Chapter 648: Drawing the Sword to Block Taiyin Swordsman's Door
Jiang Ding flew out of Silver Sky Island not long ago, and soon after, two streaks of Escape Light flew out together.
One Escape Light was as ethereal as the starlight, seemingly always drawing upon the power of celestial stars. The Cultivation Method naturally allowed for the connection between heaven and earth's stars, wandering amidst the Star River.
The other Escape Light was like an endless cycle of the rising and setting suns, endlessly generating life.
These two were none other than Jin Lingfeng and An Siyan.
Jin Lingfeng was practicing one of the Xianmen Sect Nine Fairy Scriptures, the All Heavens Beidou Classic, while An Siyan was practicing the Taiyin-Taiyang Scripture—both were among the top Cultivation Methods in this Domain.
If one could successfully learn them, it would greatly enhance the lower limits of a cultivator, with a vast future ahead.
"Hey, long time no see, how has your cultivation been going?"
Jiang Ding greeted.
Several years ago, the two had already stabilized their early Golden Core stage and began practicing in the Golden Core Period. Classes were the same; the three of them could meet once a year.
"Not bad."
An Siyan twirled a strand of hair and straightened her glasses, "After all, the foundation is that of a superb Golden Pill, so the cultivation goes very smoothly. The speed is much faster than others, and there should be fewer bottlenecks."
"Have you forgotten? We are both Golden Pill geniuses!"
Jin Lingfeng said proudly.
"Jiang Ding, you better be careful. If you keep cultivating so slowly, I might just advance to the Middle Jindan Stage before you."
Having refined a superb Golden Pill and leading her peers by a great deal, a Nascent Soul was in hopeful sight, which was her greatest achievement so far, earning her many praises from Immortal Yueling.
"What an impressive Golden Pill Patriarch, a great genius."
Jiang Ding was generous with praise.
"Haha..."
The laughter of An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng rang out clearly.
"Let's go."
Jiang Ding's Divine Sense stirred.
Trails of Sword Qi emerged around the three of them and, accompanied by the sound of a sword's cry, space was torn apart, and the surrounding scenery turned into streaks of lines, rapidly flying by.
After several flickers, they were surrounded by towering trees, with a stone platform at the center serving as the classroom for Qingfeng University's doctoral language class.
"Who's that?"
On the stone platform, Zhang Zhen, Immortal Dinghai, was startled and instinctively pulled out a Nascent Treasure ring ruler to smash it forward, obliterating space; the terrifying pressure of Nascent Soul and the Domain spread out, solidifying the surroundings and freezing the Divine Soul.
An Siyan and the other person stiffened up instinctively in sheer terror.
Clang!
Immediately after, the sound of a sword's cry dissipated the surrounding pressure and Domain.
"Jiang Ding! It's you, lad!"
"Why didn't you give a heads up? You scared me half to death!"
Immortal Dinghai cursed.
"For a moment there, I thought some unknown Nascent Soul Monk from the Outer Realm had sneaked in here. I was about to activate the Qingfeng University defense formation."
"... Teacher, I'll be careful next time."
Jiang Ding said, a bit embarrassed.
As his "Magnetic Space Flash" technique grew more refined and neared mastery, he had recently begun using the method of tearing through space to travel, saving several minutes of time in his calculations.
It might seem like just a few minutes, but cumulatively over the years, it might add an extra decade or more to one's life span.
"Teacher Zhang,"
An Siyan asked curiously, "Last time Jiang Ding appeared this way too, why didn't you react at all then?"
"It seems that way indeed..."
Immortal Dinghai was also somewhat hesitant.
The reaction he just had seemed to be instinctive, with little thought before acting.
He looked at Jiang Ding closely and scanned him up and down with his Divine Sense unceremoniously for a long time without shifting his gaze.
Jiang Ding felt a bit uncomfortable.
He was itching to draw his sword and strike or to escape swiftly. His combat instincts were urging him to act to not lose the advantage.
"You, lad, seem a bit different."
"Yes, that's it."
Moments later, Immortal Dinghai said with great certainty, "Just now, my Divine Soul was on alert. I have served in the Tiangang Orbital Army for several hundred years, and I've fought against Nascent Soul Sword Cultivators many times, killing them and having many comrades killed by them."
"The feeling just now was very similar. I wanted to connect to the Air-Space Mothership to kill a Nascent Soul Swordsman approaching me, or to quickly increase the distance from danger."
"Teacher, you worry too much."
Jiang Ding smiled sheepishly.
In his heart, he was secretly alarmed.
For such battle-hardened top Nascent Soul later-stage cultivators, even without malice, just by getting close, they could quickly detect his presence, rendering the Concealment Spell ineffective.
Still, it's best to stay hidden, not show myself.
I'm still quite weak.
"Perhaps."
"Xianmen cultivators are very tense, very sensitive to the approach of sword cultivators of the same rank."
After pondering for a moment, Immortal Dinghai slightly shook his head, "I've memorized the fluctuation of your space tearing; I won't have that kind of reaction anymore."
Jiang Ding sighed with relief.
After waiting for a short while, the other classmates gradually arrived.
For decades, this place had maintained a small proportion of Foundation-building cultivators, with most being Golden Pill Monks. Golden Pill Monks graduate and leave for society, and new Foundation-building doctoral students join.
Unconsciously, in the eyes of many, Jiang Ding and his two companions had also become senior students.
Thud!
Accompanying the bell signaling the start of class, Immortal Dinghai slowly began, "Today, we review the general outline of the 'All-transforming Magnetic Origin Sutra.' What is the general outline? It connects the previous and the following, commanding an entire stage..."
Jiang Ding listened attentively to the lecture.
To this day, he still held Immortal Dinghai in high admiration for his profound knowledge, just as he had since he entered Qingfeng University at the age of sixteen.
Today, it remained the same.
This was one of the most outstanding Nascent Soul Monks among the Domain Overlord-level forces, a seed of Divinity Transformation, incomparable to his peers.
Over the years, aside from the absence of suitable cultivation methods, he had never encountered a bottleneck. The Taiqing Flying Sword accounted for eighty percent of his success, while the teachings of Immortal Dinghai and other teachers accounted for twenty percent, or even more.
After all, no matter how great one's talent is, if it cannot even be utilized, it's a waste. No one can attain enlightenment and become immortal by simply lying down and learning nothing.
During the break, Jiang Ding glanced over the classroom, where many classmates listened to the lecture earnestly.
Yu Qianzi was not among them.
That guy directly went into seclusion for six years, and perhaps might continue for even sixty years.
In this respect, the Taiyin Swordsman was unexpectedly determined.
"Very good."
Jiang Ding murmured to himself.
Months passed in the blink of an eye.
As the ringing bell signaled the end of class, streaks of escape lights flew in all directions.
"Let's go, we're going to find Yu Qianzi and give her a sound thrashing."
Jiang Ding called out and, together with An Siyan, they tore through space and left.
After a few flashes, suddenly everything darkened.
The sky transitioned from daylight to night, and moonlight spilled down, casting a hazy night.
In the night sky,
A Guanghan Immortal Palace was enveloped in white mist and clouds, radiating a vague clear glow in all directions, with a slightly cool breeze blowing over.
This was a Fifth Order Void Treasure!
Combining offense and defense, it came with instant movement capabilities, capable of escaping even from a direct assault by Nascent Soul Cultivators—it was a supreme treasure for home, travel, survival, and the pursuit of the Dao, covetable even to Nascent Soul Cultivators.
"The wealth of the Taiyin Swordsman from the Green Wood Immortal Sect is astonishing..."
Jin Lingfeng exclaimed.
This was her first visit here.
Yu Qianzi usually seemed ordinary, gentle, and polite, treating people generously.
But that was in front of swordsmen of her rank or Immortals of Nascent Soul; in front of the lower or same-ranked, she was rarely seen, possessing a strong sense of hierarchy.
Indifferent, calm.
Just like a fairy of the Moon Palace, detached from the mortal world.
Clang!
Without saying another word, Jiang Ding drew his sword, and the clear ringing of the sword resounded in all directions, spreading the oppressive Sword Intent of Destruction.
"My name, Destruction, I seek guidance."
This was the dueling etiquette among sword cultivators of the same rank recorded in the "Great Sun Sword Sutra."
Such an act was insignificant for magic cultivators or himself; even if one shouted at the top of their lungs, it would be ignored or even scoffed at.
However, for cultivators who received traditional swordsman education, they must accept the challenge!
Otherwise, it meant submission, and the invincible Sword Heart would be damaged, a fate worse than defeat.
This is a matter of belief.
"Despicable!"
"Utterly shameless!"
After a long time, from within the Guanghan Palace came the grinding of teeth, "You're not allowed to use external objects! That's not even a sheath, it's a mechanized artifact, you can't use it!"