Brushing his teeth, washing his face, having breakfast…
Huh.
Was it not a little ill-fitting to call it breakfast, since Jiang He had just woken up?
Still, it was more or less reasonable if judged according to his sleep hours.
Nonetheless, he looked spirited in his jersey, inch-long hair, and handsome facial features.
Of course, it was not actually a jersey, but a medicore-grade acquired soul combat armor that Jiang He looted after killing the Golden Immortal of an unknown race at the Black Demon Star, which he strengthened through planting.
In other words, that jersey was now a superior-grade acquired soul treasure.
Indeed, Jiang He returned with considerable rewards following his ambushing strike.
He had looted a dozen acquired soul treasures, which he had strengthened via planting. Aside from the jersey that his current combat armor had transformed into, he had also gotten his hands on a superior-grade acquired soul spear.
“What a shame.”
“I did not manage to make a superior-grade acquired soul flying sword… still, I have a lot of inferior-grade acquired soul treasures. I could melt all of them and reforge it to make some.”
A thousand thoughts crossed Jiang He’s mind even as he travelled to the Taixu Sect atop his sword.
He had quite a few flying swords, but the Golden Radiance sword was the only flying sword at the grade of soul treasure; the rest were premium-grade immortal items, which meant the power output when he cast the Sword Array of Ten Realms and Infinity was uneven, hence greatly reducing its power.
Otherwise, at his current level and if he had ten mediocre-grade or superior-grade acquired soul flying swords, Modolo, White Sky God King, or whatnot would all be subjugated once his sword array was raised. All of them would have to die even with those premium-grade acquired soul armors of theirs.
***
There was only two thousand or so kilometers between Lingzhou City and the Taixu Sect. Both Jiang He and the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist arrived outside the mountain archway of the Taixu Sect in minutes, and since they did not hide their presence, many Golden Immortals sensed them the instant they arrived.
Most of the Golden Immortals, such as the Eight Immortals, appeared nonchalant.
They were not acquainted with Jiang He and did not recognize his aura, only aware that two Golden Immortals had arrived.
However, the True Habitant of Taixu, the Golden Immortal of the Jiuhua Sect, and the Golden Immortal Scale Dragon of Shennongjia all changed their expressions.
They traded glances, each of them noticing the serious shock on their faces.
Jiang He… had returned!
He was alive!
And he was now Golden Immortal too!
The True Habitant of Taixu did not care to think further. Immediately standing up flying to the mountain archway, he looked upon Jiang He with a mix of expressions and sighed in awe. “How long has it only been, Mister Jiang… and you’re already Golden Immortal?”
“Yes.”
Jiang He nodded and smiled. “I have ascended up to True Immortal for more than a month. It had been a difficult journey of cultivation, and I barely made it to Golden Immortal.”
Beside him, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist staggered and almost fell out of the skies.
What the f*ck…
Jiang He was such a genius that he did not forget to show off at any given moment.
More than a month of rising to True Immortal?
Moreover… a difficult journey of cultivation?
Have you even cultivated?
A while ago, you were going on trips and fooling around with your maids and slept until four or five in the afternoon before you finally woke up. You call that a difficult journey of cultivation?
Of course, the Ten Thousand Swords Daoist merely thought of that in his mind.
After some small-talk with Jiang He, the True Habitant of Taixu spoke with some degree of shock, “Perfect timing, Mister Jiang. The reinforcements sent from the celestial battlefield have just returned, and our Taixu Sect were just settling them in.”
They hence entered the Taixu Sect, with the True Habitant of Taixu smiling. “Brothers, allow me to introduce you: this is Jiang He, the one whom I’d mentioned before.”
The many Golden Immortals, True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals turned toward him, the shock apparent in their eyes.
Even the best Golden Immortals such as Lü Dongbin and Iron Crutch Li looked astonished.
Jiang He offered a fist-palm salute and flatly said, “Greetings, fellow brothers and sisters.”
One of the Golden Immortals rose to return his salute and said, “Brother Jiang He, Brother Taixu here had just told us about you, claiming that you are True Immortal after less than a year of cultivation and is unmatched in fighting ability, capable of turning the tables against Golden Immortals… still, it seems now that the True Habitant of Taixu must be mistaken. Are you not Golden Immortal, Mister Jiang? You are even full-fledged Golden Immortal, judging from your Dao presence.”
That Golden Immortal was doubtful even as he spoke.
Had Jiang He hidden his cultivation before?
That would mean that his identity was fabricated as well… he might not really have cultivated to True Immortal in a year.
Still, Jiang He was courteous toward these Golden Immortals who had returned to defend earth from billions of light-years away.
Moreover, the Taixu Sect was the first immortal Sect that had good ties with Jiang He, aiding him considerably when the elites of the Taixu Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect hunted him. As such, Jiang He promptly offered an explanation when he realized that the other Golden Immortal had misunderstood the True Habitant of Taixu.
“You may not know this, Brother, but it had been half a month since I met the True Habitant of Taixu. I had only ascended as a Golden Immortal just days ago as well, and it is reasonable that the True Habitant of Taixu was not aware.”
“…”
The other Golden Immortal was baffled.
His eyes bulging, he carefully studied Jiang He and exclaimed in shock. “You are a funny one, Brother… You are already full-fledged Golden Immortal.”
“Indeed.”
Jiang He was taken aback.
Were the Golden Immortals who returned from far-flung space that unknowledgeable?
Looking at the other Golden Immortal as if he was mentally handicapped, he added, “As everyone here would know, cultivators with a strong enough depth could rise beyond several realms in a single ascension. I am one such person, which means it is logical that I could ascend up to full-fledged Golden Immortal instantly.”
Logical…???
The immortals were silent once more, unsure how to start just then.
The kid really could talk!
Ascending instantly to full-fledged Golden Immortal from True Immortal… Who would believe that?
And yet, the True Habitant of Taixu, Golden Immortal Scale Dragon of Shennongjia, and the other Golden Immortals were gaping widely, their astonishment reaching maximum capacity.
The others would not know, but they did.
Jiang He definitely was True Immortal a while ago.
Moreover, their information maintained that Jiang He had not become immortal for long, and according to his cultivation progress… it was not all that unbelievable.
Lü Dongbin did a double take at that before laughing out loud, “You’re a funny one, Brother Jiang He.”
He and that other Golden Immortal shared the same idea.
It was all nonsense.
Nothing more than a joke.
It was totally impossible to cultivate up to full-fledged Golden Immortal in less than year as well… it was most likely because Jiang He was full-fledged Golden Immortal in the first-place but had hidden his cultivation.
Jiang He stared at Lü Dongbin then, and the True Habitant of Taixu promptly said, “Mister Jiang, this is the Pure Yang Immortal Swordsman.”
“Oh?”
Jiang He’s eyes lit up.
Lü Dongbin was a mythical figure after all, and he offered another fist-palm salute and a smile. “To think that it would be the famous Pure Yang Immortal Swordsman… I have heard of your name long ago, and it is a blessing of three lifetimes to be able to meet you today.
Lü Dongbin was subtly surprised then.
Jiang He was being this worshipful towards him?
He could not help asking him about, and Jiang He smiled in return, “You may not know this, but stories of your feats have spread far and wide in the Hua Nation… in fact, the fact I am an immortal swordsman myself is inextricably tied to you.”
“Oh?”
Lü Dongbin appeared even more surprised and asked uncertainly, “I had not left any legacies here in the homeworld, and yet your rise as an immortal swordsman is connected to me?”
“Eh?”
Jiang He blinked and asked in return, “You did not leave anything behind? But wasn’t there a lot of it online? For example, ‘Tinder, cinnabar fields, and gold self-regenerate, the many floors of pavilions are clearly defined; we shall meet again after three thousand feats, all on a day’s trip to Penglai’… Were you not the one who wrote that?”
Lü Dongbin thought carefully about it.
It seems that he did wrote some similar poetry, as he enjoyed wine and writing poems before accomplishing his Dao.
Even before he could speak, however, Jiang He added, “My cultivation methods are created by these meaningful lines that you have left, Pure Yang Immortal Swordsman… and I named it the Three Thousand Calamites…”
Whoosh!
He suddenly invoked his Golden Radiance sword and swing it, an inch of sword light rising to the air just then and cutting the sky with a swishing sound, tearing a huge spatial rift through it.
“This is the first style of my sword technique that I created based on your work, and I named it the ‘White Foal Crosses the Rift.’”
At the same time, Lü Dongbin’s brow was twitching.
That sword strike… was very powerful!
He therefore looked at Jiang He much more seriously now.
That nonchalant sword technique from Jiang He was already superior to many other full-fledged Golden Immortals’, and even Lü Dongbin himself would have to fight in full strength in response.
At the same time, Jiang He swung his sword again. Thunder and flame immediately engulfed the world, and some of the weaker Golden Immortals promptly paled in return—they could feel that the razor-sharp sword strike could well sever their Golden Immortal Dao if it reached them.
Naturally, the True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals were all coughing blood and left wilting.
Surprised, Jiang He promptly put away his Golden Radiance Sword and exclaimed in shock, “What the heck? When did the power behind my sword strikes become this powerful?”
“Right… it must be because I cultivated Thunder Dao Form, and this sword technique contains the thunder will, which greatly increases the power output…”
Putting away his sword, he said, “Senior, I had named this sword technique the Thunderflame Calamity. What do you think?”
Lü Dongbin was speechless.
He was stony faced while he cursed away inwardly.
Are you f*cking kidding me?
That’s a sword technique you created based on my poems?
What tall tale is that?
I wrote that poem for the sake of it. It had no purpose, and yet you created such a terrific cultivation technique with that?
Moreover… did it not seem like the most powerful sword techniques he had cultivated would not compare to Jiang He’s sword technique?
Nearby, Iron Crutch Li and the others were all raising their eyebrows—Jiang He’s skill could be listed among the most powerful Golden Immortals’ across worlds.
The corner of his lips twitching, he spoke a little hoarsely, “That sword technique was definitely powerful… but didn’t you say there were three techniques, Brother Jiang He?”
In response, Jiang He cast a glance at the True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals who were coughing blood and said, “The third technique is much stronger than the Thunderflame Calamity—which is the second technique, so I won’t demonstrate it. Otherwise, weaker Golden Immortals, True Immortals, and Heavenly Immortals would not be able to bear a blast of my sword will.”
