Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery
Chapter 483 - 440 Sun Abyss

"Moon Creek River..."

Jiang Ding now had the leisure to look at the river named after the moon.

Surrounding him, the destroyed rocks, trees, and mist began to slowly restore to their original state, completely reverting after just a few breaths.

The songs of birds and fragrance of flowers, thick fog, the wonderland in the moon.

The Great Sun Heavenly Pond is a holy site for sword cultivators; to this place, battle is as inconsequential as breathing, a function considered since its very creation.

"Compared to the destruction, scorching heat, and barrenness by the River of Sun Flame, it's quite different indeed."

Jiang Ding spread out the hem of his robe and sat down cross-legged.

"From this perspective, sword cultivators of the Moon Vein might be more emotional."

The hazy mist drifted over, bringing with it hallucinatory, cloaked scents; if one's divine soul and sword intent were weaker, they would fall into the everlasting forest illusion in the blink of an eye and sink to their demise.

Whoosh!

The red-hot Taiqing Flying Sword pierced through the layers of fog, dropping into the source of Moon Creek River - a pool several kilometers in size, its depths unseen.

As the sword tip touched the water, Jiang Ding's divine soul involuntarily shuddered.

An extreme ice-cold feeling surged into his divine soul through the blade, causing him to stand rigid; his skin turned bluish-purple, and ice frost formed on his eyebrows and hair, as if he was frozen stiff.

The flying sword completely submerged into Moon Creek River.

Crack!

An extremely cold qi, also containing ice-cold sword intent, flowed ceaselessly into the flying sword and into his body; the frost on his skin and hair grew thicker, layer upon layer, eventually forming a seated ice sculpture.

For a long time.

A strand of Bluegold Sword Qi appeared within the ice sculpture, forming tiny cracks, then suddenly burst open with a bang.

"Moon Creek River not only tempers the flying sword but also tempers the mana."

Jiang Ding felt for a moment and discovered that his own electromagnetic mana, which he thought could progress no further, had become slightly purer, much to his surprise.

No wonder in the Immortal Sects, even disciples with ordinary talents far exceed cultivators from a Small World.

Cultivation methods, teachings, and various secret realm opportunities accumulate, and cultivators of the same talent born in different places end up with completely different destinies.

Sizzle...

The extreme heat from the flying sword and the extreme cold collided, water splashed and white steam rose.

In this intense alternation of cold and heat, the weak break while the strong grow stronger; the sharpness and durability of the flying sword are enhanced, and the Divine Sense Brand within the flying sword becomes more tenacious, merging as one with the sword.

Jiang Ding slightly closed his eyes, feeling the violent changes between the Taiqing Flying Sword and Divine Sense, his brow furrowing, gradually becoming calm.

Unknowingly, three months passed.

Whoosh!

The Taiqing Flying Sword broke out of the water and hovered in front of him.

One foot long, handleless, and thin as cicada wings, the ice-cold Sword Intent of Moon Creek River had neutralized the high temperatures from the River of Sun Flame, returning the sword body's color from red to bluegold.

The tinge of restlessness within the sword vanished into nothingness, becoming centered and peaceful.

"Having undergone a major sword refinement and tempering."

Jiang Ding closed his eyes and felt for a moment.

He could clearly sense that the connection between himself and the Taiqing Flying Sword had grown even closer; though it had already been like an extension of his own arm, a part of his body, connected by blood.

But now, on this foundation, it began to surpass that level gradually.

There was quite a sense of thought translating directly into smooth action.

"Sword Qi Thunder Sound, the threshold for me is much lower than for others."

Jiang Ding had a faint hunch in his heart.

"However, now I need to dig out the Moon Creek Crystal."

The Taiqing Flying Sword once again plunged into the depths of the pond, the ice-cold Sword Intent and frigidness touching the Flying Sword, sharpening both the sword body and the Divine Sense Brand upon it.

Down it went, lower still, until it reached the deep pond 10,000 meters below.

Here, the waters of the Moon Creek River had turned a deep blue hue.

Each droplet of water surrounding it was as heavy as a mountain, bearing many characteristics of Primordial Heavy Water, containing sharp Ice-cold Sword Intent. A single droplet, if dispersed, could crush a Little Mountain and freeze it solid.

The Taiqing Flying Sword perfectly aligned with the flow of the Sword Dao Heavy Water, struggling to weave through it, cutting away any obstructions ahead.

Finally, ahead, there appeared a hexagonal Ice Crystal.

Atop it, a piercing Sword Qi would emerge and disappear intermittently, freezing everything in its presence and creating layers of illusions which could eternally bewilder anyone's Divine Soul.

"Slash!"

Jiang Ding whispered.

The Taiqing Flying Sword slid through the extreme cold and heavy water, the immense pressure unable to halt its advance. Instead, it harnessed the great power generated from the internal motion of the heavy water to add to its drive, slicing through in a smooth and graceful breath, and landed upon the layered Primordial Heavy Water coating the surface of the Moon Creek Crystal.

Ding!

A crisp sound rang out. Layers of brutally cold heavy water shattered and dispersed, the gravitational structure that maintained their form was cleaved, disintegrating back into pond-sized river water, pushing outwards in all directions, creating a bulge in the surrounding extreme cold heavy water.

Moments later, under the immense gravity and extreme frigidity, the river water was once again frozen, compressed, and the bulge rapidly contracted.

Taking advantage of this moment, the Taiqing Flying Sword scooped up the now unprotected Moon Creek Crystal, broke through the pond's waters, and swiftly flew towards the sky, landing in front of a young man dressed in a blue robe, handing over a thumb-sized hexagonal Ice Crystal.

Cold air overflowed from the sword. In this already chilling place, the sword's body was encased in a thick layer of ice.

Inside the deep pond, terrible pressure and intense cold resided. Even a third-rank Flying Sword, if carelessly falling into it, within a few breaths would be frozen to dust—a death zone, not at all an opportunity for them.

Hum!

The Taiqing Flying Sword vibrated, shaking off the ice crust to reveal its original sword body, yet thin wisps of cold air still emitted incessantly.

"Truly an explosive and brutal method of sword refinement," Jiang Ding said, taking a moment to recover his nearly frozen-stiff Divine Soul.

After a brief rest, the Taiqing Flying Sword descended into the depths of the pond once again, seeking out more Moon Creek Crystals, slashing through their extremely heavy and cold-heavy water shells, and dragging them up.

Over and over, tempering the sword and hunting for treasure were carried out simultaneously.

After more than a month, the thirtieth Moon Creek Crystal was stored within the Storage Jade Pendant.

"That's enough."

With a thought from Jiang Ding, the Taiqing Flying Sword flew into his glabella.

Crack!

A point of ice crystal began to spread from the azure lines on his forehead, creeping over his skull, encasing it in a sphere of ice, and then rapidly extending to his entire body, wrapping it in a several feet thick layer of deep blue ice.

"Ah, I've been enchanted by the ice."

Jiang Ding's head suddenly felt cold.

Bluegold Sword Qi burst forth, slicing the layer of ice into a flurry of shattered pieces.

His figure soared into the sky, disappearing from sight.

...

In the center of the Great Sun Heavenly Pond, there lies a place called Sun Abyss!

Jiang Ding looked ahead.

A dazzling Great Sun beam descended from beyond the heavens, over a hundred kilometers wide, striking the ground directly with pure heat and a destructive will that spread in all directions, forbidding the existence of all living beings.

This great beam of sunlight was Sun Abyss.

A place where generations of Dari Swordsmen have tempered their Sword Intent, and the essential site for Foundation Establishment, where the Great Sun Soul Flame resides.