Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

More than two hundred Golden Pill Monks stood in silence, their hearts filled with greed, yet none dared to raise their eyes again.

They knew their own affairs all too well.

Though their numbers were many, their hearts were not united, with numerous grievances between them.

The Formation Method they had formed was vast yet impure, and not finely honed. Not to mention the elite who had continuously suppressed the Scorching Sun Swordsman and the Six Dao Saint, even an ordinary Nascent Soul Stage cultivator or a Golden Pill elite could look for an opportunity to break their formation and create an opening.

Not to mention, the formation was a gift from the very person before them, so finding its flaws was as simple as reading the lines on one's palm.

Should they harbor any ill intentions, being defeated one by one and killed would be the only outcome.

A glint of light flashed in the Six Dao Saint's eyes.

Compared to Blood Cloud's Blood Cloud Eighteen Knights, these Loose Cultivators were far too scattered, making them a potential target for defection.

Having ruled the Northern Plains for tens of thousands of years, the Northern Plains families had accumulated a wealth of experience. He knew clearly how to divide and conquer these Loose Cultivators.

While Loose Cultivators bore deep enmity towards the families, as long as tangible benefits were offered, winning them over was not difficult.

Of course, settling scores afterwards and reneging on promises were also skills mastered without comparison, lessons many forebears had learned and written into books to educate their descendants.

"Tushan Master!"

Han Lin shouted excitedly from afar, breaking the suffocating atmosphere here, and making everyone's hearts relax a bit.

"Stand your ground. Without orders, do not act rashly," Jiang Ding said indifferently, turning to fly off into the distance.

He was not angered by these people's greed.

There had always been mutual use and mutual caution between them, not true subordinates. It was just a temporary necessity.

As long as they hadn't crossed his bottom line, all could be overlooked.

The desire for wealth was universal after all.

However, something like the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng that could aid in Infant Formation, though he didn't value it much, could drive Golden Pill Peak cultivators to lose their reason. To prevent any unpleasantness, it was better not to let them know.

"Yes!"

Immortal Baimei and others responded respectfully, not daring to ask what had appeared in the distance.

They were all very astute and naturally understood that the patience of the other party had accumulated to a certain extent. Any breakthrough could lead to a bloody incident, so all they could do was guess with extreme envy in their hearts.

...

Jiang Ding followed Han Lin, concealing his form, and crossed over a hundred kilometers to arrive at a plain, yellowish-brown mound.

The surrounding Spiritual Energy was sparse and the highest grade Elixir available was only First-order, which Golden Pill Monks disdained to harvest.

Unless one could synthetically create related Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures, these low-grade spiritual items were useless to Golden Pill Monks and regarded as no more than wood or stone.

"Master, it's here," Han Lin said, his voice lowered as much as possible in the Divine Sense transmission, his heart pounding, "I can sense the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng is right below us, over a hundred meters underground. If the soil layer is disturbed in the slightest, it will disappear again, and it will take at least a month to relocate its trace."

"If luck is poor, it might not be found for several years."

For these two months, he had been occupied with this task, ignoring even a Fourth-order Elixir nearby, focusing intently until now when he could finally pinpoint it.

"Wait a moment," Jiang Ding said as he closed his eyes slightly.

This elixir was indeed extraordinary, as he was unable to sense its clear trace even when he was close by, feeling only a vague sensation.

To instantly pinpoint it would probably require his presence here.

His Divine Sense, mingled with Sword Intent, radiated out like an electromagnetic wave, forming a vast net-like sphere that slowly sank into the soil below.

Gradually, it drew inward, centering little by little.

Silently passing through the soil layers, the distance grew ever closer.

A nondescript clod of soil the size of a palm appeared within the range of his Sword Intent.

Jiang Ding looked closely.

It was a doll-like figure the size of a palm, its milky-yellow body topped with two green ginseng leaves, delicate and adorable features that were neither male nor female with short, chubby little hands.

"...Mmm… tasty soil…"

It was asleep, occasionally mumbling in its dreams.

"Seems it has developed sentience…"

Jiang Ding frowned.

Influenced by the Xianmen Sect, he held some universal values.

If the demon beasts of the Tushan Monster Country did not eat humans, he truly might not unhesitatingly slay them all.

Sentience implied rights.

"…I'll need to find an excuse."

Jiang Ding pondered for a moment, an idea surfacing in his mind.

"Rent,"

"The Luoxu Clan is a Sect of the Human Race. They have no heir, and as a member of the Human Race, I possess a weaker claim. Once those with stronger claims are dead, my weaker claim should suffice."

"This Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng has lived in the Luoxu Clan for who knows how many years, racking up a huge amount of rent. It needs to work for me for a while to pay it off."

"Yes, that's the plan."

Muttering strange things to himself, Jiang Ding felt his Dao Heart stabilize significantly.

"Go!"

Jiang Ding pointed with his finger.

In an instant, the surrounding invisible Sword Intent and Divine Sense burst forth, forming a dense network of Sword Qi that swooped in and enveloped the still slumbering Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng.

"Eek?!"

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng, deep in sleep, suddenly opened its eyes wide in terror.

Whoosh!

The next instant, space rippled violently, and it disappeared without a trace within the surrounding azure Sword Qi net.

"Space Movement!"

Han Lin's expression changed slightly.

This was a power only Nascent Soul Monks possessed!

This was also the reason he had locked onto the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng for so long but hesitated to act.

Unless there was a prior plan, how could anyone afford to spend all their fortune on such a precious space restriction treasure that's not normally of any use?

"Eeya! Eeya ya!"

"Eeya ya!"

A thousand meters away, a creamy-yellow doll with two green ginseng leaves on its head appeared from the ground, sticking out its tongue and carefreely spitting in this direction. It relentlessly slapped its thigh, mocking with arrogant wildness.

"You're resisting rent with violence."

Jiang Ding calmly stated.

"Ee ee!"

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng rolled its eyes and vanished in a flash.

"Master..."

Han Lin was anxious but saw that the person opposite him was very calm, which slightly eased his agitation.

A few breaths later.

Jiang Ding stepped forward and flew ahead, with Han Lin quickly following.

After meandering for a hundred or so kilometers, they arrived at a picturesque pond.

This time, Jiang Ding didn't conceal anything. He drew his sword and a flash of silver brilliance passed as swiftly as a comet before returning to its sheath.

Below,

a dozen-acre-sized pond was split open from the center, the water flow and mud parting to reveal one of the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginsengs, which was quietly drinking water.

"Eeya!"

It stared blankly at the two suddenly appearing people.

Completely unclear about what happened, it frantically searched itself while babbling, eventually finding a tiny sword mark on one of its little fingers.

"Ee!"

The Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng looked angrily at Jiang Ding, tore off the finger, allowing it to regrow, and disappeared with a whoosh.

"Such a treasure!"

Han Lin's eyes gleamed, quickly catching the severed finger before it could hit the ground. A hazy glow flickered, and it transformed into a small ginseng root, from which rich and pure Spiritual Energy diffused. Just one whiff was enough to make one feel like ascending.

A ginseng's severed finger, while it might look horrifying, is actually akin to a human getting a haircut, as the physiological structures of plants and animals differ.

"You might as well give up, it's useless..."

Seeing this, Jiang Ding wasn't in a hurry and waited a quarter of an hour before chasing after it.

Another hundred kilometers past, they arrived beside a hundred-zhang-tall tree. A flicker of Sword Qi between Jiang Ding's fingers split the tree's heart wide open.

Inside, the Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng said nothing and disappeared again.

Jiang Ding continued the chase.

After nine successive times, they finally found a despairing Nine Elements Spiritual Ginseng inside a boulder big enough for a person to embrace.

"Fuck your grandpa! I'm not some beauty, why the hell are you chasing me?"

It exclaimed angrily, its voice harsh and laced with spikes.