Chapter 434: Ri Yan Jing

Antu's escape speed was too fast—there was no way to catch up at all.

"Classmate An, you're measuring a gentleman's belly with a petty person's heart."

Jiang Ding sighed softly.

"Why would I kill you now?"

The Wuxingtian Sect is an important ally of the Immortal Gate beyond the boundary. Using the Wuxingtian Sect as a pivot, they could split the already Layered Contradictions-ridden Badaxian Sect, preventing them from forming an anti-Immortal Gate alliance.

Although there were plenty of underhanded moves, with occasional signs of wavering.

But this was already very good.

Between Immortal Sects, it had always been this way. To be as inseparable as close friends was impossible—only profit was eternal.

And the Immortal Sect was the Immortal Sect of the Void Refinement mighty figures and the Dao Child!

Don't think that just because Wuxing Dao Child Antu was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he couldn't currently direct any grand strategy of the Wuxingtian Sect.

But his existence was one of the cornerstones of the Wuxingtian Sect.

A beating, even serious injuries, didn't matter.

But if he were killed, an irreconcilable blood feud with the Wuxingtian Sect would immediately be forged—a hundred times more severe than any declaration of war.

Besides, don't be fooled by Antu's instant getaway at the first sign of trouble.

In truth, he still had trump-card methods he hadn't deployed. At the very least, the mysteries of the Five Elements Reincarnation Dao Body hadn't been fully revealed—the moves just now weren't his full strength.

Law cultivators have always held the philosophy of not contending in the moment, but looking ahead a thousand years.

Unless pushed to the absolute brink, they would absolutely never fight to the death over things like pride or dignity—even if their strength wasn't weak and their odds of winning weren't low.

Once life-threatening danger appeared, most of them would still choose to flee.

This was the huge difference between Law cultivators and Sword cultivators—they didn't worship combat, placed great emphasis on longevity and long-sightedness, and wore down opponents with the passage of time.

The final point: just as Jiang Ding was constantly watched by the Central Array Spirit Computer, Antu also carried Void Refinement-level methods on him that would erupt when his life was threatened. Without the Immortal Gate's help to suppress and set up an ambush, he simply couldn't be killed.

The reason he had to be beaten up first,

was that his strength was too great!

His existence would cause massive interference to the Solar Abyss's collection of the Great Sun Soul Flame and the killing of the Great Sun Dayang Tianchi Spirit.

Once Antu, out of profit or some other reason, chose to launch a sneak attack during the fiercest part of battle, it would create a terrifying life-or-death crisis. This potential variable had to be eliminated first.

"Ri Yan Jing."

"A sword Dao treasure that can temper flying swords even in the outside world—only the Great Sun Dayang Tianchi can produce it."

Jiang Ding tapped a finger.

The Taiqing Flying Sword flew downward, plunging into the sky-spanning lake of lava. Golden sword Qi from all directions spontaneously followed and gathered, encircling it, until it sank deep into the thick lava and vanished.

Pain!

Stinging pain!

Jiang Ding's eyelid twitched.

The moment the flying sword truly entered the source of this Ri Yan River, a temperature far exceeding anywhere else and the terror of soul-burning flames revealed themselves.

The Taiqing Flying Sword instantly turned glowing red. The divine sense imprint within it sizzled, its weak points and fragile spots being burned away, forged, and hammered—bit by bit.

This sensation lingered for a long time without fading, growing more and more distinct as it sank deeper into the lava lake.

"This isn't tempering the flying sword—it's tempering my divine sense imprint. Over and over, the fierce fire burns away all the weak spots, until the flying sword and divine sense merge into one, indistinguishable from each other."

Jiang Ding's expression shifted slightly.

He only felt divine sense power continuously pouring into the Taiqing Flying Sword—tempering again and again, replenishing again and again, without end.

In just this short while, he could feel his divine soul had strengthened slightly, and his compatibility with the Taiqing Flying Sword was the same—even his Sword Intent was the same.

An all-round subtle improvement!

To be able to come here and temper swords for three years—

one couldn't imagine how many Sword cultivators dreamed of such a heaven-sent opportunity!

If one were to cultivate in seclusion here year after year, who knew what terrifying effect would ultimately emerge.

"Truly worthy of the top-tier Sword Dao sect that has nearly unified this boundary region!"

Jiang Ding exclaimed in admiration.

He was inclined to cultivate here and seize the moment, yet he also knew the situation outside wasn't entirely settled, so it wasn't suitable.

The Taiqing Flying Sword sank deeper, continuing to sink deeper. Pressure and temperature kept climbing.

By the time it reached ten thousand meters below the lava lake, the surrounding pressure had become immensely vast. Even the lava was viscous. Heaven-grade materials and treasures of the fire and Sword Dao aspects had already formed—extremely high in grade.

Casually pulling out a single drop could pierce through countless Foundation Establishment cultivators' magic artifacts and shields.

At some unknown moment, a terrifying Lava Sword Dao flame had been born outside the sword body of the Taiqing Flying Sword, burning quietly on the sword. To resist this flame, divine sense and magic power poured out like a waterfall, vanishing at flying speed.

Ding!

The flying sword touched something hard and stopped.

Jiang Ding strained to extend a wisp of divine sense, which was instantly burned to nothing by the surrounding Lava Sword Dao flame. At the same time, he saw clearly what was blocking the way.

A fiery-red crystal stone.

Semi-transparent, with wisps and threads of fiery-red sword-shaped runes flickering within, wrapped in viscous lava. Enormous effort would be needed to take it away.

"Ri Yan Jing."

"It contains Lava Sword Dao fire within, can be used to forge swords, and is one of the sources of the Ri Yan River's nearly ceaseless flow."

Jiang Ding Zi murmured.

He knew this was actually not that simple.

If it were Antu, or anyone else who wasn't the Great Sun Sword Child, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would be incinerated to ash by the Lava Sword Dao fire the instant they touched the Ri Yan Jing.

The formations built by the Great Sun Dayang Tianchi over countless tens of thousands of years controlled everything.

Even these Ri Yan Jing stones originally lay deeper, where others needed to pass through sword flames that even Soul Transformation cultivators feared to even touch.

But for the Great Sun Sword Heir, as long as one's strength suffices, they may take freely.

Even if no Ri Yan Jing were here, the array would shift it from elsewhere and place it before you, as if returning home.

Of course, some trial and hardship is required.

This is the cradle of the Great Sun Sword Heir, not a treasure vault—everything here is arranged as a process of sword Dao education, requiring sword practice and tempering to obtain.

"Cut!"

Jiang Ding stirred his intent.

Beneath the viscous lava and the soul-destroying sword flames, the Taiqing Flying Sword moved with excruciating slowness, barely matching the speed of an arrow shot by a mortal, striking the lava coating on the Ri Yan Jing's surface with a basic cutting stance.

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out—the lava film on the Ri Yan Jing dented and cracked slightly, then healed.

"So hard?"

Jiang Ding froze.

"... Sword Heir, this is wrong..."

A cheerful female voice triggered a certain sword law and sounded in his ear.

"... It should be like this."

A sword shadow, identical in size to the Taiqing Flying Sword, appeared before Jiang Ding and struck the Ri Yan Jing with the same speed as his previous strike.

Markings floated upon the sword, inscribed in spirit script.

"Sword-cutting angle..."

"Ci Fa magic power should converge like this..."

"The sword lava has its own rhythm and undulation—the flying sword must follow them..."

"Spiritual awareness should..."

Line after line, point after point—all were optimizations possible in the sword's "cut," instantly deduced from the current situation, not fixed images left years ago.

Crack!

With identical magic power and identical spiritual awareness, this strike shattered the Ri Yan Jing's lava shell effortlessly.

"This is basic flying sword technique?"

Jiang Ding stood stunned.

The most basic cutting stance, in their hands, flowed like art—smooth, natural.

With the same force, the effect exceeded his by more than double!

"No wonder..."

Jiang Ding drew a deep breath.

"The previous two generations of Sword Heirs broke no Po Fa Xian Jin, owned no Kongtian War Machines, yet still crushed the Dao Heirs of the Badaxian Sect—how far has the Great Sun Sword Pavilion truly explored the sword Dao?"

He closed his eyes and meditated long, then struck again, making the Ri Yan Jing's shell tremble violently.

"Sword Heir, your Ci Fa magic power converged too hastily—this reduces the flying sword's speed. You should..."

Yue's voice returned, correcting him.

"Thank you."

Jiang Ding bowed slightly, treating her with the respect of a master.

Then he struck again.

"Sword Heir, you must remember the nature of Ci Fa magic power—cut according to its nature..."

"Understood."

At once, Jiang Ding forgot everything else and began practicing sword techniques under Yue's guidance.

(End of Chapter)