Jiang Ding concealed himself once more, closed his eyes, and began to observe his sea of consciousness through the status of sword master.
In one corner of his sea of consciousness, more than two hundred Heavenlight Sunbrilliance Dao-Soldier Flying Swords were scattered sparsely about.
Clearly, the Tushan Maid Corps' development had been affected over the years, but it was still expanding on its own, like a secret sect.
Most of their auras were at Foundation Establishment Late Stage or peak Foundation Establishment.
Only a small number were at Foundation Establishment Early Stage or middle stage, newcomers who had filled the vacancies left by fallen maids.
There were also quite a few at peak Foundation Establishment, roughly forty or fifty maids.
That was perfectly normal. Their worst aptitudes were dual spirit roots, or triple spirit roots with exceptional comprehension. They cultivated a technique like the Radiant Sun Sword Canon, lacked no great amount of second-tier resources, and had spent over a hundred years cultivating. Reaching their current realms was nothing strange.
Not to mention that the earliest one hundred and forty-four maids had been personally taught by Tushan sword cultivators and instructed in the knowledge of cultivation.
Though there were many maids at peak Foundation Establishment, there were still differences in strength among them.
The strongest were three illusory flying swords containing the wills of spring, summer, and autumn. Each was closely linked with thirty-six Heavenlight Sunbrilliance Dao-Soldier Flying Swords, their auras blending together like milk and water.
At this moment, the three flying swords flickered uncertainly. At times, their auras fell to a level inferior even to Foundation Establishment Early Stage; at other times, they suddenly surged, comparable to somewhat weaker Golden Core cultivators. The fluctuations repeated without cease.
"Are they forming their cores?"
Jiang Ding murmured, sinking his mind