"Crowning the Xuanwu Daoist and achieving a realm above Refining Nothingness..."
Jiang Dingxin felt an immense desire within his heart for the black and white chessboard before him and the seed of the Xuanwu Divine Court it contained.
but a pure pursuit of the Great Dao and longevity.
To extend life by thirty thousand years!
There's even a possibility to transcend Refining Nothingness and live even longer!
I could watch the rise and fall of dynasties, overlooking the birth and death of countless generations of cultivators, whilst I remain forever young, eternally youthful.
I could possess tens of Small Worlds, with the fates of countless beings in my hands, with peerless beauties at my beck and call, as new faces emerge year after year, forever.
Innocent, glamorous, cute, charming, wanton... Beauties with appearances and characters surpassing everyone in the Minor Thousand World, all within easy reach.
Who wouldn't want this?
Friends and family, too, could all be properly cared for, with seemingly no downside, all benefits.
"The inheritance above Refining Nothingness..."
Jiang Ding couldn't help but start contemplating, unable to escape the fundamental desires of his own heart.
'This old guy's promise...'
He once again scanned his Dao Foundation, Sea of Consciousness, to no avail, uncovering no clues.
'His words are about sixty percent credible.'
The Dao Child Level's Divine Soul, efficient and perceptive, swiftly made its own judgment and calculations.
There are some nice aspects, and some not so beautiful.
The good part is that the Xuanwu tiangong needs powerful Daoist disciples, and the seed of the Xuanwu Divine Court needs excellent individuals for its parasitism.
With the help of the seed of the Xuanwu Divine Court, it is possible for cultivators to reach Refining Nothingness, or even ascend beyond it, in the future.
This is the national policy of the Xuanwu tiangong.
It's how they've survived throughout the years.
Even, there are records that in certain eras, several cultivators who defected from other Immortal Sects eventually became Xuanwu Daoists, with two later achieving Refining Nothingness and inheriting the Divine Court's laws.
Looking at history, Xuanwu tiangong has accomplished this openness, so sixty percent is possible.
However, in the real world, one can't just think of the benefits; one must also consider the other side.
Firstly, Masters of Refining Nothingness can be temperamental and unpredictable, and after ensuring the Sect's succession, they don't always choose the optimal solution. It's quite possible that one day, in a fit of pique, they could slap Jiang Ding to death and let another Daoist disciple devour the seed of the Xuanwu Divine Court.
In that case, the Xuanwu tiangong might lose the potential above Refining Nothingness, but its basic survival could be assured.
The older these Great Powers are, the more likely such whimsical outbursts occur.
Unless it's their own nurtured and deeply bonded Daoist disciple, the possibility of such unpredictable behavior diminishes.
But for Jiang Ding, this innate condition does not exist.
His own emotional intelligence is far from enough; there's next to no chance of nurturing it afterwards.
Great Powers of Immortal Sects are not known for their benevolence.
Divine Power like a prison, Divine Power like a sea, that's the norm.
Do not take the current attitude as permanent, nor should you carelessly apply the experience of interacting with high-rank Xianmen Sect cultivators to the Immortal Sects.
That place is where one can lose their life for offending a High-Rank Cultivator.
Secondly, this aged voice values his currently demonstrated potential, hence the great effort to recruit him, even promising the inheritance above Refining Nothingness and calling him the Son of the Sword of Destiny born from the Great Sun Sword Pavilion's tens of thousands of years of accumulated Sword Dao fortune.
Is that truly the case?
Jiang Ding introspected deeply.
'Was I born amidst a celestial phenomenon, causing the winds and clouds to change color within ten thousand li, bearing great fortune as an exceptional Elite?'
'In the manner of an ancient sainted one being born?'
He recalled all of his past.
Particularly his slightly harsh but warmly cherished childhood memories, every little bit of it, his mischievous little sister, his mother who had to work overtime until 8 PM nightly, and himself who became skilled at cooking.
'I am not an exceptional Elite.'
"I am very ordinary,"
Jiang Ding felt enlightened.
"My achievements now rely on the Xianmen Sect."
"At first, the Central Array Spirit Computer helped me cultivate the 'Eagle Taking Off Sword Technique,' which is a benefit for the citizens. Following that, the refining of the Taiqing Flying Sword depended on the unshakable rules and integrity of the Central Array Spirit Computer."
In those days, placed in the Xuanwu Heavenly Palace, or indeed any sect, the outcome would have been one hundred percent the seizure of everything, with no other possibility.
Compared to such hefty profits, at least the value of several minor worlds, to breach a contract with a commoner seemed hardly worth contemplating; even a resurrected sage would be tempted.
As we know, no matter the myth or legend, sages all have some minor flaws, or perhaps one day they abandon their past, achieve enlightenment, and become sanctified on the spot.
Many "minor flaws" before becoming a saint, such as a "butcher's knife," are overlooked by others.
"Next, there is the present."
"My swordsmanship, my research on cultivation methods, my accumulation of knowledge in the Immortal Path, all rely on the platform of the Xianmen Sect. Whatever problem I encounter, the Xianmen Science Institute can assist in resolving it, elders can help, and I can also help others solve their problems. We coexist with one another."
"It can be said that my achievements now contain a significant amount of collective wisdom, collective achievement."
"If I were to consider these achievements that contain collective wisdom entirely as my own, thinking I am a once-in-several-hundred-thousand-years prodigy born from a concentrated burst of destiny's child, then I would be greatly mistaken."
"Xu's Transmutation God, the stupidity of the past, am I to make the same mistake again?"
Jiang Ding recalled some history, his gaze turning towards the place where the ancient voice existed.
"Did Xu's Transmutation God also face a situation like mine?"
"A senior without any pretenses, kind, magnanimous, and humorous, who genuinely admires you, having calculated and affirmed that you are a once-in-several-hundred-thousand-years genius, born of concentrated destiny, wanting to entrust you with the entire foundation of the Heavenly Palace."
"Everything was given."
"Everything was promised, there would be no rejection, and acceptance would be granted."
"The final result can be seen."
Sounds of sword sings resonated clangingly in Jiang Ding's heart, buzzing and humming. The Sword Intent of Destruction was expressing its existence, destruction, forbidden laws, annihilation, and...
"Even if you truly accepted, so what?"
"What you gave me has no value, is worthless like chaff, to be carelessly discarded, not fit to catch my eye."
"I use my sword to cleave through, to kill you, and the inheritance of Above Void Refinement that I take from your hands, only then is it of great value, turning chaff into pearls, to transcend its origin, comparable to a True Immortal's inheritance!"
Voices emerged in Jiang Ding's heart.
My path has been determined.
War is so cruel, employing every conceivable tactic, there aren't that many rules, not so many principles to follow, too luxurious, often there is a need to compromise, to make sacrifices.
that cannot be compromised!
Because these are the fundamentals of one's own existence!
Once you compromise, the Sword Heart will instantly crack, the Dao Foundation will collapse, denying oneself, I am no longer myself, and even if I don't die, my cultivation will struggle to advance further.
Jiang Ding's Divine Soul became transparent, the surging tides of longing in his heart, the burning greed, were swept away in a flash.
"It's nothing more than this..."
"It's really nothing more than this!"
Jiang Ding burst into laughter, without a hint of hesitation.
The Sword Intent of Destruction roiled like a starry sea, its thunderous roar slicing towards the sky.
Sword-light, in a sudden moment, became much brighter and more focused, making a substantial approach toward the Third Realm of the Sword Path of Refining Sword into Silk.
"Predecessor, behold this sword of mine!"