Chapter 543: The Mutation and Pollution of Immortal Arts

Jiang Ding fell into deep thought.

"Gold, the Jin Zhi cause..."

"This may be related to the Immortal Art: Suppressing the Void, suppressing the Five Elements, specifically suppressing the Metal element. It explores the root of the Five Elements and suppresses them with a palm strike."

"If the Luo Xu Sect once obtained an Immortal Art inheritance stone tablet like Senior Chen He's, then I need it."

"If not, then I must collect all the indirect, second-hand data: the insights of the Luo Xu Sect's past sages regarding that inheritance stone tablet."

With his thoughts sorted one by one, Jiang Ding suddenly saw the light.

Now recalling the chaotic Yin Guo Gong Fa and Yin Guo spells he had encountered—absurd, nonsensical, like the ramblings of a shaman or witch—could this be the result of comprehending Immortal Arts?

Could this be a widespread, sect-wide qi deviation occurring among cultivators of insufficient talent, including the many high-level cultivators of the Luo Xu Sect, who forcibly attempted to comprehend Immortal Arts far beyond their realm?

"The... knowledge pollution of Immortal Arts?"

A possibility occurred to Jiang Ding, making his scalp tingle instantly.

Perhaps the Immortal Arts hold no malice; they simply exist here.

However, they are too complex, too bizarre. The information contained within a Jin Dan Gong Fa can forcibly shatter the mental sea of a Qi Refining cultivator; the knowledge contained in every Dao pattern of an Immortal Art is enough to turn a Nascent Soul cultivator's brain into a mist of blood.

Just as forcing the waters of a great river into an ordinary gourd; the only consequence is the gourd shattering while the river roars on.

Moreover, they are too fragmented.

Even if an Immortal Art were a complete whole, ordered from top to bottom and left to right, progressing from shallow to deep, it would still be difficult for mortals to touch or comprehend.

Now, due to unknown circumstances, it has shattered and scattered to the four directions; some pieces are fist-sized, some thumb-sized, some as fine as dust, and the difficulty of comprehension has increased geometrically.

Various stages and various directions of the parts are mixed together; the Immortal Art has become a tangled mess.

At this time, if a mortal attempts to comprehend it for their own use, it is no different than facing the abyss, slowly but irreversibly being swallowed by it, becoming yet another mutated vessel for the Immortal Art.

"Shuo Yang Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun..."

Jiang Ding murmured to himself.

A Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun is at least several thousand years old, with a Dao heart so stable it is unimaginable; for their style of action to suddenly undergo an almost reversed change, the influence of the Immortal Art cannot be ruled out.

For a moment, many fears arose in his heart.

Fortunately, the Immortal Art fragment possessed by Daoist Chen He was too fragmented, and his current realm is too low; he is basically insulated from it.

If he had truly comprehended something back then, it would have been trouble; the knowledge pollution of the Immortal Art would have instantly caused him to undergo a terrifying mutation. Even if he did not die, he would no longer be himself.

Such a mutation, the Immortal Sects probably could not resolve.

"Immortal Arts... can the Immortal Sects handle them?"

Jiang Ding was startled, immediately feeling the matter was thorny.

The total annihilation of the Luo Xu Sect seems to be related to the Immortal Arts; everyone in the entire sect, except for Shuo Yang Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun, perished, and even the traces of the sect were completely erased from the Northern Plains.

If he took an Immortal Art fragment back and triggered widespread unknown pollution and mutation, that would be a huge problem...

"No, it shouldn't be that bad."

"The Immortal Sects are not comparable to the Luo Xu Sect."

Jiang Ding took a deep breath: "I vaguely recall that the Immortal Sects possess pseudo-Immortal Art inheritances, and not just that; the Central Array Spirit Computer can even use them against enemies. Even though there is a huge chasm between Immortal Arts and pseudo-Immortal Arts, a single fragment should not trigger total annihilation."

"The possibility of danger certainly exists."

"But for me, and for the Immortal Sects, this is a huge opportunity; it is worth gambling on, and the risk is bearable."

"And also..."

He held a jade slip in his hands, standing motionless in place for over ten days, his aura completely hidden, his appearance ordinary, like a farm youth from somewhere.

Bai Mei True Person and others each held a jade slip, daring not to disturb him, and waited for another twenty-plus days.

He still did not move, like a wooden puppet.

"... Lord Master Tushan..."

Bai Mei True Person looked left and right, forced his courage, and greeted as quietly as possible, trying to minimize the chance of provoking the other party.

The other Jin Dan cultivators also dared not breathe, watching cautiously.

"Oh!"

Jiang Ding woke as if from a dream, returning to his senses from his contemplation of the Immortal Arts. His divine sense swept around, seeing the jade slips and beast skins in the hands of the many Jin Dan cultivators, and he immediately understood: "Have you chosen? Bring them over, I will decipher them for you. Hurry up; I have other matters to attend to."

"Yes, Lord Master Tushan, we have chosen."

Bai Mei True Person was delighted and handed over a jade slip covered in Lei Ting runes, exuding an ancient aura.

"The 'Three Xia Divine Thunder Canon', a Tier Three top-tier Gong Fa, suits you very well."

Jiang Ding nodded, pouring his divine sense and sword intent into it to begin deciphering the restrictions.

Although this Gong Fa is only Tier Three, equivalent to the one Bai Mei True Person cultivates, it is a Gong Fa of the Luo Xu Sect that points directly toward Nascent Soul and even a step beyond; its explanations and teachings on tempering the Jin Dan, magic power, and divine soul are of great benefit for condensing a Nascent Soul.

If one can obtain the secret technique for forming an infant in the future, it might add two or three percent to the chance of success.

At the very least, it can be passed down to descendants, allowing them to walk the path of the Dao more smoothly; its value is quite high.

Several incense sticks of time later.

Jiang Ding handed the Lei Ting jade slip back: "Do not damage it."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Bai Mei True Person bowed deeply, then impatiently took out a blank jade slip and began carving the Gong Fa from it in large quantities.

Once the carving and copying were complete, he bowed again to express thanks, returned the original jade slip, and then flew away towards the distance without looking back.

Clearly, he was somewhat uneasy about the others; once he obtained it, he immediately fled far away, making it impossible to find his tracks, so naturally, no one could act against him.

"Lord Master Tushan..."

Another Jin Dan cultivator respectfully stepped forward.

Jiang Ding wasted no words, unlocked the restrictions, and allowed them to copy.

Next, one Jin Dan cultivator after another stepped forward; after some time passed, Jiang Ding almost needed to do nothing, simply cultivating by the side.

The Luoxu Sect's canonical-grade Gong Fa number twenty-four volumes, limited to Jin Dan Jing and the chapters preceding it. Most of these Jin Dan cultivators chose these Gong Fa, and many of them made similar choices—breaking through a few dozen volumes would be enough.

"I hope that in the future I may still meet you, and once again serve under your banner."

The last Jin Dan cultivator handed back the jade slip, bowed deeply, and spoke with deep gratitude.

In just over a month, he had already been won over by this fellow cultivator of the same rank—powerful in strength, yet willing to share benefits with his subordinates, never hogging everything for himself, a man of his word, never going back on what he said.

Unlike certain Liuzhi Liuzhi Laomo, whose strength was weaker than others to say nothing of it, whose temperament was fickle and unpredictable, who lingered on the edge of qi deviation year-round, and who would casually kill subordinates for amusement—no different from a madman.

By comparison, this one was simply the leader of his dreams.

"You're too kind, you're too kind."

Jiang Ding waved his hand, watched the last Jin Dan cultivator depart, tucked the final Gong Fa canon of the Scripture Pavilion into his storage bag, and cast a glance at the now-empty pavilion.

"So many high-quality Gong Fa spreading out into the Northern Plains—the strength of the family main lineage and the loose cultivators will be drawn even closer together, and the Northern Plains families will find it increasingly difficult to suppress the unrest…"

Jiang Ding thought calmly.

The gap between the Northern Plains family main lineage and the loose cultivators naturally lay not only in Gong Fa, but also in orderly inheritance, vast quantities of heaven materials and earthly treasures, and the guidance of predecessors, among other things.

But loose cultivators were not without their advantages either.

They had come up through hardship—fighting will, fighting talent, and cultivation aptitude, as well as the most crucial factor of numbers—all of these surpassed the Northern Plains family main lineage.

When these loose cultivators shared a common interest, their strength could be borrowed.

"To the Ancestral Master Hall, where immortal art's achievements might lie buried…"

Jiang Ding set these future schemes aside in his heart, his figure concealed and vanishing without a trace, flying toward the very heart of the Luoxu Sect's mountain gate.

(End of this chapter)