Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“After counting up the numbers of corpses that vanished, we found that two hundred and eighteen of them livestock, a hundred and three were Ferals, twelve hundred were civilians and one was a rank-eight martial artist.”
Jiang He couldn’t help chuckling coldly upon hearing the numbers. “The Sky Demon Cult had sent quite a force to deal with me. Since that person could control so many corpses including one rank-eight martial artist, that superpower already surpasses average rank-eights.”
“That’s what Chief Duan thought as well.”
Li Fei said, lowering his voice. “Old Jiang, he’s been meaning for you to retreat in secret and leave Lingzhou City. He had already spoken to the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department (MAD), and there are so many elites over there that even the leader of the Sky Demon Cult wouldn’t be able to do anything to you. Moreover, you would be groomed with the MAD’s abundant resources, and you could return when you could fend for yourself.”
Jiang He, however, shook his head and smiled. “That won’t do. I still have my crops back home, and what would happen to it once I’m gone?”
He strode past the police line and climbed straight into his sports car.
When he returned inside his house, he got off to find a black MPV arriving and stopping outside.
The driver was Su Ze, and Duan Tianhe was in the backseat.
He cut to the point once he got off, saying, “Have you thought about it, Jiang He?”
“Many thanks!”
Jiang He grinned, “But you don’t have to worry, Chief Duan. A handful of Sky Demon Cultist would never bother me.”
Move house?
No way.
Unless his farm had upgraded to the point that it could be carried around to any place he wanted.
Duan Tianhe tried to persuade him further, but changed the conversation and his tone when he saw how determined Jiang He was. “The Sky Demon Cult’s is planning something big. They had deployed many of their elites this time and aim to take Lingzhou City, but thanks to your help, most of them were dealt with. Even so, that would incur the cult’s wrath.”
“That is why I called for an urgent conference, and we’ve decided to relocate your village today. Everyone will be moved out before nightfall!”
Jiang He’s face twitched, but he replied, “That’s for the best—this way, there won’t be collateral once the Sky Demon Cult comes calling.”
“…”
Duan Tianhe was taken aback… there was actually no arguing against that logic.
Even so, he quickly said, “I mean that you should relocate too. There would be combined fortifications of two towns over at Lingzhou City, and I’ve submitted a request to my higher-ups—elites would come to reinforce the city come tomorrow morning.”
“I’m not moving!”
Jiang He was a little speechless at that. “Chief Duan, you’ve been saying so much, but why did we return to our original conversation? That’s enough, you should go about your business, while I still have to return to my cultivation.”
He was turning him down directly.
Laughing bitterly, Duan Tianhe could only leave.
After getting Dumbo to bring him a stool, Jiang He sat down, rubbing his temples rather unhappily. “The Sky Demon Cult are really an obsessed bunch… I’ve just had a few days of good sleep, and now they’re coming to bully me again?”
As an idea struck him, he turned on his System.
[Name: Jiang He]
[Cultivation: Rank-Five Pinnacle]
[Ability: Royal Sword]
[Martial Arts Cultivation: Indestructible Diamond (Initiate+), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (+), Blind Princess’s Eight Practices (Second Practice+), Strengthened Nine Yang Technique (First Tier+), Ninefold Thunderblade (First Fold+)]
[Owned Land: 888m²]
[Farm Level: 3 (EXP 1500/5000)]
[System Backpack: 12 boxes]
[System Shop: Unlocked]
[Farm Points: 3800]
“Eh?”
“When did I become rank-five pinnacle?”
Jiang He was rather surprised.
Have I ascended already?
It did not feel that way.
Still, he was not concerned—he might have ascended even as he continued popping qi pellets over the last few days. Still, its effect was lesser now and while he could eat it as a snack, it still took him a long time to ascend to rank-five pinnacle.
As for rank-six, he would definitely have to change to a better grade of qi pellet.
Then, while he studied the System, Jiang He’s thought shifted to his fight against Killer Star last night, and eventually breathed a long sigh, muttering, “My attacks at the moment aren’t too shabby—Ninefold Thunderblade could cut down rank-seven grandmasters, whereas my superpower could kill a rank-eight if I could catch them off guard. In contrast, my defensive moves are much weaker.”
Hence, Jiang He did the math.
Average rank-sevens could wound him, but would not stand much of a chance of killing him.
On the other hand, if a rank-eight blindsided him…
“Killer Star’s sneak attack left me grievously injured with a single palm. If I didn’t have the new eggplants, I would probably have died at Li Fei’s farm yesterday!”
“And if my assailant had just been a little bit more powerful, I would have been killed with a single strike. I wouldn’t even have the chance to eat the eggplant when that happens.”
“So, my defensive measures are in urgent need of improvement!”
Protective cultivation?
Many techniques came to Jiang He’s mind when he thought of it, including Golden Bell Shade, Iron Dressing and the Thirteen Arts of Juvenile Delinquents. Still, those were all physical arts, and strictly speaking fell a bit short compared to his Indestructible Diamond, meaning that they wouldn’t be useful even if he cultivated them.
It would be best if he could cultivate a style that develops both his inner and outer body, improving his defense along with his ability.
After all, he had already planted the Ninefold Thunderblade manual after his farm had upgraded to level 3, meaning that he had only one chance left of planting a cultivation manual and he must choose carefully.
“What a shame.”
“My farm level is too low, or I could plant some other manuals like the Zen arts, the Golden Arhats Form, the Unbreakable Body of Five Elements or whatnot. The Sky Demon Cult? I could crush them with a single punch!”
In the meantime, Jiang He had taken out pen and paper, musing as he pondered.
The cultivation manual must not be too high-level or it would not grow, just as it could not be too low that it would be ineffective.
Still, the first cultivation that came to Jiang He’s mind was the Apocalyptic Demon Body, which was definitely the strongest body refinement cultivation in the world of martial arts.
Upon mastery, the body negates all attacks and the palms could split apart all divine weapons, which feels a little invincible. Most ridiculously, cultivating this martial art granted immortality.
“It’s a bit nonsensical, but doesn’t that go beyond the boundary of martial arts? Moreover, it’s so profound that it definitely wouldn’t grow or the time being.”
Hence, after some thought, Jiang He could only give up on Apocalyptic Demon Body and wrote down Dragon Elephant Prajna instead.
“Dragon Elephant Prajna is not bad, but the farm points I have left would not be enough to buy Mysterious Soil for a strengthened version… looks like I would have to do a little work and revamp it!”
The question was, how does one revamp a cultivation art?
Jiang He actually had profound knowledge about that.
First, he would raise its difficulty!
If the Dragon Elephant Prajna only had thirteen tiers, he would make it so that there were eighteen!
After musing to himself for a long time, Jiang He took up his pen again and wrote, “Dragon Elephant Prajna is a peerless divine art of protection of a secret sect, and divided to thirteen tiers. Mastery of the first tier permits the unleashing of the strength of a single dragon and a single elephant, reaching over ten thousand catties. The roar of a dragon and the bellow of an elephant would accompany every use of the Dragon Elephant Prajna…”
“Upon cultivating the eighteenth tier of the Dragon Elephant Prajna, one could unleash the strength of eighteen dragon and elephants…”
After editing for over an hour, Jiang He sighed feebly.
“Isn’t creating a cultivation manual a bit too difficult?”
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