to transcend, to achieve the status of a Great Emperor's weapon.

At the same time, he also held a clear realization.

Breaking through to Divinity Transformation, must certainly succeed.

The Taiqing Flying Sword, likewise, has a slight chance in the Heavenly Tribulation of becoming a Great Emperor's weapon, a Refining Void Stage space sword, with the capability to sever Rule Power.

"A slight chance?"

Jiang Ding's heart gradually calmed down, awakening from his fervent longing for the Dao.

The profound foundation of the Great Sun Swordsman, coupled with the complete Great Sun Transformative Mystique that he had already modified to better suit himself.

Under such conditions, his achievement of Divinity Transformation was a certainty, without any chance occurrences.

However, the Taiqing Flying Sword would have no breakthrough.

This flying sword, which is the culmination of the wisdom of Xianmen Sect and the Great Sun Sword Pavilion's apex, has reached the endpoint just below that of Imperial Arms, unable to take a further step unless the future Sword Master ascends to the Refining Nothingness stage.

"Swordsman, have you overcome your longing for the Dao?"

Yue's voice arrived.

"Yes."

Jiang Ding replied calmly, not angry that she did not warn him in advance, awakening halfway.

The path of a cultivator, in the end, must be for the cultivator as the subject. Outsiders can only assist, not replace the cultivator in making decisions at life's major junctures on which direction to take.

One must choose for oneself, without regrets on either side.

"Have you figured out the reason?"

Yue asked again.

"It's because of the Taiqing Flying Sword."

Jiang Ding answered briefly: "I've found that the Taiqing Flying Sword cannot break through with me. This has never happened before in my cultivation journey. Is it because the distance between Refining Nothingness and approaching Emperorhood is too vast, rendering the Divinity Transformation Tribulation ineffective in helping?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Swordsman, this is also a common problem encountered by generations of Great Sun Sword Masters."

Yue explained softly: "Many Sword Masters at the Nascent Soul Peak were not as advanced as you, some Sword Masters barely crossed the threshold of quasi-Imperial Arms at Nascent Soul Peak, not going far, let alone reaching the zenith of quasi-Imperial Arms like you."

"Those weaker Swordsmen, we need not consider them, they stand no chance."

"Looking at history, the strongest Great Sun Sword Master was Xi Yuan, who reached the same realm as you are now, but after a millennium of slumber."

"Zhong Guangzi seemed even stronger, but he had no opportunity to put it into practice."

"This is the difficulty you face."

Yue anticipated: "Swordsman, your flying sword is a fusion of the ultimate Immortal Wisdom from the Eastern Devil School and the Sword Pavilion. I recommend that during your Nascent Soul Stage, you do your best to comprehend the Power of Order, not like the Eastern Devil School's external... well, scabbard, but the Power of Order that arises from within you naturally."

"A Nascent Soul Monk with the Power of Order will have an even stronger Order Power after surviving the Divinity Transformation Tribulation and may even have the possibility to escape from the hands of Refining Nothingness Cultivators during the mid-stage of Divinity Transformation."

"With such ability, after your ascension to Refining Nothingness, you will immediately be a Sovereign among them, with a single person and sword capable of sweeping across the entire Nine Spirits Realm including the Horned Ming Realm."

"Your potential to ascend beyond Refining Nothingness later will also be much greater than other Refining Nothingness Cultivators."

"Because, by that time, you would be the most powerful Sword Master of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion!"

"This is the main reason for the millennium-long slumber of the Great Sun Swordsman, to give you the chance to grasp the Power of Order, to make your Sword Realm Space more complete and increase your possibilities in Refining Nothingness. This is the legacy of the Immortal Sects."

Yue concluded at last.

Such is the advantage of having a clear legacy.

To think three steps ahead, even seven, from the moment a Taoist disciple begins to cultivate Qi, in preparation for the realms above Refining Nothingness tens of thousands of years later.

Such layer upon layer of accumulation, preparation, time amassed over tens of thousands of years, how could a Loose Cultivator compare?

"The profound wisdom of the Ancestor Masters is far beyond me..."

Jiang Ding couldn't help but admire.

A wave of drowsiness surfaced in his mind, an innate urge prompting him to slumber, to awaken after a thousand years, and then in one step to overcome the Divinity Transformation Tribulation and become a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Monarch.

Clang!

"Not yet."

Jiang Ding cleansed his Sea of Consciousness with the Great Sun Destroying Sword Intent, dispelling the drowsiness.

"I still have two matters, the potential Upper Realm army that might appear in the Northern Plains has to be dealt with; if too strong, then abandon it, as weaker cultivators must have their own lucid awareness, and the inevitability to face helplessness."

"If it doesn't occur, then kill Da'ai and organize various affairs of the Northern Plains, after all, a thousand years is not short."

"Another matter is,"

Jiang Ding looked wistful: "I also need to bid farewell to An Siyan, Jin Lingfeng, and the others. Among my fellow cultivators, only these few are still alive. On the brink of parting, I cannot be absent."

He rose, flew out of the Great Sun Heavenly Pond, and headed towards the ground.