Missile Control Artifact

Jiang Ding noticed that three of the missiles in the missile swarm were exceptionally bright.

They flew in a triangular formation, darting left, then right, sometimes accelerating suddenly to overtake hundreds of other missiles to scout ahead, and at other times slowing down to fly alongside other missiles, blending in until they were indistinguishable from the rest.

In less than half a second, these sights vanished, leaving the sky empty, filled only with the cries of children.

BOOM!

In the distance, a blinding flash appeared first, visible even in daylight. A moment later, a powerful roar reached them, drowning out the crying, followed by a gust of scorching hot air.

"...A mere junior at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining! I have roamed for over two hundred years..."

A faint voice drifted on the wind, so soft it was almost lost in the sound of the breeze. Without paying close attention, one would completely miss it. However, Jiang Ding, in his special state, was highly focused and caught a few words.

The voice was incredibly resonant, filled with intense anger and unwillingness.

After that, nothing more was heard.

The air raid sirens abruptly ceased.

They waited for a while, but there was no repeat.

The panicked crowd slowly calmed down. Many were still shaken, using their phones to confirm the safety of their relatives. Some decided to walk instead of taking the bus, but most passengers returned; walking was too far.

Amidst the blaring horns, the stationary traffic gradually began to move again.

There were fewer people on the bus; Jiang Ding managed to snag a seat next to the driver.

"That's a Missile Control Artifact."

Seeing Jiang Ding still staring into the distance, the uncle driving the bus casually remarked, "It can attach special spells to missiles, like Acceleration, Flight, Stealth, and Sharpening. A cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining can control it to assist missiles, posing a certain threat even to Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"The air raid sirens stopped so quickly; it's likely the Boundary Breaking Cultivator was killed. I just wonder how many people died..."

Every invasion by an extraterrestrial cultivator caused massive casualties among the populace.

Compared to mid-to-high-level cultivators, mortals were too fragile.

Jiang Ding's heart skipped a beat. He dialed his mother and sister. Fortunately, both were far from this area and were unharmed.

The driver took a deliberately long detour.

Jiang Ding only saw what appeared to be a new patch of ruins in that direction, with traces of red mixed in. He couldn't see anything else.

"Fulin Garden, next stop, Baizi..."

Jiang Ding, who had been resting his head on his knees, jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes, wiped away some drool, and groggily got off the bus.

Fulin Garden was an old residential complex, twenty years old. It was property purchased by Jiang Ding's maternal grandparents when they were young. It had 7 floors – to cope with air raid security, most buildings, except those protected by formations, did not exceed 7 floors.

"Fairy Xiao Fei, we are best friends..."

As he entered the elevator and opened the door, he saw a chubby little girl with a round face engrossed in watching TV. Without turning her head, she said, "Jiang Ding, the groceries are bought and in the kitchen."

"Don't call me by my name."

This Jiang Yuan, ever since starting junior high, had become so impolite. She was much cuter when she was in elementary school.

In the kitchen, Jiang Ding looked at the three lonely eggs and one tomato in the plastic bag.

"Jiang Yuan!"

Blocking the TV, Jiang Ding said speechlessly, "There has to be a limit to embezzlement, okay? Are you treating the two of us like birds?"

Their mother often worked overtime. Since the school was close to the market, Jiang Yuan was responsible for buying groceries every day. This kid was extremely dishonest.

"Um..." Jiang Yuan's eyes darted around evasively. "I ran into the school bully, and he snatched most of my grocery money."

"Very good."

Jiang Ding said expressionlessly, pulling out his phone and dialing 110. "Perfect, let's report him and have him arrested. Who is he, and what's his name?"

There was no need to worry about not finding the person. Except for private places like restrooms or homes, most public areas were under the surveillance of Rongcheng's Array Spirit Computer. This was also one of the reasons why the previous invasion by cultivators from other realms was resolved so quickly.

Jiang Yuan's face fell. She turned her head away. "Fine, I admit it. I used that money and my savings to buy Fairy Xiao Fei figurines."

Jiang Ding shook his head, switched his phone to a payment QR code, and placed it in front of her without saying a word.

This little thing was like a Pixiu, with an extremely fanatical hoarding habit. She had never bought anything over 10 yuan since she was little. Even buying Fairy Xiao Fei figurines wouldn't normally make her spend money.

Of course, this was her money. If it were Jiang Ding's money, she would be quite generous and extravagant.

They stared at each other for a full three minutes.

"Jiang Ding!"

Jiang Yuan said indignantly, but ultimately had to concede, scanning the code and transferring the money.

Ding! 25.4 yuan!

Jiang Ding ignored her flailing and added a little more money himself, ordering two takeout meals. He warned her, "If you act like this again, I'll report you to Mom and have your grocery-buying privileges revoked. Mom won't want her son to be malnourished all day, so she'll agree."

"Got it."

Jiang Yuan replied reluctantly.

Jiang Ding stood up and went to the kitchen. He washed the remaining tomato and placed it on the cutting board, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Clang!

A flash of brilliant sword light appeared, flickered three times, then flickered three more times before being sheathed.

"Not bad!"

Jiang Ding spread out the still spherical tomatoes, seven in total, uniformly thick and thin, and nodded with satisfaction. He then sighed, "I still need to cut it in the middle before it can be put in the pot. This isn't something achievable with a single sword strike in the Body Refining Realm, it goes beyond the basic rules of mechanical operation... It would be good if I had True Qi."

Speaking of which, although his Chinese and Math scores were at the bottom, his swordsmanship was still quite good, stronger than the Inner Qi Realm martial artists in his class. According to his teacher, with a few more years of effort, he might be able to touch the threshold of comprehending 'intent'.

It was a pity it was useless.

No matter how high his swordsmanship, a burst from a submachine gun could take him down. If that wasn't enough, a heavy machine gun could provide suppressing fire, forcing even Qi Refining cultivators to temporarily retreat and hide.

The main purpose of choosing cold weapons as an elective was to cultivate one's character and understand the combat methods of enemies from outside the Immortal Sect world.

"Jiang Ding, have you washed your sword yet?" Jiang Yuan shouted loudly, "You got dust and sweat on it when you were practicing. I can't eat it if you can!"

"Don't worry, I used the school's practice sword today."

Soon, a standard plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes came out of the kitchen and was placed on the dining table.

Jiang Yuan was still engrossed in her Fairy Xiao Fei, while Jiang Ding sat on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting. His black sword sheath lay across his knees as he silently contemplated the Eagle's Takeoff Sword Art.

This technique was profound and vast. On the surface, it was just a sword art, but in reality, it encompassed everything. It contained principles of Chinese cultivation talismans, the principles of array formations and script formations from mathematics and physics, and the internal structures of human bones, muscles, meridians, and flesh of spirit beasts and Yao Beasts from biology, and so on. The better one's related subjects, the higher their comprehension of the sword art.

"Um, Jiang Ding..."

"Speak."

Jiang Ding didn't open his eyes.

"Dad contacted me today, asking if I've been studying hard and if I'm healthy... Should I reply to him?"

"Whatever you want, it's up to you. Just don't tell Mom."

Jiang Ding glanced at the conflicted Jiang Yuan and closed his eyes again.

Jiang Ding's father divorced his mother shortly after Jiang Yuan was born. Since then, his mother had brought the two of them to live in her own house.

At that time, Jiang Ding almost cried every day asking for his father, but as he grew up, he rarely mentioned it.

Over the years, through his uncle and other relatives, he had some guesses about the reasons for his parents' divorce.

Back then, from elementary school, middle school, high school, university, to marriage, his father, who had been childhood sweethearts with his mother since they were young, must have cheated. It seemed he had a child slightly older than Jiang Ding, hidden from his mother.

Knock, knock, knock!

On the seventh-floor window, a palm-sized white bird pecked the glass with its sharp beak, two light taps followed by one heavier tap. Its claws held a beige bag.

"Mr. Jiang, your takeout has arrived. Please sign for it. Spirit Cuisine House thanks you for your patronage."

"Mm."

Jiang Ding got up, opened the window, pulled out a receipt from the little bird's belly, wrote his name on it, and stuffed it back in. He then took the takeout bag from its claws.

"We welcome you to visit Spirit Cuisine House again."

The little white bird flapped its wings and flew into the distance.

After eating and washing the dishes, and completing today's homework with Jiang Yuan, Jiang Yuan went out to play with her classmates, while Jiang Ding returned to his room.

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Ding opened a drawer.

A crimson, embroidered sword tip appeared before him, about two fingers in size, very miniature. The break was jagged, as if forcibly snapped by some violent force.

"Could this be a fragment of a magic treasure?"

Jiang Ding pinched the broken sword tip between his fingers. It felt soft and smooth like jade, not like metal.

He had found it at a bus stop three days ago. It wasn't accidental – at the time, while still at school, his soul had trembled, and he had suddenly sensed something extremely important, something connected to his bloodline, appearing somewhere.

Following the sensation, he finally found it under the bus stop sign.

The moment he touched the break, an instinct surfaced, telling Jiang Ding that this broken sword tip was named [Crimson...]. As long as he willed it, it could transport the host to another world.

Jiang Ding didn't believe such a heaven-defying opportunity at first.

There was a precedent. Over eight hundred years ago, a Nascent Soul cultivator from another realm lost his Nascent Soul and body in a war. Only his residual soul escaped, disguised as an old grandpa and lurking within the sea of consciousness of True Lord Canghai, who was then just a small Qi Refining cultivator.

The young True Lord Canghai was nearly possessed, and the enemy infiltrated key departments of the Immortal Sect, stealing secrets.

Moral character score: 137.

Without any delay, he went directly to the city library, where the Rongcheng Array Spirit Computer was stationed. He used his once-a-year student privilege for a comprehensive check-up.

The Rongcheng Array Spirit Computer was a branch spirit of the central Array Spirit Computer, and its database was connected to the main unit. It was almost equivalent to the vision of a Deity Transformation Great Expert. If there were any anomalies, it would surely detect them.

The examination results showed no problems.

"I'll take the risk."

Jiang Ding's heart settled, and he muttered, "Even if there is a problem, it's one that can be hidden from a Deity Transformation Great Expert. Such a confrontation wouldn't erupt in just a hundred years, would it? That would be too anticlimactic."

"Besides, this is just my wild speculation. It's highly unlikely that any Great Expert would be so bored as to scheme against a mediocre person like me."

Since he had made up his mind, Jiang Ding didn't delay. He picked up a half-person-tall cardboard box, brought his ID card and medical insurance card, and went to a hotel near the entrance of the City First Hospital to book a room.

Rongcheng City First Hospital, Rongcheng's best public hospital, had rich experience in treating stab wounds, gunshot wounds, and poisoning. As long as the head wasn't blown off on the spot, even a severed limb, broken leg, or ruptured heart could be saved.

Student medical insurance is affordable.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Ding didn't immediately cross over. He opened the cardboard box.

These items cost him all the New Year's money he had received since childhood, plus the money his mother gave him for supplements to practice martial arts after he started his third year of high school. It came to a little over twenty thousand yuan.

A set of camouflage uniforms, including shoes, and a pair of transparent tactical gloves.

Manufactured by Luban Arms Technology Company, made from bulletproof material, it could deform to fit the human body. At maximum strength, it could withstand two direct close-range pistol shots or the full force of a martial artist at the Minor Inner Qi Realm attacking with a sharp weapon.

A tactical panoramic helmet.

It was spherical, like a glass basketball, capable of preventing poison and providing its own oxygen for one hour. It could withstand several full-force attacks from a martial artist at the Major Inner Qi Realm without taking damage. It could also connect to drone views and communication modules, receiving orders from superiors, making it standard equipment for Immortal Sect infantry.

If the helmet was too cumbersome, the seller also included a pair of contact lenses that could carry communication modules and connect to drone views, though they offered no protection.

There were also four rotor drones, capable of flying at an altitude of two thousand meters. They came with high-definition cameras and micro-radar, allowing them to clearly see the movements of people and animals within five kilometers on the ground. If the target didn't conceal their aura, their strength could even be roughly perceived.

He was armed to the teeth.

Finally, he had also bought a bunch of cold medicine, Yunnan Baiyao, and other common medications. On his chest was the Heavenly King's Life-Saving Elixir, which his mother had spent half a year's salary to buy for him when he was a child.

"That's it."

Jiang Ding steeled himself and touched the tip of the broken sword. Instantly, the world spun.