Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

"Cleaning?"

Jiang Ding neither confirmed nor denied.

He stopped speaking, watching the clouds on the horizon and the spiritual energy that gradually converged into a funnel shape, the dark clouds slowly spreading over, wondering something.

The surrounding maidens felt as if they had fallen into an icy cavern, shivering all over.

After decades, many Foundation-building cultivators again recalled the name of the Tushan Sword Cultivator. The entire Tushan Demon Country was annihilated because of him, leaving no one behind.

The entire demon cultivator race disappeared from Tushan, becoming history in the ancient texts.

Would they also end up like this?

Days later, as the rolling dark clouds gathered, covering the sky and blocking the sun, along with the rumbling thunder, a bolt of lightning struck down, the dark clouds dissipated, and a powerful aura slowly rose and spread in all directions.

"A Golden Pill of superior quality... not bad."

Jiang Ding nodded slightly.

For those with Sky Spiritual Roots, there was already over an eighty percent chance of Foundation Establishment success; add to that some auxiliary spiritual treasures, and cultivation of Classics-grade practice methods, the success rate of forming a Golden Pill was practically guaranteed—it was only a matter of the quality of the Golden Pill.

A superior grade Golden Pill was fairly good among cultivators with Sky Spiritual Roots, ranking in the top group.

Where the thunderclouds had dispersed, a woman in a green dress flew over, her nascent Golden Pill aura conspicuous. She came before him, her long dress touching the ground, and bowed deeply, "I've seen the master."

The First Maid of Spring, Chun Jian.

Decades had not seen her, yet she still had bright eyes and white teeth, alluring and captivating, and had become an early-stage Golden Pill cultivator.

"Congratulations."

Jiang Ding nodded, continuing to gaze toward the horizon.

Once again, the thunderclouds gathered, the dark clouds enveloped everything, and thunder fell,

Following Chun Jian, the First Maid of Summer, Shangyun, and the First Maid of Autumn, Shanggong, also completed their tribulations one after another, achieving superior grade Golden Pills.

After stabilizing their cultivation bases a bit, the two sisters, who had been abandoned babies from the collateral lineage of the Shang Clan, came back hand in hand, dressed in pink and gold palace dresses, respectively, curtseying deeply.

"We've seen the master."

"Congratulations."

Jiang Ding was concise in his words.

The three maidens all stood up, their bright star-like eyes looking at their own master, and seeing no further action from him, they couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Even though they were all Golden Pill cultivators, they felt worthy of being associated with him...

"In the future, continue to stay concealed,"

Jiang Ding said indifferently, "Without my command, you are not allowed to congregate. If there is a need to form a Golden Pill, you must apply in advance, and only with approval can you search for a place to establish the foundation."

"Additionally, do not kill mortals when you have the ability to avoid it; concealing yourself will suffice."

"Do not let such a situation arise a second time."

A faint murderous intent blossomed in his heart, then slowly faded away.

The maiden group,

This was his shield and extension of rule in the foreign world. Regardless of their abilities, they must obey commands according to the agreement.

Otherwise, there would be no need for their existence.

"Yes!"

"This time, we were too eager to form our Golden Pills and acted rashly; please forgive us, master!"

The three Golden Pill cultivators, including Chun Jian, spoke solemnly, bowed respectfully, and, along with the other one hundred and eight Foundation-building female cultivators, bowed together.

A long time passed.

"Master, may we speed up the search for female infants in the Northern Plains and expand the scale of the Tushan maiden group?"

Chun Jian asked softly, "After forming Golden Pills, we can control larger Army Formations, which can serve the master better, but we are constrained by our lack of numbers and fear that we will not be able to undertake the master's grand plans in the future."

After foundation establishment, any slight inflated ideas of self-importance instantly vanished without a trace.

The Tushan Sword Cultivator, with a reputation resounding throughout the Northern Plains, had his deeds passed down among the Loose Cultivator and Golden Pill cultivators; countless people aspired to serve under him, wishing to be a part of his forces.

For him, subordinates were not indispensable.

If they lacked loyalty, they would have no value and could be replaced at any time by a large group of Golden Pill cultivators in the Northern Plains willing to serve at a moment's notice.

"Permission denied, continue with concealment as your highest purpose,"

said Jiang Ding indifferently.

The tall Foundation-building female cultivator closed her eyes, then reopened them, her expression blank as she looked around.

"...Yes!"

Chun Jian and the other two Golden Pill cultivators remained silent for a long time, once again bowing to the tall woman whose will had already departed.

Golden Pill cultivators need territories, third-order spiritual lands.

Otherwise, the most that could be achieved would be to stabilize their cultivation base, making further progress difficult.

In the prime of one's cultivation life, having just advanced to Golden Pill status, it should be a time to be high-spirited. Yet they had to remain humbly silent and hidden, something they were unwilling to accept deep down.

However, what could be done about it?

...

On the other side, Jiang Ding opened his eyes.

"Before growing strong, is developing one's power a mistake?"

Jiang Ding mused to himself.

He was reevaluating the decisions he made in his youth.

The dissatisfaction of Chun Jian and others could be clearly felt through the Heaven Light Dao Troops' Flying Swords; it was normal, as newly emerged Golden Pill Monks would have their own needs and desires.

But this did not align with his strategy.

Wouldn't it be better if, like Tushan Immortal City, he started developing subordinates that met their needs after being unrivaled in one area?

In the end, it would only delay things by about a hundred or two hundred years at most.

Moreover, Loose Cultivator Golden Pill Monks like Immortal Baimei could also be utilized, with both parties getting what they needed. Just because they weren't personally trained didn't mean there were none to use.

"We'll talk about it later."

Jiang Ding shook his head and turned to fly in the direction of the Wei Family.

This was the main responsibility of this particular incarnation.

Having delayed for about a year was already too long; he could not leave it any longer. The Beast Spirit Immortal City must be under surveillance twenty-four hours a day.

Concealing his figure, after flying for a long time and passing through the Wei Family's formation, he once again entered the ancestral land for secluded cultivation.

His appearance changed, taking on the guise of a middle-aged and honest-looking Cultivator, which was precisely the look of the Wei Family Patriarch.

"Ancestor."

Not long after, Wei Qingqing came to visit. After a bow, she said, "Great changes have occurred within Beast Spirit Immortal City. Most of the Hei Clan direct lineage Golden Pill Monks have died. Hei Louxi and other members of the Hei Clan's collateral lineage now hold an overwhelming advantage and have begun to take control of Beast Spirit Immortal City, with the distribution of various Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures greatly favoring the collateral lineage Cultivators, affecting those who cultivate Qi, Foundation-building cultivators, and Golden Pill Monks alike."

"It is said that Hei Louxi, her mother Hei Chenghong, and others have recently subdued the directly descended clan leader Hei Chengwu, who returned with them from a remote cultivation region. They have received formal recognition from the Patriarch Nascent Soul, and Hei Louxi is soon to inherit the Nascent Soul legacy of the Hei Clan, officially becoming the young clan leader."

"If all goes well, Hei Louxi will become the Hei Clan's young master, form the Black King's Army, and follow the Six Dao Saint Hei Chenghong Yin Dao in the King's Court War."

"Hei Chenghong, the Hei Clan leader Hei Chengwu?"

Jiang Ding was slightly taken aback.

Those two, back in Tushan Immortal City, seemed to have been affected by his simulated Taiyin Sword Qi, which was going to drive them to madness within twenty or thirty years.

Now, estimating the time, about five or six years had passed; their time was nearly up.

Nonetheless, it was insignificant; if they died, they died.

"So you're saying, with Divine Crow Immortal's recognition, the Hei Clan's direct lineage era has ended, the reform is complete, and a new era led by the Hei Clan's collateral lineage will begin?"

Jiang Ding asked.

"This should be like a bolt from the blue for the Northern Plains families, shouldn't it? After all, it's a major change in a system that has lasted for ten thousand years."

In terms of political struggle, the de facto Wei Family Patriarch Wei Qingqing was a professional, and he was willing to hear her judgment.

"Indeed," replied Wei Qingqing with a deep bow, her face showing a serious expression. "But whether it will truly be successful will depend on the attitude of the Rule Mountain Iron Family. It is said that they have already dispatched a Nascent Soul Patriarch to Beast Spirit Immortal City."

"Rule Mountain Iron Family?"

Jiang Ding pondered thoughtfully.

The Rule Mountain Iron Family,

the leader of the Northern Plains Righteous Dao, the family that governs rituals!

For ten thousand years, every Northern Plains family lineage, regardless of Righteous or Demon Dao, has never ceased to pay tribute to them. Any event, such as marriages and funerals for those above Qi cultivation, young masters inheriting positions, clan leaders taking over, or Patriarchs advancing to Nascent Soul, must be witnessed by a member of the Iron Family, to ensure the pure governing of ancestor's direct bloodline among people.

If ever a collateral lineage or foreign Nascent Soul emerged, or foreign Golden Pill Monks caused trouble, threatening the governance of the twenty-eight Northern Plains clans, it would also be the Rule Mountain Iron Family that took care of it.

Should there be situations they couldn't handle, it would be the Rule Mountain Iron Family's Cultivators who would convene further aid from major families, such as eradicating or driving out freshly advanced foreign Nascent Souls.

Every year, the direct lineages of the twenty-eight Northern Plains families would offer a large number of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasures, but to what end?

It is to guarantee the pure rule of direct lineage blood!

The Great Sun Sect, well, that's out of the picture, since they are simply too powerful to contend with.

Now, with a plea to uphold the justice of a ten-thousand-year covenant, the Hei Clan leader Hei Chengwu has requested the Rule Mountain Iron Family to preside.

What would the Iron Family do?

Would they strike down Hei Louxi and other collateral lineage Golden Pill Monks for their insubordination, slaughtering what few Golden Pill Monks remained in the Hei Clan?

And what of Divine Crow Immortal, what would be his move?

These events could prove quite interesting.