Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

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"The first Huashan Swordsmanship Competition of the Xianmen Sect will be held two months from now, on the ninth day of the ninth month, and it will continue to be held on this date every year."

Wei Hu continued to report, "Based on our preliminary invitations to sword dojos across various regions, as well as spontaneous registration from the public, there will likely be more than a million participants in this Huashan Competition."

This was to be expected.

The prize money is also a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, with different rewards for ranks from one thousandth to first place.

Moreover, targeting mortals and Qi Practitioners, such a level of prize money is extremely rare; even if for the sake of money, participants will not be lacking.

Furthermore, at this stage where the Sword Dao has just begun to develop, the difference in skills is not that significant.

Perhaps, with a stroke of luck, one could easily bring home a million mortal coins, becoming a superstar among the crowd, gaining both fame and fortune."

"Senior, for the champion of the Huashan Swordsmanship Competition, could you arrange for a prize-giving with some impact?"

Wei Hu hesitated before asking.

He knew that high-level cultivators dislike being disturbed in their cultivation, especially with such high frequency once a year; in some locations with poorer security, one wouldn't even know how they died.

Yet, this person's attention to the matter was different, and he still wanted to give it a try.

"How so?"

"Do you mean I need to personally award the champion of the competition every year?"

Jiang Ding asked with interest.

If it were his true self, he would have lost his temper. Cultivating for months for a Zhou Tian, refining the flying sword for several months for a reincarnation; if it were interrupted once a year, almost leading to a demonic deviation each time, he would truly want to start cutting people.

But for a clone, no problem.

"No, no, no..."

Wei Hu waved his hands continuously: "Our marketing director said that approach would be too approachable, and actually not good. When something is too close to oneself, it is difficult to maintain a sense of awe and longing. We should aim for something more ethereal, more reminiscent of celestial beings."

He explained in detail.

"Like, for instance, a crane bringing the sword in its beak, handing it over to the champion. Or perhaps, a divine light descending from the sky, cleansing and tempering the meridians and bones of the Qi Practitioner. Or maybe, a flower from the Dao descending from the heavens. It would be best to show a hint of Golden Pill Deterrence."

"Like that? No problem,"

Jiang Ding nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, getting too close is not good; for instance, with Wei Hu, too much interaction often leads to some impoliteness.

Of course, it is not a significant issue.

Cultivators suppress the world with their awe-inspiring power, unlike mortal emperors and popes who depend on the awe of others to live. When others lose fear and no longer submit, it equates to one's own demise.

In this world, whether you respect or disdain me is irrelevant.

But one has to act in accordance with the will of the powerful. Otherwise, one can choose the freedom and disdain of death, which should be permitted.

"Senior, then this Huashan Swordsmanship Competition is guaranteed to be a success,"

"Our marketing department has already secured the top search results on major Xianmen websites, advertisements, and influencer introductions for the preliminary heat. Especially, the Central Television of Xianmen has agreed to broadcast our event during prime time."

After submitting his work report, Wei Hu respectfully took his leave.

The Sword Association and the Huashan Competition, despite appearing simple in words, actually involve millions if not tens of millions of citizens of Xianmen who practice swordsmanship, as well as a large number of industry workers. Managing such affairs is intricate and complex, and even a moment of laxity can lead to all sorts of messy situations.

Since turning six years old, he had been so busy he barely touched the ground, and apart from the time reserved for cultivation, he hardly ever went home.

Naturally, he did not find it hard.

Without such troubles, how would it have been possible for Patriarch Jin Dan to be so generous with the provision of Foundation Building Pills?

After Wei Hu left, Jiang Ding concluded his three-month inspection work.

Three months ago, starting from the Sword Dojo in Xiandu, he visited every city and every sword dojo within Xianmen, meticulously examining the development of Xianmen's swordsmanship, checking if it was as Wei Hu reported on paper, and also spot-checked a great amount of financial records.

The results were fairly good; though there were some flaws, the overall situations were true.

It's uncommon for Qi Practitioners to deceive Golden Pill Monks, embezzling for personal gain, and this inspection encountered none.

The swordsmanship of Xianmen has truly taken root preliminarily; what follows is continuous nurturing, watering, and fertilizing, in anticipation that it will one day grow into a towering tree piercing through the world, sending him on a higher path to immortality."

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Jiang Ding returned home, spending his days with his mother and sister, cooking and cleaning.

Just like over a hundred years ago.

Stir-fried pig's ear with cured meat, cucumber salad with pig's ear, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, seaweed egg drop soup; these dishes were never tiring, even surpassing many famous state banquet dishes.

The only change was that the ordinary pig's ear had been replaced with Second Order Spiritual Material pig's ear.

"Brother, do you know?"

At the dinner table, Jiang Yuan suddenly said, "Little Bear, Little Bear is ninety-two this year, the same age that our grandparents were many years ago, it feels like so much time has passed all of a sudden."

"Suddenly, it has come to this."

Although her words were calm, one could still detect a thick layer of sorrow.

Jiang Ding remained silent.

Little Bear.

He was her child.

The boy of the twins.

This reminded Jiang Ding of the scene, over ninety years ago, when the two children were born in Rongcheng No.1 Hospital, the babies' loud cries emanating from the delivery room, when the grandparents were still alive, holding their great-grandson tremblingly, crying tears of joy.

Immortal cultivators who live forever really shouldn't get too emotionally involved with mortals.

Otherwise, every few decades, after several cycles of cultivation, they would have to endure separations and losses, and their Dao Heart would suffer a devastating blow.

If this continues, the desire to live might be lost.

Divine Sense slightly expanded, covering the entire Rong City.

The sun was setting in the west.

By the riverside park.

An old man with snowy white hair and a face full of wrinkles sat on a bench with a cane, staring blankly at the sun touching the mountain peaks.

For a long time, he didn't speak a word.

"Grandpa, it's time to go back home."

Behind the old man stood two young men, one about seventeen or eighteen years old, and the other looking to be in his twenties or thirties; the older youth said softly, "It's getting colder now, sitting here any longer won't be good for your health."

"Oh, oh, good grandson, let's go home."

The old man, as if awakened, quickly got up with his cane, swaying a bit as he stood.

Two young men supported the old man, slowly walking towards home.

"This... is so similar."

Seeing this scene, Jiang Ding sighed softly.

Who knows how many years ago, he and Lin Yuanwang were just like that, helping their grandfather walk slowly home, eating together, chatting together, occasionally going to the hospital for check-ups.

Grandfather was always so kind and gentle.

It seems that when Grandfather Lin Gang was young, he might have had his carefree, mischievous, and rebellious times like Little Bear.

But as he aged, he gradually matured and changed.

And thus, after just a few decades, they could no longer see grandfather and grandmother again.

"… Sister"

Jiang Ding fell silent for a long time.

"As many of my teachers have said, it's our Destined Fate as cultivators to keep seeing our relatives and friends depart, it is also the rule of the Great Dao."

"It cannot be changed, only accepted."

"Rule?"

Jiang Yuan murmured, her body devoid of strength.