Chapter 442: What is the Grand Situation of the Immortal Gate?

Within the light of the teleportation array.

Jiang Ding opened his eyes.

The sub-zero temperatures of dozens of degrees in the middle layer of the atmosphere wrapped around his body; all around were the massive branches, leaves, and trunks of the Shenmu Shenmu Futianrong, as huge as mountains, forming a dense Lin Hai.

In the distance, sky-war machines and sky-warships frequently took off and landed, spitting out rings of Mach diamonds.

"I'm going to form a Jin Dan."

Jiang Ding muttered to himself, flying downward: "However, I must first hand Yu Yu Qianzi over to the police station, so she isn't struck dead by my Jin Dan heavenly tribulation; that would not be good."

He flew out of the super teleportation array.

Jiang Ding was stunned.

Senior Wu Wu Mengsha, a host of senior students, and Zhang Zhang Junsheng stared at him without blinking an eye.

Jiang Ding thought for a moment, then flew backward a bit.

Then, he flew forward a bit, downward a bit, and upward a bit.

Their gazes moved with him, their eyes swaying up, down, left, and right incessantly, while their bodies remained motionless.

"What is everyone doing?"

Jiang Ding felt a bit unnerved in his heart.

"Watching our doctoral dissertations, checking for missing pages, errors, or omissions."

Wu Wu Mengsha said solemnly.

"There are none of those."

Jiang Ding breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "I am preparing to form a Jin Dan; will everyone join me?"

"By the way, there is also this."

He remembered something and transmitted the secret techniques for forming a Jin Dan, forming a Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation, which had been passed to him by a fragment of the Lingering Soul of Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun, one by one to the surrounding senior students and mentors.

The secret technique for forming a Jin Dan was relatively detailed, while the secret techniques for forming a Nascent Soul and for Soul Transformation were severely incomplete.

Although Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun possessed the demeanor of a Sword Dao Canghai Tianjun, he would not believe whatever was said simply because he said it.

Furthermore, since he had not cultivated the Great Sun Sword Scripture, the secret techniques for forming a Jin Dan and forming a Nascent Soul could not be used interchangeably and still required modification.

"The original Great Sun Sword Pavilion secret technique for forming a Jin Dan!"

Zhang Zhang Junsheng, Wu Wu Mengsha, and others trembled.

Having studied the Great Sun Sword Pavilion for half a lifetime, they recognized what it was upon reading a single line of text and carefully received the spiritual text information.

For a long time.

"What we produced is not wrong."

"Nor have we buried any pitfalls for future advancement."

After digesting the three incomplete secret techniques, Zhang Zhang Junsheng let out a long sigh of relief.

Those who research the Dao of Immortality fear most that, due to limited vision, they create secret techniques that appear perfect but are actually dead ends at higher realms and higher levels, which would be a lifelong regret.

"However, we have found thirteen points that can be further optimized... Do not rush; give me half a month."

"Half a month? That works."

Jiang Ding thought for a moment and agreed.

"Is any auxiliary aid needed for forming a Jin Dan?"

Zhang Zhang Junsheng wore a serious expression: "The electromagnetic Secret Realm, a top-grade Jin Dan-forming pill, the highest-tier auxiliary array for forming a Jin Dan... I can procure all these for you; I will guarantee it, and you can repay the debt after you advance."

"No need."

"It is already sufficient."

Jiang Ding shook his head.

After years of tempering, and with the extreme purification of magic power and divine sense from the Great Sun Dayang Dayang Tianchi, he had already reached an extremely high level in Foundation Establishment.

Secret Realms, Jin Dan formation, medicinal pills, and so on were all merely for this purpose: to further elevate magic power and divine sense and reduce the difficulty of forming a Jin Dan.

But he had already achieved this.

These things were inferior to his own level and had absolutely no effect.

"Very well, I will follow Ji De Xiang Fa."

Zhang Zhang Junsheng ceased his persuasion.

Cultivation is a matter of the mind and the self; no matter how good others think it is, it cannot compare to one's own feeling.

"Mentor, senior students, I am returning to rest."

Jiang Ding waved his hand.

The trip to the Great Sun Dayang Dayang Tianchi involved constant combat and cruel, perilous tempering of the flying sword and sword intent; even he felt much exhaustion and needed time to recover to peak condition.

Having just flown tens of kilometers, he was blocked again.

"Greetings, Teacher Zhang!"

Jiang Ding's escape light immediately halted, and he bowed to pay his respects.

"Greetings, Student Jiang."

The person who came was naturally Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun, with a faint smile on his face.

Standing shoulder to shoulder beside him was an old man with a square face, large ears, round and plump, wearing a smile like a spring breeze; one glance at him instantly bred much familiarity and goodwill.

"Greetings, Ding Hai Master Dinghai Zhenjun."

Jiang Ding bowed again and immediately understood the reason they had blocked him.

Ding Hai Master Dinghai Zhenjun,

Minister of the Immortal Gate's Foreign Affairs!

Responsible for the Immortal Gate's external exchanges, foreign trade, and other matters, he was one of the Immortal Gate cultivators most familiar to the cultivators of the Badaxian Sect; many matters were communicated to the interior of the Immortal Gate through him.

Behind the two of them, over a dozen Jin Dan cultivators stood respectfully, all wearing warm and courteous smiles.

However, with his current Sword Intent of Destruction, he could already sense the subtle emotional shifts of Jin Dan cultivators. Among these people, many seemed dissatisfied, angry, and carried a faint trace of hostility.

These could not escape the sensing of the Taiqing Flying Sword.

Jiang Ding remained calm and composed.

He showed no change at all in response to the emotional shifts of the immortal gate's Jin Dan cultivators.

"Fellow student Jiang, truly a formidable young man."

Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun praised: "I've worked in the Foreign Affairs Department for so many years, and it's always been the immortal gate's legions beating others up, or individual cultivators getting beaten up or killed by others, and then I go protest."

"I never expected that today, others would come protesting to us."

"Feels quite novel."

"It's just that…"

Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun said tactfully: "Food and sex are human nature. Although it's a young man's heart, what people desire is perfectly normal, but… it's still best not to kidnap other girls for no reason. That's not quite appropriate."

"Your teachings are correct, Master Dinghai Zhenjun."

Jiang Ding accepted the lesson.

He looked toward Master Master Dinghai.

Master Master Dinghai blinked.

"Mm,"

"Master Dinghai Zhenjun is right."

Jiang Ding thought for a moment, then pulled a girl in a moon-white immortal dress out of his storage jade pendant, grabbed her clothes to check, and confirmed she was still alive: "Is this what Master Dinghai Zhenjun meant? It wasn't for no reason—she occupied my cultivation spot, she's a thief. I was about to hand her over to the Immortal Capital Police Bureau for detention."

The Jin Dan cultivators all widened their eyes, mouths slightly agape.

The girl's skin was snow-white; at some point a small blanket had appeared on her moon-white immortal dress, and she was hugging a pure-white little bear in her arms, sleeping soundly, occasionally rolling over, completely unaware of the outside world.

The Taiyin Sword Child!

This guy went out for a trip and actually captured the Taiyin Sword Child of Qingmuxian Sect and brought her back!

"A thief?"

Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun was somewhat between tears and laughter, and said nothing more.

Regardless, the Taiyin Sword Sect was a chess piece put forward by Badaxian Sect to resist the immortal gate. As an enemy, killing her or whatever was entirely reasonable and justifiable.

As for the Taiyin Sword Child being from Qingmuxian Sect, the immortal gate could acknowledge it or deny it.

"Mm."

Jiang Ding explained his logic, then made a request: "I want the inheritance of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion of Qingmuxian Sect."

"This…"

"I'll do my best."

Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun shook his head: "Many of the Soul Transformation cultivators of Qingmuxian Sect who participated in the destruction of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion are still alive. They are very wary of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion and may not agree. I can only say I'll try my best to persuade them."

"However, even if it doesn't work out, at the very least we can trade for some of the benefits the immortal gate needs."

"You might receive a share of Soul Transformation battle merits."

"Understood, thank you, Master Dinghai Zhenjun."

Jiang Ding bowed respectfully and handed the Taiyin Sword Child over to Master Master Dinghai.

"The Taiyin Sword Child is one thing, after all, named after Taiyin."

"What about the Five Elements Sword Child and the Sword Child of Shangqing Spiritual Treasure Sect?"

At this moment, a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator from the Foreign Affairs Department spoke up. Having held back for a long time, he finally erupted: "Do you have any idea how much war risk your actions have brought to the immortal gate?"

"These two great immortal sects will definitely retaliate!"

Furious, he rebuked: "Do you know how many immortal gate citizens beyond the realm will die because of this?"

"If everyone acted as recklessly as you, the immortal gate's greater situation…"

"Oh?"

Jiang Ding's gaze fell on him.

"…greater situation…"

His heart lurched, and the words of rebuke stopped in his mouth for no apparent reason.

"Your name is Jin Jin Xiuyan."

Jiang Ding glanced at his identity badge: "A late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, I imagine you've participated in wars beyond the realm. When someone launched an attack against you, even from those seemingly neutral great immortal sects, did you manage to surrender without a fight and offer no resistance?"

"Did you, or didn't you?"

A faint Sword Intent of Destruction spread out, falling onto this late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, carrying a hidden trace of killing intent.

Even immortal gate citizens!

There still exist all kinds of people. Even if they're not natural enemies like the Xu Clan, they often do all sorts of things.

This needs to be corrected!

"You!"

Jin Jin Xiuyan was furious at being called by name directly by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and was about to erupt, but his heart turned cold, as if falling into an ice cellar.

He instinctively raised a shield and activated a brown hill-shaped treasure, but the unease in his heart did not lessen in the slightest—instead, he trembled even more.

Jin Jin Xiuyan couldn't help being horrified, and completely set aside the instinctive condescension of a Jin Dan cultivator.

This is a madman!

Jin Jin Xiuyan instinctively retreated two steps, and only relaxed slightly when his peripheral vision caught sight of the two Nascent Soul Master Dinghai Zhenjun. He retorted: "Your strength clearly far exceeds that of the Hundred Sword Sword Child of Shangqing Spiritual Treasure Sect. What harm would it do to let him go once? He poses no threat to you, and Shangqing Spiritual Treasure Sect plays an important role in the immortal gate's diplomacy…"

"I was just asking you."

Jiang Ding interrupted him again, stared at him, and said coldly: "On the battlefield beyond the realm, when neutral Jin Dan cultivators from sects like Shangqing Spiritual Treasure Sect wanted to kill you, did you surrender without a fight for the sake of the immortal gate's greater situation?"

Jin Jin Xiuyan fell silent.

"No."

"But your strength..."

He still wanted to persist in his own viewpoint.

"My strength is my own business."

Jiang Ding spoke coldly: "You cannot do it yourself, yet you ask me to do it. Sir, do you think I am weak and easy to bully, to the point that you can stand on the moral high ground and accuse me?"

Jin Jin Xiuyan closed his mouth and said nothing.

He was not convinced.

He sensed a faint killing intent from this person.

If not for the restrictions of the Immortal Sect laws, he might have even acted; yet now, his own actions lacked clear support from the Immortal Sect laws.

"And An Tuzi."

"I did not kill him; I have already fulfilled my duty as a citizen." Jiang Ding spoke coldly: "If Shangqing Lingbao Sect and Wuxingtian Sect take their anger out on us, they can just come back and kill again."

"How can one dare not fight for one's own interests out of fear of someone else's retaliation?"

"Your Foreign Affairs Department has done a great deal of diplomatic work, securing many things for the Immortal Sects; this is truly worthy of respect and admiration."

Jiang Ding looked at Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun: "However, I believe the conduct of diplomatic work should be built on the foundation of strength. Many essential things cannot be changed by diplomacy."

A subordinate acting on his own initiative,

how could such a thing appear so coincidentally?

Controlling Master Tushan Xiancheng for so many years, although he had not learned any worldly cunning, he could still discern these most basic things.

"I understand what Student Jiang means."

Master Dinghai Master Dinghai Zhenjun nodded slightly, and his figure vanished.

Yesterday's New Year's Eve celebration went on too long; let's stop here for today.

(End of this chapter)