Chapter 1563: Upper Realm Immortal Sect Disciple Level: Jiang Ding Zi

After handling some administrative affairs related to scientific research, Jiang Ding turned his gaze to the Badaxian Sect.

The current situation of the Badaxian Sect is very dire.

The mountain gates of the Qingmuxian Sect and the Wan Shouxianzong have been breached by the Phantom Mist Beasts; the Hehe Dao Deity is fleeing with a few sect disciples, currently relying on the vast expanse of the realm-space to hinder the Phantom Mist Beasts' assault.

It is estimated that within at most one thousand years, the Badaxian Sect will be completely destroyed.

At that time, they will have only two choices.

Either accept the Immortal Gate's extremely harsh surrender terms, have soul-sealing prohibitions carved into their souls under the supervision of the Central Array Spirit Computer, retain their dignity and partial interests, and be fully integrated into the Immortal Gate system.

Or wander into the desolate star regions of the universe until death.

In the endless starry sky, life and Minor Thousand Worlds are miracles, not the norm; the long, endless desolate star regions are the mainstream of the endless starry sky.

For countless years, including the era when the Demon Race Heavenly Humans ruled the realm in the previous age, and even more distant times, the beings of this world have all attempted to expand outward into new living spaces and find new worlds of life.

But without exception, all have ended in failure.

The Hehe Dao Deity fleeing into the endless starry sky has a ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent probability of dying in that endless starry sky.

Of course, one can still survive.

A Hehe-level lifeform is already a realm-level lifeform, capable of inhaling, exhaling, and transforming chaos into spiritual energy to sustain life; however, they will lose everything, live a life of eternal loneliness, and cultivation will be absolutely impossible.

All of this depends on how the Badaxian Sect and its eight Hehe Deities choose.

"For now, they are not important."

Jiang Ding swept through these intelligence reports and set them down.

The heritage of the Badaxian Sect is very valuable and offers strong supplementary value to the Immortal Gate, but it is not decisive; the Immortal Gate's Immortal Dao system research can fully create whatever it desires.

Whether the Badaxian Sect submits or not is no longer a matter of life and death for the Immortal Gate; they possess sufficient confidence.

"However, the afterglow following the complete destruction of the Upper Realm Immortal Sects..."

Jiang Ding hesitated for a moment.

He picked up the jade slip again, his gaze focusing on the intelligence regarding the Wudaxian Sect, excluding the Shangqing Lingbao Sect, the Dandingxian Sect, and the Wan Shouxianzong.

According to the heritage of the Sun and Moon Sword Pavilion and the Youming Sword Cave Heaven, if the Upper Realm Immortal Sects are completely destroyed, a 'Final Afterglow' will fall upon the strongest heritage seed.

This afterglow will be a heritage, and more importantly, a bestowal of power, similar to the 'Near-Immortal Status' of a False Golden Core.

This Near-Immortal Status is the Upper Realm Immortal Sects' final blessing for their heritage seeds, formed by the final will of the generations of Near-Immortal-level Ancestors generated along the unseen karma, creating something akin to a False Golden Core that can amplify the strength and potential of the heritage seed, with the cost being half of one's lifespan.

Because of the separation by endless star regions, even the generations of Near-Immortal-level Ancestors cannot project power, only a wisp of will; this wisp of will requires energy to drive it, and that energy is lifespan.

The Near-Immortal Status manifests in two states depending on the situation of the heritage seed.

The first state: if the Near-Immortal Status judges that the inheritor lacks Near-Immortal-level potential or the potential is too minuscule, it will devour the inheritor's lifespan and magic power, causing the inheritor to advance one realm at the cost of severing their potential, while absorbing and storing the inheritor's potential for the future.

The second state: when a true Near-Immortal-level potential inheritor appears, the Near-Immortal Status will burn everything to help this inheritor make a desperate struggle, reach the Near-Immortal realm, and rebuild the sect.

These are the supreme heritages within the Sun and Moon Sword Pavilion and the Youming Sword Cave Heaven regarding their own mission and the sect's heritage inheritors.

"Currently, five Upper Realm Immortal Sects have been confirmed to be completely destroyed."

"If by chance, the Five Elements, Taiyi Qingmu, Brother Xuanwu, and the other five Immortal Sects obtain the Upper Realm Immortal Sects' final afterglow, then, perhaps, they could serve as opponents for this Lord..."

Jiang Ding murmured to himself.

Five Heavenly Humans; such opponents are the stepping stones for the Sword Dao to ascend further.

As for Quasi-Heavenly Humans?

Even if the Hehe Deities of the five Immortal Sects obtain the afterglow, they are merely ants under the sword, incapable of arousing any interest.

Between Hehe and Heavenly Humans, no one can go further or closer to the limit than the Disciples of the Upper Realm Immortal Sects; this is the supreme treasure forged by the Upper Realm Immortal Sects in their prime, utilizing the Great Thousand World as a platform.

Time flows leisurely.

Unknowingly, a thousand years have passed.

For a thousand years, Jiang Ding has been quietly waiting in the Dayang Dayang Tianchi for his soul and the rules to blend, while actively participating in the Immortal Gate's Immortal Dao scientific development, engaging in the research and development of various projects, and specifically the development of his own sword techniques.

Finally, today, everything has come to fruition naturally.

The youth in green robes within the endless light opened his eyes; a terrifying, invisible, bone-piercing oppressive pressure appeared all around, reflecting across all heavens and myriad worlds.

His figure was dreamlike and ethereal; though clearly right before the eyes, he seemed to be situated above the nine heavens, amidst the hazy clouds, not like a mortal of the human world, possessing a certain subtle divinity beyond heaven and earth.

This is a ruler who has preliminarily mastered his own rules!

Clang!

At this moment, accompanied by a faint sword sound, the Heavenly Sword Technique naturally advanced to the First Realm, with control over the Sword Dao soaring dramatically.

"My... rules..."

Jiang Ding spoke to himself.

He extended his hand; a wisp of flame like the sun bloomed between his fingers; this was something formed by the mixture of his magic power and divine sense, without any spells or sword techniques, inherently taking this form that destroys everything.

The magic power contained within this and

the divine sense have both surged to double what they were before the subtle rules underwent Nirvana!

The Great Sun Sword Lord, already a realm ruler and unrivaled under heaven, has become twice as strong in just a thousand years!

This is the first step on the path of the Heavenly Human.

"At this moment,"

"This Lord truly feels that beneath the Heavenly Humans, all are but ants..."

Jiang Ding whispered.

Even a Heavenly Human might perhaps be able to flee?

He does not know.

It cannot be determined; perhaps only between life and death can a clear answer be known.

But undoubtedly, the possibility of fleeing from a Heavenly Human's grasp must exist, and is no longer a certain death as in the past, representing significant progress.

Jiang Ding closed his eyes and continued cultivating.

He could clearly feel that his cultivation speed was accelerating; the Gong Fa was clearly holding back his Sword Dao realm, to the point that the Sword Dao realm in turn was refining the magic power and divine sense formed by the Gong Fa.

The speed at which he was refining the restrictions of the Taiqing Flying Sword also skyrocketed; it might only take three thousand years to refine the Taiqing Flying Sword to the realm of a supreme-grade Dao-Comforming treasure.

In that instant, all the high-ranking members of the Immortal Gate discovered a terrifying fact.

Every Immortal Dao scientific research project that the Great Sun Sword Master participated in, at this very moment, instantly saw a terrifying surge in progress—the Central Array Spirit Computer advancement project, the Solar System-class warship project, the Six Paths Grand Void Illusion Realm project… the R&D speed of every Immortal Dao scientific research project instantly multiplied several times over!

The Great Sun Sword Master alone single-handedly bore more than eighty percent of the Immortal Gate's Immortal Dao R&D projects!

This objective reality—one supreme powerhouse single-handedly suppressing a domain, comprehensively surpassing an entire civilization in all aspects such as combat strength, Immortal Dao R&D capability, and productivity—profoundly shocked every Immortal Gate powerhouse.

Again and again, people came to realize just how terrifying individual Immortal Dao powerhouses truly were.

This objective reality currently unfolding brought both joy and fear.

Fortunately, at this very same moment, the version. 254.24 Central Array Spirit Computer—which had already completed the constitutional procedures and returned to its post—finally finished all preparations and officially began its advancement to a Quasi-Heavenly-tier computer.

This let every Immortal Gate powerhouse relax just a little in their hearts.