Chapter 519: Paying Respects to Ancestor An and Ancestor Jin

Cluster Heavy Artillery Bombardment of Cultivators, Main Text Volume 551: Paying Respects to Ancestor An and Ancestor Jin — The dark clouds gradually dispersed, revealing the silver-haired girl within.

Her whole body was scorched black, her Daoist robe in tatters.

Her head of silver hair had at some unknown point turned to charcoal, no longer existing; the forty-nine colorful plumes of her Natal Treasure had lost almost all their spiritual light, fallen to the ground.

Jiang Ding's heart suddenly skipped a beat, then returned to normal.

There was still a breath.

The person within had an extremely faint aura.

But she was still alive, and seemed to have employed some secret technique, drawing upon beams of light from the starry sky, recovering at a very slow but uninterrupted pace.

After confirming the situation, Jiang Ding composed himself and regained his calm.

The surroundings were also deathly silent.

Everyone held their breath, not growing impatient over a little time.

A moon-white graceful figure drifted to his side.

"You just experienced a major emotional shift?"

Yu Qianzi asked curiously: "This doesn't seem like a sword cultivator — a sword cultivator with too many attachments, too many emotional bonds, won't get far."

"I am myself, not a sword cultivator."

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly.

"..."

Yu Qianzi's words faltered.

Since childhood, people had taught her — her Master, senior sister, martial uncle — people had always told her that a sword cultivator should observe propriety, should minimize emotional bonds, be as icy and sharp as a sword, as resilient and unyielding as a sword...

No one had ever told her that she was simply herself.

"Rules are both constraints, and protection and a stepping stone."

Yu Qianzi's thoughts turned, and she reasoned.

"That's why your swordsmanship is so terrible."

"Perhaps."

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly, not arguing with her, and changed the subject: "Are you on very good terms with Moon Spirit Zhenjun? In just a few short years, you seem very familiar with each other."

"Just some transactions."

Yu Qianzi said indifferently: "The sect's moon-type spiritual herbs and plants have a lot of complementarity with the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's moon-type materials; earning some spirit stones, exchanging them for sword-forging materials, and incidentally benefiting senior brothers and sisters and the like."

"Oh."

Jiang Ding nodded, not asking sensitive questions about relatives.

Perhaps, tens of thousands of years ago, her relatives had already died of old age, turned into a pile of white bones, vanished without a trace.

Although at the time she should have received generous care from the Qingmuxian Sect, in the end they were gone.

As for senior brothers and sisters.

In any sect that can flourish and grow strong, it's not only cold cruelty, underhanded attacks, and life-and-death conflicts — internally there is naturally also warmth and trust; the smaller the circle and the tighter the group, the more so.

After a moment,

Jiang Ding's figure flashed and vanished.

After several flashes, he arrived at the place where An Siyan was undergoing her Tribulation Crossing, gazing at the sky.

Wind rose and clouds surged, clouds formed, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged, dark clouds rapidly expanded — thirty kilometers, fifty kilometers... ninety kilometers.

Then, Lei Ting crashed down with a rumble.

Jiang Ding silently watched.

After a long while, a faint smile appeared.

Between the charcoal, a wisp of aura tenaciously emerged, continuing to grow stronger bit by bit.

"Those two really are going all out."

Yu Qianzi also followed, pouting: "It's just for some Nascent Soul success rate; there will still be chances to make up for it later, no need to be so absolute."

She was talking quite a lot.

It seemed she normally couldn't find anyone to chat with — once she appeared, she just kept chattering away nonstop.

"Immortal sects are different."

"Very poor."

Jiang Ding sighed slightly and explained: "The higher the level, the rarer the heavenly materials and earthly treasures, to the point of being virtually nonexistent. If one wants to form a Nascent Soul in the future, or even retain a sliver of hope for Soul Transformation, the foundation of the Jin Dan must be laid as solidly as possible."

"Otherwise, there will be no talk of making up for it later."

"It does seem to be so."

Yu Qianzi seemed to gain some understanding.

If it weren't for the nature of their techniques, the Eastern Extreme Demon Sect's advancement rate would plummet cliff-like; right now, at the very least, they still retained a slight chance of success in advancement without relying on any pills.

They waited continuously for three months.

During this time, naturally, it was not boring.

Jiang Ding and Yu Qianzi discussed swordsmanship, as well as some matters regarding their cultivation paths — especially the latter, which was not a one-sided request for guidance; both gained something.

"Jiang Ding!"

From the horizon, a cheer rang out; a beam of escape light like a streak of starlight flew toward them, its control seemingly not very practiced, veering left and right wildly at times, plunging toward here with great force.

It was an extremely excited silver-haired girl, who stood prettily before them, wearing an expression of "admire and envy me quickly."

"This disciple pays respects to Jin Laozu."

Jiang Ding's expression straightened; he adjusted his robes and respectfully bowed with hands clasped, performing a grand salutation.

Yu Qianzi showed a look of distaste and stepped several paces away.

"Not bad, not bad."

Jin Lingfeng's vanity was greatly satisfied, and she grandly waved her little hand: "Friend Jiang is very sensible. This old man… er, this old ancestor is deeply comforted."

Her aura had unmistakably reached the appearance of early Jin Dan.

The aura was somewhat unsteady—she must have just stabilized her Jin Dan before coming out of seclusion to meet her family, friends, and relatives.

"As long as Ancestor is happy."

Jiang Ding said casually.

After waiting a moment, a black-and-white streak of escaping light rose from the golden platform. After paying respects to her family, she hurried over in this direction.

"What about me? Friend Jiang."

An Siyan pushed up her black-framed glasses and smiled.

She cultivated the *Tai Yin Tai Yang Jing*, using it to advance to a supreme-grade Jin Dan, extending her lifespan by six hundred years, and in the future possessing at least a twenty percent chance of forming a Nascent Soul.

For a moment, her heart relaxed considerably, chatting and laughing, with a certain flavor of returning to childhood.

"Greetings, Ancestor An!"

Jiang Ding did not waste words, and respectfully bowed with hands clasped.

"In the future, I ask for your continued care and guidance."

This was sincere.

A friend of over a hundred years—if she were to pass away one day, and one could no longer find a single person of the same era to confide in and chat with, how great that loss would be.

"…Hahahaha…"

An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng laughed wildly without a shred of ladylike grace, releasing all the worry they had carried before forming their Jin Dan.

After a bout of chatting and playful banter, the two women each returned to their own places—paying respects to their elders and relatives, accepting congratulations from the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators, and then beginning to expound on their insights into forming the Jin Dan, answering the questions of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

From time to time, some people explained things many times and still did not understand, yet they explained again and again without showing the slightest impatience.

Both sides were accustomed to this.

Those who explained were patient; those who asked were not trembling with awe and anxiety.

Jiang Ding silently watched, and gained quite a few insights in his heart.

The inheritance of the immortal sect,

lies precisely in these little drops and trickles.

When I was at a low realm, I received the guidance and answers of my seniors, their lifting up. After I became a high-level cultivator, I likewise looked after low-level cultivators, just like the help I received all those years ago.

There is a beginning and an end, there is giving and receiving.

"The Dongji Demon Sect…"

Yu Qianzi watched this scene and could not help feeling greatly wary.

These scenes could not help making her begin to think—if this demon sect's resources became abundant, what kind of vitality would it burst forth with, and how should Qingmuxian Sect position itself.

Jiang Ding also saw some of her thoughts.

After so many years of practicing the sword together and being in each other's company, they were both very familiar with one another, but he said nothing. After An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng finished their Dao lectures, the three of them set off together to return.

What's the point of thinking so much.

If we are enemies in the future—

Given these years of friendship as fellow disciples, out of respect, he would also make a certain gesture in the future.

He would certainly bring out his full twelve-part strength, and in the shortest time, at the fastest speed, painlessly cut her down, then gather up the remains and cherish her memory.