Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

Ranked fourth in merits is Hei Louxi of the Xun Trigram,

and fifth is the Blood Spear General, Hei Loucheng.

Both of these individuals had merits around one hundred eighty, which created a considerable gap from the first two.

Beneath them, there was another large gap, with the one ranked seventh being Immortal Baimei with one hundred two merits.

Further down, the differences were not as significant; those ranked were roughly matched with their cultivation bases: one for every level at the peak of Golden Pill, another for the late phase, and another for the mid phase.

Han Lin glanced over these personages and quickly looked at his own ranking.

"Ranked twenty-second, Han Lin."

"Early Golden Pill Stage, reward of one merit; took position in the Dui Formation, responded quickly to the Formation Method for an additional fifteen merits; was the first to give warning in times of crisis, twenty merits added; attempted to rally others to resist when the formation collapsed, earning twenty-five merits..."

"Seventy-six merits in total, reward of three hundred and twenty catties of Rank Three Luminous Gold, twelve catties of Rank Four Luminous Gold awarded."

Han Lin's eyebrows immediately rose in joy as he looked over and over at the reward of Rank Four Luminous Gold.

Rank Four Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure!

If he incorporated it into his Blue Cloud Teng Scale Sword, its power would surely increase by another level. Perhaps next time, it would be possible to seriously injure the Six Dao Saint Heir, and the chances of escaping alive would be much greater.

At the same time, everyone was also looking at their own merits and rank order.

Some were pleasantly surprised, some dissatisfied, and some angry, but after viewing the merits of every rank and the corresponding battle scenes, they all ran out of objections, knowing it was pointless to argue and that it would only draw contempt from others.

On the whole, the majority of the Golden Pill Monks were ecstatic.

Many Golden Pill Monks couldn't stop staring at the words "Rank Four Luminous Gold," holding them dear; even the one with the lowest merits received a share of one or two liang, unable to contain their delight.

Just this bit of Rank Four material made the trip to the Falling Void Sect worthwhile; once fused with their Life Treasures, their power was bound to significantly increase, providing a substantial advantage in battles against fellow practitioners.

The Six Dao Saint Heir and Scorching Sun Swordsman were also overjoyed.

Rank Three was one thing, but Rank Four Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure was a significant wealth for them too—not to mention the Saint Heir or Swordsman. They could claim small amounts usually, but to have such an abundance was beyond even their imagination.

This single time, they could easily earn a Nascent Soul Monk's entire fortune.

"Haha..."

The Scorching Sun Swordsman couldn't help but reveal a smile at the corner of his mouth, his delight obvious.

For a Sword Cultivator like him, Luminous Gold was the perfect material. In the past, it was incredibly hard to find even a bit, but now he had struck it rich. If he used it sparingly, it could last him for a hundred years of sword refining.

"Lie Shan, give me a storage pouch, just the most common one,"

whispered the Six Dao Saint Heir, lowering his voice.

He was in a slightly awkward position now, as all of his storage treasures had been taken away; he had nothing, and it was too inconvenient to carry things in his hands.

The Scorching Sun Swordsman glanced at him.

"Ten catties of Rank Four Luminous Gold."

"You..."

The Six Dao Saint Heir was enraged.

A storage pouch of Rank Two or Three, and he dared to ask for ten catties of Rank Four Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure?

The Scorching Sun Swordsman couldn't be bothered to look at him.

If it weren't for the presence of people from the Hei Clan, he would have demanded a hundred catties.

Moreover, after leaving the Falling Void Sect, he'd have to find a way to kill this man, perhaps that would narrow the gap with that person a bit...

"Fine, you'll remember today..."

The Six Dao Saint Heir gritted his teeth.

...

Jiang Ding was indifferent to the various reactions of the cultivators around him.

After several moments, when everyone had finished viewing the jade scroll of merits, Jiang Ding spoke again: "Does anyone have any objections to their merits?"

"Lord Tushan,"

a group of Golden Pill Monks looked at each other, none daring to object, and all bowed down in sincere agreement: "We have no objections and we follow your commands."

It wasn't just a lack of objections.

This merit distribution was detailed and evidence-based, something they had seldom seen in their hundreds of years of cultivation. Whether as subordinates to others or as Patriarch Jin Dan bestowing rewards to their Qi cultivating followers, they had never seen fairness executed to such an extent.

Even if they wanted to refute, they couldn't find any concrete evidence.

Unless they wanted to disrupt things unreasonably, which could reveal many things.

But that would be seeking death, and no one was foolish enough to entertain the thought.

"Then the spoils shall be distributed accordingly."

Jiang Ding nodded and forcefully required all Golden Pill Monks to supervise with their Divine Sense. Then, the hundred-zhang tall giant statue on the ground split apart into piles of varying sizes, occasionally cutting one or two pieces off before each Golden Pill Monk flew towards them and took their share into their hands.

Many Golden Pill Monks were parched and their gazes were fixed on the dazzling small team in the sky, especially the mountain-like accumulation of the Six Dao Saints, which was utterly mesmerizing.

Han Lin also received his portion, over five hundred jin of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, heavy and substantial. After careful inspection, he cautiously stored it in his storage bag.

The many Golden Pill Monks did the same, quickly securing their share, fully aware that wealth should not be flaunted.

Once everything was done, everyone looked towards the Ancestor Temple with fervent eyes.

They had just broken through the Formation Method, and such rewards had already been reaped.

What could be inside, protected by layers upon layers of Formation Methods?

"Next, we'll explore the Ancestor Temple of the Luoxu Clan,"

Jiang Ding did not make them wait long and spoke indifferently, "There are several principles that must be followed."

"First, one must not damage the Luoxu Clan's Ancestor Master tablets. If encountered, they must be worshipped with the respect due to juniors; violators will be punished."

The Luoxu Clan of ten thousand years ago, whether righteous or evil, has now vanished into smoke and clouds, leaving only the wisdom of the predecessors. Out of respect for knowledge, he wished to honor these forebears.

"Second, if there is an inheritance, you may choose one to inscribe and comprehend. The rest belongs to me."

"Any objections?"

"By your will!"

Cultivators like Scorching Sun Swordsman solemnly complied.

Revering the predecessors is in line with the basic moral views of the cultivation world. Although many people disregard these in daily life, if someone advocates for it, naturally no one would oppose.

As for the latter, it was clearly stated in advance, so naturally, no one dared to rebuke.

"Enter."

Jiang Ding said indifferently, "Do not conceal the One-Eyed Cicada, do not intentionally destroy any inheritance. That's all."

"By your will!"

The Cultivators bowed in respect and entered the Ancestor Temple of the Luoxu Clan in an orderly manner, scattering in all directions.

Jiang Ding stepped inside.

As far as the eye could see, rows of stone tablet-like tablets stood tall, with large cauldrons placed in front of them. Mysterious Runes were carved on them, Heavenly Earth Spiritual Qi gathered from all directions, turning into wisps of Incense Fire, rising straight into the sky.

The most conspicuous and tallest tablet bore a few Spiritual Scripts.

"The spirit tablet of Immortal Luoxu!"

This was the founder of the Luoxu Clan, his birth is unknown, and it seems he lived seventeen or eighteen thousand years ago. He was a giant of his time who founded what later became the number one sect in the world, though it quickly fell into decline thereafter.

Jiang Ding took out three sticks of long incense, lit them, and worshipped with the utmost respect according to the rituals recorded in the Sutra Pavilion for the outer disciples of the Luoxu Clan.

Then, his Divine Sense swept over the spirit tablet.

The Divine Sense was slightly hazy. All around was a vast expanse of blue. A gaunt Taoist was meditating in the distance. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, waved the dust whisk in his hand, and countless pitch-black threads, like cracks in space, flashed and disappeared. The net-like void extinguished a cultivator's Nascent Soul in an instant, rendering the talent for instant movement useless.

"Junior, this technique is called 'Falling Void'!"

The gaunt Taoist's voice was like a bell, which then turned gentle, beginning to explain the details of the technique, thoroughly and with patience.

An hour later, the hazy space shattered, and the various features of the Ancestor Temple returned to normal.

Jiang Ding looked at the spirit tablet, which had dimmed considerably. It seemed that it could only be comprehended once more and would need an unknown amount of time to fully recover.

"Quite extraordinary indeed."

Jiang Ding's Divine Sense swept over the densely packed tablets, discovering that at least one in ten was shimmering with Spiritual Light. It was clear that each was some kind of Magic, or an explanation of the key points of the Luoxu Clan's Cultivation Methods, all of which were the proud creations of some Luoxu Clan ancestor, left to instruct future generations.

This sect's later rise to become the top sect in the Northern Plains was not entirely coincidental.

The only regret was that while there were Magical techniques and explanations of Cultivation Method key points, complete Cultivation Methods were not present. Clearly, that was the role of the Sutra Pavilion.

Jiang Ding walked past these tablets and quickly arrived at the last batch from ten thousand years ago, focusing on the most prominent one.

"The spirit tablet of the 76th Sect Leader, Immortal Zhenlan!"

Jiang Ding's breath hitched.

This was the wife of Shuoyang Heavenly Monarch, who seemed to have stepped out from obscurity alongside him, accompanying him for over a thousand years. It was after her death that Shuoyang Heavenly Monarch could no longer bear the contamination of Immortal Techniques, leading to a drastic change in temperament.

His gaze moved downward,

In front of the spirit tablet, a simple scroll lay silently there.

Golden Emperor Bathing Beauty.

Before Shuoyang Heavenly Monarch descended into madness, he painted his understanding of Immortal Techniques, sealed it, and worshipped it at his wife's spirit tablet as a remembrance.

Yes, the most proximate clue to Immortal Techniques!