Chapter 686: The Publication of

More than ten days later, Jiang Ding opened his eyes, a bright light flashing briefly in his gaze.

His magic power and spiritual sense had both returned to peak condition.

"The current Darifa Sect…"

Jiang Ding communicated with his Darifa Sect avatar to inquire about relevant intelligence.

The avatar carried a sixth-rank Dust-to-End talisman, granting it strong concealment; its assigned task was to monitor the Darifa Sect and prevent Jiang Ding's Darifa Sword Pavilion inheritance from slipping away on its own.

That would be a major problem.

During the battle with Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun, the avatar completed its mission excellently.

It successfully manipulated the Blood Bone True Person by simulating Blood Sun Sword Intent with Yin Moon Sword Intent, luring Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun out of the Darifa Sect, making a crucial contribution to the victory.

Though it never showed its face and withdrew far before any Nascent Soul True Jun appeared, its role was indispensable.

Now, it still lurks near the Darifa Sect, attempting to seek out obscure villains and act as a righteous hero to control them, gathering external intelligence and gradually extending its influence toward the Darifa Sect.

It is estimated that within several decades, its reach will extend to the level of core disciples, enabling more precise and tight surveillance of the Darifa Sect's internal affairs.

But for now, it cannot achieve this.

Still, the general intelligence is reliable.

"... The Darifa Sect's Nascent Soul True Jun have launched a large-scale mobilization, hunting and killing spies everywhere; the Zhengmo Alliance and Darifa Sect are on high alert..."

"... Many believe that once Chun Jian Yang Master Dinghai Zhenjun emerges from seclusion, he will immediately ignite war and slaughter—target unknown, but it will surely happen; this is part of a sword sect's cultivation..."

"Without war, their Sword Intent cannot advance, and internal chaos will arise—factional infighting, self-destruction."

"The sect's decaying, aged, incompetent, and cowardly elements cannot be replaced; if this continues, the sword sect will inevitably perish—or be restructured—there is no other possibility..."

"... Perhaps this is why the Sun-Moon Sword Pavilion is not so extreme; after centuries of change and evolution, it made compromises..."

"... Every pure sword sect is a scourge to its surrounding regions..."

"..."

"So it's still relatively stable for now, right?"

"That's enough."

Jiang Ding scanned the intelligence and no longer paid attention.

As time passed, many problems once deemed invincible would cease to be problems for him; thus, even a brief period of stability would be an excellent opportunity for growth.

"These don't matter—the Beiyuan situation, Nascent Souls killing each other, means nothing."

"What matters is Yangyang Yangyang Lingtie!"

Jiang Ding excitedly retrieved Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun's Nascent Soul.

It was nearly transparent, its aura weak, as if it would shatter and explode at any moment, sustained only by a single Shatter Sword Qi within its core.

"Let me see..."

Jiang Ding's spiritual sense surged into Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun's Nascent Soul.

Nothing unexpected—the inheritance restrictions cooperated willingly; vast scenes flashed before him, his nearly thousand-year life speeding past like a film from birth onward.

Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun was a cultivator without a sect.

He rose through relentless killing, surviving countless life-or-death battles by strength and luck, reaching today's stature and even glimpsing Soul Transformation—truly a peerless prodigy and hero.

Many founding emperors of dynasties paled in comparison to his extraordinary journey.

Jiang Ding skimmed through all his grudges, emotions, and gong fa transmissions, searching his Nascent Soul bit by bit for the keyword "Yangyang Yangyang Lingtie," leaving no detail unexamined.

Even the faintest mention in idle chatter was meticulously recorded; he feared no trouble.

He searched slowly, unconcerned with the passage of time.

Three months flew by.

Information related to "Yangyang Yangyang Lingtie" filled Jiang Ding's mind with a thick stack of records, its volume rivaling an entire mortal dynasty's library, spanning nearly a thousand years of casual talk, cultivation, combat, and artifact refinement.

"'Yangyang Yangyang Lingtie Artifact Refinement Art'—here it is!"

Jiang Ding thrilled, studying it closely; the secrets and transmissions flooded into his heart, understood instantly without difficulty—many concepts had already been subtly grasped during his refinement of the Taiqing Flying Sword.

"Yang-attribute flying sword and sword intent refinement method—one of the Darifa Sect's supreme transmissions!"

"Too bad... it's not the Darifa Sword Son version."

After spending months reading it, Jiang Ding felt regret: "The Darifa Sword Son version is more exquisite, more extreme—the materials required would bankrupt dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators, far beyond their capacity; though originating from the same source, it differs greatly."

"But... it's not a problem."

He let go.

After such intense, sustained soul-searching, Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun's nearly transparent Nascent Soul finally shattered.

The collapse triggered a surge of pure spiritual energy, calmed by a single Destroy-Spirit, Destroy-Magic technique, its traces erased and obliterated completely, leaving not a trace.

Then dozens of transcendence spells followed.

These were instinctive, automatic reactions, done without thought.

"No matter—it's not a big deal."

"I can handle it."

Jiang Ding's expression was relaxed: "Immortal sects already have strong material synthesis industries—some might even surpass the old Darifa Sword Pavilion; these sword maniacs were never skilled in development or artifact crafting, always fighting and killing."

"The reason they couldn't make it isn't lack of technique."

"It's lack of accumulation—they've never done this before; everything requires experimentation, R&D, testing, and their sword arts are somewhat lacking, hence the difficulty."

"Now that we have direction and this 'Yangyang Yangyang Lingtie Artifact Refinement Art' as reference, Wan Ji Canghai Tianjun's team—the foremost experts in realm materials—can produce it in no more than a few decades."

"Perhaps even better—more suited to me!"

"After all, my Gen Ben Gong Fa isn't the 'Darifa Sword Scripture'—it's one of the Immortal Sect's Nine Scriptures: 'Wan Hua Ci Yuan Jing'; even if I were given the original Darifa Sword Son refinement method, I'd still need to modify it to suit me."

"Ran Gu Master Dinghai Zhenjun, I will remember you."

Jiang Ding's mind settled, and he praised: "You will have a ceremonial tomb and an unnamed stele, honoring your role in overthrowing the Zhengmo Alliance's corrupt and backward rule; rest peacefully in reincarnation—if such a thing exists."

He tidied up the "Fierce Sun Spirit Iron Refining Art" in his sea of consciousness, and his figure vanished without a trace in his impatience.

The Silver Void Island, riddled with holes.

Jiang Ding took out a blank jade slip, finished the recording, and his escape light flew swiftly toward the direction of the Immortal Capital Library.

Beep beep beep!

Halfway there, a mobile phone rang urgently.

Jiang Ding swept with his spiritual sense, saw it was from Zhang Zhang Junsheng, and casually tapped to open it.

"Jiang Ding! Great news!"

"Great news indeed!"

Inside the phone, Zhang Zhang Junsheng's face flushed with excitement, dancing and waving his arms like a child: "Do you know? Our article in Zone One, 'The Sixteenth Power of the Prototype of the Immortal Technique: Sword of Jin Zhi Destruction,' was published on the front page of the Cultivator Newspaper, occupying an entire section!"

"An entire section!"

"Do you understand, kid? Even Elder Yuan hasn't had such an honor many times, and we two got it!!"

"Hahaha... Brother, I'm going to get a Dao title!"

"Wuhu!"

"Let that dog thing Master Master Dinghai show off in front of me anymore; Laozi will see who dares to say I'm one of the three wastes of the Qingfeng Class of 97??"

(End of this chapter)